Continues to plan
The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe continues to plan for restoration of our oyster farm in Dungeness Bay.
We have centuries of history growing oysters there, before and after the State Department of Natural Resources began leasing the property in 1953.
That continued until development up-river polluted the bay in the early 21st century.
Working with local partners, the Tribe secured more than $2 million in grant funding for the express purpose of improving water quality in order to work our commercial shellfish beds. We believed that we could resume oyster farming once the water quality had been restored.
Instead, the interruption has required securing local and federal permits.
The recent decision by the U.S. Army Corp of Engineers (USACE) to require an individual instead of a nationwide permit has caused further delay.
It is frustrating for the Tribe that three years into this process, the USACE is now citing the Clean Water Act and the lease’s proximity to the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge, both of which have been in place for decades.
The nationwide permit would have allowed us to use biological assessment information that was already prepared and nationally accepted standards for shellfish farming.
Clallam County’s permitting relies on the biological assessment conducted in the federal permit process.
Therefore, once the USACE made its determination, our Tribe requested a six-month delay on the county process and the county withdrew its determination until we resubmit the newly required site-specific biological assessment.
Culturally, we always strive to balance economic gain with environmental concerns and exceed habitat standards.
We intend to continue to grow and share our ancestral resources in a sustainable manner, and to keep our homelands clean and productive.
This most recent roadblock is a disappointment, but it will not discourage us from exercising our sovereignty and treaty rights and create new jobs.
W. Ron Allen, tribal chairman/CEO
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe