Q: When was the NWIFC created and what does it do?
A: The NWIFC was created following the 1974 U.S. v. Washington ruling that re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights and recognized the tribes as natural resources co-managers with the State of Washington with an equal share of the harvestable number of salmon returning annually.
The NWIFC has 78 full-time employees to assist member tribes as natural resources co-managers. We provide direct services in fisheries management, harvest monitoring, habitat restoration, climate response, salmon recovery, fish health and more. We also provide communications and intergovernmental relations services and policy coordination so that tribes can speak with a unified voice around state and federal policy.
Q: Why is the NWIFC’s work so important?
A: Treaty tribes engage in all aspects of natural resources management and salmon recovery, including harvest management, environmental protection, hatchery production and climate change adaptation. Our technical support services allow tribes to make more efficient use of limited federal funds through an economy of scale and we provide a forum for tribes to address issues of shared concern. NWIFC can then represent those shared concerns to federal and state governments, amplifying the tribes’ voice and influence on sustainable natural resources management.
Q: What do you love most about being the executive director of NWIFC?
A: I get to work with, and on behalf of, 20 sovereign nations helping protect their treaty rights. We operate on a consensus basis relative to policy issues and it’s a powerful statement when agreement is reached to advance an issue.
I’ve had the honor to work with some great tribal leaders and staff over the past 21 years I’ve been with the NWIFC. Working closely with the likes of Lorraine Loomis and Billy Frank Jr. has been an amazing experience and we continue to carry out their vision. The work we do is not only for this generation but future generations. All Washingtonians benefit from this work.
Q: What challenges or opportunities are in store for NWIFC in 2022?
A: The NWIFC is working with tribes and environmental groups to support Gov. Inslee’s initiative to better protect and restore riparian salmon habitat. We have a lot of hard work ahead of us, but we are optimistic about the opportunities that lie ahead. The governor proposed the Lorraine Loomis Act to improve salmon recovery, groundwater supplies, climate resilience and regulatory certainty, as well as create jobs and decrease pollution. The bill was named after our former chair who passed away this past August. We need to continue to fight for legislation like this to protect salmon habitat for future generations.
We also continue to collaborate with our federal partners advancing the tribes’ Treaty Rights at Risk initiative, which called on the federal government to honor its treaty obligations. We called for specific actions in 2011 that were needed to achieve salmon recovery but had little success. Salmon populations continue to decline as their habitat continues to be lost faster than it can be restored.
While we understand the federal government can take time to move on policy issues or legislation, salmon continue to be in grave danger. Significant investments have been made for habitat restoration but the trend of declining habitat continues to outpace our ability to restore it. A lot of the low-hanging fruit has been addressed but we need the federal government to step up and take bold action. We’ve been meeting with the Biden administration, and they’ve put some top-notch staff into place. We expect them to act on our requests so tribes can continue to fish, hunt and gather in our usual and accustomed areas. |