Category: Environment

Ten years ago, on August 28, 2015, excavators breached a levee along Ebey Slough and tidal waters surged into the Qwuloolt Estuary for the first time in more than a century. That single act reconnected 354-acres of historic wetlands to the life-giving rhythm of the Salish Sea.

At the time, the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project was hailed as the second-largest estuary restoration effort in Washington State. A decade later, its impact reaches far beyond those acres, serving as real world example of what community, culture, and collaboration can accomplish.

Breathing life back into the land

“This is a great, great day. It’s been a long time coming,” said Kurt Nelson, Tulalip Tribes Environmental Department Administrator, during the levee breach celebration in 2015. “I’ve been on this project for 11 years and there have been many challenges and hurdles, but we’ve gotten through them all. What we have now is a 354-acre estuary wetland complex that saw its first tidal flows in 100 years.”

Kurt’s words proved prophetic. Today, the estuary is a living system of tidal channels, mudflats, and native vegetation. Juvenile salmon once again feed and grow here before migrating to the ocean, while migratory birds fill the skies above.

“If you watch the live-stream webcam in fast motion, you’ll notice it’s almost like this site is breathing,” Kurt said back then. “The estuary is flooding and draining, flooding and draining with tidal waters, like a lung does with oxygen. It’s a nice comparison to bringing some life back to an isolated floodplain that hadn’t seen that kind of life in a long time.”

Reviving salmon

The Qwuloolt project was about salmon, which are central to Coast Salish culture. For decades, levees and drainage channels prevented saltwater from mixing with freshwater, cutting off essential habitat. By reopening the estuary, the project restored a natural nursery for fish central to both ecosystem health and tribal identity.

“Qwuloolt is not only a nursery area for hundreds of thousands of juvenile salmon that migrate from the upper basins of the Snohomish that will come through this estuary and feed on various prey species and grow very rapidly, but also contributes to the survival of fish all over the Snohomish basin,” Kurt explained. “It will improve the water quality of Jones and Allen Creek, while being an extremely important bird habitat for migratory waterfowl, as well as restoring native wetland vegetation.”

For the Tulalip people, these outcomes are deeply tied to cultural survival. Every salmon that passes through Qwuloolt strengthens treaty rights, sustains ceremonies, and creates opportunity for traditional foods to remain available to future generations.

A model of partnership

The success of the Qwuloolt Estuary Restoration Project was rooted in unprecedented cooperation. Tribal, federal, state, and local agencies worked side by side for nearly two decades, securing $20 million from a patchwork of funding sources.

“The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers were responsible for the levee construction and the levee breach, while the Tribes were responsible for the channels, the berms, the planting, and some of the utility work that needed to be done,” noted Kurt. “From beginning to end, QERR was all about partnership and working together in getting this project done.”

That spirit of collaboration continues to inspire restoration work across the region.

“As evidenced here today, it really has been a tremendous collaboration between the tribes and federal, state and local governments to bring this project through and really make a significant change for our environment,” said Col. John Buck of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. “Over the past century, we’ve seen this continuing degradation of our environment in the northwest and it’s through collaboration and partnership that we can really affect change.”

Nature’s classroom

In the years since its rebirth, Qwuloolt has become a destination for school field trips, birdwatchers, and community members seeking to connect with the land. Native vegetation flourishes where cattle once grazed. Eagles, herons, and migratory waterfowl now feed in abundance, drawing residents from Marysville and beyond to witness the return of nature to their backyard.

Teachers bring students to the site to see science in action, such as tidal flows carving new channels, salmon fry darting among sedges, and restored wetlands filtering water before it flows downstream. These visits deepen the community’s awareness of the interconnectedness of ecosystems, while inspiring future generations to be stewards of the environment.

The estuary also stands as a reminder of resilience. Where there was once a Superfund landfill site and abandoned farmland, there is now a thriving ecosystem that improves water quality, mitigates flooding, and combats global warming by sequestering carbon in wetland soils.

A lasting legacy

In its first decade, Qwuloolt has proven that damaged lands can be healed and that healing can ripple outward to fish, to birds, to water quality, and to people. The estuary is now a living classroom, a haven for wildlife, and a reminder that communities can correct past mistakes through persistence and partnership.

For Kurt Nelson, 2025 marks nearly 40 years of employment with Tulalip. He maintains that the estuary project is one of the largest and most impactful initiatives the Tribe has accomplished to date, and that its impact will continue to evolve.

“There’s a lot of area here that will continue to fill in with vegetation, and I expect to see an increasing number of salmon using this particular area,” boasted Kurt. “This was built to not have to do a lot of maintenance, instead it was built to evolve and change over time with changing tidal levels. It’s only going to get better and better over time.”

A decade after Salish Sea waters rushed back in, Qwuloolt Estuary is thriving. Its channels pulse with the rhythm of the tide, its wetlands hum with birdsong, and its waters nurture the salmon that sustain both local ecosystems and our people.

By Micheal Rios, Tulalip News

Mountain huckleberry has served as an important food, medicine, and trade good to Coast Salish cultures since time immemorial. Prior to European colonization of the Americas, Native peoples managed the land using controlled burns to create and maintain huckleberry habitat in prime gathering areas located high above sea level. These traditional teachings live on today. 

“I joined the Forestry team in 2022. At that time, the huckleberry fields were looking scarce,” explained Tisen Fryberg, Tulalip Tribe’s Forest Manager. “That was due in part to the pandemic and a staff shortage that resulted in less resources being available to manage the huckleberries. But to me, even with less resources, if fire was being used effectively to manage that land like our ancestors did in their day, then the scarcity could’ve been avoided.

“It was a priority of mine to implement that traditional teaching of using fire as a means of stewardship so that the huckleberries could thrive once again. Over the past few years, we’ve been successful with using fire to clear underbrush and slash piles. This not only recycles the nutrients into the soil and allows the huckleberry plants to grow bigger and stronger, but it also is an effective way to reduce the presence of competing plant species.

“Using fire and controlled burns in the same way our ancestors did ensures that the berries will continue to be abundant for future generations,” continued Tisen. “This is what planning for the seventh generation is all about.”

In 2016, the Tulalip Tribes began working cooperatively with the U.S. Forest Service to sustain huckleberries at a 1,280-acre parcel of land, 4,700 feet above elevation in the upper Skykomish River watershed. This particular location is one of several co-stewardship areas throughout the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest where Tulalip collaborates with the Forest Service to preserve and maintain important cultural resources. 

Named swədaʔx̌ali, Lushootseed for ‘Place of Mountain Huckleberries’, this end of summer destination gives Tulalip’s membership an opportunity to walk in the shadows of their ancestors and harvest the highly prized mountain huckleberry. 

Mountain huckleberries generally ripen in the late summer and can be picked into the early fall. Well-known for boosting the immune system and being rich in antioxidants, huckleberry has a strong relationship to the area’s Northwest Tribes. Coast Salish peoples consider the huckleberry to be an important dietary staple because of its medicinal properties and sweet, delicious taste. 

“Huckleberry is a superfood and medicine to our people,” explained Tulalip elder and knowledge keeper Inez Bill. “Our ancestors visited certain areas for gathering these berries. They knew where the berries were growing, what companion plants were growing there too, and how to use them. 

“Through the teachings of how we value, take care of and utilize our environment, we pass down our history and traditions, and what is important to the cultural lifeways of our people. This connection to the land enables us to know who we are as a people.”

Swədaʔx̌ali is a prime example of how Tulalip is diligently working to reclaim traditional areas. Stemming directly from the Point Elliot Treaty of 1855, which secured claims to gather roots and berries in all open and unclaimed land, the ‘Place of the Mountain Huckleberries’ is a living expression of Tulalip’s sovereignty.

Embracing that sovereignty is every tribal member who journeys to this harvesting area and practices a berry picking tradition that continues to be passed on from one generation to the next. Tulalip mother-son duo, Maria and Enzo Rios, recently made the 65-mile journey to swədaʔx̌ali. It was 2-year-old Enzo’s first time on the mountain, but he looked right at home as he picked berry after berry. Often letting out a “hmmm yum!” while filling his belly. 

“It was a beautiful, uplifting experience. Once we hit the forest, where there were no buildings, no cars, no people, just trees…my spirit soared,” reflected Maria after staining her hands purple from successful day of harvesting. “Watching my son pick his first huckleberries, I couldn’t help but think of his great-grandparents picking berries when they were kids. Berry picking just feels natural, like we’ve always done it. These are the meaningful experiences that we all need to share in. The smells are intoxicating, the sounds are beautiful, and the views are absolutely stunning.”

Huckleberry season is short, lasting only a matter of weeks across August and September. Thanks to the Tribe’s dedicated Forestry team and effective use of fire as a land management tool, the berries at swədaʔx̌ali are more abundant and larger than they’ve been in years.

The sought-after superfood ranges in color from bright red to deep blue to plum purple. Similar in size to blueberries and much sweeter than cranberries, many people rate huckleberries as the tastiest of the berry bunch.  

Huckleberry harvest season is here. Every Tulalip tribal member and Tulalip family is invited to make the most of this window of opportunity by journeying to swədaʔx̌ali. There are two gates that require a combination to unlock. Please visit or call the Admin Building front desk at 360-716-4160 and provide your full name, followed by enrollment number, to obtain the lock combination. 

For the Tulalip Tribes, the mountain huckleberry is intimately tied with traditional lifeways and culture. Nearly 5,000 feet up, in the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, berry pickers are completely immersed in the grand splendor that is the Pacific Northwest. Epic views of luscious forestry, towering mountains, and clear waterways are mesmerizing.

The Lushootseed Department was quick to capitalize on the harvest opportunity. They spent a Thursday at swədaʔx̌ali, living out the seasonal harvesting traditions they incorporate in their teaching lessons.

“As soon as we found out the huckleberries were ready – our team prepared for a trip for the ‘Huckleberry Opener 2025’,” shared Lushootseed manager Natosha Gobin. “Berries picked are used in lessons teaching the importance of harvesting and processing as a traditional food for year-round usage; for foods shared during Lushootseed department community events; and utilized to create giveaway/honorarium items. 

“Reconnecting with the spaces that our ancestors traveled to harvest brings a sense of belonging,” continued Natosha. “It’s an emotional connection that helps increase our desire to continue learning, teaching and honoring the ways of life that helped our ancestors thrive, since time immemorial.”

An expression of tribal sovereignty. Offerings of traditional teachings and sustainable land management. An invaluable cultural medicine. In addition to their high concentration of antioxidants and nutrients, it’s clear the peewee sized berries are also packed with purpose.

By Wade Sheldon, Tulalip News
Our lands are sacred. Protecting our community and the surrounding environment is essential for restoring the land and creating a healthier future—not just for the people who call this place home but also for the plants and animals that depend on these lands. They don’t have a voice in how their environment is shaped, making our role as caretakers even more vital.

Natural Resources Environmental and Education Outreach Coordinator Melissa Gobin, reminds us that every day should be treated as Earth Day. She emphasizes the importance of being stewards of the land and inspiring others to embrace this responsibility. With this spirit in mind, the Natural Resource department is reaching out to gather ideas and support for this year’s Earth Day initiatives, which will take place on April 22 and the days leading up to it.

Last year’s events brought the community together for meaningful activities, including a plant walk that educated participants about native species and invasive plants, clean-up efforts at local rain gardens and public spaces, and salmon habitat restoration at Quil Ceda Creek. Multiple organizations collaborated to plant trees, create shade, and support the creek’s ecosystem. These events showcased the power of teamwork and community action, leaving a lasting impact.

Building on last year’s successes, the aim is to create an even more significant impact this year, focusing on trash removal, invasive species management, and maintaining public gardens. Community clean-up efforts will target areas such as 27th Avenue on the Rez, Tulalip beaches, and other local spaces.

This year’s initiatives include creating a seed bank and food-sharing program, encouraging community members to donate seeds, grow their gardens, and share homegrown produce to promote food security. Volunteers will clean and repair gardens across multiple Tulalip buildings and plant native vegetation to enhance green spaces.

Natural Resources will also be collaborating with local and national organizations, including the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Sound Solutions, the Marysville School District, and various tribal entities such as beda?chelh.

This is a community-driven initiative, and it needs your input to succeed. Share ideas for new activities or locations that need attention, volunteer at clean-up events, plant walks, or educational booths, or donate seeds, gardening tools, or financial contributions to support restoration projects. These initiatives are focused on Tulalip but are open to everyone—not just tribal members, to create a better future for all living beings who depend on these sacred lands.

Melissa Gobin emphasizes, “Raising awareness about our community’s health, the environment, and sustainability efforts is crucial. Let’s inspire everyone to love Mother Earth.”

  Please get in touch with Melissa Gobin at mgobin@tulaliptribes-nsn.gov to share your ideas, volunteer, or donate. Let’s make this year’s Earth Day a celebration of our shared commitment to protecting the environment and ensuring a thriving future for all.

By Micheal Rios in collaboration with NOAA Fisheries

Coast Salish leadership from Metlakatla to Yakama Nation, and many tribes in between, gathered with federal and state leaders at the Tulalip Reservation on October 3 to celebrate $240 million in federal funding for tribal hatcheries. This Inflation Reduction Act investment offers much-needed financial assistance to 27 tribes from Northern California to Southeast Alaska meet urgent maintenance and modernization needs of their on-reservation salmon hatchery programs.

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries partnered with the Interior Department’s Bureau of Indian Affairs (BIA) to disperse the funds. Initial payments of $2 million are currently being distributed to each of the 27 tribes. The remaining $186 million will be allocated by competitive grants in 2025.

“I want to thank NOAA for listening to us. We, as tribal governments, go back and forth a lot with Washington D.C. and Olympia. Sometimes we are met with closed ears, and we can not get the work done unless our elected leaders on the state and federal levels are willing to listen to what we have to say,” explained Tulalip Vice Chairwoman Misty Napeahi. “As tribes, we’ve had to learn to embrace western science because it gives us the data we need to get our points across. 

“We are trying to teach a nation how to see the Earth through an Indigenous lens. That we are not here to conquer it nor extract all it’s resources, but to live in harmony as one with nature,” continued Misty. “This is our science given to us by the Creator and passed down through our ancestors. We know we have to use our science to save our lands, to save our oceans, and to save our way of life for our future generations. But we can’t do this without people being willing to listen. I raise my hands to NOAA for not only listening to us, but being willing to invest in our Indigenous knowledge and science.”

Treaties with the U.S. government in the 1850s, such as our Point Elliot Treaty, promised many tribes hunting and fishing rights. However, the decline of salmon in Pacific Northwest rivers has place great burden on hatcheries to provide the bulk of fish necessary to sustain tribal fisheries. The commitment of funding by the Biden-Harris Administration is a step toward delivering on the treaty promises that tribes have fish to catch.

“In the course of 3 months, from starting conversations, I started getting letters from 22 tribes with an agreed path forward,” said Jennifer Quan, West Coast Regional Administrator for NOAA Fisheries, to the crowd of people gathered within the TRC’s Orca Ballroom. “Thank you to all the tribes who rolled up their sleeves and got to an agreement very fast. It’s helping us get this program on the ground quickly. I think this is the fastest the tribes and the federal government have ever moved together.”

Many Leaders Attend Celebration

A Tulalip Veterans color guard and group of pint-sized culture bearers from Quil Ceda Elementary kicked off the celebratory event, which Tulalip Chairwoman Teri Gobin opened with a prayer passed down from her father, Stan Jones. Vice Chair Misty Napeahi emceed a panel of speakers that included Governor Jay Inslee, U.S. Representative Rick Larsen, and Bryan Newland, Assistant Secretary of Indian Affairs for the Department of the Interior.

“I’m so excited for today’s announcement that a quarter of a billion dollars is going to tribal fish hatcheries to help restore salmon populations,” said Assistant Secretary Newland (Ojibwe). “Equally as important is what this investment represents; its an investment in tribal-led management and caretaking of our salmon relatives. We know that when tribes were managing these ecosystems and our relationships with our relatives on land and in both the air and sea, that was an era of abundance. We need tribes leading the efforts to restore salmon, leading partnerships with local, state, and federal agencies to restore critical habitat, if we are to restore balance to our relationship framework with our natural environment. That’s what is necessary for us to return to an era of abundance.”

Tribal leaders and elder representation from many of the 27 tribes attended the celebration located on the shores of the Salish Sea. Tribal representation from across the Pacific Northwest included the Metlakatla of Southeast Alaska, Quileute, Jamestown S’Klallam, Lummi Nation, Stillaguamish, Quinault, Yakama Nation, Warm Springs, Suquamish, Sauk-Suiattle and Nez Peirce.

The event continued from the Resort Casino with visits to Tulalip hatchery facilities. The lower pond of Tulalip Creek teemed with Coho salmon returning to their release site, as tribal fishing boats dotted the expanse of Tulalip Bay. “Ninety-five percent of Chinook and Coho salmon harvested by Tulalip fisherman come from our local hatcheries,” informed Jason Gobin, Executive Director of Natural Resources.

“While our local hatchery is still productive, funding will help address deferred maintenance and update hatchery operations to the latest technology. Decades-old hatchery infrastructure needs upgrades to release salmon smolts and the collection of brood stock with more efficiency and targeted timing,” Jason added. 

Hatchery Requires Updates

Several members of Tulalip’s Natural Resources department presented initial plans for modernizing the Tribe’s Bernie ‘Kai-Kai’ Gobin Salmon Hatchery. While the Tribe has already set aside funds for renovations, federal resources will kick-start the improvements. Most other eligible tribes, including the Nez Perce Tribe and the Lummi Nation, have identified specific plans for hatchery upgrades.

“This is a much-needed injection into the infrastructure that supports all these hatcheries,” Jason told media members during the hatcheries tour.

Tribal salmon hatcheries help the U.S. government fulfill its treaty obligations, while also removing fishing pressure on wild stocks. Some tribal hatchery programs have also led to the rebound of wild salmon. For example, the Nez Perce efforts have revitalized Snake River fall-run Chinook salmon; the Lummi Nation’s hatchery program has restored spring-run Chinook in the Nooksack River.     

Beyond treaty promises and conservation goals, tribal hatcheries help drive on-reservation employment, salmon nutrition for specific ceremonies, and the preservation of cultural traditions. The approximate 11.5 million juvenile salmon raised and released each year contribute to the tens of millions of salmon produced annually by tribal hatcheries in Washington State alone.

“I know how hard the tribes have worked to keep these tribal hatcheries going, because they are so important to their culture and way of life,” reflected Jennifer, NOAA Regional Administrator. “I am proud that we have been able to provide such substantial new funding for the hatcheries. It tells me that the nation recognizes these hatcheries’ crucial role in delivering on the treaty promises that the government made to many tribes so long ago.”

 By Kalvin Valdillez, Tulalip News

In the heart of the spring season, the Tulalip Tribes Natural Resources department put together a successful event dedicated to a popular springtime hobby, though many would argue that gardening is a way of life, in both the literal and figurative sense. 

Natural Resources opened the garden workshop to include all residents of Tulalip. On the morning of May 11, close to 60 community members showed up at the Tulalip Admin Building to really dig into the art of gardening and learn about the many benefits that plants have to offer, while cultivating new skills and knowledge along the way. 

“I have always loved gardening and working in the yard. To me, it’s relaxing. Even pulling weeds, I just really enjoy it,” shared community member and home gardener, Catherine Key. “I decided to come when I saw the flyer and all the subjects looked interesting. I just think it’s really cool that the Tribe did this.”

The garden workshop featured three presentations that focused on several aspects of gardening. Valerie Streeter, Tulalip Natural Resources Stormwater planner, opened the three-hour event with a presentation titled, Go with the Flow, that informed the people about watersheds, rainwater collection, and natural yard care. Local Horticultural Inspirer, Seth Smith, led an informational presentation dedicated to growing a garden for sustenance, which included a Q&A where people absorbed any and all insight that Seth had to share.  

Said Seth, “Today I talked about subtropical plants, citruses, fig trees, pomegranates, any unique plant that’s not apple trees or pear trees that we’re all familiar with. I wanted people to think outside the box, open their mind and inspiration to achieve things that people would rather you not succeed at. [Gardening] allows you to free your mind of negativity on the day to day. It allows you to have your own space, and I think that’ll allow you to clear your mind of work, family drama, vehicle issues, and allow you to just focus on yourself.”

The Tulalip Health Clinic Diabetes Program presented a detailed lesson on the medicinal usages of plants, while also touching on the native plants of this region, essential gardening tools, and the special connection to the natural world that we experience as Indigenous people

Tulalip Diabetes Educator, Veronica ‘Roni’ Leahy explained, “Plants were here before people, we think of them as our first teachers. The more you’re around them, the more you feel connected. Think of them as friends that you get to see once a year. Enjoy your time with them, go and be out with nature. I brought two plants that are representing us today; Camus is a native plant and you’re on tribal lands. Sacred plant, sacred land. And iris, which we planted at the Tulalip Health Clinic, it represents the community, this group of people who were able to come out and learn today.”

Along with Roni was Herbalist, Leslie Lekos, who explained the step-by-step process of creating tinctures from plant extracts, that could be used as home remedies to help treat a variety of ailments such as nausea and muscle soreness. Leslie has numerous tinctures and sprays for sale in her Etsy store, Wild Root Botanicals. She also teaches hands-on classes throughout the year including Foundations of Herbalism and Wild Foods: Resiliency Through Connection, more details can be found on her website. Following the presentation, both Roni and Leslie held live demonstrations on transplanting and creating tinctures. 

The event ended with a raffle drawing and a plant giveaway, in which people received primroses, elderberries, planter boxes, and compost. 

“The turnout was great. It did turn out really cool today,” exclaimed Melissa Gobin, Tulalip Natural Resources Environmental and Education Coordinator. “At the Earth Day planning meetings, that started in January, a lot of people were talking about sustainability for food and growing our own foods, along with rain gardens. Val (Streeter) has a grant through the EPA, and she has money to put on workshops to talk about rain gardens. I met with Seth and he’s a garden guru, and also with Roni because she’s amazing with gardens and we’ve been learning so much from her, and Leslie too. So, we just wanted to get all these people together to inform the community and give them some inspiration to get out and garden.” 

She continued, “On May 22, we’re going to be at Quil Ceda Elementary and we’re going to have Farmer Frog there to help us put plants in the ground. It’s going to be a Plant 101 course on how to put them in, the dos and don’ts, and we’ll be going over a lot of the basics because it’s Family Day at the elementary. And hopefully in the future we’ll have more of these classes. I also want to start a gardening group, something where people can get together to plant, seed exchange. Earth Day is every day and we’re going to have a bunch of stuff going on now. I’m just so glad there were so many people that came out and enjoyed it and seemed so engaged.”

Equipped with invaluable gardening game, new plants, and tools, the people were eager to get back home to enjoy the sunny weather and get lost in their personal gardens. 

Following the garden workshop, community member, Tracy Owens, shared, “I got the flyer in the mail and I’m really into gardening. I wanted to see if I was going to learn something new and share different ideas. Ever since we bought our property here on Tulalip, we’ve expanded something new every year to our garden. We have herbs, we have vegetables, we have flowers. I just love it. Today I enjoyed learning about different plants and just listening to people talk about gardening and seeing their love that they have for plants too. You can see that plants make people happy.”