Natural & Cultural Resources Department

The mission of the Natural & Cultural Resources Department is to protect, restore, and sustainably manage the Tribe’s Treaty natural resources in the Tribe’s 780,000 acre Usual and Accustomed (U&A) Grounds and Stations area spanning from the international border to the north, Samish Bay to the south, the crest of the North Cascades to the east, and the San Juan Islands to the west. The U&A area includes the Nooksack River watershed, Samish River watershed, and coastal tributaries, and nearby marine waters to and including the San Juans.

Within the U&A area are important shellfish gathering areas including Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo Spit, and Bellingham Bay.  Department staff contribute to this mission in four categories: (1) fisheries harvest and hatchery management; (2) habitat restoration, watershed management, and ecosystem recovery planning; (3) monitoring and assessment; and (4) resource protection.  The four programs of the department include:

1. Cultural Resources Program
2. Fisheries and Resource Protection Program
3. Water Resources Program
4. Habitat Program