The tribe now is seeking 37 acres of national-park land, to be deeded into trust as part of its reservation, through an act of Congress.
While only a small piece of land, it is crucial to the Hoh because it would connect the tribe's existing parcels into a contiguous swath of usable land. The tribe has plans for a new future on that land, from building housing for its people, to creating a publicly accessible trail from Highway 101 to the beach.
The bill that would transfer the parkland to the tribe would prohibit logging or hunting on the parcel, today in second-growth forest and an important wildlife corridor. The tribe also would be prohibited from developing a casino on the property.
Looks fairly reasonable to me. 37 acres isn't much and I assume it would be helpful for them as a tribal community to be located on dry ground.
However this is the type of opportunity where I wish the Feds could negotiate fishing rights with an individual tribe. We will give you the land, exclusive guide rights below 101 and 30 days of netting surplused salmon if you revoke your fishing rights under Boldt and go 100% c&r of steelhead. (Just an example but you get the idea).
But this is Wa. so the politicians will just introduce whichever bill was handed to them by the Hoh tribe.
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"Government does not solve problems; it subsidizes them." Ronald Reagan
"The trouble with Socialism is that you eventually run out of other people's money." Margaret Thatcher.
"How fortunate for governments that the people they administer don't think." Adolf Hitler
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