In Common With - by Bill Wilkerson (Paperback)

About the Book

After a court ruling turned a fight over salmon into chaos, a group of leaders had a new idea: bringing adversaries together to collaborate, reversing the decline of fish runs and transforming fisheries management all along the Pacific Coast.

Book Synopsis

In the 1960s and '70s, the waters of Washington State boiled with conflict.

Because of state actions and policies, Washington Tribes had long been denied their fair share of the salmon harvest granted by treaties adopted by the US government and the Tribes in 1854. Tribal members staged "fish-ins" and other demonstrations, and ultimately pursued a federal lawsuit against the state. Decided in 1974 by US district court judge George H. Boldt, the landmark ruling gave Tribes an equal share of fish, meaning yields for non-Native fishermen plummeted. As a result, many non-Native commercial fishing businesses closed, and chaos and legal disputes continued into the 1980s. All the while, the number of salmon available for harvest steadily declined.

During this post-Boldt period, a group of Tribal and government leaders collectively decided change was sorely needed. Through collaboration, they forged major, seemingly unattainable agreements to cooperatively manage fisheries, all while protecting and enhancing salmon runs. Author Bill Wilkerson, then fisheries director for the state of Washington, and legendary Tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. were among a select group of courageous visionaries who worked to bring peace to state waters and reverse the steady decline of salmon runs. Without Frank's dedicated participation in these talks, legitimizing the process in the view of local Tribes, it's unlikely these agreements would have ever been made. In Common With is an insider's look at a number of successful negotiations between historic adversaries. They included an international salmon treaty between the US and Canada, a long-term cooperative management agreement between the state and Tribes, and a major accord between the state, Tribes, and forestland managers to protect salmon habitat on privately owned forestlands.

This groundbreaking feat of diplomacy and partnership revealed the power of honoring one another's opinions, needs, and wants. This spirit of cooperation and dedication to common ground serves as a shining example for contemporary leaders in today's polarized political landscape.

Review Quotes

"Wilk has done a great job capturing my dad and the relationship they built over many years. Dad always told me that if you need someone to trust and work through a tough issue, Wilk was the man. I am proud of the friendship that passed from my dad to me. This book reconnects me to that important time and the great work that my dad and Wilk did together for our salmon and our Tribes."

-Willie Frank III, chairman of the Nisqually Indian Tribe, and son of Billy Frank Jr.

"Bill Wilkerson's In Common With is both a historical and inspirational recollection of major energy and fishery agreements that helped shape the Northwest and still live on today. People like Bill Wilkerson and Billy Frank Jr. forged a trusting relationship in the most challenging of times and in the end achieved significant successes that made our region better. I hope their vision, courage, and leadership are an inspiration to all of us who read this excellent book."

-Norman D. Dicks, former member of Congress

"Washington State fisheries management in the 1970s and '80s was like walking daily through a political minefield and was primarily run by attorneys and not by fisheries managers. Bill Wilkerson was able to successfully walk through that minefield. He joined with Tribal leader Billy Frank Jr. and many others to pursue a new way of managing Washington's fisheries in the wake of Judge George Boldt's landmark federal court decision. The result of their efforts has been nearly forty years of joint and cooperative management that helped reverse a steady decline of salmon runs."

-Rollie Schmitten, former Washington State Fisheries director and longtime federal official

"Hats off to Bill, who has succeeded in telling the epic story of a powerful transformation accomplished by a relatively small group of inspired and relentless individuals from the Tribal governments, the state of Washington, and their dedicated colleagues. Together we were able to shift from a hundred years of continuous and sometimes bloody conflict over the management of salmon and other natural resources to a cooperative relationship."

-Jim Waldo, attorney and facilitator of many major natural resource agreements on the West Coast

"I gained inspiration and hope from this captivating recalling of an incredibly important time in our history and the management of natural resources in the state of Washington. Above all, I am moved by the respect and love Bill Wilkerson has for Billy Frank Jr. Billy would always say, 'Sometimes the stars align, and that is when the magic would happen.' Bill and Billy were two of the brightest stars in that constellation."

-David Troutt, Natural Resources director, Nisqually Indian Tribe

"In Common With is a must-read for current and future generations of people who strive to seek collaborative natural resource agreements that stand the test of time. From comanagement to the Timber Fish and Wildlife agreement, people like Billy Frank Jr. and Bill Wilkerson showed the kind of leadership we so desperately need today. This book is a reminder that we are all in this together and we can achieve great things for our region by refusing to be defined by our differences. Let the spirit of this story live on in all of us."

-Tim Thompson, CEO of Thompson Consulting Group and former chief of staff for former Congressman Norman D. Dicks

"An edifying breakdown of a fraught political saga and a paean to allyship and Native history." -Kirkus Reviews