4th Annual "A New Day For Puget Sound" Spring Fundraising Breakfast

Inspirational words and announcement of the 2009 Magnuson Sound Legacy Award Winners

Gather in the early morning for breakfast and wise words from Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission Chair Billy Frank, Jr. (read below) who will help us kick off Earth Month.  Who better to remind us of the importance of living reverently with the earth?

We'll also be debuting our new People For Puget Sound video highlighting our programs and work people are doing around the Sound.

We will present our anual Warren G. Magnuson Puget Sound Legacy Awards, recognizing individuals, organizations, families or businesses who have made life better for the organisms of Puget Sound.  We are accepting nominations for this prestigious award until February 28th.  Forms and instructions are found here.

This early morning gathering will be held at the Seattle Marriott Waterfront. Parking is available nearby on the street, at the Bell Pier Garage, or by Marriott valet.

Also on hand will be Women Painters of Washington who will exhibit artwork from their recent Waters Alive! show. The artists will talk about and sell their works – a percentage of the proceeds to benefit People For Puget Sound.

PLEASE REGISTER FOR THIS EVENT USING THE ONLINE REGISTRATION FORM FOUND HERE.

There is no charge for the breakfast, but guests will be asked for a donation (suggested minimum donation - $100).   We hope people will consider a donation of $180 (that's just $15/month) for the earth.  If you would like more information on being an event sponsor or table captain (10 guests per table), contac Nancy Hahn, 206-382-7007.

UNABLE TO ATTEND? Please consider making a donation in lieu of attendance. PLEASE USE THE ONLINE DONATION FORM FOUND HERE.

Please contact Nancy Hahn at 206-382-7007 if you are interested in receiving sponsorship information.

Billy Frank, Jr. of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, has been Chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission for 22 years. In this capacity, he "speaks for the salmon" on behalf of 19 Treaty Indian Tribes in western Washington. Under his leadership, the tribal role over the past 30 years has evolved from that of activists, fighting the state to secure fishing rights reserved in treaties with the United States government, to managers of the resource. Supported by the NWIFC, the tribes are unsurpassed in their abilities as natural resource managers.

In the 1960s and early '70s, Frank was a grass roots political activist who was frequently jailed for his role in civil disobedience, which involved taking part in numerous "fish-in's" in opposition to state authority over the tribes. Years of resistance finally paid off when federal court ruled in favor of the tribes in U.S. v. Washington, the "Boldt Decision" of 1974. The ruling, supported by the U.S. Supreme Court in 1979, reaffirmed the treaty-protected fishing rights of the tribes. Among other things, the ruling stated that the tribes have a right to catch up to 50 percent of the harvestable resource, and that the state and the tribes must manage the resource as co-managers.