Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award Honoring Karen Fraser
On a warm evening in late summer of 2024, Mount Rainier shines brilliantly while the Nisqually River winds its way past Wilcox Family Farms. In between conversations with friends and guests, former state senator Karen Fraser looks out at the mountain with a thoughtful expression. Tonight she will be honored as the fourth recipient of the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award and join the ranks of fellow honorees Billy Frank Jr., Congressman Norm Dicks, and Jim Wilcox. While the award offers a day of celebration, it also acts as an opportunity to look back at our shared history here in Nisqually.
The Nisqually River has always been an invaluable part of our natural and cultural landscape, but it wasn’t until 1972 that it was recognized as a river of statewide significance. It would be over a decade until Governor Daniel J. Evans’ administration would turn their attention to Nisqually specifically and call for a plan to protect the area. The result was the creation of the Nisqually River Task Force in 1987 and its first chair was none other than Karen Fraser. Already known for making history as the first woman elected Mayor of Lacey in 1976, Fraser was serving as a Thurston County Commissioner at the time and would continue her career as a public servant in the State House of Representatives and State Senate.
As the award ceremony gets underway, colleagues tell stories of her dedication to conservation, Nisqually River Foundation staff thank her for her leadership, and Fraser herself takes to the stage with words of gratitude. Throughout her speech she reiterates that it was those crucial first years of the task force, when concerns of overreach flared, that she and her colleagues’ focus on collaboration helped shape the future of our watershed. Under her leadership, the group committed to voluntary action establishing a new model for how local, state, federal, and tribal interests could all work together to co-manage our natural resources. No longer were economic, social, and environmental goals thought of as separate, but instead intrinsically linked to the overall health of our watershed and communities.
It’s clear from her speech that Fraser’s mind is on legacy, not her own but that of Nisqually and natural environments all throughout the State. Her commitment to stewardship, to looking to the future, led to the creation of the Nisqually River Council (NRC) and has had a significant impact in establishing Nisqually as a nationwide model for collaborative conservation. This award, named in recognition of Governor Evans’ efforts four decades ago and presented by the NRC, carries with it the legacy of all those who desire to protect our natural environment.
The Nisqually we see today with an established wildlife refuge, robust outdoor education program, and engaged community was once just an idea. It was only through working together with our partners and neighbors that it has been brought to life and this same collaboration is the only way we can build a sustainable future. The Nisqually River Council chose to acknowledge Karen Fraser’s career-long dedication and commitment to these ideas as we work to uphold our mission to protect and promote the watershed for current and future generations.
For those interested in seeing this award for themselves, it now hangs outside the Lieutenant Governor’s office at the Washington State Capitol where all can enjoy the pink salmon as they run.
Thank you to Karen Fraser for her years of dedication and commitment to the Nisqually Watershed. Thank you to Trent Hart who designed the award featuring three raku-fired ceramic pink salmon on a smoked tile base etched with an image of the capitol. Thank you to Masonry Café for catering the event. Thank you to Matthew Brickey our event photographer. Thank you to our event sponsors: Nisqually Indian Tribe, Wilcox Family Farms, Cascadia Law Group, JZK Inc., Bill Bryant & Barbara Feasey, Ste Chateau Michelle, South Puget Sound Community College, & St Benedict’s Episcopal Church.
