Property Owners

Suquamish Tribe Reaches Out to Tideland Owners

As a way to better connect with waterfront landowners, the Suquamish Tribe has been hosting a successful shellfish social hour the past two years.

At a restaurant in Silverdale each winter, the tribe invites property owners on Dyes Inlet to talk with tribal staff about its work, including tribal shellfish harvesting and its tidelands leasing program.

“Overall, it’s an opportunity to strengthen the tribe’s relationship with landowners and discuss the importance of clean water, the shoreline environment, and the mutual benefit gained by our shellfish tidelands leasing program,” said Viviane Barry, the tribe’s shellfish program manager. (more…)

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Being Frank: A Traditional Belief

OLYMPIA (September 29, 2006) ― There is a traditional Indian belief that we do not actually own the land. We are part of it, and it is part of us. We are all temporary tenants and we’re responsible for its care. It’s a concept that is as valid today as it has ever been. If people can begin to understand their connection to the earth, they will treat it with much greater sensitivity than they have over the past century. These are the thoughts that come to me when I think about the so-called property rights initiative, I-933, which will be on your general election ballot in November. To say I believe you should vote no on I-933 would be an understatement. You should vote “hell, no!” I-933 is far more dangerous and damaging than you might think.

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Rivers End Homes Removed To Help Restore Estuary

DUNGENESS (Dec. 27, 2004) – In the 1800s, the lower reach of the Dungeness River flowed through a 100-acre floodplain before emptying into Dungeness Bay. The river was connected to a large estuary that provided essential spawning and rearing habitat for salmon.

Nowadays, the floodplain is the site of several homes and agricultural land. Dikes – built in the 1960s – on both sides of the river restrict the river’s course, protecting development and eliminating critical salmon habitat. The west-bank dike, known as the Rivers End levee, is privately maintained and hasn’t always worked, causing flooding problems for property owners and the environment.

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