The Suquamish Tribe and the Navy have signed an agreement to address impacts to the Tribe’s treaty-reserved fishing rights that the Navy’s 12-year plan to build a multi-mission dry dock at Sinclair Inlet could cause.
Under the agreement, the Navy will provide the Tribe with funding to compensate Tribal fishers and members for the loss of access to Sinclair Inlet for fishing and cultural purposes, according to a statement from the Suquamish Tribe.
Also, the Navy will contribute funding for infrastructure, operations, and educational program improvements at the Gorst Creek Salmon Facility, support the construction of a shellfish hatchery, and assist the Tribe in reacquiring fractionated trust allotments at Doe-Keg-Wats, an ancestral village and site of profound cultural and ecological significance to the Suquamish people, according to the statement.
Addressing SIOP’s impact on tribal fishing rights
As part of the Navy’s Shipyard Infrastructure Optimization Program (SIOP), the service branch plans to build a new dry dock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard to accommodate repair services for the nation’s new Ford-class aircraft carrier, current Nimitz-class aircraft carriers, and other ships and submarines…