Environmental Program

The Environmental Program helps protect treaty-reserved fishing rights and resources on and off reservation for the Suquamish Tribe and tribal members by coordinating with federal, state and local agencies, and other tribes.

  • Our Focus

    • Advocate for the protection of treaty reserved resources and rights within the tribe’s usual and accustomed fishing, hunting and gathering areas.
    • Review regulatory, policy and land use issues and coordinate with local, state and federal governments and agencies.
    • Evaluate proposals to ensure protection of surface and groundwater quality and quantity.
    • Engage in local, state Model Toxics Control Act (MTCA) and federal Superfund cleanup projects.
    • Participate in Natural Resource Damage (NRD) assessments and restoration.
    • Participate in local and regional salmon recovery planning processes.
    • Develop watershed plans and monitor habitat, water quality and environmental climate change issues.
    • Assess environmental issues and coordinate corrective action needed to upgrade shellfish growing area classifications.

  • Our Goals

    • Protect access to tribal treaty fishing, hunting and gathering areas.
    • Protect treaty reserved natural resources by preventing further environmental degradation and restoring ecosystem processes and functions.
    • Protect human health and the environment.
    • Maintain adequate groundwater and surface water (stream flows).

  • Our Hearts Work

    To protect the Suquamish tribe’s treaty rights and resources in the tribe’s usual and accustomed fishing, hunting and gathering areas for future generations.

Environmental Culvert

Culverts like this prevent salmon from accessing spawning areas upstream. The Environmental Program works to help eliminate fish barriers and improve habitat conditions for fishery resources.

Shellfish Bed Recovery

Working to upgrade shellfish growing area classifications and improve water quality, to ensure future harvest opportunities. more…

Combating Pollution

Working with state and federal governments to clean-up contaminated sites and assess natural resource damages. more…

The Tribe works with federal, state, and local governments and agencies to protect Treaty-reserved rights and resources.

  • Treaty Rights at Risk
    An initiative developed by Northwest Treaty Tribes in 2011 to bring attention to the decline of salmon populations in the Northwest and offer solutions for recovery.
  • Puget Sound Partnership
    A Washington State agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Puget Sound Partnership brings together hundreds of partners to mobilize partner action around a common agenda, advance Sound investments, and advance priority actions by supporting partners.
  • West Central Local Integrating Organization
    One of 9 LIO’s created by the Puget Sound Partnership, the West Central LIO addresses ecosystem issues on the east side of the Kitsap Peninsula in Washington State, including areas in and around the Port Madison Indian Reservation.