Lawmakers plan bill to name wildlife refuge after Billy Frank


Billy Frank Jr., 1931-2014. Photo from Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Washington's Congressional delegation will introduce a bill to rename the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge in honor of the late treaty rights activist Billy Frank Jr., The Seattle Post-Intelligencer reports.

The bill would establish a national historic site to mark the 1854 Treaty of Medicine Creek. Frank's defense of the treaty led to the historic Boldt court decision that confirmed the fishing rights for tribes in the Northwest.

The bill, which has bipartisan support, is expected to be introduced next week. It comes a year after Frank's passing on May 5, 2014, at the age of 83.

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Nisqually Wildlife Refuge would be renamed for civil rights hero Billy Frank Jr. (The Seattle Post-Intelligencer 5/7)

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