Founding Board Member, 1996-2021
Partner, Landye Bennett Blumstein
Thane Tienson was a Portland attorney best known in fisheries circles for his work on salmon issues. When Senator Mark Hatfield convened the Salmon Summit, an effort to break the impasse between Columbia River water users and fisheries advocates, Tienson became one of the core group who attended every meeting, trying to hammer out a compromise. Later, on behalf of Columbia River fishermen and conservation groups, he won an often-quoted federal court ruling that required sweeping changes in the way dams are operated to protect salmon. During the early 1990s Tienson also handled several influential cases regarding sexual harassment at sea, helping to improve standards for women aboard fishing and processing vessels. In early 1998, on behalf of several Northwest conservation groups, Tienson negotiated a landmark water quality settlement with the Environmental Protection Agency, compelling the agency to consider cumulative impacts when issuing permits for new water pollution sources in Washington State.