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FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date:
December 5, 2007
Contact: Keith Folkerts
Phone: (360) 337-7098
No. 07-86
Suquamish Tribal Council christens vital Chico Estuary waterfront open space
XexaY ?ali (tla whyte a-Lee) or “Place of Chum Salmon”
PORT
ORCHARD, WA—More than 670 feet of vital shoreline on the Chico
Creek Estuary – the salt water end of the most productive and heavily
impacted salmon stream in Kitsap County – will now be known as XexaY ?ali (tla
whyte a-Lee), Native American Lushootseed for “Place of Chum Salmon” after a
naming ceremony today hosted by the Suquamish Tribal Council and Kitsap
County.
The 3.23 acre parcel – 2.69 acres upland and .54 acres in tide flats – will
be managed by Kitsap County primarily for its excellent salmon and shellfish
habitat, and it is a key parcel for the long-term vision of restoring the
entire lower Chico Creek that would include removal of roads, culverts and
new bridge on State Highway 3.
The $500,000 purchase was made possible with $160,000 from the Suquamish
Tribal Council; $160,000 from the Washington state Recreation and
Conservation Office provided another $160,000, and $180,000 came in the form
of a landowner donation from Cascade Evergreen.
“The destructive impact of the recent storms not only to Chico Creek but to
property and habitat everywhere only underscores our vital need to preserve
and protect environmentally sensitive properties like XexaY ?ali for
generations to come,” Kitsap County Board of County Commissioners Chair Josh
Brown said.
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