The Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award was created by the Nisqually River Council to honor individuals and organizations that have had a significant impact on the Nisqually Watershed. The award was named for Governor Daniel J. Evans, in recognition of the fact that during his administration attention first turned to the Nisqually as a special place that needed protection. The creation of the Nisqually River Council can be traced back to that time. The award is given once every five years, with two pieces of artwork commissioned to honor each recipient. One piece is given to the recipient, while the other becomes part of the permanent collection of the Nisqually River Foundation. The works are currently displayed in the Norm Dicks Visitor Center at Billy Frank Jr. Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge and the outside the Lieutenant Governor’s office at the Washington State Capitol Building.
The inaugural award was presented in 2007 to Billy Frank Jr., followed by Congressman Norm Dicks in 2012, Jim Wilcox in 2019 and Senator Karen Fraser in 2024 for their dedication and years of commitment to stewardship in the Nisqually Watershed.
Past Award Honorees:
Karen Fraser – 2024
The fourth recipient of the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award was former State Senator Karen Fraser in honor of her career-long dedication to conservation and environmental protections in the Nisqually Watershed and beyond. Born and raised in Washington, Karen graduated with a Master of Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy and Governance. During her time as a Thurston County Commissioner she was appointed to chair the Nisqually River Task Force, a moment that would forever change the trajectory of her life as well as our natural environment. As the first chair of what would become the Nisqually River Council (NRC), Karen and her colleagues established how local, state, federal, and tribal interests could all work together to co-manage our natural resources and ensure a healthy and thriving environment for future generations.
During her time in government, Karen was elected to the Washington State House of Representatives for two terms before ultimately being elected to the Washington State Senate for six terms where she continued to advocate for the protections and conservation of the natural world. Over the course of her 20+ year career in the Senate, Karen chaired or was a member of numerous environment-related committees including water policy, salmon recovery, shoreline management, Puget Sound water quality, watershed planning, outdoor recreation, State Environmental Policy Act, forestry, natural resources, and more. Karen has worked to break barriers and lift up voices in an effort to steward the lands of our State. We cannot imagine a more deserving recipient of the Nisqually Stewardship Award and we are honored to be recognizing her achievements and legacy. Olympia-based artist Trent Hart’s piece features a trio of raku-fired ceramic pink salmon on a smoked tile base etched with an image of the capitol.
Sponsors:
- Nisqually Indian Tribe
- Cascadia Law Group
- JZK Inc.
- Bill Bryant & Barbara Feasey
- Wilcox Family Farms
- Ste Chateau Michelle
- South Puget Sound Community College
- St Benedict’s Episcopal Church
Jim Wilcox – 2019
The third recipient of the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award was Jim Wilcox in honor of his lifetime of stewardship and contributions to the communities of the Nisqually River Basin. Jim grew up working on Wilcox Family Farms, a family business founded in 1909 by his great-grandparents and now in its 5th generation. The Wilcox family has always been profoundly grateful for and deeply protective of the natural world that gave them their home on the Nisqually. With his brother and business partner Barrie, Jim has carried forward that legacy, implementing innovative farming practices that contributed to the health of the river and making Wilcox Farms an environmental leader.
Jim served as a founding member of the Nisqually River Council and has remained active in many Nisqually river activities, including encouraging his son JT to be the founding Vice President of the Nisqually Land Trust and then his granddaughter Katie to join that board as the first 2nd generation member. In 2013, Jim was appointed by the Governor to be on the board of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council. Jim has served with great dedication in promoting the mission of preserving and improving the health of Puget Sound and the restoration of salmon runs, especially in his beloved Nisqually River Basin. Jim’s leadership by example is convincing proof that conservation and business goals can be harmonized in pursuit of long-term sustainability. We are delighted to recognize his years of service and advocacy with this award.
Sponsors:
- Wilcox Family Farms
- Nisqually Indian Tribe
- Coyne Jesernig
- Port Blakely
- Vencomatic Group
- Wesmar Company Inc.
- Clark Nuber
- Laura L. Weselmann
- Taylor Shellfish
- Foster Pepper
- Bryant Christie Inc.
- JZ Knight
- Bill Bryant
- William Ruckleshaus
Norm Dicks – 2012
The second recipient of the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award was Congressman Norm Dicks. While in Congress, Norm worked tirelessly on natural resource issues and salmon recovery, both of which benefited the Nisqually directly. His accomplishments include assisting in the expansion and restoration of the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge. The piece of artwork was created by local artist Trent Hart. The piece is a male raku-fired Chinook salmon on a base of smoke-fired tiles.
Sponsors:
- Bill Bryant & Barbara Feasey
- Cal-Portland
- Kongsgaard-Goldman
- Lakeside Industries
- Nisqually Indian Tribe
- Ramtha School of Enlightenment
- Stewardship Partners
- Wilcox Family Farms
Billy Frank Jr. – 2007
The first recipient of the Daniel J. Evans Nisqually Stewardship Award was Billy Frank Jr. Billy was born on the Nisqually River and spent his life fishing and defending the right of tribal members to fish on the river, as well as spearheading efforts to make sure that the salmon survive and prosper. The piece of artwork above was created by local artist Trent Hart. The piece is a male and female raku-fired chum salmon on a base of smoke-fired tiles.
Sponsors:
- Bill Bryant & Barbara Feasey
- Citizens Restoring the Ohop Watershed
- Glacier Northwest
- Green Diamond Resource Company
- JZK Inc.
- Lakeside Industries
- Long Live The Kings
- Miles Sand & Gravel
- Nisqually Delta Association
- Paladin Data Systems
- Stewardship Partners
- Weyerhaeuser
- William Ruckelshaus