Tribal Relations
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest recognizes that all lands in present day Washington, including National Forests, are the ancestral lands of Indigenous peoples. Under the Treaty of Point Elliot (1855) and the Treaty of Medicine Creek (1854), we acknowledge the imperative for shared stewardship of forest lands between Tribes and the Forest Service.
As part of honoring our trust responsibility we work to maintain a government-to-government relationship with the federally recognized tribes whose traditional territories are within the Forest. Beyond our trust obligation, it is our goal to create and maintain meaningful relationships between the Forest Service and local Indigenous communities. Together, we can work towards holistic land management and meet the needs of the communities impacted by our work.
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest currently consults with 15 tribes, each with a unique relationship to the forest. They are:
Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Nation
Confederated Tribes of the Colville Reservation
Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians
Swinomish Indian Tribal Community
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Co-Stewardship
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie (MBS) is part of the traditional and accustomed use areas of tribes. As such, maintaining access to these areas vital for hunting, fishing, gathering, and other cultural practices is of the utmost importance. While the Forest Service manages the land, tribes are very active and influential partners in the management of the Forest. The MBS is committed to increasing opportunities for tribes to benefit from Forest Service programs and to help the Forest Service benefit from input from tribes, in support of Tribal Sovereignty, self-governance, and self-determination, as well as Forest Service goals such as adaptation and mitigation of climate change.
With the assistance from our tribal partners, the MBS has had success in a wide array of management projects including wildlife reintroduction, huckleberry enhancement, and watershed restoration.
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Project Gallery
A milestone in co-stewardship occurred in 2007 with the signing of a Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) between the MBS and Tulalip Tribes. This agreement has worked to promote a working partnership that has contributes to the overall health of the Forest while acknowledging the historical relationship Tulalip Tribes has with the lands under the supervision of the MBS. The Forest is continuing to pursue effective collaboration by working with Puget Sound Tribes to draft similar agreements.
The Forest furthered its relationship with the Tulalip Tribes by signing the first USFS “638 agreement.” The 2018 Farm Bill expanded authorities for the Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to utilize the 638 authority under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 to partner with tribes on Tribal Forest Protection Act work. The MBS and Tulalip Tribes project is celebrated as the first time the Forest Service had partnered with Tribes under this government-to-government authority. The agreement, to implement watershed restoration through beaver reintroductions, is a model for intergovernmental collaboration to support land and water conservation.
In 2020, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and the Tulalip Tribes signed the first USFS “638 agreement.” The 2018 Farm Bill expanded authorities for the Forest Service, under the Department of Agriculture (USDA), to utilize the 638 authority under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act of 1975 to partner with tribes on Tribal Forest Protection Act work. The MBS and Tulalip Tribes project is celebrated as the first time the Forest Service partnered with Tribes under this government-to-government authority. The agreement, to implement watershed restoration through beaver reintroductions, is a model for intergovernmental collaboration to support land and water conservation.
The Tulalip Tribes were the first in the nation to do a 638 agreement with the Forest Service (under the Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance Act) in 2020, which has allowed them to annually relocate beavers into primary salmon habitat. The Tulalip Tribes are an active co-steward in relocating beaver to promote watershed function.
Salmon is a dietary staple for the Tulalip Tribes and a critical treaty resource for the continuation of their culture. Stream health is essential to maintain salmon habitat and salmon populations. The ability of beavers to alter their environment in such a way as to encourage and maintain natural stream processes and function of in-stream and riparian habitat (ecosystem engineering) can be a vital tool to support Endangered Species Act (ESA) listed salmon species, including Chinook salmon, winter and summer-run steelhead, and bull trout.
In 2016, the Forest partnered with the Stillaguamish Tribe to secure cedar logs that had fallen on Forest land for cultural use. As a result of this partnership, the tribe was able to carve a canoe for their Canoe Family. “Canoe Family is so much more than journey, but also all the songs, crafting, language, dancing, and other components of traditional culture.”-Tribal member.
The Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest hosts an annual week-long culturally responsive conservation event in close collaboration with the Stillaguamish Cultural Resources Department and the Coast Salish Youth Stewardship Corps. The 2023 Inter-Tribal Youth Experience engaged 12 youth and event leaders from various Coast Salish communities throughout the Salish Sea region. During this event, inter-tribal youth work to revitalize an ancestral huckleberry patch within USFS-managed land with direction and supervision from USFS and Stillaguamish staff. Additionally, tribal elders and leaders invited by Stillaguamish lead a variety of cultural activities including basket weaving, archery practice, ethnobotany walks, storytelling, and canoeing practice. Beyond the physical work, this event works to develop relationships between Indigenous communities and USFS staff through programming within the ancestral lands of the Stillaguamish.
“I enjoyed the moments where we all sat around the campfire and freely shared our thoughts. It was a great setting to really connect, especially when paired with our newfound knowledge and experience from earlier in the day.” - Youth Participant
The MBS and the United Indians of All Tribes Foundation worked together to lead a snowshoe hike at Snoqualmie Pass. At this event, educators from both organizations led families through the Commonwealth Basin while teaching about winter ecology, watershed, and Indigenous culture.
If you have any questions regarding tribal relations on the MBS, please contact:
Scarlett Engle
Tribal Relations Specialist
(425) 563-3554