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Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Dungeness Watershed Based Plan Certified

Release Date: 01/31/2008
Contact Information: Diana Boquist, EPA Tribal Coordinator, 206-553-1586, [email protected] Krista Mendelman, EPA Office of Water & Watersheds, 206-553-1571, [email protected] Tony Brown, EPA Public Affairs, 206-553-1203, [email protected]

First Tribe in the Nation to receive certification

(Seattle, Wash. – Jan. 31, 2008) The Environmental Protection Agency Region 10 recently certified the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s Watershed Based Plan “Protecting and Restoring the Waters of the Dungeness.” Certification was based on compliance with federal tribal nonpoint source program guidelines.

The Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe is the first Native American Tribe to achieve certification of a watershed based plan. The Tribe is based in Sequim, WA, located on the north coast of the Olympic Peninsula.

The purpose of the plan, as described by the Tribe, is to characterize the Dungeness Watershed area, highlighting the causes and sources of non-point source pollution. The detailed plan describes watershed area goals along with management measures for protecting water quality and restoring impaired water bodies. Numerous water bodies in the Dungeness Watershed are impaired by low dissolved oxygen, fecal coliform contamination, loss of habitat, and the presence of heavy metals.

The Tribe serves as a principal facilitator of the Dungeness River Management Team (DRMT), which celebrates its 20th Anniversary this year. The DRMT includes the Tribe, the City of Sequim, Clallam County, Washington Department of Ecology, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, and numerous non-profit entities representing sport fisherman and land/natural resource conservation. The Tribe’s watershed based plan recognizes and incorporates the goals of its collaborative partners, while building upon previous plans and studies.

“By forging unique partnerships and using science to guide its decisions, the Jamestown S’Kallam Tribe continues to provide exemplary environmental leadership to the Dungeness,” said Elin Miller, Region 10 Regional Administrator.