Tidelands

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…)

Continue ReadingSuquamish Tribe Reaches Out to Tideland Owners

King 5 on Nisqually estuary restoration

King 5 came down to Nisqually yesterday and filed this report on the Nisqually Tribe’s habitat restoration efforts:

A small tree is struggling for a foothold in the Nisqually River Delta, and it’s not alone.

There are thousands of them growing up in protective white pipes, reclaiming the lands occupied by their ancestors more than a century ago.

“Some of the trees we have here are western red cedar, we have a Sitka spruce, a cottonwood, a red alder,” said James Slape of the Nisqually Fish Commission. (more…)

Continue ReadingKing 5 on Nisqually estuary restoration

Tidelands as a Classroom

Skokomish (June 6, 2008) – Since earthen dikes were breached last fall on the Skokomish tidelands, Alex Gouley has been a busy man.

The Skokomish Tribe’s habitat division manager has not only been working on the next phase to restore the 300-acre estuary back into a natural salt march area that is good for fish habitat, he’s also been teaching others about the importance of this effort.

(more…)

Continue ReadingTidelands as a Classroom

Rafeedie Decision

  • Post author:
  • Post category:

After hearing testimony from tribal elders, biologists, historians, treaty experts, as well as testimony from private property owners and non-Indian commercial shellfish growers, Federal District Court Judge Edward Rafeedie followed…

Continue ReadingRafeedie Decision

Puget Sound Treaty Indian Tribes, Shellfish Growers Reach Pact

OLYMPIA (May 18, 2007) – Puget Sound treaty Indian tribes and commercial shellfish growers have finalized an agreement that will protect and enhance the resource while resolving legal issues from a federal court ruling that re-affirmed treaty-reserved tribal shellfish harvest rights. The pact resolves lingering legal issues from a 1994 federal court ruling that upheld the tribes’ treaty-reserved shellfish harvest rights. The agreement preserves the health of the shellfish industry, recognizes the importance to the tribes of their shellfish harvest rights and provides greater shellfish harvest opportunities for everyone in the state.

Continue ReadingPuget Sound Treaty Indian Tribes, Shellfish Growers Reach Pact