PUGET SOS Act officially endorsed by Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Washington D.C. – Today Representatives Denny Heck (WA-10) and Derek Kilmer (WA-06) thanked the members of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC) for voting to support the Promoting United Government Efforts to Save Our Sound (PUGET SOS) Act.

The NWIFC’s tribal commissioners voted unanimously on October 13 to endorse the legislation, which would enhance the federal government’s role and investment in Puget Sound.

“I applaud Representatives Heck and Kilmer for their continued advocacy for restoring the health of our Puget Sound,” said Lorraine Loomis, Chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “The PUGET SOS Act provides an important opportunity to accelerate Puget Sound recovery. The Act encourages better coordination of state and federal agencies, and increases accountability for getting the job done right.  I appreciate their engagement with the tribes as these are the kinds of changes that can truly improve Puget Sound recovery efforts, while also protecting tribal treaty-reserved rights and resources.”

 “For decades, the NWIFC and its member tribes have served as role models, working side-by-side to clean up Puget Sound,” Heck said. “They share our impatience that these waters are not being restored fast enough to once again see abundant salmon populations, healthy eelgrass, shellfish beds free of harmful toxins, among other improvements. The leadership, collaboration, and now official stamp of approval from the NWIFC is crucial to getting the ball through the hoop and we simply cannot bring about significant change without them.”

“I’m glad the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission is officially backing our bipartisan Puget SOS Act to help us better protect the Puget Sound while maintaining our trust and treaty obligations,” said Kilmer. “Our region’s tribes have ties to the Puget Sound through their lives and livelihoods going back centuries. Together we are taking action to make sure a healthy Sound isn't just a distant memory of the past, but rather a reality for future generations.”

The NWIFC was created following the Boldt Decision in 1975 that re-affirmed the tribes’ treaty-reserved fishing rights and established them as natural resources co-managers with the state of Washington. The commission is composed of 20 representatives from each member tribe: Lummi, Nooksack, Swinomish, Upper Skagit, Sauk-Suiattle, Stillaguamish, Tulalip, Muckleshoot, Puyallup, Nisqually, Squaxin Island, Skokomish, Suquamish, Port Gamble S’Klallam, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lower Elwha Klallam, Makah, Quileute, Quinault, and Hoh.

The PUGET SOS Act is also endorsed by Governor Jay Inslee, Defenders of Wildlife, and the Nature Conservancy.

View a one-pager with more information on the details of the bill online. View Rep. Heck’s  and Rep. Kilmer’s remarks on the House floor after introducing the PUGET SOS Act on YouTube.

Congressmen Heck and Kilmer co-founded the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus in 2013 as part of their ongoing commitment to preserving the Puget Sound. The three priorities of the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus are: preventing pollution from urban storm water runoff, protecting and restoring habitat, and restoring and re-opening shellfish beds.

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