Combines four committees into two, as part of reorganization

Submitted by Neeka Somday

Legislative Assistant

NESPELEM – The Colville Business Council, under its Constitutional authority to establish committees as necessary to handle CBC business, has created a new “Fisheries Committee,” CBC Chairman Rodney Cawston announced today. The committee will address matters specifically related to fish restoration, habitat protection and regulations.

“This new CBC committee was created in recognition of the importance, as well as the number, of issues related to fisheries on the Colville Reservation,” Cawston said. “Improved fisheries on our Reservation and in our region, fish passage over dams on the Columbia River, and increased efforts for restoration of fish habitat are top priorities for the Council and our Tribal membership.”

Prior to the creation of this committee, fisheries matters were addressed in the CBC Natural Resources Committee.

“The volume of natural resources issues handed to the NR Committee is enormous,” Cawston said. “That Committee will continue its work on matters related to lands management, timber, agriculture, and wildlife, to name a few, and will have more time to give consideration to these issues.”

Joseph Somday is Chair of the Natural Resources Committee, elected by the CBC during its reorganization meeting earlier this month. Darnell Sam will chair the Fisheries Committee.

The CBC also combined the Management and Budget and Community Development Committees into one group to be chaired by CBC Vice-Chairman Jack Ferguson, and the Law and Justice and Veterans Committee to be led Richard Swan, Sr. Committee Chairmen will now begin selecting their respective vice-chairs.