[Oct 19, 20]
The Eel River Recovery Project is once again joining the Round Valley Indian Tribes in celebrating the return of the salmon and the salmon people on Friday and Saturday, October 19 and 20. In addition to the traditional salmon feed and ceremonies, we will also show a salmon movie and have a workshop on forest health.
The highlight of the weekend is the traditional salmon feed and educational fair at Hidden Oaks Park in Covelo beginning at 3 PM on Saturday October 20. ERRP will have posters on all their projects. Volunteers will be on hand to explain about scientific studies on river health and agricultural best practices aimed at getting farmers in harmony with nature. Dinner will be salmon and corn as the main dishes. There is no charge, but those attending are encouraged to bring a side dish to share.
This year’s celebration will start with a showing of a new ERRP salmon movie at the Covelo Library Commons on Friday evening at 7 PM. This is a world premiere of Signs of Resilience: Eel River 2012-2017 Chinook Salmon Trends, which documents the findings of six year’s work. The film has stunning footage of salmon and the Eel River watershed and conveys the hopeful message that runs are in the tens of thousands and rebuilding in some areas of the watershed.
On Saturday morning at 10 AM there will be a workshop and community discussion of forest health. The workshop, Improving Forest Health in the Wild and Scenic North Fork and Middle Fork Eel River Watershed, will be held in the conference room at the Round Valley Tribal Health Center. Upper Lake/Covelo District Ranger Frank Aebly will give a presentation on where the Ranch Fire burned within the Eel River basin and what activities are planned to help rehabilitate burned areas. Ernie Merrifield and Ron Lincoln Sr. will share their views on traditional ecological management. The most important part of the workshop will be the community discussion about how to restore forest health and how we can collaborate to begin work in the watersheds.
This year’s events are sponsored in part by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management in celebration of the 50th Anniversary of the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, which passed into law in October 1968. Designation of 394 miles of the Eel River means that most of major tributaries cannot be dammed. Both the North Fork and Middle Fork Eel that overlap with the Round Valley Reservation are designated as Wild and Scenic.
For more information see www.eelriverrecovery.org, follow ERRP on Facebook or call 707 223-7200. Find out about car-pooling opportunities from Willits by calling Robin at 707 459-0155.
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