In Common With

<p><strong style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>In the 1960s and '70s the waters of Washington State boiled with conflict.</strong><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>Because of state actions and policies Washington Tribes had long been denied their fair share of the salmon harvest granted by treaties adopted by the US government and the Tribes in 1854. Tribal members staged fish-ins and other demonstrations and ultimately pursued a federal lawsuit against the state. Decided in 1974 by US district court judge George H. Boldt the landmark ruling gave Tribes an equal share of fish meaning yields for non-Native fishermen plummeted. As a result many non-Native commercial fishing businesses closed and chaos and legal disputes continued into the 1980s. All the while the number of salmon available for harvest steadily declined.</span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)> </span></p><p><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>During this post-Boldt period a group of Tribal and government leaders collectively decided change was sorely needed. Through collaboration they forged major seemingly unattainable agreements to cooperatively manage fisheries all while protecting and enhancing salmon runs. Author Bill Wilkerson then fisheries director for the state of Washington and legendary Tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. were among a select group of courageous visionaries who worked to bring peace to state waters and reverse the steady decline of salmon runs. Without Frank's dedicated participation in these talks legitimizing the process in the view of local Tribes it's unlikely these agreements would have ever been made. </span><em style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>In Common With </em><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>is an insider's look at a number of successful negotiations between historic adversaries. They included an international salmon treaty between the US and Canada a long-term cooperative management agreement between the state and Tribes and a major accord between the state Tribes and forestland managers to protect salmon habitat on privately owned forestlands.</span></p><p><br></p><p><span style=color: rgba(51 51 51 1)>This groundbreaking feat of diplomacy and partnership revealed the power of honoring one another's opinions needs and wants. This spirit of cooperation and dedication to common ground serves as a shining example for contemporary leaders in today's polarized political landscape.</span></p>