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Forest Resources Field Trip to the Yakama Nation
Friday, April 14
Schedule
We will assemble at the three white SUVs in the N-2 parking lot, in back of Denny Hall, at 6:30 a.m. We will be on the road at 6:45. It will take us a little under three hours, with a brief break, to get to our first stop, the Zimmerman property ecological restoration site near Toppenish.
After our arrival, we will visit the following sites and learn from the following people at various places on Yakama Nation Reservation
- Zimmerman property ecological restoration site, where former wheat fields have been restored to their original wetland condition and many species have returned. Hosted by Tom Elliot and Dave Blodgett III.
- Meadow near the Mill Creek Guard Station, where we will hear from Paul Ward, Yakama Fisheries Manager, and Brady Kent, Climate Change and Enterprise Development Manager
- Travel to the site of the Cougar Creek Fire of 2015, stopping as appropriate along the way to look at differential forest health, and examine the effects and reactions to the fire. Our guides will be Yakama forester Kelly Olney and YFP Timber Resource Manager Doug Olney
- Return to the Yakama Forest Products Sawmill at
White Swan, where we will tour the mill in operation and hear from Yakama Forest Products General Manager Steve Rigdon (also the organizer of our trip), and Haver Jim, who will talk about production, culture, and taking care of Yakama resources and people.
- Other members and leaders of the Yakama nation might join our group as time allows.
We should be finished at White Swan by 5:00 p.m. and thus be back in Seattle by 8:30, if we take a dinner break (depending on weather) or a little earlier otherwise. We need to consider the fatigue and safety of the drivers, as it's a long drive, especially if we have rain in the Cascades.
What to bring, wear, etc
- Check the weather forecast for the Yakima Valley, and dress accordingly. It looks now as if the weather will be cool and breezy with a chance of showers, so bring warm clothes and sun protection.
- Wear shoes suitable for tromping in mud, forests, etc. No sandals, please and especially no flip-flops!
- Bring a camera or be prepared to take pictures with your phone for the slide show in Monday's class, and for your own memories. Please send your best pictures to Anna orJosh by email or some more advanced method by Sunday evening, so they can put together the slide show for Tuesday's class.
- Bring a notebook and something to write with, as you will need to be taking notes at just about every stop
- Bring a lunch, and perhaps enough for a light dinner if we stop on the way back
- There will be an opportunity (no expectation) to purchase real Native American frozen or smoked salmon. If you think you would like to buy some, bring cash (no credit cards)
Special Considerations
- Remember that the Yakama are a sovereign nation, and that you are there as their guests. This trip is as much about appreciating the culture, social situation, and legal rights of Native Americans as it is about forest products. So be courteous. That doesn't mean don't have a good time, it just means be courteous.
- Also remember that you are there to learn, and that active participation and active questioning are good ways to learn. So be engaged with the material and with our hosts.
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