Skagit County recently sent a letter to landowners and has held meetings blaming tribes and the salmon recovery effort for development closures in the Fisher, Carpenter and Nookachamps basins.
In response, the Swinomish Tribe has put together a fact sheet to clarify some points:
- Skagit County specifically agreed to stop issuing building permits if new wells would be harmful to salmon. Both the Department of Fish and Wildlife and Ecology have stated that new wells will be harmful to salmon.
- The Swinomish Tribe did not begin litigation over water issues; Skagit County did by suing Ecology in 2003.
- Skagit County specifically agreed to the closure of tributary subbasins once the reservations established in 2006 are exhausted.
- The Swinomish Tribe does not have any litigation over water rights currently pending against Skagit County. The Swinomish Tribe’s lawsuit against Ecology is not seeking to create new law, but is seeking to make Ecology implement and enforce existing laws.
- Skagit County’s efforts to deflect attention away from the County’s responsibility to stop issuing building permits in the Carpenter/Fisher subbasin and cast the Swinomish Tribe as interested in controlling land use is unfair and inaccurate. The Swinomish Tribe’s only purpose is to protect salmon and instream flows, not to control growth.
- Given the necessary funding, the City of Anacortes and Skagit PUD have both offered to provide piped water to meet additional demand. We have provided legal support when Skagit County and the Skagit PUD have tried to expand service to rural residents. Expanding piped water reduces impacts to instream flows and provides safe and clean water to property owners.
- The Swinomish Tribe will continue to do what is necessary to protect salmon and the instream flows upon which salmon depend.
Read the complete fact sheet here.