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.

  • Hydrology Instructor – Salish Kootenai College

    October 14, 2019

    Download Announcement Salish Kootenai College, located in Pablo Montana, and the Division of Natural Resources seeks to hire a hydrology instructor with fisheries experience in applied hydrological measurements, fluvial processes, general fisheries biology and hydrological and fisheries management tools for natural and cultural resource management for tribal organizations.

  • Environmental Division Manager – Makah Tribe

    October 10, 2019

    Download Announcement Oversee Environmental programs and 1) Provide guidance to tribal staff on resource management issues that may affect the Tribe’s treaty reserved rights to a sustainable fisheries; 2) Provide guidance to the Makah Tribal government and community on sustainable development practices on the Makah Reservation; and 3) Develop and write grants to support managed […]

  • Hatchery Maintenance Technician 1/2/3/4 – Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians

    September 30, 2019

    Download Announcement This position performs a variety of fish hatchery, maintenance activities for the Tribe’s hatchery facilities. The position may provide input to the Hatchery Manager, Enhancement Biologist, or Fisheries Program Manager regarding scheduling, grounds keeping, activities, and efficiencies relative to the successful completion of hatchery activities and preventative maintenance. Along with the rest of […]

RSS News from nwtreatytribes.org

  • Finding Early Signs of Harmful Algal Blooms
    The Makah Tribe hopes that water samples from the Pacific Ocean will help scientists develop forecasts for harmful algal blooms (HABs) on the Washington coast. The purpose is to determine the early warning signs of a pending toxic bloom that would affect coastal shellfish.  Algal blooms are caused by a sudden increase of the Pseudo-nitzschia […]
  • Skokomish Tribe, Tacoma Power Partner to Support Sockeye Salmon Program
    The Skokomish Tribe and Tacoma Power are bringing back sockeye salmon to the North Fork Skokomish River and Hood Canal. “Our goal is to restore a sustainable run that we haven’t seen since the river’s dams were built,” said Dave Herrera, the tribe’s fisheries policy representative. The Lake Cushman and Lake Kokanee dams were built […]
  • Toxic Politics Are Assaulting Our Health
    Being Frank is a monthly column written by the chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. As a statement from the NWIFC chair, the column represents the natural resources management interests and concerns of the treaty Indian tribes in western Washington. The “P” in EPA stands for Protection, but the federal Environmental Protection Agency is […]