Harrison-area reserve bans jet boats on river as chief says granddaughter was nearly hit by one

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He says Sts’ailes people have swam and fished in the river for thousands of years. During those millennia, ancestral villages were established on the banks of the river. The Chehalis River presently flows through the Sts’ailes First Nation reserve and acts as a critically important salmon river, designated as a wildlife management area, and a popular public recreation area for campers, swimmers, kayakers and fishers alike.

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“We welcome visitors to our lands and waters, but there is no place for jet boats on the Chehalis River,” Chief Paul wrote. “For decades, Sts’ailes has welcomed visitors to our territory, and only ask that people are respectful of us and the environment. We manage eight public recreation sites, established a network of walking trails on the Chehalis River, and encourage safe boating on the larger waterways throughout our territory. We are deeply grateful to the majority of people who enjoy recreating safely on the lands and waters of our territory.”

The chief said there’s been an outcry in the Sts’ailes community as people grow increasingly frustrated with the lack of accountability by jet boat operators and different levels of government. He says Sts’ailes members are wondering how trespassers can have more rights than they do, and questions whether they will be able to continue letting their children play in the river if jet boat operators continue without accountability.

“As chief, I’m not going to passively wait for one of our young people to die. Last year a jet boat nearly hit my granddaughter who was diving underwater and swimming,” Chief Paul said. “Already this year we have had two more incidents where our young people have barely avoided being hit.”

As a result, Sts’ailes chief and council have directed band guardians to clearly post large signs on both sides of the river last year. Chief Paul says there’s no possibility anyone entering the lower Chehalis River could pass these signs without seeing them.

“Regrettably, many jet boat operators have been ignoring them, wilfully risking the lives of children and knowingly causing damage to salmon and salmon habitat,” Chief Paul wrote. “After increasingly hostile interactions between intoxicated jet boat operators and concerned Sts’ailes parents (including myself), a few of us placed a cable across the lower Chehalis River by the posted signs. The signs and cable are placed within our reserve lands, and any jet boats that try to bypass the signs and cable will be in trespass. We are asking the province, Canada, and the public to help us protect our children and other swimmers from the few reckless individuals that are endangering the future of our community.”