The Natural & Cultural Resources Departments together fulfill the Tribe’s mission of cultural preservation and of protecting, restoring, and sustainably managing Treaty natural resources within the Tribe’s 780,000-acre Usual and Accustomed (U&A) Grounds and Stations area.

The Tribe’s U&A area spans from the international border to the north to Samish Bay to the south, and from the crest of the North Cascades to the east to the San Juan Islands to the west. The U&A area includes the Nooksack River watershed, Samish River watershed, coastal tributaries, and nearby marine waters to and including the San Juan Islands. Within the U&A area are important shellfish gathering areas including Drayton Harbor, Birch Bay, Semiahmoo Spit, and Bellingham Bay.

Cultural & Natural Resources staff contribute to this mission under 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. This work is conducted through the Cultural Resources Department and three Natural Resources Department programs:

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