In 1989, federally recognized Tribal Nations and the State of Washington signed theCentennial Accord. This historic, first-in-the-nation Accord strengthens Tribal-State relations on issues of shared interests and to promote collaborative best management practices.

The Puget Sound Partnership respects and honors Tribes as unique, sovereign nations with treaty, cultural and inherent rights. We acknowledge our government-to-government responsibilities and prioritize early and often engagement and consultation.

Tribal Engagement

Ongoing collaboration with Tribal nations and consortia is central to our collective effort of Puget Sound recovery. Tribal nations lead, maintain, and participate in forums that guide and inform salmon and Puget Sound recovery and the development and implementation of the 2022-2026 Puget Sound Action Agenda.

• Tribal representatives hold seats on our three boards established in statute:
• Leadership Council (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Skokomish Indian Tribe)
• Ecosystem Coordination Board (Jamestown S’Klallam, Lummi Nation, Nisqually Indian Tribe)
• Science Panel (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission (NWIFC)).
• Tribes hold multiple seats on our two advisory boards:
• Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council Note: Each federally recognized Tribe within the Puget Sound region can appoint a primary and alternate delegate to this Council.
• Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program Steering Committee.

Centennial Accord

Our Centennial Accord Implementation plan is available at the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs website.
Agency Centennial Accord highlights are also available at the Governor’s Office of Indian Affairs State-Tribal Relations / Centennial Accord | GOIA (wa.gov) webpage.

Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act

The objective of the HEAL Act is to reduce environmental and health disparities throughout Washington State and improve the health of all Washington State residents. The Washington State Legislature passed Senate Bill 5141, HEAL Act, to be effective on July 25, 2021.

Key priorities of the HEAL Act include reducing exposure to environmental hazards within Tribal lands, ensuring Tribal sovereignty and rights in environmental justice (EJ), and eliminating environmental and health disparities in disadvantaged, vulnerable, and low-income populations.
Read more about the Partnership’s HEAL Act program and implementation.
HEAL Act Tribal Government Engagement Guide
HEAL Act Native American Community Engagement Guide

Map of reservations