FY 2017 Sauk-Suiattle Fish Enforcement

The project provided funding for the fisheries component for an enforcement officer employed by the Sauk Suiattle Indian Tribe’s (SSIT’s) Natural Resource Department. The project provided protection of all salmonids within the Skagit River watershed with a focus on compliance with tribal and state fishing regulations. A secondary focus of this project was to maintain an enforcement presence in this area with vigilance for illegal land use actions that can adversely affect salmonids and their habitats. An additional third task was to catalog illegal dumping sites during patrols.

The project will reduce impacts to all salmonids within the Skagit River basin by reducing the incidence of poaching. The Skagit Chinook Recovery Plan (SCRP) identifies poaching as a limiting factor to Chinook abundance. Illegal take may account for 10% or more of the Chinook escapement in the Skagit basin depending on the stock. The restoration action specified in the SCRP calls for increasing the presence of enforcement officers either by adding to existing staff or through improved coordination with other agencies. There is a long history of poaching (of all types) in this area. SSIT Fish Enforcement presence will reduce the potential for poaching while increasing the potential for detecting and reporting poaching incidents to the proper authorities. In addition, enforcement presence during tribal fisheries meets co-manager obligations.

The fish enforcement officer will catalog illegal land use activities and illegal dump sites that may impair river and riparian habitat function that support these stocks. Examples of the types of land use activities likely to be detected include illegal grading, stream bank armoring, timber harvest, and dumping. By identifying these illegal activity sites, agencies with jurisdiction can be contacted to implement corrective actions. The addition of SSIT Fish Enforcement personnel in this area is a great boost to Washington Department of Fish’s Habitat Protection and Enforcement programs which are currently underfunded and understaffed.