STANWOOD (November 6, 2006) – The Stillaguamish Tribe has adopted the Hatt Slough boat launch between Stanwood and Silvana, through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife Adopt-an-Access program.
Hatt Slough is important to the Stillaguamish, Tribal Chair Shawn Yanity said, because the tribe used to have villages in the surrounding area.
“We use the boat launch for natural resource projects and water quality studies,” Yanity said. “We’re proud to be its stewards and to continue our cooperative relationship with Fish and Wildlife.”
Since adopting the 7-acre site last March, the tribe has held bimonthly work parties to clean up trash and maintain the site. Tribal work crews already have cleared about 2,000 square feet of blackberries and other invasive species from the site. Staff members from the Stillaguamish natural resources department also make an effort to pick up trash whenever they’re at the site.
Last week, 17 volunteers from the tribe and Stanwood High School planted 300 native trees and shrubs from the tribe’s BankSavers nursery. The BankSavers Project has provided 2,300 native plants, including western red cedar, Douglas fir, and shore pine.
The planting is a big step above and beyond the obligations of the Adopt-an-Access program, said Kye Iris, regional lands agent for WDFW. “They’ve made a long-term investment to maintain the site,” she said.
The tribe’s streamside restoration crew will continue planting for about three weeks, until all of the plants are in the ground.
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For more information, contact: Franchesca Perez, biologist, Stillaguamish Tribe at (360) 435-2755 x 22. Kari Neumeyer, information officer, (360) 424-8226, [email protected].
