The document summarizes the natural resource management activities of Treaty Indian Tribes in Western Washington in 2012. It discusses the tribes' ongoing efforts to restore salmon habitat, which has declined significantly due to development over the past 150 years. It also describes tribal management of salmon harvest and hatcheries, as well as wildlife and shellfish management. Tribes work cooperatively with state and federal agencies but are concerned about threats to their treaty rights from further habitat loss and state budget cuts reducing management capabilities.

1. Comprehensive Tribal
Natural Resources M anagement 2012
An Annual Report from the
Treaty Indian Tribes in Western Washington

2. Treaty Indian Tribes in Western Washington
On the cover: NOAA Fisheries research biologist Kinsey Frick and Lower El-
wha Klallam Tribe project biologist Ray Moses release a chinook salmon into
the upper Elwha River. Two fish-blocking dams have prevented salmon from
migrating up the river for nearly a century. Dam removal efforts began Sep-
Table of Contents tember 2011 and are expected to continue through 2014. It is the largest dam
removal project in the country. Photo: Debbie Preston. Map: Ron McFarlane.
1 From the Chairman
2 Year in Review
4 Tribal Salmon Management
7 Regional Cooperative Management
10 Wildlife Management
11 Shellfish Management
12 NWIFC Activities

3. From the Chairman
W e are the salmon people. We are
the treaty Indian tribes in western
Washington and we have lived here for
We believe that salmon recovery begins
and ends with good salmon habitat. Har-
vest restrictions and hatchery production
many thousands of years. We depend on can never make up for the loss of natu-
natural resources to sustain our cultures, ral salmon production caused by lost and
economies and communities. damaged salmon habitat in western Wash-
For more than 150 years, we have fought ington.
count­less battles to protect the salmon and That’s why we are moving aggressively
our rights to harvest them, rights that we to:
reserved in treaties with the United States. ♦ Protect and restore critical salmon
We believe that we have a sacred covenant habitat;
to protect, preserve and enhance our pre- ♦ Demand better coordination of
cious natural resources for generations to habitat management and other salmon
come. recovery efforts; and
As co­-managers, our fight continues ev- ♦ Forge partnerships by promoting
NWIFC Chairman ery day in every watershed as we struggle collaboration wherever possible.
Billy Frank Jr. to address the effects of development, wa- We have one goal and one stan­dard for
ter use, pollution and many other threats. salmon recovery: return all wild salmon
Our treaties reserved our right to har- populations to sustain­able levels that can
vest fish, not just the right to put our nets again support harvest.
in the water. Despite massive harvest re- We are a fishing people. We need healthy
ductions and careful use of hatcheries, the salmon runs and other natural resources
salmon continue to decline because of lost so we can continue to live as we have for
and damaged habitat. As a result, our trea- thousands of years. This is our home. We
ty rights are threatened as never before. want to keep it a good place to live for ev-
We are left with few avenues, outside the eryone.
courts, to protect them.
Timber/Fish/Wildlife Endangered Ocean Ecosystem Puget Sound
Hatchery Reform
Forests & Fish Report Species Act Initiative Partnership
Tribal Natural Resources Management Core Program
Fish, Shellfish and Wildlife Harvest Fisherman and Vessel Identification
Management
Natural Resources Enforcement
Harvest Monitoring/Data Collection
Salmon Recovery Planning
Population Monitoring and Research
Water Resource Protection and
Habitat Protection and Restoration Assessment
Policy Development and Forest Land Management
Intergovernmental Relations
Administrative Support
Coordinated Tribal Other State and Local Watershed Recovery
Pacific Salmon Treaty Mass Marking
Water Resources Collaborative Programs Planning
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

4. Year in Review
T reaty rights were threatened by ongoing habitat loss, a state budget crisis worsened and climate change affected
tribal cultures in western Washington in 2011. A bright spot on the horizon was the beginning of the removal of
two fish-blocking dams on the Elwha River, one of the largest habitat restoration projects ever undertaken in the Pacific
Northwest. Despite massive efforts such as this, we continue to lose salmon habitat faster than it can be restored. A net
gain of good salmon habitat must be achieved if salmon recovery efforts are to be successful.
Kari Neumeyer (2)
Upper Skagit tribal member Larry Peterson harvests coho salmon in Swinomish tribal members Clay Day, left, Hawk Wilbur and Joe Mc-
the Skagit River during a fall fishery. Donald prepare to release the remains of a wild Skagit River chinook
during the tribe’s annual Blessing of the Fleet and First Salmon Cer-
emony.
Treaty Rights at Risk Leadership, commitment and coordination toward a set of salm-
on recovery goals are essential if we are going to recover salm-
The treaty Indian tribes in western Washington found them- on.
selves at a legal and biological crossroads in 2011 as they contin- The tribes have called on the federal government to fulfill its
ued efforts to recover salmon and preserve their cultures, trea- trust responsibility by:
ty rights, spirituality and economies. Tribal treaty fishing rights ♦ Holding the degradation of habitat to the same standard
have become almost meaningless because the salmon are disap- applied to tribal harvest;
pearing. The main cause is that federal and state governments are ♦ Beginning to protect treaty-reserved rights by better
allowing salmon habitat to be damaged and destroyed faster than protecting habitat; and
it can be restored. ♦ Providing direction and oversight to ensure alignment and
Salmon recovery is failing despite millions of dollars and de- harmonization of federal programs with salmon recovery
cades of focused, cooperative work. While progress has been efforts.
made in some areas, the overall quality and quantity of salmon In failing to protect salmon habitat, the U.S. government is fail-
habitat continues to decline. Four species of salmon in western ing in its trust responsibility to honor its treaties with the tribes.
Washington are listed as threatened under the Endangered Spe- For our treaties to have meaning, we must have salmon to har-
cies Act, some for more than a decade. It is clear by every mea- vest.
surement that we are steadily losing habitat throughout the region, To learn more about this issue and what the tribes are doing
and the trend shows no sign of improvement. about it, visit the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission’s Web
site, nwifc.org/treatyrightsatrisk.
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

5. Elwha Dams Removal Begins
Due to the persistence of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, two
100-year-old dams built without fish ladders on the Elwha River
are being torn down in the largest dam removal project to date in
the United States.
The two privately built dams blocked salmon from all but the
lower 5 miles of the Elwha River. Before the dams were built,
the river was famous for producing chinook salmon as large as
100 pounds, as well as strong runs of coho and other salmon.
The dams drastically reduced the fisheries of the Lower Elwha
Klallam Tribe, denying treaty-reserved fishing rights.
Debbie Preston
Decades of work by the tribe and others led to the Elwha River
Restoration Act in 1992, which led to the federal government
acquiring the dams and authorizing funds for their removal. In
September 2011, the tribe’s dream became a reality with the start
Lower Elwha Klallam singers and dancers pass some time before the
of demolition work on the 210-foot Glines Canyon Dam and the Elwha River dam removal ceremony with the river behind them.
108-foot Elwha Dam. The project is expected to cost an estimated
$350 million.
The removal efforts will result in a free-flowing Elwha River State Budget Crisis Worsens
and open more than 70 miles of high-quality salmon habitat in
the upper reaches of the river, which are protected in Olympic The state of Washington’s budget crisis continued to worsen in
National Park. 2011. The deficit stands at about $1.4 billion and could climb high-
Tiffany Royal
er, budget analysts warn. Hatchery closures are anticipated, along
with large reductions in enforcement, habitat protection and many
other basic fish and wildlife management functions.
State spending on natural resources already has declined sharp-
ly in recent decades. As the budget situation worsens, tribes are
concerned that the state will be unable to fulfill its role as natural
resources co-manager with the tribes.
Climate Change
The earth’s changing climate is a pressing issue for indigenous
cultures around the world. In the Pacific Northwest, glaciers are
disappearing as temperatures increase, reducing stream flows
critical to salmon survival. In the ocean, dead zones of low ox-
ygen are becoming more frequent and widespread, killing many
types of marine life. Ocean acidification is increasing rapidly as
our seas absorb growing levels of carbon dioxide from pollution.
Coastal treaty Indian tribes will host a climate change sympo-
sium July 17-20, 2012 in Washington, D.C. The symposium will
bring together hundreds of leaders, tribal elders, scientists and
others from around the nation to discuss traditional tribal ecolog-
ical knowledge and what it can teach about past, present and fu-
ture adaptation to climate change. The symposium seeks to iden-
tify ways indigenous cultures may increase their resilience and
adaptability to climate change and incorporate indigenous eco-
logical knowledge into U.S. climate change science, policy mak-
ing and governance.
Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe project biologist Ray Moses releases a coho
into the Elwha River.
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

6. Tribal Salmon Management
I ntegration of habitat, harvest and hatcheries (the
three H’s) at the watershed level is the key to
salmon recovery. These efforts must be coordinat-
ed and based on sound science. As co-managers,
treaty tribes have worked with the state for decades
to consider the needs of both people and fish in re-
fining fishery and hatchery practices to ensure that
they contribute to salmon recovery. To make the
Emmett O’Connell
most of these efforts, a similar commitment to hab-
itat protection, restoration and recovery is absolute-
ly essential if the tribes and the state are to succeed
in recovering the salmon.
Nisqually tribal members Rachel Simons and Eddie Vilegas plant willow
stakes along Ohop Creek.
Salmon H abitat M anagement
The key to sustaining strong
salmon populations is habitat
management in western Wash-
ington for decades. Nowhere is
Habitat provides jobs
Salmon always have been an important part of the Nisqually
restoration and protection. the need for cooperation great- Tribe’s economy. Every year tribal fishermen help make ends
Salmon habitat has degraded er than in habitat restoration and meet by selling a portion of their catch.
steadily for the past 150 years protection, because of the enor- For the past five years, some tribal members have made
as the non-Indian population mity of the task. a living not only from harvesting salmon, but from restoring
in western Washington has The Salmon and Steelhead salmon habitat. The Nisqually Tribe employs a handful of tribal
increased. Forests have been Habitat Inventory and Assess- members on a planting crew that brings salmon habitat back
cleared, fish passage blocked by ment Program (SSHIAP) began to life.
dams and culverts, and the entire in 1995 as a partnership with the “Our jobs are to plant the trees and the shrubs that allow the
region crisscrossed with roads. state to provide a “living data- salmon to thrive,” said Sam Stepetin, a member of the tribe’s
The tribes believe watershed- and base” for local and regional hab- planting crew.
“This will ultimately impact the fishermen that catch the fish.
stock-specific limiting factors itat analyses. The program doc-
We get paid to restore habitat, which helps our families, and
must be addressed to restore uments and quantifies past and it goes on down the line,” Stepetin said. “Our work eventually
and improve the productivity of current habitat conditions, as- leads to more fish for fishermen.”
naturally spawning salmon. sesses the effect of habitat loss The tribe is the lead entity in a salmon recovery effort that
The treaty Indian tribes are and degradation on salmon and includes other local governments and non-profit organizations.
working hard to restore some steelhead stocks, and assists in “The tribe has led the way in some of the most successful
of that lost habitat, including development of strategies to pro- salmon restoration efforts of the past 10 years,” said Georgi-
building engineered logjams to tect and restore salmon habitat. ana Kautz, the tribe’s natural resources manager. “Because
return natural processes to rivers The federal government has they ensure the long-term success of habitat restoration, the
and streams and help form new aided tribes in their salmon re- planting crew has been the backbone of those salmon restora-
tion efforts.”
spawning and rearing habitat. covery efforts through the Pa-
Almost every habitat restoration project – from opening
Tribes extensively monitor cific Coastal Salmon Recovery more than 800 acres of estuary to new logjams on an impor-
water quality for pollution and to Fund (PCSRF). These monies tant tributary to the Nisqually – has some element of plant-
ensure factors such as dissolved support projects that make sig- ing and plant care. Over the lifetime of the crew, they’ve plant-
oxygen levels are adequate for nificant contributions to the re- ed more than 200,000 trees and shrubs. In 2011, the planting
salmon and other fish. Tribes covery of wild salmon through- crew:
also collaborate with property out the region. In western ♦ Restored 49 acres with native plants;
owners to improve salmon- Washington alone, the PCSRF ♦ Planted more than 37,000 plants along Tanwax and Ohop
bearing stream habitat. has helped restore thousands creeks and the Mashel River; and
To make limited federal fund- of acres of forest, protect hun- ♦ Maintained more than 100 acres of plantings.
ing work to its fullest, the tribes dreds of acres of habitat and re- The planting crew’s work directly impacts the natural salmon
productivity of the watershed.
partner with state agencies, en- move more than 100 fish pas-
“If salmon don’t have the trees and shrubs they need, where
vironmental groups, industries sage barriers. PCSRF funding are they going to go?” Stepetin said. “They aren’t going to have
and others through collaborative for most of these projects goes any food when they get back.”
habitat protection, restoration further because tribes leverage The outdoor work in all weather – from plant care in 116-de-
and enhancement efforts. the funding through cooperation gree temperatures to planting next to a frozen creek – is re-
Cooperation has been the key- with local governments, conser- warding.
stone of natural resources co- vation groups and others. “Compared what I’ve done in the past, and what I’m doing
now, I wouldn’t trade this job for anything in the world,” Stepe-
tin said. “I love it.”
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

7. Tribal Salmon Management
Salmon H arvest M anagement
Fishermen learn
skills to stay
in industry
Keeping fishermen on the water exercising
their treaty-reserved right to harvest salmon
is a constant struggle in an era of lost and de-
graded salmon populations. Even in good years,
when salmon are abundant, tribes can’t take
full advantage of the run because their fleets
Kari Neumeyer
have diminished after years of poor fishing. The
commercial fishermen who do manage to sup-
port themselves during part of the year might
have no income at all after the season ends.
Lummi Nation purse seiner Oceanaire harvests sockeye during the 2011 fishery. In 2011, the Lummi Fishers Project helped
tribal members develop skills and business
Conservation comes first. develops a comprehensive ocean fish- plans that allow them to remain in the fishing in-
More than 30 years ago, state and eries plan. While the PFMC is plan- dustry and still earn a living.
tribal salmon co-managers began ning coastwide ocean fisheries, trea-
“We’re not training them out of the industry,”
sharply reducing harvest in response said Elden Hillaire, chairman of the Lummi Na-
ty tribes and the states of Oregon and tion Fisheries Commission. “Our fishermen are
to declining wild salmon runs. To- Washington are outlining inshore and
day’s harvest levels are only 80-90 always going to be fishermen.”
coastal fisheries. This North of Falcon With the help of a $3.4 million U.S. Depart-
percent of those in 1985. process is named for the geographic ment of Labor grant, Lummi Fishers worked in-
Under U.S. v. Washington (the region it covers – north of Cape Fal- dividually with commercial fishermen to match
Boldt decision), harvest can be shared con, Ore., to the Canadian border. them with training and careers that are linked
only after sufficient fish are available The PST was created in 1985 to co- to their existing skills. For example, some tribal
to sustain the resource. Harvest man- ordinate fisheries between tribes, state members trained at Skagit Valley College’s Ma-
agement must be comprehensive and governments, and the U.S. and Cana- rine Manufacturing and Technology Center to
coordinated to limit mortality of weak dian governments. The Pacific Salm-
get certified in all phases of boat building.
wild stocks throughout their migra- “A lot of our guys are interested in boat build-
on Commission implements the trea- ing,” said Kathy Pierre, project director for Lum-
tory range. While ensuring conserva- ty and establishes fishery regimes,
tion, harvest management enables ap- mi Fishers. “That’s the skill set they already
assesses each country’s performance have, but they just might not be certified. Gain-
propriate harvest of healthy stocks. and compliance with the treaty, and is ing the certification opens up a whole set of
Harvest management must be based a forum for fisheries issues. Fisheries doors to other jobs.”
on the best available science and in- annexes contained in the treaty have Others have been trained to participate in the
cludes evaluating the status of stocks been periodically updated. commercial squid, sardine and herring indus-
and impacts of fisheries, while helping All proposed fisheries must comply tries in Alaska, California and Oregon. They’ve
inform future decisions. with requirements of the federal En- acquired new skills such as hanging differ-
ent nets, working with hydraulics and repairing
Treaty Indian tribes and the Wash- dangered Species Act (ESA) to ensure
boats.
ington Department of Fish and Wild- protection of listed stocks. In western Because Lummi Fishers keeps tribal mem-
life co-manage salmon fisheries in Washington, Puget Sound chinook and bers in the fishing industry, they should be
Puget Sound, the Strait of Juan de steelhead, Hood Canal summer chum able to take advantage of future harvest op-
Fuca and nearshore coastal waters. and Lake Ozette sockeye are listed as portunities. A historic run of Fraser River sock-
Tribal and state managers work co- “threatened” under the ESA. eye salmon in 2010 was more than the tribal
operatively through the Pacific Fish- The Treaty Indian Fishery Catch fishing fleets could handle, because after al-
ery Management Council (PFMC) and Monitoring Program is a key part of most 20 years of little to no fishing, many of
the North of Falcon process to develop tribal harvest management. Man- the large purse seine vessels had fallen out of
fishing seasons that protect weak salm- aged by the Northwest Indian Fisher- service. They were replaced by smaller gillnet
on stocks. Tribal and state co-manag- ies Commission, the program provides boats, which were easier to run during low re-
turn years.
ers also work with Canadian and Alas- accurate, same-day catch statistics for
kan fisheries managers through the treaty Indian fisheries in the U.S. v.
U.S./Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty Washington case area. The program
(PST). enables close monitoring of tribal har-
The PFMC is a public forum estab- vest levels and allows in-season ad-
lished by the federal government that justments.
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

8. Tribal Salmon Management
Salmon H atchery M anagement
More than 100 salmon enhancement fa-
cilities operate in western Washington,
managed by treaty tribes, the state De-
partment of Fish and Wildlife, and the U.S.
Fish and Wildlife Service. It is the larg-
est salmon hatchery system in the world.
More than 100 million salmon and steel-
head are released annually from these
hatcheries; more than 35 million of those
by the tribes.
While tribal hatcheries have been pro-
ducing fish for nearly 40 years, feder-
al funding has not kept pace, threatening
the tribes’ ability to implement vital hatch-
ery reform projects and produce hatchery
salmon for harvest. At the same time, bud-
get pressures have resulted in cuts in state
hatchery production, leaving tribes as the
only hatchery operators in some water-
sheds.
Hatcheries help meet treaty tribal
harvest obligations when wild salmon
stocks cannot sustain harvest. Hatchery-
produced salmon relieve pressure on wild
stocks. Tribal hatcheries also provide
additional fish for harvest by non-Indian
fishermen, and help build natural runs that
are culturally and spiritually important to
the tribes.
Some hatcheries support wild runs
Tiffany Royal
through broodstock programs where na-
tive fish are captured and spawned. Their
progeny then are released to help support
naturally spawning salmon runs. Port Gamble S’Klallam natural resources technician Ben Ives Sr.
The Tribal Fish Health Program operat- adjusts a net on the tribe’s net pen in Port Gamble Bay.
ed by the Northwest Indian Fisheries Com-
mission assists tribes in rearing and releas-
ing healthy fish that will help sustain a
Net pen boosts harvest and economy
tribal fishery or restore a wild population. The Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s Little are dwindling. Hatcheries help subsidize the
The program provides services in preven- Boston hatchery and net pen operation have runs, keeping fish out there for people to
tive fish health care, disease diagnostics been around for more than 30 years, consis- harvest.”
tently providing coho and chum salmon for The facility on Point Julia creates jobs
and treatment, and also provides training
fishermen to harvest in Port Gamble Bay and for tribal members, including those who
and educational opportunities for tribal Hood Canal. stopped fishing the past few years due to the
hatchery staff. The success of the small fisheries pro- economy.
Tribes conduct extensive “mass marking” gram is a testament to how hatcheries con- In the 1970s and 1980s, Ben Ives Sr.’s
and operate a research-based coded-wire tribute to the local and regional economy. primary career was working for the Pope and
tag program for hatchery salmon. Young Tribal hatchery programs today are support- Talbot mill, but fishing supplemented his in-
salmon are marked by removing their ing almost all fisheries in western Wash- come and brought food home to his family.
fleshy adipose fins at the hatchery before ington. These fisheries are a source of sub- Ives no longer fishes but is a hatchery
release. Coded-wire tags are inserted into sistence for the tribe and create jobs for technician at Little Boston, where he’s still
the noses of young salmon. When tagged fishermen. able to provide for his family, as well as pass
“The responsibility of this hatchery is to down traditional methods to his children. His
salmon are harvested and sampled as adults,
provide fish for tribal members to live on, grandparents fished the rivers near Seabeck
the tags provide important information both for subsistence and for selling to fish and taught Ives and his siblings how to pre-
about survival, migration and hatchery buyers,” said Tim Seachord, the Port Gam- serve salmon.
effectiveness. The tribes annually mass ble S’Klallam Tribe’s hatchery manager. “A “I still do that today, I smoke fish and can
mark more than 18 million fish and insert lot of people don‘t have jobs and the tribe it,” Ives said. “As long as I can remember, my
coded-wire tags into nearly 4 million fish. puts out fish for them to catch and make a family always used salmon to supplement
living. Hatcheries today are more viable than their food supply through the winter.”
ever because a lot of these native stocks
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

9. Regional Cooperative Management
D uring the past 30 years, the
spirit of cooperation in western
Washington has prospered between
the co-managers of Washington’s
natural resources: the tribes and the
state. The co-managers are active in a
variety of collaborative conservation
processes, including the Ocean
Ecosystem Initative, Puget Sound
Partnership, Forest Management, and
the Tribal Environmental Protection
and Water Resources Program.
Debbie Preston
Quinault Indian Nation shellfish and marine biologist Scott Mazzone and Melissa Minder of the
Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network set up an intertidal survey plot on the tribe’s reserva-
tion north of Taholah.
Ocean Ecosystem Initative
Coastal treaty Indian tribes always have relied on the leading to ecosystem-based management of fishery
ocean’s resources. Salmon, groundfish, whales, clams resources.
and crab are central to tribal cultures. The treaty Indian Effective management of the ocean ecosystem requires
tribes believe that these and all natural resources are development of baseline information against which
connected. Only a holistic ecosystem management changes can be measured. Achieving research goals
approach can meet the needs of those resources and the will mean utilizing, expanding on and collaborating
people who depend upon them. with existing physical and biological databases.
The state of Washington, Hoh Indian Tribe, Makah In recognition of the challenges facing the Olympic
Tribe, Quileute Tribe and the Quinault Indian Nation coast ecosystem, tribes and the state established the
are working with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Intergovernmental Policy Council to guide management
Administration to integrate common research goals to of Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
understand changing ocean conditions and create the The tribes and the state already have developed ocean
building blocks for managing these resources. The research and planning goals, many of which mirror the
tribes and state support ocean monitoring and research recommendations of the U.S. Ocean Policy.
Fishermen active in setting policies for resources
The coastal treaty tribes ap- mittees and are participating
ply traditional values and knowl- in research that looks at ev-
edge to ocean management and erything from the effects of cli-
research to protect and enhance mate change on ocean resourc-
the treaty-reserved resources es to national efforts to improve
that always have sustained their ocean data gathering.
culture and economy. “It’s important we stay on
Lonnie Foster, Quileute fisher- top of many of these scientif-
man, tribal council member and ic committees,” said Andrew
fish policy representative, has Mail, Quinault Indian Nation vice
worked on an ocean fishing boat chairman and fisherman.
since he was a young boy. As a “The ocean was put here by
fisherman and policy represen- the Creator to take care of us,”
tative, Foster knows the impor- Mail said. “Ocean resources are
Debbie Preston
tance of protecting treaty fish- one of the main contributors to
ing rights. our tribal economy and the econ-
“If we aren’t at the meetings, omies of surrounding communi-
somebody else makes decisions ties. We manage conservative-
Quileute fisherman Lonnie Foster stresses the importance of having without us,” Foster said. ly to make sure those resources
tribal members involved in management decisions. Coastal tribes are involved will always be there for us.”
in a myriad of scientific com-
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

10. Regional Cooperative Management
Puget Sound Partnership
The treaty Indian tribes coordinating all protection,
Tiffany Royal (2)
have a high standard for the restoration and cleanup efforts.
recovery of Puget Sound – The PSP also serves as the
they want it clean enough regional coordinating body
so they can harvest and eat for implementation of the Skokomish Tribe natural resources staff beach seine the Skokomish
fish and shellfish every day. Puget Sound Salmon Recovery tidelands to check for marine life.
That’s why the tribes are active
participants in the Puget Sound
Plan. On a regional scale, an
overarching set of priorities, Tidelands, fish habitat restored
Partnership (PSP), created by strategies, and actions help The Skokomish Tribe works to To ensure a healthy future, the
Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2005 direct salmon recovery. In preserve its small reservation in tribe has been working with the
with the aim of recovering the addition, representatives from southern Hood Canal. This area Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) to
sound’s health by 2020. Tribal each of the 14 watershed areas always has been the tribe’s home, restore a significant portion of the
involvement in the PSP is vital covered in the plan also meet providing tribal members with a reservation – nearly 400 acres
to its success. as a regional body to guide rich history of culture, food and of tidelands. It is one of the larg-
Tribes helped develop the plan implementation. jobs for generations. est restoration projects in Puget
PSP Action Agenda in 2008 to In 2011, tribes worked with “The tribe is wholly devoted to Sound.
serve as a guide to Puget Sound the PSP to develop 20 specific restoring the Skokomish water- The estuary was once a source
shed and its resources – not just of fish, shellfish and traditional
restoration and protection targets and indicators to gauge
for the next five years, not just plants for the tribe before it was
efforts. The Action Agenda the health of Puget Sound and for another 40 years but forever,” converted into farmland in the
provides a strategy for tackling track progress of the initiative. said Joseph Pavel, the tribe’s nat- 1930s. In 2007 and 2010, with
threats to the waters in and They include factors ranging ural resources director. “We must the help of PSP funding, the tribe
around Puget Sound. Goals from marine water quality continue to heal the environment started restoring the tidelands
include: protecting remaining and the abundance of fish that we depend upon for survival. to their natural state. The tribe
habitat, restoring damaged and and wildlife to a Puget Sound The health and well-being of the also is monitoring the tidelands to
polluted sites, stopping water quality of life index. Skokomish watershed is vital to check for salmon using the new
pollution at its source, and the tribe’s culture, traditions, sub- habitat, as well as a resurgence
sistence and economy.” of native plants.
Forest Management
enhanced meadows to provide better habitat Forest plan
for wildlife such as elk, deer and bear. Areas
that were once lacking wildlife now support protects resources
healthy populations. Suquamish tribal member David Mills
Tribes manage their forests through the has been his tribe’s forestry manag-
Timber/Fish/Wildlife (TFW) Agreement er since 1999, overseeing hundreds of
and the Forests and Fish Report (FFR). acres of timber, managing the tribe’s
The TFW Agreement is an adaptive man- reservation forestlands, and fulfilling a
agement process that encourages evalua- desire for a lifelong career in natural re-
tion and modification to better protect nat- sources management.
ural resources and improve forest practices. Mills updates and implements the
tribe’s forestry plan and works with
In 1996, TFW participants came together to
landowners to responsibly manage tim-
update forest practices in the FFR, which ber. Money from timber sales benefits
was completed in April 1999 and adopted tribal landowners and helps support the
Suquamish forestry manager David Mills marks by the state Legislature. tribal forestry program.
a timber stand boundary. TFW and FFR have brought together Mills believes that managing forests
tribes, state and federal agencies, environ- is an important part of supporting trib-
Treaty tribes in western Washington man- mental groups and private forest landowners al treaty rights and culture. As a young
age their forestlands in ways that benefit in a process to protect salmon, wildlife and man, he watched his great-grandmother
people, fish, wildlife and water. Healthy for- other species while providing for the eco- Cecelia Jackson weave traditional bas-
ests support healthy streams for salmon and nomic health of the timber industry. kets.
enable wildlife to thrive. Forests are also a A tribal representative serves on the state’s “Through forest management, we’re
protecting the resources, wildlife,
source of food, medicine and materials for Forest Practices Board, which sets standards
streams and wetlands,” Mills said. “By
cultural items. Tribes that harvest timber on for activities such as timber harvests, road having good clean water for our salm-
their reservations have extensive reforesta- construction, and forest chemical applica- on and trout, plus keeping the estuaries
tion programs to ensure trees for the future. tions. Tribes also are active participants in and beaches clean, it helps protect the
On reservation lands in recent years, the FFR Cooperative Monitoring, Evalua- salmon, which is one of the most impor-
tribes thinned forests, planted seedlings and tion and Research (CMER) Committee. tant jobs of the tribe.”
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

11. Regional Cooperative Management
Tribal Environmental Protection
and Water Resources Program
Water Quality and Quantity
Tribal treaty resources continue to be threatened U.S. Geological Survey. It is the pre-eminent author-
by declining water quality and quantity. In western ity among governments for water resources, provid-
Washington, climatic changes and urban development ing valuable expertise, oversight and guidance to the
are having profound effects on water resources and tribal effort toward data collection and resource man-
aquatic ecosystems. This situation will worsen with agement.
an expected doubling of the population in the Puget
Sound region during the next 20 years. EPA Partnership
Goals of tribal water resources programs include es- Twenty years ago, Pacific Northwest tribes part-
tablishing instream flows to sustain viable and har- nered with the federal Environmental Protection
vestable populations of fish, identifying limiting fac- Agency (EPA) to address water quality issues under
tors for salmon recovery, protecting existing ground the Clean Water Act. The unprecedented relationship,
and surface water supplies, and participating in feder- called the Coordinated Tribal Water Quality Program,
al, state and local planning processes for water quanti- has improved tribal water quality management and
ty and quality management. protection of tribal lands and treaty-reserved resourc-
Tribes are supporting the state’s effort to update its es.
default fish consumption rate. Fish consumption rates Partnerships between the EPA and individual tribes
are used to determine water quality standards to pro- have energized and focused meaningful environmen-
tect people from health effects from toxic substanc- tal protection activities in watersheds throughout the
es in fish. Current state water quality standards are region and enabled the leveraging and partnering of
based on a seafood consumption rate of 6.5 grams of county, state and federal funds.
fish a day. EPA’s General Assistance Program (GAP) was es-
Fish consumption studies of Northwest Indian tribes tablished to build capacity for environmental protec-
and Asian and Pacific Islanders reported consumption tion programs at every federally recognized tribe in
rates ranging from 100 to nearly 500 grams of fish per the country. Many tribes have successfully built basic
day. Non-Indian citizens also eat more than 6.5 grams operational capacity with GAP funds and are ready to
a day, making this an important human health issue move to the next step of implementing those environ-
for all residents. Member tribes of the Northwest Indi- mental programs.
an Fisheries Commission are encouraging the state of The tribes have proposed a pilot project, called
Washington to adopt a more protective fish consump- “Beyond GAP,” to build on the investments of the past
tion rate in their water quality standards. 20 years by implementing environmental programs
Also in 2011, tribes continued to operate the NWIFC locally, while providing leadership in shaping the
Water Quality Exchange Network, which stores, next steps in EPA’s Indian Program development
shares, manages and analyzes tribal data. nationally.
For nearly 20 years, tribes have partnered with the
Bait fishery keeps tribes digging
In spring 2011, the Swinomish Tribe habitat degradation,” said Swinom-
held its first bait fishery to allow tribal ish fisheries manager Lorraine Loomis.
members to continue to exercise their “We wanted to provide a harvest op-
treaty rights even though water pollu- portunity for fishermen who don’t have
tion has taken away the ability to eat boats.”
one of their traditional foods. At the end of each day of the bait
Tribal members harvested clams by fishery, tribal diggers brought their har-
Monroe Landing on Whidbey Island, vest to shellfish biologist Julie Barber
near a sewage outfall. While not safe and fisheries technician Dora Finkbon-
for human consumption, the shellfish ner, who dunked the bags of butter
can be used for crab bait. Any trace of clams and cockles in blue dye, like
Kari Neumeyer
bacteria ingested by crab is destroyed Easter eggs. The blue dye is required
when it is cooked. by the state Department of Health to
“We’ve lost so much of our tradition- let buyers know that the clams are not
al gathering areas to development and for human consumption.
Swinomish fisheries technician Dora Finkbonner dyes
clams blue so buyers know they are to be used as bait and
are not for human consumption.
NWIFC Annual Report 2012

12. Wildlife M anagement
The treaty Indian tribes are co-manag-
ers of wildlife resources in western Wash-
ington. Species such as deer, elk, bear and
mountain goats always have been impor-
tant to the tribes both culturally and as a
source of food.
Western Washington treaty tribal hunt-
ers account for a very small portion of the
total combined deer and elk harvest in the
state.
According to statistics for 2010-2011,
treaty tribal hunters harvested 393 elk and
696 deer, while non-Indian hunters har-
vested 7,060 elk and 33,391 deer.
Tribal hunters do not hunt for sport and
most do not hunt only for themselves. Trib-
al culture in western Washington is based
on extended family relationships. A tribal
hunter usually shares his game with sev-
eral families. In some cases, tribes may
designate a hunter to harvest one or more
animals for elders or families that are un-
able to hunt. All tribes prohibit hunting for Debbie Preston
commercial purposes. Makah tribal member Gary Ray has been a longtime participant on the tribe’s hunting committee.
As a sovereign government, each treaty Harvesting deer, elk and other wildlife is an important part of tribal culture.
tribe develops its own hunting regulations
and ordinances for tribal members. Tribes
set seasons based on the ability of the re-
Hunting nourishes families, culture
Implementing a wildlife management plan scarce and fish and wildlife provide an im-
source to support harvest. Before open- more than two decades ago has paid off for portant source of nutrition to tribal mem-
ing an area to hunting, many tribes share the Makah Tribe in the form of a comprehen- bers. The tribe’s treaty rights and co-man-
their regulations with the state Department sive database that protects the tribe’s trea- agement responsibilities play an important
of Fish and Wildlife for review and com- ty-reserved wildlife resources. Deer, elk and role in the health of the tribe and the wildlife
ment. Tribes also share their harvest data other wildlife always have been important resources in western Washington.
with the agency. to the tribe as a source of food and cultural When Quileute tribal member Tony Fos-
Each tribe maintains an enforcement items such as traditional regalia. ter thinks of the treaty hunting right, he con-
program to ensure compliance with tribal “It was especially important to manage siders the importance of wildlife in cultur-
the elk resource,” said Gary Ray, a Makah al ceremonies and helping youth learn the
regulations. Tribal hunters are licensed by
tribal member and longtime participant on ways of the ancestors. Foster is also director
their tribes and must obtain tags for game the tribe’s hunting committee. “There are of Quileute Natural Resources Law Enforce-
animals they wish to hunt. Tribal members both tribal and non-tribal efforts off the res- ment and a member of tribal council.
found in violation of tribal hunting regu- ervation, so the data we provide is important “When my kids and I go hunting, we share
lations must appear in tribal court. Penal- to managing the hunting effort. We haven’t with our families and extended families. It
ties can include fines and loss of hunting had a cow harvest for a number of years, gives them traditional food,” Foster said.
privileges. for instance, based on our inventory of the “We utilize these foods for our ceremonies
In most cases, tribal hunting regulations herds. As the inventory improves, we can and potlatches.
address the same harvest and safety con- look at the possibility of changing that reg- The tribe offers a hunter safety course for
cerns as state rules, such as prohibiting the ulation, but it’s all based on the reliable re- young people so they can learn about the
carrying of loaded firearms in vehicles. search.” treaty right, the rules and regulations and
Ray is gratified to see his nephew, Jeremi- how to take care of their animal, he said.
Many tribes also conduct hunter education
ah Johnson, working as a technician for the “When they bring that first animal home,
programs aimed at teaching tribal youth Makah Wildlife Division management team. they can have pride in their success. They
safe hunting practices and the cultural im- “The staff there are doing groundbreaking are contributing to their family and that
portance of wildlife to the tribe. work. We can co-manage with the state be- builds confidence and self-esteem,” Foster
cause we’re on top of the resources in our said. “There is a misconception about tribal
traditional hunting grounds,” Ray said. hunters being able to hunt everything all the
Those traditional hunting grounds include time and harvest as many as we want. I take
thousands of acres of forestlands lying out- time to let people know our regulations –
side the tribe’s remote reservation on Neah that we are managing wildlife for our grand-
Bay, where employment opportunities are children and their children.”
10 NWIFC Annual Report 2012

13. Shellfish M anagement
Shellfish have been a mainstay of western
Washington Indian tribes for thousands
of years and remain important today for
economic, subsistence and ceremonial
purposes.
As co-managers of the shellfish re-
source, each treaty Indian tribe main-
tains a shellfish program and manages its
shellfish harvest cooperatively with other
tribes and the state through resource-shar-
ing agreements.
Tribal shellfish enhancement results in
higher and more consistent harvest levels
and benefits both tribal and non-Indian
diggers. Tribes also conduct research on
underutilized species, such as Olympia
oysters and sea urchins, to develop better
management systems and an understanding
of the marine ecosystem.
Tribes have two distinct types of shell-
fish harvest – commercial and ceremoni-
al/subsistence. Shellfish harvested during
a commercial fishery are sold to licensed
shellfish buyers who either sell directly to
the public or to other distributors. Along
with state co-managers, tribes closely
monitor beaches to make sure harvested
Kari Neumeyer (2)
shellfish are safe to eat.
Treaty tribes in western Washington
commercially harvest manila, native little-
neck and geoduck clams, oysters, crab and
shrimp throughout Washington coastal ar- Upper Skagit natural resources technician Tim Shelton harvests
eas and Puget Sound. oysters in Samish Bay.
Ceremonial and subsistence harvests of
shellfish, which have a central role in tribal
gatherings and daily nutrition, are for trib- Shellfish program provides food, jobs
al use only. The Upper Skagit Tribe is cultivating shell- of the shell. The result is a smoother shell,
fish beds in Samish Bay to meet ceremonial deeper cup and more consistent shape of
needs, with the intention of expanding even- the oyster.
tually into a multi-faceted shellfish grow- “We’re experimenting with the flip bags
ing operation that will provide jobs for trib- and hope to branch out to grow other spe-
al members. cies, like geoducks,” Schuyler said. “I’m
“We want to develop these beaches to proud of how much progress we’ve made
provide resources and jobs for tribal mem- with the site.”
bers,” said Scott Schuyler, Upper Skagit’s Oysters and clams from the tribe’s beds
natural resources director. “Our goal is to were served at the 2011 Upper Skagit Bless-
have a self-sustaining operation within the ing of the Fleet. Future plans include devel-
next five to 10 years.” oping a site near Larrabee State Park near
Tribal natural resources staffers plant- the border between Skagit and Whatcom
ed 20 acres with Pacific oysters and ma- counties.
nila clams. The oysters are grown two ways: Shellfish harvest in Samish Bay frequently
on long lines and in flip bags. Long lines are is closed because of potential fecal coliform
the more traditional way of growing oysters pollution from stormwater runoff and near-
commercially. Oysters grow in large clusters by farms.
on seeded “mother” shells strung between “Shellfish closures caused by water pol-
posts in the tidelands. Flip bags are a new- lution violate our treaty right to gather shell-
er technology that produces a higher-value fish,” Schuyler said. “These continual clo-
oyster. Seeds are placed in bags that tumble sures are an issue that needs to be seriously
with the tides, breaking off the rough edges addressed at all levels of government.”
Spot prawns are one of several species of shellfish important to traditional tribal diets.
NWIFC Annual Report 2012 11

14. “We, the Indians of the Pacific The Northwest Indian Fisheries Com- ployees and is headquartered in Olym-
Northwest, recognize that our fisheries mission was created in 1974 by the 20 trea- pia, Wash., with satellite offices in Forks,
are a basic and important natural ty Indian tribes in western Washington that Kingston and Mount Vernon.
resource and of vital concern to the were parties to the U.S. v. Washington lit- The NWIFC provides broad policy co-
Indians of this state, and that the igation that affirmed their treaty-reserved ordination as well as high-quality tech-
conservation of this natural resource salmon harvest rights and established the nical and support services for its mem-
is dependent upon effective and tribes as natural resources co-managers ber tribes in their efforts to co-manage the
progressive management. We further with the state. natural resources of western Washington.
believe that by unity of action, we can The NWIFC is an inter-tribal organiza- The NWIFC serves as a clearinghouse for
best accomplish these things, not tion that assists member tribes with their information on natural resources manage-
only for the benefit of our own people, natural resources co-management respon- ment issues important to member tribes.
but for all of the people of the Pacific sibilities. Member tribes select commis- The commission also acts as a forum for
Northwest.” sioners who develop policy and provide tribes to address issues of shared concern,
– Preamble to the direction for the organization. The com- and enables the tribes to speak with a uni-
NWIFC Constitution mission employs about 70 full-time em- fied voice.
NWIFC Activities
Fisheries Management Quantitative Services Enhancement Services
♦ Long-range planning, wild ♦ Administering and coordinating ♦ Coordinating coded-wire tagging
salmon recovery efforts and the Treaty Indian Catch Monitoring of more than 4 million fish at tribal
federal Endangered Species Act Program. hatcheries to provide information
implementation. ♦ Providing statistical consulting critical to fisheries management.
♦ Annual fisheries planning: services. ♦ Analyzing coded-wire data.
developing pre-season agreements; ♦ Conducting data analysis of fisheries ♦ Providing genetic, ecological and
pre- and in-season run size forecasts; studies and developing study designs. statistical consulting for tribal
monitoring; and post-season fishery ♦ Updating and evaluating fishery hatchery programs.
analysis and reporting. management statistical models and ♦ Providing fish health services to
♦ Marine fish management planning. databases. tribal hatcheries in the areas of
♦ Shellfish management planning. juvenile fish health monitoring,
disease diagnosis, adult health
inspection and vaccine production.
Habitat Services U.S./Canada Information and
Pacific Salmon Treaty Education Services
♦ Coordinating policy and technical
discussion between tribes and ♦ Facilitating inter-tribal and inter- ♦ Providing internal and external
federal, state and local governments, agency meetings, developing issue communication services to member
and other interested parties. papers and negotiation options. tribes and NWIFC.
♦ Coordinating, representing and ♦ Informing tribes and policy ♦ Developing and distributing
monitoring tribal interests in the representatives on issues affected by communication products such as
Timber/Fish/Wildlife Forests and the treaty implementation process. news releases, newsletters, videos,
Fish Report process, Coordinated ♦ Serving on the pink, chum, coho, photos and web-based content.
Tribal Water Resources and Ambient chinook, Fraser sockeye and data- ♦ Responding to public requests for
Monitoring programs, analyzing and sharing technical committees, as well information about the tribes and their
distributing technical information on as other work groups and panels. tribal natural resources management
habitat-related forums, programs and ♦ Coordinating tribal research and activities.
processes. data-gathering activities associated ♦ Working with state agencies,
♦ Implementing the Salmon and with implementation of the Pacific environmental organizations and
Steelhead Habitat Inventory and Salmon Committee. others in cooperative communication
Assessment Project. efforts.
Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission
6730 Martin Way E.
Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 438-1180
nwifc.org
12 NWIFC Annual Report 2012

16. Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission
6730 Martin Way E.
Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 438-1180
nwifc.org