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.

  • Natural Resources Field Technician III – Lummi Nation

    May 13, 2021

    Download Announcement The Field Technician III will be responsible for assisting with intertidal shellfish work. The technician will be responsible for assisting in the planning, preparation, and conducting of all intertidal field work including  field  experiments,  clam  biomass  survey,  and  shellfish  biotoxin  sampling. Surveys  will entail walking long distances (>1 mile), carrying field gear and […]

  • Hatchery NPDES Permit Biologist

    May 10, 2021

    Download Announcement The incumbent provides scientific expertise, technical support and coordination for the Western Washington Treaty Tribes to develop, implement, and revise fish and shellfish hatchery environmental monitoring plans in conjunction with discharge permit requirements of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and Washington Department of Ecology.  Duties include conducting technical analyses to assess and guide […]

  • Natural Resource Technician – Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC)

    May 6, 2021

    Download Announcement Provide field work for SRSC programs to support implementation and maintenance of native plant revegetation and other habitat restoration projects.

RSS News from nwtreatytribes.org

  • What are the true costs of the Skagit River hydroelectric dams?
    Being Frank is a 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. It is time for Seattle City Light to address the damage its three hydroelectric dams […]
  • How does the ‘recreation boom’ affect treaty resources?
    Tribes with treaty-reserved rights to hunt and gather have increasing concerns about the effects of outdoor recreation on public lands. A recent report developed jointly between the Tulalip Tribes’ Treaty Rights Office and Wildlife Program reviewed existing research on the effects of recreational activity on wildlife. The report also considers the potential implications to treaty […]
  • Cedar’s Power Comes Through Each Part of Preparing to Weave
    “Cedar has healing power – so wear it.” These words from Skokomish tribal weaver Bruce Miller always echo in Hanford McCloud’s mind when he is weaving. “I learned to weave from my grandparents and my parents,” said McCloud, a Nisqually tribal member whose hats are well known in tribal communities throughout the Northwest. Spending three […]