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The Suquamish Tribe announced its intention to sue the U.S. Navy for repeatedly releasing raw sewage into the Puget Sound.

In a letter dated June 10, the Tribe gives military officials 60-days’ notice of the Tribe’s intent to file a lawsuit under the Clean Water Act, which prohibits discharging pollutants without a permit.

According to public records currently available to the Tribe, the Navy discharged hundreds of thousands of gallons of untreated sewage from Naval Base Kitsap in repeated incidents over the past five years and beyond.

Some of these spills continued unchecked for weeks and even months. One lasted for more than four years. Some of these spills had been previously announced by the Navy. Others had not.

“The waters of the Sinclair Inlet and the entire Salish Sea are the Tribe’s most treasured resource. We are obliged to protect these waters, not only for us but for all who rely on them for work, recreation, and identity,” said Suquamish Tribe Chairman Leonard Forsman.

“We ask the Navy to uphold the highest standards of protection for Liberty Bay, Dyes Inlet, Sinclair Inlet, Port Orchard Passage, and all the water ways that support both human and marine life. We call on the Navy to invest in the infrastructure necessary to support their operations.”

The 60-day notice is addressed to Acting Defense Secretary Patrick Shanahan, Navy Secretary Richard Spencer, Naval Base Kitsap Commander Capt. Edward Schrader, and Puget Sound Naval Shipyard Commander Capt. Howard Markle.

“We value and respect the service of our local Sailors and Marines, and we treasure the relationship we enjoy with the wider U.S. Military and veteran communities,” said Forsman. “However, the dumping of sewage waste into Puget Sound must stop.”

The Tribe notified the Navy that it is responsible for at least eleven significant illegal discharges of untreated sewage into Tribe’s treaty-protected fishing areas, including several discharges that occurred over multiple weeks or years.

For example, Puget Sound Naval Shipyard illegally discharged 80,000 gallons of untreated sewage between July 30, 2018 and August 13, 2018 when a sanitary sewer line clogged and flowed into a stormwater line and then directly to Sinclair Inlet.
Another example: A sewer line leak caused about 1,500 gallons of untreated sewage to dump into Liberty Bay daily from around December 18, 2017 extending well into 2018.

“These discharges have resulted from long-standing, system-wide problems with aging infrastructure at these naval installations, improper and inadequate training, improper and inadequate maintenance, repair, and replacement of this infrastructure, and other reasons known to you,” states the Tribe in its letter to Navy officials.

The Suquamish Tribe – known as “The People of the Clear Salt Water” in their Southern Lushootseed language – have fished and gathered shellfish in and near Puget Sound from time immemorial. The waters around Naval Base Kitsap make up much of the Tribe’s treaty-protected fishing and shellfish harvesting areas.

The Navy’s ongoing sewage discharges often result in the posting of health advisories and the closure of beaches where Suquamish tribal members harvest shellfish. Some sewage spills have prompted recalls of commercially sold shellfish. Other spills have interfered with the harvest and sale of salmon.

“This lawsuit is not just about how these dangerous spills affect the Suquamish Tribe,” said Forsman. “The entire Puget Sound community deserves clean water. The shellfish, the orca, and all sea life rely on clean water, and all of our children – and children’s children – deserve clean water.”

“This is why the Clean Water Act was created. It’s time for the Navy to obey the law and start protecting our waters right here at home,” said Forsman.

Longtime hospitality executive Sam Askew returns to Port Madison Enterprises

The Suquamish Tribe’s waterfront Clearwater Casino Resort is the flagship venture of Port Madison Enterprises.

SUQUAMISH, WA- February 2, 2018 The Suquamish Tribe is pleased to announce the selection of Samuel Askew as the new Chief Executive Officer of Port Madison Enterprises (PME).

“After an extensive search, we chose Samuel Askew for his experience and vision. We look forward to future growth and success with Samuel at the helm of our daily operations,” said Port Madison Enterprises Board President Greg George.

Askew brings nearly two decades of experience building and managing hospitality ventures in the Pacific Northwest to PME. He replaces retiring CEO Russell Steele, who spearheaded business operations at the Suquamish Tribe’s enterprises for 17 years.

“I want to congratulate Samuel Askew on his new role as head of PME, and thank the PME Board for their diligent efforts in making this important decision. Samuel is familiar with our Tribe, and we know he can help us grow our economic future in a diversified manner,” said Suquamish Tribal Chairman and Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indian President Leonard Forsman.

Samuel Askew, new CEO of Port Madison Enterprises

The move to Suquamish is a homecoming for Askew. From 2006 to 2011 the hospitality veteran managed PME’s waterfront hotel, Clearwater Casino Resort, where he was named Washington State General Manager of the Year by the Washington Lodging Association and Innkeeper of the Year by the Kitsap Peninsula Visitor and Convention Bureau in 2010.

“I’m honored to have the opportunity to return to the area, and tribal community; leading teams of professionals throughout PME that I have a great respect and care for. It’s great to be home again!” said Askew.

For the past 7 years, Askew has managed operations at Tulalip Resort and Casino. He has also served as co-chair for Northwest Tribal Tourism and held executive positions at the Squaxin Island Tribe’s Little Creek Casino Resort, Alderbrook Resort and Spa, and Riverhouse Resort. Before beginning his career Askew studied Hotel and Restaurant Management at Northern Arizona University’s Hospitality School.

About Port Madison Enterprises
In 1987, the Suquamish Tribe established PME as an agency of the Suquamish Tribal Government. PME’s operations are aimed at developing community resources while promoting the economic and social welfare of the Suquamish Tribe through commercial activities. What began as a modest retail endeavor has grown exponentially over the last three decades.  PME now encompasses several businesses including Suquamish Clearwater Casino Resort, the historic Kiana Lodge, three retail outlets, White Horse Golf Course and a property management division. For more information about PME, visit them online at www.portmadisonenterprises.com

The building, often referred to as the “Barnacle Building” will be demolished in late January, 2018.

Demolition of the waterfront building located at 18408 Angeline Avenue in Downtown Suquamish will begin later this month. Work to raze the aging structure, formerly home to Scratch Kitchen and Bella Luna restaurants, is scheduled to start on January 22, 2018 and is expected to take a week to complete. Port Madison Enterprises (PME) owns the property, and made the tough decision to remove the building after an assessment last year.

The side of the building faces a steep cliff on the waterfront in Downtown Suquamish. Though the building will be torn down, PME is taking steps to ensure the unique tree near the entrance remains on the property.

“The building’s location on the cliff, its’ age and condition were all factors in the decision. We just aren’t able to salvage the structure,” said PME Board of Directors Member Windy Anderson.

After demolition, PME plans to create a covered, open space area on the property to be used for multiple vendors, including those selling food items.

“Hopefully we will be able to utilize the space to provide the community with multiple food choices by late summer,” added Anderson.

Though the building is slated for demolition, the Suquamish Tribe Archaeology and Historic Preservation Program has been tasked with ensuring the history of the property is recorded. During the last 50 years, it’s been a restaurant, a coffee cantina, a head shop, an art studio, an apartment complex and a private residence. Property records indicate the building was constructed in 1948 and originally used as a hotel for travelers. However, there is some debate about whether the building was built on the property, or ferried over by barge from Seattle, WA.

An aerial photograph of the Suquamish Waterfront cir. 1930, detailing the location of the old Suquamish Ferry Dock and Ticket Booth, shows the undeveloped property where the building would later be located. Courtesy of the Suquamish Museum archives.

A photo of the Downtown Suquamish waterfront estimated to be taken in the 1950s’, where the building can be viewed next to the old Suquamish Ferry Dock.

“Unfortunately, this is an era where we don’t have a lot of information in our archives for those properties. During the early decades of the 1900s the federal government aggressively implemented assimilation policies, including land allotment policies that allowed reservation property to be sold out of Tribal member ownership.  BIA Agents used discriminatory regulations that declared Tribal Members non-competent giving them the access to sell lands, mostly large waterfront parcels like downtown Suquamish,” said Traditional Heritage Specialist Marilyn Jones.

An old advertisement that appeared in the Seattle Star, offering cheap land on the Port Madison Indian Reservation. For more information on the Allotment & Assimilation Era click here. For more information on the early 20th century history of the town of Suquamish click here.

Jones is seeking additional information about the building from the community and encourages the public to submit any photos or stories about the property to her office by contacting her at [email protected]

PME’s purchase of the property, and several others in the downtown Suquamish area over the last decade, is part of the Suquamish Tribe’s “Buy Back the Reservation” initiative. With help from a combination of funds, including profits from Tribally-owned businesses, the Suquamish Tribe has been able to purchase individual properties back from private owners.

In 2015, the Reservation Buy Back Initiative reached a new milestone when the Tribe negotiated the purchase of a 220-acre parcel of land at the headwaters of Cowling Creek. The acquisition, coupled with properties owned by the Tribal Government and those owned by individual Tribal members, meant that the Suquamish owned more than half the properties within reservation boundaries for the first time in more than half a century. The Suquamish Tribal Government continues to make the initiative a priority and sets aside funds for purchases when available each year.