MISSION — Jerimiah Bonifer knew all his life he wanted to work in fisheries, and now at 39 years old, he’s leading the fisheries department where he has worked for the last 15 years.
The Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation on April 6 announced Bonifer succeeded Gary James, who recently retired, as the manager of its Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Program.
Jeremiah Bonifer, the new Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Programs manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, drives his pickup Wednesday, April 12, 2023, to the Umatilla River in Mission to explain his fieldwork.
Jeremiah Bonifer, the new Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Programs manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, wears a bracelet Wednesday, April 12, 2023, commemorating his wife Mindy Bonifer. “I wouldn’t be in this position if it wasn’t for my Mindy,” he said.
Jeremiah Bonifer, the new Department of Natural Resources Fisheries Programs manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, talks Wednesday, April 12, 2023, about his position and his plans to help protect and preserve salmon.
The Umatilla River runs Wednesday, April 12, 2023, through Mission as water levels rise and through the spring.
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