Episode 28 – Heather Cantua – Morganroth Springs and the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition

In Episode 28 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Heather Cantua. Heather is an attorney, business owner, and is the president of the board of directors for the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition (PCSC). She moved to the Olympic Peninsula in 2021 and joined the PCSC board on 2023. She shares her love for salmon and the environment.  Heather and Annika discuss the Morganroth Springs restoration project that was recently constructed based on plans that Annika helped design. Heather talks about the importance of teaming partners and ongoing monitoring. She also talks about her hopes and vision for the future. Enjoy!    Websites ●        Morganroth Springs: a History — Pacific Coast Salmon Coalitions ●       Who We Are | Discover Our Mission Today — Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition

In Episode 27 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Santana Rabang. Santana is a podcast producer for the Young and Indigenous Podcast Children of the Setting Sun Production, youth tribal leader, and canoe paddler. Santana is Lummi through her mother and Nooksack and First Nations Shxwhá:y Village through her father. She shares her childhood and experience at Children of the Setting Sun Production. Santana talks about her personal journey and the importance of salmon, community, and canoe paddling to her. She talks about her hopes and vision for the future. Enjoy!  Websites ●        Children of the Setting Sun Productions: https://settingsunproductions.org/ ●        Young and Indigenous Podcast: https://settingsunproductions.org/young-and-indigenous-podcast

In Episode 26 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Josie Kamkoff. Josie is a tribal water utilities operator program development lead at Northwest Indian College (NWIC). She is of Lummi and Yupik descent. She mostly grew up in Anchorage, Alaska and spent summers in Lummi, Washington. She is passionate about the environment and received a Bachelor's of Science in Native Environmental Science from NWIC. She is developing a tribal water utilities operator certification program. She provides insight into the program and why it is so important. Also, she talks about her hopes and vision for the future. Enjoy!     Websites ·         Northwest Indian College (NWIC): https://www.nwic.edu/ ·         Tribal Drinking Water Operator Certification Program: https://www.epa.gov/tribaldrinkingwater/tribal-drinking-water-operator-certification-program

In Episode 25 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Bethany Fackrell. Bethany is a Tribal Gaming Commissioner, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe member, artist, and veteran. She participated in the Tribal WaterCorps program. Bethany talks about what salmon means for her, her experience participating in canoe journeys, habitat restoration, and the WaterCorps program. She also talks about her art work, hopes for the future, and advice for indigenous youth interested in the Tribal WaterCorps program. Enjoy!  Websites ·       Kokanee of the Moon: https://www.fws.gov/media/kokanee-moonbethany-fackrellsnoqualmie2023jpg ·       A Deep Conservation Connection: https://www.fws.gov/story/2023-11/story-service-bethany-fackrell ·       Bureau of Indian Affairs – WaterCorps Program: https://stewardslegacy.org/watercorps ·       IG: tradish_ish

In Episode 24 of NW Fish Passage, Annika Fain interviews Kayeloni Scott. Kayeloni is an enrolled Spokane Tribal Member with strong Nez Perce ancestry. From 2017-2022, she served as the Communications Manager for the Nez Perce Tribe, then American Rivers as the Communications Director for the Northwest Region for over a year. She has continued her work with the Nez Perce Tribe, providing communications consulting on Lower Snake River issues, is a co-producer for Covenant of the Salmon People, and was recently appointed as Executive Director for the Columbia/Snake River Campaign. She plays a critical role in advocating for the four lower Snake River dams. In this episode she shares her experience growing up with salmon, why salmon are important to her, the Nez Perce creation story, Covenant of the Salmon film, and Children of the Setting Sun. Websites mentioned in this episode can be found on the nwfishpassage.com website.   Enjoy!    https://columbiasnakeriver.com/ https://www.salmonorcaproject.com/ https://covenantofthesalmonpeople.com/media https://settingsunproductions.org/

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Gabe Ng. Gabe is a Fish Passage Design Manager for the WSDOT NW Region Fish Passage Program. He is passionate about improving the environment and collaborating with a variety of people and disciplines. Gabe provides insight into important aspects of fish passage. Annika and Gabe discuss their experience in the fish passage realm and future opportunities. Gabe also provides advice to young professionals.  Website links that are mentioned in the podcast are located at nwfishpassage.com and below. Enjoy! ·         (WSDOT) Fish Passage summary and link to annual report maps, and videos: https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/protecting-environment/fish-passage ·         SR542 Squalicum Creek to Bellingham Bay Fish Passage:: https://wsdot.wa.gov/construction-planning/search-projects/sr-542-squalicum-creek-bellingham-bay-fish-passage-complete-november-2023 ·         SR542 Squalicum Creek Construction (August 3, 2023) - SR 542 Squalicum creek to Bellingham Bay Fish Passage project timelapse, part 1 (youtube.com)

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Karin Strelioff. Karin is the Conservation Programs Manager with the Thurston Conservation District. She specializes in marine shoreline stewardship, green stormwater infrastructure, PNW native plants, and conservation focused land management. Karin talks about her motivation, conservation districts, Shore Friendly, and provides advice to young professionals. Learn more at nwfishpassage.com. Enjoy!

In this episode, Annika Fain interviews Rena Priest. Rena Priest is an enrolled member of the Lhaq'temish (Lummi) Nation. She served two years as Washington State's 6th Poet Laureate (2021-2023). Her work has been recognized with awards and fellowships from the Allied Arts Foundation, Academy of American Poets, Indigenous Nations Poets, University of Washington Libraries, and Nia Tero. She is the author of three books and editor of two anthologies, including I Sing the Salmon Home: Poems from Washington State. Learn more at nwfishpassage.com and renapriest.com. Enjoy!  

In this episode, April McEwen, River Restoration Project Manager at American Rivers, talks about a variety of dam removal projects she is involved in. She discusses projects she has done since our last podcast about the Middle Fork Nooksack Fish Passage in 2020 (Episode 7).  She talks in detail about the Barrel Springs and Kellogg Creek dam removal projects. April talks about the importance of partnerships and collaboration in both of these projects. Barrel Springs was completed last summer in Skagit County, Washington. This project involved removing a 12-foot-tall dam and providing access to a natural cold-water springs. The Kellogg Creek Restoration and Community Enhancement Project will include removing a dam that blocks 14 acres of habitat in Milwaukee, Oregon. NOAA has awarded 15 million federal infrastructure grant to the Kellogg Project for stream health, salmon, transportation, and access to nature. For more websites referred to in this episode please visit: nwfishpassage.com. Enjoy!    

In this episode, Annika interviews Emily Howe, an aquatic and estuarine ecologist at The Nature Conservancy of Washington.   She holds a Ph.D. from the School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences at the University of Washington, with a focus on estuarine restoration and food web ecology in tidally-influenced ecosystems.  Emily's work integrates across ecosystem boundaries, investigating how landscape configuration and management shapes cross-boundary relationships for food webs, organisms, and ecosystem processes.  She is currently working at the nexus of forest management impacts on snow, stormwater pollution and green infrastructure, and freshwater and marine restoration ecology- all with an eye towards the impacts of climate change.   Enjoy!