Salmon Recovery Initiatives by the Squamish Nation

The Past, Present and Future Presentation by: Randall Lewis Squamish Nation Bettina Sander Golder Associates Ltd. Acknowledgements: Melissa Evanson Katerina Kwon

The Past, Present and Future Squamish River Watershed  Largest watershed within the Strait of Georgia  Squamish River drains into Howe Sound  Supports significant aquatic species: Fish – Pacific salmon, trout, euchalon Marine mammals – seals, river otters Waterfowl – Great blue heron, sandpipers

The Past – Previous Initiatives Historical Land Use  Poor forestry practices and land use planning resulted in:  Increase urban runoff  Changes to channel morphology  Loss of tributary habitat  Degradation of habitat quality  Habitat restoration initiatives started in the 1970’s in Chief Jimmy Jimmy Slough  Controlled by DFO  MOE and MOF worked independently on habitat restoration initiatives

The Past Squamish Nation Historical Ties to Salmon  Food, Social and Ceremonial  ‘Commercial’ (trading) purposes  Culture  tradition of returning salmon bones to the river to ensure that the salmon will return  Environment  Salmon are key in supporting entire ecosystem function Nutrient inputs Food source - eagles, bears, etc.

The Past Historical Fisheries Management  Pre-settlement (Before Contact)  traditional territory fully functional with Mother Nature  Avoided over-fishing, resulting in ample resource availability for generations to come “We took what we needed.”  Post-settlement (Post Contact)  Squamish Nation territory changed forever at the expense of Mother Nature  Colonization prosperity changed the ecology, resulting in species going extinct  Late 1880’s  Squamish Nation fisheries restricted by DFO  Resulted in a very poor relationship based on lack of trust and common objectives

The Present Squamish Nation Community Values  Protect land and natural resources for future generations  Achieved through:  Habitat restoration programs  Sustainable fisheries management  Stock enhancement initiatives  Salmon population recovery  Building community awareness around Squamish Nation fisheries through the mandate of Council. Key to Achieving these Objectives is through Partnerships at all Levels

The Present Squamish Nation Partnerships Squamish Nation was instrumental in initiating the partnership process and getting people to work towards a common goal  Government – DFO, CN Rail  Provincial – BC MoE, BC Hydro  Municipal – District of Squamish  Community – Squamish River Watershed Society, local Streamkeepers  Industry – Ledcor on Ashlu Creek IPP (habitat restoration on Ashlu Creek), partnerships with local developers

The Present – Recent Partnership Initiatives Squamish Nation/DFO Annual Salmon Enumeration Program (1996-present) Partnership with DFO, Golder Compendium of the Status of Coho in the Squamish River Watershed (2004) Partnership with DFO, Golder

The Present – Recent Initiatives BC Hydro Water Use Plan (2004) Partnership with BC Hydro Squamish River Watershed Salmon Recovery Plan (2005) Partnership with Pacific Salmon Foundation, Squamish River Watershed Society, BC MoE, DFO, stakeholders, Golder

The Present – Recent Initiatives Salmon Assessment Framework for the Squamish River Watershed (2006) Partnership with DFO, Pacific Salmon Foundation, Golder Synthesis of 11 Years of Salmon Spawner Enumeration Data in the Squamish River Watershed (2007) Partnership with CN Rail, DFO, Golder

The Future Squamish Nation Fisheries Prospective Goals  Continue to protect the land and resources for future generations  Habitat restoration  Sustainable fisheries management  Stock enhancement  Pacific salmon recovery programs  Continue to develop long-term, sustainable partnerships to be carried into future generations

The Future Squamish Nation Fisheries Prospective Goals  Address knowledge gaps regarding watershed processes e.g. climate change?  Identify Squamish Nation as leaders in the community  Government works with limited resources  Community and partnerships need to step up to the plate and collaboratively work to protect natural resources

The Past, Present and Future “If we fail, we fail our children.” - Randall Lewis