Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Comprehensive Tribal Natural Resources Management 2010
Comprehensive Tribal Natural Resources Management 2010
Comprehensive Tribal Natural Resources Management 2010
Table of Contents
Regional Cooperation..........................................................6
Introduction, Core Program.............................................1 ♦ Puget Sound Partnership.....................................................6
Year in Review...................................................................2 ♦ Ocean Ecosystem Initiative..................................................7
Salmon Management.....................................................3 ♦ Coordinated Tribal Water Resources..................................8
♦ Harvest Management...........................................................3 ♦ Timber/Fish/Wildlife.........................................................9
♦ Hatchery Management.........................................................4 Wildlife Management.....................................................10
♦ Habitat Management............................................................5 Shellfish Management...........................................11
NWIFC Activities...........................................................12
Introduction
W e are the treaty Indian tribes in western
Washington. We are salmon people.
We have lived here for thousands of years.
support harvest. We are not interested in
preserving salmon runs as museum pieces.
Western Washington’s ecosystem is under
We depend on the natural resources of the constant attack by threats such as population
Pacific Northwest to sustain our way of life. growth, water withdrawals and stormwater
For more than 150 years, we have fought runoff. We know that by working together,
countless battles to protect the salmon and these challenges can be met. We believe in
the fishing rights that we reserved in treaties cooperation and seek consensus-based solu-
with the United States. We are natural re- tions. We are guided by the belief that we
sources co-managers with the state of Wash- must act in the best interests of generations
ington and leaders in salmon recovery. For us, to come.
the fight to save the salmon continues where Because of our treaty rights, and because
we live – every day in every watershed. all natural resources are connected, the treaty
Salmon in western Washington continue Indian tribes in western Washington are
to disappear despite massive harvest reduc- engaged in every aspect of natural resources
tions and an overhaul of hatchery practices. management. This report outlines tribal
Salmon are at a tipping point because neither natural resources management activities
hatcheries nor harvest restrictions can com- assisted by the Northwest Indian Fisheries
Jon Preston
pensate for the ongoing destruction of salmon Commission for Fiscal Year 2009. More
spawning and rearing habitat. information is available at nwifc.org, including
We have one goal and one standard for links to Web sites of member tribes.
A male and female coho hover over a redd in Taft salmon recovery: Return all wild salmon pop- – Billy Frank Jr., NWIFC chairman
Creek, a tributary to the Hoh River. ulations to sustainable levels that can again
Billy Frank Jr., chairman of the NWIFC, addresses tribal leaders meeting with Assistant
A major concern in 2009 was the state At the national level, the tribes saw sig- Puget Sound chinook are achieved. The
government’s refusal to honor its respon- nificant recognition of their rights and the intention of the plan is to enable harvest
sibility to protect salmon habitat and tribal federal government’s trust responsibil- of strong, productive stocks of chinook
treaty-reserved fishing rights by fixing ity with the election of President Barack and other salmon species, and to minimize
fish-blocking culverts under state-owned Obama. Work is well under way on the harvest of weak or critically depressed chi-
roads. tribes’ recommendation to develop an Ex- nook stocks. The plan has been submitted
The treaty tribes in western Washing- ecutive Order reaffirming and strength- to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric
ton and the federal government filed suit ening the Obama Administration’s gov- Administration’s fisheries department for
against the state on Feb. 12, 2001, over ernment-to-government relationship with review.
hundreds of state-owned fish-blocking Indian tribes. Organizationally, commissioners con-
culverts. The state acknowledges that Tribes were highly encouraged by the ducted a facilitated strategic planning ex-
fish-blocking culverts are one of the most Obama Administration’s appointment of ercise to articulate their long-term vision,
recurring and correctable obstacles to officials who understand and respect treaty mission and goals for the NWIFC, and to
healthy salmon populations in Washing- hunting, fishing, and gathering rights, trib- lay out intermediate steps for the next three
ton. More than 1,832 culverts owned by al sovereignty and the federal trust respon- to five years. The plan increases emphasis
the state block more than 1,000 miles of sibility. Tribes were pleased especially with on the need to protect and restore freshwa-
salmon streams and access to many acres the appointment of Larry EchoHawk as the ter, marine and terrestrial habitats for the
of spawning and rearing habitat. assistant secretary for Indian Affairs. A fish, wildlife and plant communities that
On Aug. 23, 2007, the federal district special cabinet-level policy position in the are central to the tribes’ cultures and exer-
court ruled that state culverts that block White House also has been established to cise of their treaty-reserved rights.
fish and diminish salmon runs violate coordinate Indian affairs across all agen-
Indian treaty fishing rights. The court cies of the federal government. Commissioners plan to move more ag-
ordered the tribes and state to develop The tribal and state co-managers spent gressively to:
a prioritized repair schedule, but those much of 2009 finalizing development of ♦ Protect and restore essential habitats.
efforts were unsuccessful and the case a new harvest management plan for Puget ♦ Insist on improved and more
went to trial in October. Sound chinook. Puget Sound chinook cooperative management efforts.
Tribes pointed out that most of the failing were listed in 1999 as “threatened” under ♦ Forge partnerships by promoting
culverts are situated on small streams and the federal Endangered Species Act. The collaboration wherever possible.
have small repair price tags. current harvest management plan, part of ♦ Take whatever actions are necessary
The state claims it would take more than the overall recovery plan for the species, to reverse the declines and achieve
100 years to fix all of the failing culverts covered fisheries from 2004 to 2009. the restoration of critical natural
given its current rate of repair. Tribes ar- The plan guides fisheries in western resources and their habitats.
gue that increasing the number of culverts Washington under the co-managers’ ju-
replaced each year by a handful would risdiction, and also considers the total
shorten that time frame considerably. harvest impacts of all fisheries, including
A ruling in the case is expected early in those in Alaska and British Columbia, to
2010. assure that conservation objectives for
Emmett O’Connell
obligations when wild salmon stocks cannot and make sure their genetic traits
sustain harvest. Hatchery-produced salmon aren’t lost,” said Blake Smith, en-
relieve pressure on commingled wild stocks. hancement biologist with the tribe.
Tribal hatcheries also provide additional “Certain conditions, such as water
fish for harvest by non-Indian fishermen, temperature, can be controlled in a Terry Sebastian, Puyallup fisheries biologist,
hatchery so fish show a higher rate removes an adult steelhead from a fish trap on
and help build natural runs that are cultur-
of survival there than they do in the the White River.
ally and spiritually important to the tribes. wild.”
Some hatcheries support wild runs through Offspring of wild Puyallup steel- anesthetized instead of killed be-
broodstock programs in which native fish are head broodstock are raised at a forehand.
captured and spawned, and their progeny are handful of state and tribal hatcher- “By not killing the fish to spawn
released to help bolster naturally spawning ies in the Puyallup River watershed. them in the hatchery, we are al-
salmon runs. With the temporary closure of the lowing the fish to take their natural
Since 2002 the tribal and state co-manag- Voights Creek Hatchery, the tribe is course,” Smith said. “Hopefully, now
ers have been implementing hatchery reform continuing the steelhead recovery that they have a chance to come
efforts based on recommendations from an effort at its Diru Creek Hatchery back, they’ll come back and spawn
near Puyallup. It’s there that some again.”
independent science panel. Some of the rec-
of the threatened, ESA-listed Historic low runs of Puyallup River
ommendations included making capital im- steelhead are undergoing a hand- steelhead have become common in
provements to tribal hatchery facilities. spawning technique that allows recent years.
The tribes of the Northwest Indian Fish- them to be released back into the For the past three years, adult
eries Commission created the Tribal Fish river after their eggs or milt (sperm) steelhead have been collected in a
Health Program in 1988 to meet the needs of are collected. trap on the White River – a tributary
their enhancement programs. Tribes conduct “Unlike other salmon that always to the Puyallup – and held at Voights
extensive “mass marking” of hatchery salm- die soon after they spawn, a portion Creek until they were spawned. Their
on. Young salmon are marked by having their of steelhead return more than once offspring were raised at Voights until
fleshy adipose fin removed at the hatchery to spawn,” Smith said. they were transported to the Puyal-
before release. Typically, eggs and milt are taken lup tribal facility at Diru Creek and
from salmon after they are killed. In finally to the Muckleshoot Tribe’s
The treaty tribes also operate a research-
the live spawning process, female White River Hatchery for release.
based coded-wire tag program. Tags are in- fish are injected with air to push With Voights Creek offline for at
serted into the noses of young salmon. When out some of their eggs. Male fish least a year, the fish will be spawned
tagged salmon are harvested and sampled as are spawned in a traditional man- and raised at Diru until they are
adults, they provide important information ner – hand-squeezing milt – but are transported to White River.
about survival, migration and hatchery effec-
tiveness. The tribes annually mass mark more
than 11 million fish and insert coded-wire
tags in nearly 4 million fish.
Tiffany Royal
♦ Timber/Fish/Wildlife Forests and Fish Report; and
♦ Coordinated Tribal Water Resources Program.
Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe habitat biologist
Hans Daubenberger checks a juvenile salmon for
a coded-wire tag.
Debbie Preston
sources. Species such as salmon, tergovernmental Policy Council
groundfish, whales, clams and to guide management of Olympic
crab are central to tribal cultures. Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
The treaty Indian tribes believe The tribes and the state already
that these and all natural resourc- have developed ocean research Katie Rathmell, CMOP, prepares the research
glider Phoebe aboard a Quinault fishing boat.
es are connected and that only a and planning goals – many of
holistic ecosystem management which mirror recommendations
approach ultimately can meet the of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Quinault Ocean Glider
needs of those resources and the Policy – for a coordinated and
people who depend upon them. comprehensive management ef- Provides Crucial Data
The state of Washington, fort. In the past, the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN)
Hoh Indian Tribe, Makah Tribe, Transition to ecosystem-based had only occasional glimpses into the health of
Quileute Tribe and the Quinault management requires expansion the vast ocean that is its traditional fishing area,
Indian Nation are working of resource assessment surveys stretching about 50 miles from Grays Harbor
with the National Oceanic and and ocean monitoring systems off north to Destruction Island.
Atmospheric Administration to the Olympic coast. This includes But last summer, thanks to a computer-
synthesize common research goals augmenting federal trawl surveys directed underwater research glider that looks
like a motorcycle-sized torpedo with wings, QIN
to understand changing ocean and groundfish port sampling,
was able to gather four weeks of comprehensive
conditions and create the building and conducting a comprehensive data throughout its fishing area. The Center
blocks for marine spatial planning. assessment of the coastal ecosys- for Coastal Margin Observation & Prediction
The tribes and state support tem. (CMOP) worked with QIN marine scientist Joe
ocean monitoring and research Another pressing need is to Schumacker to plan a data-gathering project for
leading to an ecosystem-based complete sonar mapping and sur- the glider, named “Phoebe.”
management of fishery resources. veying of the seabed off the Olym- “This mission provided us with important in-
Effective management of the ocean pic coast. Less than 25 percent of formation about the Quinault traditional ocean
ecosystem requires development of the area’s seabed has been mapped waters that would be cost-prohibitive to obtain
basic baseline information against and surveyed to document species otherwise,” Schumacker said.
which changes can be measured. and habitat types. Acquiring this The glider, deployed and recovered by a QIN
fishing vessel, gathered salinity, dissolved oxy-
Achieving research goals will data is essential to effectively ad-
gen, fluorescence and temperatures at different
mean utilizing, expanding on dress groundfish conservation depths, then transmitted the newly collected
and collaborating with existing concerns and minimize interac- data to CMOP.
physical and biological databases. tions with deep-water sponge and QIN is particularly interested in dissolved oxy-
In recognition of the challenges coral species. gen levels after an episode of low oxygen left
facing the Olympic coast ecosys- hundreds of normally bottom-dwelling creatures
on the nation’s beaches in 2006.
“We’re still looking at the results from the glid-
The waters off the coast of Washington sustain tribal cultures in places such er’s mission,” Schumacker said.
as Second Beach near LaPush, home of the Quileute Tribe. Nutrient-rich but oxygen-poor water wells up
from the depths and feeds marine life. Natural
mixing of the water column is important to off-
set the negative effects of the deep water’s low
oxygen levels. The glider mission will help QIN
understand where lower oxygen levels occur and
if there are any hints of possible fish kills in the
future.
“Up until now, the only similar information we
can get is from one seasonal buoy in this area
and that is just a snapshot of the water qual-
ity in that one specific area,” Schumacker said.
“Phoebe gives us a look at a large piece of the
ocean that we really have not had the ability to
examine before.”
Debbie Preston
NWIFC Activities
Fisheries Management Quantitative Services Enhancement Services
♦ Long-range planning, wild ♦ Administering and coordinating ♦ Coded-wire tagging of 4 million
salmon recovery efforts and the Treaty Indian Catch Monitoring fish at tribal hatcheries to provide
federal Endangered Species Act Program. information critical to fisheries
implementation. ♦ Providing statistical consulting management.
♦ Developing pre-season fishing services. ♦ Providing genetic, ecological and
agreements and in-season forecasts. ♦ Conducting data analysis of fisheries statistical consulting for tribal
♦ Post-season fishery analysis and studies and developing study designs. hatchery programs.
reporting. ♦ Updating and evaluating fishery ♦ Providing fish health services to
management statistical models and tribal hatcheries.
databases.
Northwest Indian
Fisheries Commission
6730 Martin Way E.
Olympia, WA 98516
(360) 438-1180
nwifc.org