Welcome to IRIS
IRIS serves as hub for a community learning network that advances the development of sustainable rural communities and natural resource-based economies by helping to inspire, integrate and grow innovative ideas and projects across North Central Washington.
Leaders in Selective Fishing and Salmon Restoration
Photos by Mike Rayton
The Colville Tribes are testing a variety of fishing gears to allow selective harvest of hatchery salmon and steelhead for ceremonial and subsistence (C&S) use. The gears, used in combination, allow harvest of marked hatchery-origin salmon while releasing unmarked wild salmon to spawn. Such a unique fishery will allow Native Americans to pursue reserved fishing rights while improving species conservation. So far the Tribes have tested tangle nets, beach seines and a purse seine. Testing hoop nets, a weir and pound nets are next.
The selective fishing gear is part of a comprehensive program by the Colville Tribes ... Read more »
What is Stewardship?
Combining the Best of the Old and the New
Stewardship means expressing our greatest potential in the present while leaving equal or better opportunities for future generations to express their own.
It involves combining the best of the old with the best of the new to develop innovative practices that are environmentally sound, economically viable, and socially responsible.
News
July 5, 2010
Connecting with Nature in North Central Washington
Read and hear about mudpies, forts, frogs, and other childhood connections with nature. Share your own early connection with nature at connectingwithnature.org.
May 26, 2010
Updated NCW Regional Food Systems Directory
The updated NCW Regional Food Systems Directory (PDF opens in new window) is now available. The complete Regional Food System Assessment Baseline Report and Appendices are available as PDF files at the Regional Food Systems page.
April 28, 2010
2010-2011 Gathering Our Voice Project Underway
Read the project framework to learn more about it. Foodways & Byways 2010 - 2011 (PDF opens in new window)
April 5, 2010
Connecting with Nature in North Central Washington
Read about chipmunks, fire, and forests. Share stories of your experiences in nature at connectingwithnature.org.
March 1, 2010
2009 Gathering Our Voice Signature Story video now available
Watch the 2009 Signature Story video at gatheringourvoice.org.
December 8, 2009
2009 NCW Community Success Summit
Nearly 50 Summit particpants shared examples of innovative stewardship and previewed the 2009 Gathering Our Voice Signature Story DVD on November 18 at the DOCFD#15 station in Pateros.
Enjoy a recap of the Summit by visiting the following links:
• November 10, 2009 Wenatchee World Column by Rufus Woods
• NCW Community Summit Supplement with Column by Nancy Warner & 25 Success Stories (PDF) Contact us for a printed copy.
• Notes taken at the Summit (PDF)
• "Success in a Nutshell" contributions made at the Summit (PDF)
• November 20, 2009 Wenatchee World Column by Rufus Woods
To order Signature Story DVDs and learn more about Gathering Our Voice, visit www.gatheringourvoice.org