1-17 NWR Lummi Lawsuit

1-17 NWR Lummi Lawsuit

David Sparks Ph.D.
David Sparks Ph.D.
This is your Northwest report for Tuesday, January 17 I'm David Sparks and according to the Bellingham Herald, seven dairy farms in Whatcom County have reached an agreement with Lummi Nation to keep their cows' manure out of Portage Bay and to compensate the tribe's shellfish harvesters for the loss of their ability to harvest because of fecal coliform pollution there.

The bay is home to the tribe's commercial, ceremonial and subsistence shellfish beds, where about 800 acres are now closed six months out of the year because of fecal pollution in the Nooksack River and streams that empty into it. Here is dairy farmer Rich Appel: "We have been meeting with the Lummi Nation for one and a half years and were talking about a broader scale of water negotiations. They wanted a settlement dealing with water rights, in stream flows, a lot of these things that are kind of unsettled. At that meeting they informed us that they were planning on suing several dairy men over the pollution in Portage Bay which has closed the shellfish beds there." In less contentious dairy news, Rietkerk Dairy #2-- owned and operated by John & Rhonda Rietkerk and sons -- was awarded Glanbia's highest honor, the 2016 Quality Patron of the Year, at Glanbia's annual Christmas patron

luncheon and awards ceremony.  

 

The Rietkerk dairy was awarded a Patron of the Year commemorative plaque and an all-expense paid trip for two to Ireland.  This annual award rotates between small, medium and large dairies.  In order to be recognized for this award, Glanbia's milk suppliers must meet strict quality standards over 12 months, paying close attention to all facets of dairy operations.

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