Purpose
The purpose of the Recreation Impacts to Tribal Treaty Rights (RITR) project was to develop and implement a collaborative process for Western Washington treaty tribes and federal agencies to explore, understand, and address recreation impacts to tribal treaty rights.
Background
In 2016, nine federal agencies and cabinet departments signed a Memorandum of Understanding to create the Puget Sound Federal Task Force (PSFTF). The PSFTF adopted a five-year action plan focused on salmon recovery and aquatic habitat, with implementation underway through 2021. Tribal leaders identified issues to be addressed in the next action plan, including recreation impacts to tribal treaty rights. In addition, the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) sent a letter to several federal agencies that outlined concerns about increased recreation in Western Washington.
The Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest (MBS) agreed to establish a workgroup to address the concerns of the tribes. In 2022, the MBS asked the Ruckelshaus Center to design and implement a collaborative process for Western Washington treaty tribes and federal agencies to explore, understand, and address recreation impacts to tribal treaty rights.
Project Overview
In Phase One of the project, the Center conducted an assessment to identify key issues, design a collaborative process, and develop a draft workplan. The assessment included conversations with each member of the RITR workgroup to better understand desired goals and outcomes. The Center used the information gathered during the assessment to inform Phase Two, which began with a kick-off meeting in July 2024. During the kick-off meeting, representatives of Western Washington treaty tribes and federal agencies shared their perspectives, developed group agreements, and discussed the initial workplan.
Based on feedback from the kick-off meeting, the Center created a subgroup to identify and secure funding for tribal participation, data collection, and other potential needs. The Center also convened federal agencies to discuss existing efforts to address recreation impacts. The information gathered was used to facilitate discussions at the second workgroup meeting in December 2024. At the second meeting, the participants shared existing efforts, identified gaps, and discussed partnerships.
Following the meeting, the Center facilitated three closed sessions where the tribes discussed their priorities, strategies, and timelines. The tribes shared this information at the third workgroup meeting in June 2025. The timelines discussed were used to create an action plan in Phase Three, which began in July 2025.
The Center’s work concluded at the end of Phase Two.
Contact
Amanda Murphy, Director of Projects