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.

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  • Wildlife Biologist I – Quinault Indian Nation

    September 20, 2022

    POSITION TITLE: Wildlife Biologist I JOB SUMMARY The Wildlife Biologist I position is expected to monitor wildlife populations and natural resource activities and practices on the Quinault Indian Reservation (QIR) and within the traditional hunting area(s) of the Quinault Indian Nation. This position participates in the implementation of the QIR Forest Management Plan, a document […]

  • Quantitative Ecologist – Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC)

    September 6, 2022

    Download Announcement SRSC is recruiting a professional level scientist for a full-time position focused on statistical analyses, simulations, and modeling of salmon populations in freshwater and marine ecosystems, either as a Senior Research Scientist or Biologist, depending on the applicant’s experience and education. The work will span multiple research projects that focus on understanding how […]

  • Climate Change Specialist – Hoh Indian Tribe

    September 6, 2022

    Download Description The Climate Change Specialist is a new position with the Hoh Tribe. The person in this position will be tasked with coordinating with Natural Resources staff and the Hoh Tribal Council to develop a climate change strategy and plan, as well as engage in climate related consultation under the Climate Commitment Act. https://hohtribe-nsn.org/human-resources/current-openings/

RSS News from nwtreatytribes.org

  • Being Frank: Traditional knowledge protects the environment for future generations
    Being Frank is a column written by Chairman Ed Johnstone of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. As a statement from the NWIFC chairman, the column represents the natural resources management concerns of the treaty tribes in western Washington. Every generation owes it to the next seven generations to protect the environment. At the rate populations […]
  • How do ocean conditions affect juvenile salmon survival?
    Not enough is known about what happens to salmon between the time they leave their natal rivers and when they return to spawn. To learn more, the Tulalip Tribes is in the second year of studying juvenile salmon in Puget Sound’s offshore marine areas. Tribal natural resources staff and a research biologist from the nonprofit […]
  • Partnership between Squaxin Island Tribe, corrections center conserves water
    The Squaxin Island Tribe has partnered with the Washington Corrections Center in Shelton to ensure the corrections facility uses more treated wastewater—and less water from the local aquifer—for day-to-day uses. Decades in the making, the project will save millions of gallons of water each year. That’s particularly good news for coho salmon in Goldsborough Creek, […]