This document provides a 3-page summary of tribal natural resource management in Western Washington in 2013. It discusses several key issues, including ongoing degradation of salmon habitat, threats from climate change, and budget cuts that could impact hatchery production. It highlights tribal efforts to implement the Treaty Rights at Risk initiative to address salmon declines, and the release of the State of Our Watersheds report confirming ongoing habitat loss. It also discusses ongoing co-management of shellfish resources and tribal responses to issues like updating the state's fish consumption rate and the potential impacts of the state's budget deficit on natural resource management responsibilities.

1. Tribal Natural Resources Management:
A report from the Treaty Indian Tribes
in Western Washington
2013

2. “We, the Indians of the Pacific Northwest,
recognize that our fisheries are a basic
and important natural resource and of vital
concern to the Indians of this state, and that
the conservation of this natural resource is
dependent upon effective and progressive
management. We further believe that by
unity of action, we can best accomplish
these things, not only for the benefit of our
own people, but for all of the people of the
Pacific Northwest.”
– Preamble to the
NWIFC Constitution

3. Table of Contents
2 From the Chairman 8 Hatchery Management
3 Year in Review 9 Wildlife Management
5 Habitat Management 10 Regional Collaborative Management
6 Harvest Management 12 NWIFC Functions, Programs and
Activities
Map: Ron McFarlane. Cover: Quileute fisherman Tazzie Sablan hauls in a coho near the mouth of the Quileute River in LaPush. Debbie Preston

4. From the Chairman
Natural resources, especially salmon and are compounded by climate change, which dispropor-
salmon, have always been the tionately affects isolated tribal communities.
foundation of tribal cultures The results have been devastating. Some treaty tribes have had
and economies here in western to give up even their most basic ceremonial and subsistence fisher-
Washington. When we signed ies.
treaties with the United States, But there is hope.
we gave up millions of acres of We are encouraged by the federal government’s response so far
land, but kept what was most to our call for action under the Treaty Rights at Risk initiative that
precious to us: our right to hunt, we began in 2011. We are asking the federal government to exer-
fish and gather in all of our tra- cise its trust responsibility to the tribes and take charge of salmon
ditional places. We kept these recovery, align its agencies and programs to be more effective, and
rights because these resources lead a more coordinated salmon recovery effort.
enable us to survive as a people, Helping guide that effort is the tribes’ recently completed State
a fact no less true today than of Our Watersheds report. The report examines the health of 20
when the treaties were signed more than 150 years ago. watersheds in western Washington to help gauge progress and
Today we are co-managers of the natural resources in western identify barriers to salmon recovery.
Washington, but our treaty rights are at grave risk because natural We all have made a huge investment in recovering salmon and
resources are being damaged and destroyed faster than they can their habitat in recent decades, but it hasn’t been enough. We must
be protected and restored. This is especially true of the habitat that do more. That includes steps like stronger enforcement of existing
salmon need to thrive. environmental laws to protect salmon and putting a stop to devel-
Despite massive cuts in harvest, careful use of hatcheries and opment in river floodplains that are important to salmon habitat.
a huge financial investment in habitat restoration the past four We believe that all things are connected. That means salmon and
decades, wild salmon populations continue to decline along with natural resources are part of us – all of us – and it’s going to take
their habitat. This trend shows no signs of improvement. all of us to stop the loss and decline of those resources and return
Nearshore marine habitat – especially important to young salmon them to sustainable abundance.
– is being lost and damaged by docks, bulkheads and other forms
of shoreline armoring. Forests are disappearing to development.
Water quality and quantity are declining throughout the region.
Polluted stormwater runoff is increasing as more of our watersheds
Billy Frank Jr.
are lost to pavement every year. All of these issues directly affect
NWIFC Chairman
Tribal Natural Resources Management
Natural resources management functions and associated programs of
the treaty Indian tribes in Western Washington:
Timber/Fish/Wildlife Endangered Ocean Ecosystem Puget Sound
Forests & Fish Report Hatchery Reform Species Act Initiative Partnership
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

5. Year In Review
T his report offers a broad overview of some of the
natural resources management issues and activities of
the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington during 2012.
Tribes Implement Treaty Rights at Risk Initiative
The treaty Indian tribes began the Treaty Rights at Risk initiative
in summer 2011 because of the decline of salmon due to ongoing
Among the major issues were the increased degradation of
loss and damage of habitat. Historically, the federal government’s
salmon habitat, climate change and a state budget deficit
main response to declining salmon runs has been to restrict har-
that threatened hatchery salmon production. All of these vest. Before tribes can go fishing, they are required to show that
issues put treaty rights at great risk. More information is their fisheries will contribute to salmon recovery under the Endan-
available at nwifc.org. gered Species Act. Those who damage or destroy habitat, however,
are not held to the same standard.
The tribes are asking the United States government to take charge
of salmon recovery because it has the obligation and authority to
ensure both salmon recovery and protection of tribal treaty rights.
The tribes also are seeking better alignment and coordination of
federally funded programs to ensure they contribute to salmon re-
covery.
Tribes have met with federal leadership several times to discuss
the initiative. Attention is being focused on increased enforcement
of existing habitat protection laws, protecting instream flows for
salmon, and ensuring that federal agency actions are helping meet
salmon recovery needs and goals.
A tribal paper on the initiative, videos and more information are
available at treatyrightsatrisk.org.
State of Our Watersheds Report
Confirms Ongoing Habitat Loss
For decades, the tribes have been examining the health of their
watersheds to gauge progress toward recovery of salmon and their
habitat. The result is the recently released State of Our Watersheds
report, which confirms that we are losing the battle for salmon
recovery. Habitat is being lost faster than it can be restored, and
the trend is not improving, which threatens tribal cultures, treaty
rights, jobs, and economies, as well as the quality of life for every-
one who lives in Washington.
The report tracks key salmon habitat indicators over time – such
as the condition of nearshore marine areas, forest habitat along our
streams, and water quality and quantity – in 20 watersheds across
western Washington.
Debbie Preston
Some of the report’s findings include:
● A 75 percent loss of salt marsh habitat in the Stillaguamish
A Makah tribal member shares a dance during a protocol ceremony at the
2012 Tribal Canoe Journey hosted by the Squaxin Island Tribe. watershed is limiting chinook populations in the river
system.
● Herring stocks in the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe’s area of
concern have declined from healthy to depressed because of
degraded nearshore habitat. Herring are important food for
salmon.
● In the Chehalis River system, the Quinault Indian Nation
estimates that culverts slow or block salmon from reaching
more than 1,500 miles of habitat.
(Continued on next page)

6. Year In Review (Cont’d)
The State of Our Watersheds report includes decades of data The state says that 6.5 grams daily – roughly a single 8-ounce
gathered by tribes and state and federal agencies, as well as rec- meal per month – is how much fish and shellfish residents eat. That
ommendations for protecting watersheds and the salmon they pro- standard has been in place for more than 20 years. The state ac-
duce. More information is available at nwifc.org/sow. knowledges that the rate does not protect the majority of Washing-
ton residents because most people eat more than one seafood meal
Ruling Expected in Culvert Case a month. This is especially true for Indian people and members of
the Asian and Pacific Islander communities here in Washington.
The federal judge presiding over a suit filed in 2001 by west- Oregon’s rate was recently increased to 175 grams per day.
ern Washington treaty tribes against the state of Washington over Progress was being made on updating the rate when the state’s
hundreds of failing, fish-blocking culverts under state roads has Department of Ecology abruptly halted the process after industry
indicated he will issue a final order in the case in early 2013. voiced concerns about the potential cost increasing the rate would
Tribes won a summary judgment in the case in 2007 when have on businesses. Tribes are hoping to re-engage the state in a
U.S. District Court Judge Ricardo Martinez ruled that the failing government-to-government process that will provide a clear, de-
culverts diminish salmon returns and violate tribal treaty fishing cisive path forward to develop a more accurate fish consumption
rights. rate.
State agencies told the Legislature back in 1995 that fixing cul-
verts was one of the most cost-effective strategies for restoring Shellfish Co-Management Efforts Continue
salmon habitat. In 1997, state agencies estimated that every dollar
spent fixing culverts would generate four dollars worth of addi- Tribes continued in 2012 to work cooperatively with the state of
tional salmon production. At the state’s current pace, it will take Washington in co-managing shellfish resources.
more than 100 years to fix the nearly 1,000 fish-blocking culverts A major part of that effort was working to update the implemen-
that remain. Meanwhile, more culverts are failing and blocking tation plan for the 1994 ruling that upheld tribal treaty-reserved
salmon passage. shellfish harvest rights. The ruling by Federal District Court Judge
Edward Rafeedie determined that tribes had reserved treaty har-
Tribes Respond to Climate Change vest rights to half of all shellfish from usual and accustomed plac-
es. The case was a sub-proceeding of the 1974 U.S. v. Washington
Because of their close relationship with the land, water, fish and (the Boldt decision) ruling that upheld tribal treaty-reserved fish-
wildlife, indigenous people are among those most affected by cli- ing rights.
mate change. The treaty tribes in western Washington are address- Tribes also continued to work with the state of Washington to
ing the challenges of climate change at local and national levels. improve catch estimation of non-treaty recreational harvest of
At the local level, tribes are examining how ongoing climate Dungeness crab. In addition, the tribes and state worked to imple-
change and its accompanying effects, such as melting glaciers and ment a joint process to streamline regulations for shellfish aqua-
warmer stream temperatures, will further affect their members and culture in Puget Sound.
the natural resources that sustain tribal communities, cultures and
economies. State Budget Deficit Concerns Tribes
At the national level, hundreds of native leaders, witnesses and
climate scientists joined policy-makers and non-governmental or- A $2 billion budget deficit has tribes concerned that the state
ganizations in July to share adaptation strategies and traditional of Washington may be unable to meet its natural resources co-
knowledge to address the effects of climate change. More informa- management responsibilities under U.S. v. Washington. The state’s
tion is available at firststewards.org. budget problems, combined with the ongoing loss of salmon habitat
and the state’s inability to stop that trend, puts tribal cultures and
State Fish Consumption Rate treaty-reserved rights at continued risk.
Needs Revision to Protect Health Of particular concern are budget cuts at state salmon hatcheries.
The decline of wild salmon and their habitat already has restricted
The state of Washington’s inaccurate fish consumption rate was the tribes’ abilities to exercise their treaty-reserved fishing rights.
a major focus of tribal efforts in 2012. This rate is used by the state Their rights would be further threatened by more cuts in hatchery
to determine how much pollution is allowed to be dumped in its production and reduced state participation in co-management.
waters every year. The rate is intended to protect human health
from more than 100 toxic pollutants that can be found in state wa-
ters.

7. Habitat Management
Habitat protection and restoration are Habitat Critical to Fishermen’s Livelihood
absolutely essential for recovery of wild
salmon in western Washington.
● Salmon habitat in western Washington
is being lost faster than it is being
restored, and the trend shows no sign
of improvement. The ongoing decline
of salmon and habitat puts tribal treaty
rights, cultures and economies at risk.
● The NWIFC Salmon and Steelhead
Habitat Inventory and Assessment
Program (SSHIAP) provides a “living
database” of local and regional habitat
Tiffany Royal
conditions. The program assesses the
effect of habitat loss and degradation on
salmon and steelhead stocks and assists Lower Elwha Klallam tribal member Russ Hepfer looks over the improvements made
in developing strategies to protect and to Morse Creek near Port Angeles.
restore salmon habitat.
When Lower Elwha Klallam tribal while preventing future impacts from
● In 2012, tribes worked with SSHIAP member Russ Hepfer learned to fish stormwater, and water withdrawals
to document ongoing loss and damage as a young man, he did it because from other creeks on the peninsula?”
to salmon habitat in the State of Our that’s what his family did. Hepfer said.
Watersheds report, which can be viewed “I didn’t realize I was being ‘tradi- Morse Creek got a shot of restora-
at nwifc.org/sow. tional’ when I was fishing,” he said. tion in August 2010 when a half-mile
“It’s just what I was taught. But then I section of the creek was realigned
● Tribes conduct extensive monitoring of
learned over the years how important to its historic channel. Since then,
water quality for pollution and ensure
it was to our tribe and our culture, salmon have been seen spawning in
factors such as dissolved oxygen levels
and now I teach that to my nephews the restored area.
are adequate for salmon and other fish.
and sons.” But the lower 2 miles of Morse
● To make limited federal funding work As he grew older, he also became Creek have been affected by a combi-
to its fullest, tribes partner with state aware of the dwindling salmon nation of land development, chan-
agencies, industries and property owners population that he and his tribe relied nelization, diking and armoring, and
through collaborative habitat protection, upon. As a result, he started to learn streamside vegetation removal.
restoration and enhancement efforts. about the importance of good salmon Nearly half of the creek’s flood-
habitat, which is key to sustaining the plain is being zoned for development,
● In western Washington, NOAA’s Pacific population runs. from utility right-of-ways to single-
Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund monies Morse Creek, a 16-mile creek near family homes. Historically, the lower
have supported projects that have Port Angeles, is one of the streams reaches of the creek were unconfined
restored thousands of acres of forest, that the tribe has been improving. The and meandered with multiple chan-
protected hundreds of acres of habitat creek was featured in the 2012 State nels.
and removed more than 100 fish passage of Our Watersheds report. “We’re taking two steps forward
barriers. Morse Creek has been hit hard by with restoration efforts but are forced
development and growth in the past, to take one step back as we continue
but the tribe is trying to change that. to lose habitat faster than we can
The creek supports chinook, coho and save it,” Hepfer said.
pink salmon, and steelhead.
“How do we undo historic impacts
to the salmon habitat in Morse Creek

8. Harvest Management
Salmon Salmon Harvest Key to Shellfish
● Treaty Indian tribes and the Washington Sustaining Tribal Culture ● Treaty tribes harvest Pacific oysters,
Department of Fish and Wildlife co- native littleneck, manila and geoduck
manage salmon fisheries in Puget clams, Dungeness crab, shrimp and
Sound, the Strait of Juan de Fuca and other shellfish throughout the coast
nearshore coastal waters. and Puget Sound.
● For decades, state and tribal salmon ● Tribes closely monitor beaches to
co-managers have reduced harvest in ensure shellfish are safe to eat.
response to declining salmon runs.
Today’s harvest levels are only 80- ● Shellfish harvested in commercial
90 percent of those of 1985. Further fisheries are sold to licensed shellfish
reductions will not contribute to the buyers who sell either to the public or
recovery of wild salmon stocks because to other distributors.
of disappearing habitat.
● Shellfish from ceremonial and
● Under U.S. v. Washington (the Boldt
Kari Neumeyer
subsistence fisheries are for tribal use
decision), harvest occurs only after only, and are a necessary part of their
sufficient fish are available to sustain culture and traditional diet.
the resource. Harvest management is
Stillaguamish Tribal Chairman Shawn Yanity
coordinated to limit mortality of weak prepares chinook salmon at the tribe’s First ● Tribal shellfish programs manage
wild stocks throughout their migratory Salmon Ceremony. harvest with other tribes and the state
range. through resource-sharing agreements.
Stillaguamish tribal fishermen have not
● Tribal and state managers work had a directed commercial chinook fishery ● Tribal shellfish enhancement results
cooperatively through the Pacific in nearly 30 years. in higher and more consistent harvest
Fishery Management Council and the “We are a pretty small fishing commu- that benefits both tribal and non-
North of Falcon process to develop nity,” said Gary Tatro, a fisherman who Indian diggers. Tribes also research
fishing seasons. The co-managers also also works for the tribe as a bison special- underutilized species, such as
cooperate with Canadian and Alaskan ist and in cultural support. “We just don’t Olympia oysters and sea urchins.
fisheries managers through the U.S./ have the fish in the water.”
Canada Pacific Salmon Treaty. Tatro was one of two designated fisher-
men who participated in the 2012 ceremo-
● The tribes monitor their harvest using
nial and subsistence chinook fishery.
the Treaty Indian Catch Monitoring
“The only reason we fish for chinook is
Program to provide accurate, same-
for the salmon ceremony,” Tatro said.
day catch statistics for treaty Indian
fisheries. The program enables close The tribe has held these small fisheries
monitoring of tribal harvest levels and since 2009, when Stillaguamish hosted a
allows inseason adjustments. First Salmon Ceremony for the first time in
generations.
This year, Tatro and his fishing partner
Shawn Soholt didn’t meet the 30-fish limit
that was set during preseason planning.
Because returns are so low, each year,
Emmett O’Connell
the tribe must purchase additional fish
from outside the Stillaguamish River
system to have enough salmon for their
ceremony.
“To have a living culture, you have to Squaxin Island tribal elder Mike Cooper
practice it,” Tatro added. “That’s why we takes advantage of harvesting on a special
have the salmon ceremony. If we’re not elders beach. Shellfish harvest is a major
part of the tribe’s culture and economy,
fishing, the culture dies.” but not all beaches are easily accessible.

9. Shellfish Part of Tribal Marine Fish Rockfish Important
Economic Engine ● Treaty tribes are co-managers of
to Coastal Tribes
Shellfish harvest always has been the the groundfish resource. They work Identifying every species of rockfish that
economic backbone for many tribes, in- closely with the state of Washington, comes to the dock is harder than it looks,
cluding the Squaxin Island Tribe. Clams, federal agencies and in international but for the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) it
forums to develop and implement
oysters and other shellfish were traded provides vital information about economi-
species conservation plans for all
across a large regional intertribal cally important groundfish fisheries.
groundfish stocks in Puget Sound
network, bringing in commodities that When conducting halibut and black cod
and along the Pacific coast.
tribes couldn’t find in their own areas. longline fisheries, other species are caught
“Before the treaties, our trade routes ● The Pacific Fishery Management incidentally and must be accounted for as
extended from the Pacific Ocean up Council regulates the catch of black part of managing the fishery.
through the Columbia Basin,” said Andy cod, rockfish and flatfish. Halibut are “Our fishermen are required to keep
Whitener, natural resources director for managed through the International everything they catch and that gives us
the tribe. “Our shellfish economy has Pacific Halibut Commission, a really good picture of the types of non-
a rich and extensive history. Shellfish established by the governments of the targeted species found in our fishery,” said
were always more than subsistence, United States and Canada. Tribes are Joe Schumacker, marine scientist for the
they’ve always been part of our broader active participants in season-setting QIN.
economy.” processes and the technical groups Marine fisheries have been a corner-
While their shellfishing trade is cen- that serve those bodies. stone both culturally and economically
turies old, the Squaxin Island Tribe en- for Washington treaty tribes. Halibut and
tered the business world 30 years ago ● The state of Washington, Hoh Indian black cod fisheries can be the biggest part
when they bought a family oyster farm Tribe, Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe of a tribal fisherman’s income.
on Harstine Island. Over time, that busi- and the Quinault Indian Nation are The allowable incidental take of some
ness has grown into Salish Seafoods, working with the National Oceanic species, including rockfish, is tightly con-
which has $2 million in annual sales, and Atmospheric Administration to trolled by the Pacific Fisheries Manage-
13 employees and 60 acres of farmed integrate research goals that look at ment Council and National Marine Fisher-
Pacific oyster beds in deep South Sound. changing ocean conditions and create ies Service. Annual coastwide catches of
“It’s nothing new for us; it’s always the building blocks for managing these species cannot exceed an amount
ocean resources. The tribes and
been part of our economy,” said David that would diminish their populations.
state support ocean monitoring and
Johns, general manager for Salish Sea- Some species of rockfish are of particular
research leading to ecosystem-based
foods. “Certainly we’re in modern times, concern.
management of fishery resources.
but our seafood trade is something “We want to make sure that informa-
that’s always existed.” tion is accurate as we go forward, both to
In addition to farming Pacific oysters, manage the stocks and protect our fishery
Salish Seafoods also buys most of the from inaccurate data,” Schumacker said.
manila clams harvested by Squaxin trib- “Differentiating some of these rockfish
al members. Last year, tribal members species sometimes comes down to the
harvested 500,000 pounds of clams, number of spines on the head or even
400,000 of which were purchased by around the eye sockets,” Schumacker said.
Salish Seafoods. The earbones, or otoliths, from halibut
“Tribal members aren’t limited to also are collected to provide information
selling to us, in fact there are about four about the age of the fish for the Inter-
other clam buyers that they can sell to,” national Pacific Halibut Commission and
Johns said. “But because we buy from tribal managers.
Debbie Preston
every dig, we ensure tribal members
can make decent money throughout the
season. We’re always there to buy from
our tribal members.” Scott Mazzone, shellfish and marine biologist,
and Bruce Wagner, fisheries technician for the
A video about Salish Seafoods can be Quinault Indian Nation, remove otoliths from
found at go.nwifc.org/salishseafood. a halibut.

10. Hatchery Management
Most hatcheries were built to make up for Tribes Help State Hatcheries Through Shortfall
the natural salmon production that was lost
because of damaged and destroyed habitat. At a time when the state is cutting water. Production at the Deschutes
back on hatchery programs because River facility had been steady at 4
● Hatcheries play a critical role in fisheries of a huge budget shortfall, several million chinook, but because of a
management and fulfilling the tribal treaty- treaty tribes are picking up the tab shortfall in legislative funding, only
reserved harvest right. to keep salmon coming home for about 1 million fish would have been
everyone who lives here. Tribes are released.
● Hatcheries must remain a central part of doing everything from taking over On the coast, the Quileute Tribe
salmon management in western Washington the operation of some state hatcher- took over the lease last year of the
as long as lost and degraded habitat prevents ies to buying fish feed and making Bear Springs hatchery, a fish-rear-
watersheds from naturally producing donations of cash and labor to keep ing facility formerly run by WDFW
abundant, self-sustaining runs of sufficient up production. and owned by the state Department
size to address the tribal treaty fishing “Hatcheries must remain a central of Natural Resources. The hatchery
harvest right. part of salmon management in released 50,000 chinook.
western Washington for as long as The Quinault Indian Nation pro-
● Hatcheries work best when combined with lost and degraded habitat prevents vided funds to the state’s Humptu-
conservative harvest management, and watersheds from naturally produc- lips Hatchery to feed 300,000 coho
habitat restoration and protection.
ing abundant, self-sustaining runs,” and chinook up to release size in
said Billy Frank Jr., chairman of the 2012.
● Tribal, state and federal agencies operate 100
Northwest Indian Fisheries Commis- While tribal hatcheries have been
salmon enhancement facilities in western
Washington, creating the largest salmon sion. producing fish for nearly 40 years,
hatchery system in the world. More than 100 The Puyallup Tribe of Indians federal funding has not kept pace,
million salmon and steelhead are released recently helped fund a program that threatening the tribes’ ability to
annually from these hatcheries. Tribes alone is restoring spring chinook in the implement vital hatchery reform
release about 40 million juvenile salmon upper White River watershed. The projects and produce hatchery
each year. Washington Department of Fish and salmon for harvest.
Wildlife (WDFW) couldn’t afford to
● Most tribal hatcheries produce salmon for fin-clip the young salmon, so the
harvest by both Indian and non-Indian tribe picked up the cost.
fishermen. Some serve as wild salmon The fin clipping allows salmon
nurseries that improve the survival of managers to track the fish as adults
juvenile fish and increase returns of salmon when they return to the White River.
that spawn naturally in our watersheds. A video about this effort is at
go.nwifc.org/whiteriverchinook.
● Tribes conduct extensive mass marking Also in 2012, the Squaxin Island
of hatchery fish along with a coded-wire Tribe contributed funds to prevent a
tag program. Young fish are marked by 75 percent cut in chinook production
having their adipose fin clipped before at a state salmon hatchery in Tum-
release. Tiny coded-wire tags are inserted
into the noses of young salmon. The tags
from marked fish are recovered in fisheries,
providing important information about
marine survival, migration and hatchery
effectiveness.
Archie Cantrell, a fisheries technician
for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, trans-
Emmett O’Connell
ports juvenile spring chinook from the
state Hupp Springs hatchery to the up-
per White River. The tribe contributed
funds in 2012 to make sure the recovery
program continues.

11. Wildlife Management
The treaty Indian tribes are co-managers Rebounding Herd Allows for Tribal Harvest
of wildlife resources in western Washing-
ton, which include species such as deer, elk, Tulalip tribal member Beau Jess was
bear and mountain goats. thrilled to be one of three hunters in
his tribe to receive a permit to harvest
● Western Washington treaty tribal a bull elk in Game Management Unit
hunters account for a very small portion 418.
of the total combined deer and elk Tulalip and the other Point Elliott
harvest in the state. In 2011-2012, treaty Treaty tribes shared 25 permits to
tribal hunters harvested a reported 365 harvest Nooksack elk in 2012, because
elk and 495 deer, while non-Indian the herd had rebounded from as low
hunters harvested a reported 7,236 elk as 300 animals in 2003 to as many as
and 29,154 deer. 1,400, according to the most recent
aerial surveys.
● Tribal hunters do not hunt for sport, but The other tribes with the treaty
for sustenance. Most do not hunt only right to harvest elk in the North Cas-
for themselves. Tribal culture in western cades Mountains are Lummi, Nook-
Washington is based on extended family
sack, Muckleshoot, Sauk-Suiattle,
relationships with hunters sharing game
Stillaguamish, Suquamish, Swinomish
with several families. Some tribes have
and Upper Skagit.
designated hunters who harvest wildlife
for tribal elders and others unable to “I started hunting with my dad
hunt for themselves, and for ceremonial when I was 10, but this was the first
purposes. year I hunted on my own,” said the
21-year-old Jess. In October, he har-
Kari Neumeyer
● All tribes prohibit hunting for vested a 408-pound bull, which will
commercial purposes. provide his family with a year of elk
steak, roast, sausage and burgers.
● As a sovereign government, each For many northwest tribes, the Tulalip tribal member Beau Jess harvested
treaty tribe develops its own hunting ability to harvest elk and deer is as his first bull elk in 2012.
regulations and ordinances for tribal important to tribal culture as salmon harvest to having nine tribes share 25
members. fishing. Tribal members tradition- animals.”
ally relied on elk and deer meat for During the past two decades, the
● Tribal hunters are licensed by their sustenance, and in modern times, the co-managers completed numer-
tribes and must obtain tags for game protein source helps their communi- ous habitat restoration projects to
animals they wish to hunt. ties stretch tight food budgets. improve elk forage. The co-managers
About 20 years ago, tribal and state also boosted the herd in 2003 and
● Many tribes conduct hunter education wildlife co-managers agreed to stop
programs aimed at teaching tribal youth 2005 by relocating about 100 cow
hunting elk in the North Cascades be- elk to the North Cascades from the
safe hunting practices and the cultural cause the Nooksack herd’s population
importance of wildlife to the tribe. Mount St. Helens region.
was dwindling fast, in part because In 2007, the Nooksack herd was
of overharvest, but largely because of stable enough to support a small hunt
degraded and disconnected habitat. of 30 elk, which the Point Elliott tribes
“We have a treaty right, but no and state shared equally. Limited per-
place to exercise it, and not enough mit-only hunts have taken place each
animals to harvest,” said Todd Wil- year since then in Game Management
bur, Swinomish tribal member and Unit 418. In 2012, in addition to the
chairman of the Inter-tribal Wildlife 25 permits shared by Point Elliott
Committee. “We’ve gone from being Treaty tribes, the state issued 25 per-
able to feed our families with our mits to harvest Nooksack elk.

12. Regional Collaborative Management
Cooperation is the key to sound natural resources management. Treaty Indian tribes are active participants in many
collaborative efforts to enhance, protect and restore natural resources in western Washington.
Ocean Ecosystem Management Tribes Co-host First Stewards Symposium
● The state of Washington, Hoh Indian Tribe,
Makah Tribe, Quileute Tribe and the Quinault
Indian Nation are working with the National
Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
to integrate common research goals to
understand changing ocean conditions and
create the building blocks for managing these
resources.
● In recognition of the challenges facing
the Olympic coast ecosystem, tribes and
Debbie Preston
the state of Washington established the
Intergovernmental Policy Council (IPC) to
guide management of Olympic Coast National
Marine Sanctuary. The tribes and state have The Hoh, Makah and Quileute tribes and the Quinault Indian Nation dance for
developed ocean research and planning goals, the symposium audience at the Smithsonian’s National Museum of the American
Indian.
many of which mirror the recommendations
of the U.S. Ocean Policy. Climate change is occurring adapt to and reduce the speed of
rapidly, creating an urgent need for these changes,” said Micah McCarty,
● Climate change has been a major focus of the world to make use of indigenous Makah tribal member and president
the IPC for the past two years. Because of ways of adapting and maintaining of the First Stewards board of direc-
their unique vulnerability, coastal indigenous the resiliency that has served an- tors.
cultures are leaders in societal adaptation cient coastal cultures for thousands The Quinault Indian Nation (QIN)
and mitigation in response to climate change of years. has seen the glaciers that feed
impacts. The IPC created First Stewards, That was the message delivered the Queets and Quinault rivers of
a first-of-its-kind national symposium by representatives of indigenous Washington’s Olympic coast become
held in July 2012 in Washington, D.C., to coastal people of the United States just fractions of the size they were
examine the impact of climate change on and Pacific Islands when they gath- a few decades ago. As they recede,
coastal indigenous communities throughout ered in 2012 in Washington, D.C., they threaten treaty-protected
the United States and Pacific Islands. for the First Stewards Symposium, salmon stocks important to QIN.
Hundreds of tribal leaders, witnesses and where their unified voices called for “The blueback, or sockeye salmon,
scientists met with climate change experts action on climate change. is an iconic run of salmon for us,”
and policymakers for the groundbreaking The First Stewards Symposium said Ed Johnstone, a Quinault Indian
dialogue. was created to gather voices and Nation tribal member and fisheries
create a mechanism for the indig- policy spokesman. “We are under-
● Coastal tribes are participating with the state
enous people of the United States taking a monumental restoration
of Washington to develop a coastal marine
and Pacific Islands to engage with effort in the upper Quinault River,
spatial plan for the outer coast. This would
serve as a component for an overall state governments, non-governmental but now the glacier retreat adds to
plan encompassing waters from the lower agencies and others to help mitigate the problems for the fish.”
Columbia River estuary to Puget Sound. and adapt to climate change. The very fabric of indigenous so-
In addition, the state and tribal plan would The coastal tribes of Washington cieties is threatened by the over-de-
be part of a larger federal regional coastal – Hoh, Makah and Quileute tribes velopment of coastlines, alteration
marine spatial plan for the West Coast. and the Quinault Indian Nation – co- of freshwater streams and lakes, de-
hosted the symposium after seeing struction of life-giving watersheds,
● Coastal tribes engage with the White changes in their own villages that destruction of reefs, and the decline
House’s National Ocean Council and affect treaty-protected resources. of marine and terrestrial species.
Council on Environmental Quality regarding “What we must prepare for now These have been exacerbated by
implementation of the National Ocean Policy is staggering, but we must design climate change, creating changes in
and developing joint goals and objectives on regional and national pathways to coastal natural systems and wit-
ocean governance. create ways of working together to nessed by indigenous cultures.
10

13. Forest Management Tribal Environmental Protection
● Treaty tribes in western Washington manage their and Water Resources Program
forestlands in ways that benefit people, fish, wildlife and
water. Healthy forests support healthy streams for salmon ● More than two decades ago, Pacific Northwest tribes
and enable wildlife to thrive. partnered with the federal Environmental Protection Agency
(EPA) to address water quality issues under the Clean Water
● Forests are a source of treaty-protected foods, medicine and Act. The unprecedented relationship, called the Coordinated
cultural items. Tribal Water Quality Program, has improved tribal water
quality management and protection of tribal lands and
● Tribes that harvest timber on their reservations have forest treaty-reserved resources.
management plans and conduct extensive reforestation
programs to ensure trees for the future. ● Partnerships between the EPA and individual tribes have
involved environmental protection activities in watersheds
● Two processes, Timber/Fish/Wildlife (TFW) and the Forests throughout the region and enabled the leveraging and
and Fish Report (FFR), have brought together tribes, state partnering of county, state and federal funds.
and federal agencies, environmental groups and private
forest landowners in an adaptive management process to ● EPA’s General Assistance Program (GAP) was established
protect salmon, wildlife and other species while providing in 1992 to build capacity for environmental protection
for the economic health of the timber industry. programs at every federally recognized tribe in the country.
Many tribes have successfully built basic operational
● A tribal representative serves on the state’s Forest Practices capacity with GAP funds and are ready to move to the next
Board, which sets standards for activities such as timber step of implementing those environmental programs.
harvests, road construction and forest chemical applications.
Tribes also are active participants in the FFR Cooperative ● Tribes are leaders in a pilot project, called “Beyond
Monitoring, Evaluation and Research Committee. GAP,” to build on the investments of the past 20 years
by implementing environmental programs locally, while
providing leadership in shaping the next steps in EPA’s
Puget Sound Partnership Indian Program development nationally.
● Tribes continued their participation and leadership in the ● Tribal treaty resources continue to be threatened
Puget Sound Partnership (PSP) in 2012. The PSP was by declining water quality and quantity. In western
created by Washington Gov. Chris Gregoire in 2005 to Washington, climate changes and urban development are
recover Puget Sound’s health by 2020. having profound effects on water resources and aquatic
ecosystems. This situation will worsen with the state
● Tribes participated extensively in updating the PSP Action population expected to increase by 1 million in the next 20
Agenda while implementing a wide range of projects aimed years.
at improving the health of Puget Sound. Tribal leaders
also traveled to Washington, D.C. with PSP leadership to ● Goals of tribal water resources programs include
advocate for common interests. establishing instream flows to sustain harvestable
populations of salmon, identifying limiting factors for
● Projects included monitoring forage fish populations near salmon recovery, protecting existing ground and surface
Indian Island in Puget Sound; identifying sources and water supplies, and participating in federal, state and
potential treatment of land-based pollutant runoff in the local planning processes for water quantity and quality
Stillaguamish River system; and mapping and monitoring management.
the Skokomish River estuary to assess performance of
restoration efforts. ● Tribes were disappointed in 2012 when the state delayed its
update of the fish consumption rate used to determine how
● Nearly 1,400 acres of shellfish beds reportedly were much toxic pollution is allowed to enter Washington waters.
reopened for harvest. Approximately 2,300 acres of habitat The rate is supposed to protect residents from more than 100
restoration projects were completed in the 16 major river toxins that can harm human health.
delta estuaries.
● Ground is still being lost faster than it has been gained.
Progress in the region has not been sufficient to meet the
partnership’s 2020 ecosystem recovery targets for the
region.
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14. NWIFC Functions, Programs and Activities
The Northwest Indian Fisheries Habitat Services Fisheries Management
Commission was created in 1974
by the 20 treaty Indian tribes in ● Support policy and technical discussion ● Long-range planning, wild salmon recovery
western Washington that were par- between tribes and federal, state and efforts and federal Endangered Species Act
ties to the U.S. v. Washington (the local governments, and other interested implementation.
Boldt decision) litigation that af- parties regarding protection and recovery ● Annual fisheries planning: developing
firmed their treaty-reserved salm- of tribal treaty resources. preseason agreements; preseason and
on harvest rights and established ● Coordinate, represent and further tribal inseason run size forecasts; monitoring; and
the tribes as natural resources co- interests in the Timber/Fish/Wildlife postseason fishery analysis and reporting.
managers with the state. Forests and Fish Report process and ● Marine fish management planning.
The NWIFC is an intertribal Coordinated Tribal Water Quality ● Shellfish management planning.
organization that assists member Program. Analyze and distribute
tribes with their natural resources technical information on habitat-related Quantitative Services
co-management responsibilities. forums, programs and issues.
Member tribes select commis- ● Implement the Salmon and Steelhead ● Administer and coordinate the Treaty Indian
sioners who develop policy and Habitat Inventory and Assessment Catch Monitoring Program.
provide direction for the organi- Project. ● Provide statistical consulting services.
zation. The commission employs ● Conduct data analysis of fisheries studies
about 70 full-time employees U.S./Canada and develop study designs.
and is headquartered in Olympia, ● Update and evaluate fishery management
Wash., with satellite offices in
Pacific Salmon Treaty statistical models and databases.
Forks, Kingston and Burlington. ● Facilitate inter-tribal and inter-agency
The NWIFC provides broad meetings, develop issue papers and Information and
policy coordination as well as negotiation options.
high-quality technical and sup- ● Inform tribes and policy representatives
Education Services
port services for its member tribes about issues affected by the treaty ● Provide internal and external
in the co-management of natu- implementation process. communication services to member tribes
ral resources in western Wash- ● Serve on the pink, chum, coho, chinook, and NWIFC.
ington. The NWIFC serves as a Fraser sockeye and data-sharing technical ● Develop and distribute communication
clearinghouse for information on committees, as well as other workgroups products such as news releases, newsletters,
natural resources management is- and panels. videos, social media, photos and web-based
sues important to member tribes. ● Coordinate tribal research and data- content.
The commission also acts as a gathering activities associated with ● Respond to public requests for information
forum for tribes to address issues implementation of the Pacific Salmon about the tribes and their tribal natural
of shared concern, and enables Commission. resources management activities.
the tribes to speak with a unified ● Work with state agencies, environmental
voice. Enhancement Services organizations and others in cooperative
communication efforts.
● Coordinate coded-wire tagging of more
than 4 million fish at tribal hatcheries to
provide information critical to fisheries
management.
● Analyze coded-wire data.
● Provide genetic, ecological and statistical
consulting for tribal hatchery programs.
● Provide fish health services to tribal
hatcheries in the areas of juvenile fish
health monitoring, disease diagnosis,
adult health inspection and vaccine
production.
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16. Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission
6730 Martin Way E.
Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 438-1180
nwifc.org