Tribes

The Port Gamble S’Klallam reservation covers 1,340 acres. Over half of the nearly 2,000 enrolled tribal members live on the reservation. Port Gamble Bay, the tribe’s ancestral home, has proven to be more resilient than other nearby water bodies, but it still carries a load of toxins from the Pope & Talbot sawmill, which operated on the bank for over 150 years.

Port Gamble S'Klallam Area of Concern:

The Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe works in a large area of northern Hood Canal and WRIA 17. Water quality in Hood Canal is at risk, and measurements show increased episodes of hypoxia

The Nooksack are a tribe of about 2,000 members. After signing the Point Elliott Treaty in 1855, they lost ownership of much of their land in exchange for fishing and hunting rights. They were expected to move to the Lummi Reservation, but most refused, and they were eventually granted some homestead claims. Currently, around 2,400 acres remain in trust, administered by the Bureau of Indian Affairs. After the 1855 treaty, the tribe remained unrecognized until 1973. The tribe's name translates to "always bracken fern roots".

Nooksack Tribe Area of Concern:

The Nooksack watershed, part of WRIA 1, is 834 square

The Nisqually tribe has over 650 enrolled members. Most live on or near the reservation, which was established by the Medicine Creek Treaty in 1854. According to legend, the Nisqually people migrated from the Great Basin thousands of years ago, crossing the Cascades and settling in what is now Skate Creek. The tribe is one of the largest employers in Thurston County.

Nisqually Tribe Area of Concern:

The Nisqually Tribe is focused in the Nisqually River basin, one of the least developed watersheds in Puget Sound. Much of the riverine and estuarine area within the basin has been successfully protected

The Muckleshoot Indian Tribe is named after the prairie where the Muckleshoot reservation was established in 1857. The tribe’s members are descended from the Duwamish and Upper Puyallup people.

Muckleshoot Tribe Area of Concern:

The Muckleshoot Tribe works in WRIAs 8,9, and 10, encompassing the White River, Lake Washington, and the Green-Duwamish watershed. Both basins have been heavily developed, losing much of their habitat, and Lake Washington is the most populated basin in Puget Sound. Most of the upper White River has been heavily logged, and Commencement Bay has a long history of industrial contamination. Hatcheries play an important role

Makah tribal headquarters are located in Neah Bay, Washington. In the 1800s, the tribe numbered between 2,000 and 4,000, spread between five permanent villages on the Washington Coast. The Makah have a strong whaling tradition and close ties to the ocean.

Makah Area of Concern:

The Makah are focused in WRIAs 19 and 20, where loss of forest cover and excess sedimentation is a major issue. The Washington Department of Ecology lists approximately 80 miles of streams within this area as "impaired waters". A major goal for salmon recovery is increased monitoring of stream flow and water quality. Greater communication

The Lummi tribe is one of the largest in Washington State, with over 5,000 members.

Lummi Tribe Area of Concern:

The Lummi Tribe focuses their restoration efforts in the Nooksack Watershed (WRIA 1). Funding shortages have slowed progress, but major components of the restoration plan include construction of logjams in the Nooksack river, which historically had high instream wood abundance, and closure or repair of 458 miles of road within the watershed. Although the Nooksack estuary is healthy, the lower mainstem area of the river has lost over 90% of its historical wetland area.

Natural Resources Management:

• In 2009 the