Salmon seasons expanded along river

Bolstered by encouraging fall Chinook salmon numbers at Bonneville Dam and a robust coho return down low, Oregon and Washington state biologists met Tuesday and approved extensions of salmon fishing from the Columbia River mouth to Pasco, Washington.

New rules for Chinook are:

• Buoy 10 to west Puget Island — Thursday to Sept. 22: three salmon daily limit (Chinook or hatchery coho), only one Chinook. In addition, a three-fish daily limit for hatchery coho will extend from Sept. 23 to Oct. 31.

• Warrior Rock to Bonneville Dam — Monday to Sept. 22: two salmon daily limit (Chinook or hatchery coho), only one Chinook.

• Bonneville Dam to U.S. Highway 395 Bridge in Pasco: two salmon daily limit (Chinook or coho; all wild coho must be released downriver from the Hood River Bridge), only one Chinook.

— The Oregonian

Local arts organizations

receive grant funding

The Liberty Theatre, Ten Fifteen Productions and the Cannon Beach History Center & Museum are among 148 arts and culture organizations announced by the Oregon Cultural Trust as recipients of more than $3.8 million in grant funding.

The Liberty will receive $40,000 to benefit the restoration of the 1925 theater’s exterior facade, the installation of a new roof and interior work to replace windows and repair damage caused by water leaks.

Ten Fifteen Productions will receive $10,186 toward efforts to convert stage lighting at Astoria’s Ten Fifteen Theater to a new, energy-efficient LED system.

The Cannon Beach History Center & Museum will apply $5,000 toward redesigning its permanent exhibits, including an expansion related to Native American history in partnership with the Clatsop-Nehalem Confederated Tribes.

— The Astorian

Grand Ronde member becomes top federal official over Indigenous issues

Bryan Mercier is the first member of a Northwest tribe in decades to supervise the federal government’s primary agency for Indigenous issues.

The U.S. Department of the Interior announced this month that Mercier, an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of Grand Ronde, will be acting director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs. He’ll become the permanent director after the current director, Darryl LeCounte, officially retires later this year.

Mercier has spent the last 20 years in public service — much of that in federal agencies, including the Forest Service, Department of Treasury, the Bonneville Power Administration and, most recently, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, where he was the regional director for the Northwest.

In a statement, Mercier expressed gratitude for the promotion to national director.

Mercier said he was looking forward to building on LeCounte’s “sound leadership to support tribal sovereignty, strengthen Indian self-determination, and continue to improve our services by making the bureau an employer of choice for Native people.”

Blumenauer to join Portland State University after congressional term ends

U.S. Rep. Earl Blumenauer is retiring from his post in Congress but he’s not leaving his civic career behind altogether.

The Oregon Democrat will join the faculty of Portland State University in early January, just after his 14th and final term ends.

Portland State announced this week that the congressman has signed on to be a senior fellow at the university and a special adviser to Portland State president Ann Cudd.

— Oregon Public Broadcasting

As a fellow, Blumenauer is expected to be a central figure at Portland State’s Institute for Metropolitan Studies, a program housed within the College of Urban and Public Affairs. The purpose of the research institute, founded in 1991 and funded by the Oregon Legislature, is to build partnerships between the university and communities within the Portland metropolitan area.

“I like the notion of being located in the heart of Portland, which is the Portland State campus,” said Blumenauer. “This is a very vibrant location. It’s the pulsing heart of Oregon.”

— Oregon Public Broadcasting