The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) is a natural resources management support service organization for 20 treaty Indian tribes in western Washington. Headquartered in Olympia, the NWIFC employs approximately 65 people with satellite offices in Burlington and Forks.

NWIFC member tribes are: Lummi, Nooksack, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Skokomish, Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Quileute, Quinault, and Hoh.

The NWIFC was created following the 1974 U.S. v. Washington ruling (Boldt Decision) that re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights. The ruling recognized them as natural resources co-managers with the State of Washington with an equal share of the harvestable number of salmon returning annually.

Read more on our About Us page.

  • WCOA Tribal Coordinator – West Coast Ocean Alliance (WCOA)

    December 13, 2022

    The Tribal Coordinator will serve as the primary point of contact for all Tribal entities engaging with the WCOA, and coordinate activities of the WCOA Tribal Caucus to define regional Tribal priorities and implement project tasks to accomplish them. The Tribal Coordinator will also serve as a liaison between the Tribal Caucus and federal and […]

  • Grant Projects Coordinator

    December 13, 2022

    Download Announcement Under the guidance of NWIFC Salmon Recovery Projects Coordinator, maintains responsibility in all facets of administering subaward programs that benefit tribal natural resource priorities. Essential functions include assisting in the development of the NWIFC workplans used to apply for funds, reviewing tribal workplans upon receipt of grantee awards to determine whether they meet […]

  • Quantitative Fisheries Biologist

    December 13, 2022

    Download Announcement This position is responsible for leading Coho salmon modeling duties to assist Tribal fisheries managers with pre-season planning, and for assisting with the development of pre-season forecast and in-season update models, as well as general quantitative services. The incumbent is responsible for understanding the fisheries management models used for salmon (especially Coho), making […]

RSS News from nwtreatytribes.org

  • Removing the last barriers to salmon in Chico Creek
    Biologists and engineers witnessed chum salmon take advantage of a newly restored tributary to Chico Creek this fall, soon after the streambed was completed. This work is part of a two-year-long project at the mouth of the Chico Creek watershed to remove its biggest choke points for salmon—a significant fish passage barrier on the mainstem […]
  • Test fishery holds promise for tribal fishers
    A Nisqually Tribe study on the effects of gillnetting and releasing chinook salmon has produced promising results, and eventually could open the door for tribal fishers to catch more hatchery fish while still protecting the natural-origin resource for future generations. “We’ve had shockingly good success using drifted gillnets,” said Nisqually harvest program manager Craig Smith. […]
  • New hatchery program aims to boost Skagit River chum
    Water sloshed from the back of a truck as it made its way from the confluence of Sutter Creek and the Skagit River to the Marblemount Fish Hatchery upriver. At its destination, the cargo inside—a swirling mass of fins and tails—cascaded into the hatchery’s protected waters.  About 130 adult fish were trucked from river to […]