HomeMy WebLinkAboutPNP TLT Letter JeffCo o coN� ��� Board of County Commissioners
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Port Townsend, WA 98368
0� Kate Dean,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
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May 22, 2024
To: Randy Harder, Executive Director
Point No Point Treaty Council
RE:Jefferson County Trust Land Transfer applications for the 2025-27 biennium
Mr. Harder,
Thank you for your correspondence dated May 10, 2024. I was glad to be with you in Washington DC to
discuss the issue of consultation in regards to the upcoming Trust Land Transfers (TLT) in Jefferson County.
As discussed, I am replying to indicate Jefferson County's willingness to participate in tribal consultation
with Point No Point Treaty Council, its member tribes, and other impacted tribes.
The Board of County Commissioners discussed your letter in our meeting on May 20, 2024 and wish to
express our apologies for failing to initiate consultation. In this round of the "revitalized" TLT program, a
DNR-convened work group was formed to provide input on implementation, which our own Commissioner
Eisenhour participated in. The work group emphasized the importance of tribal consultation, but it was
unclear to Jefferson County whether that was to be initiated by DNR or by the County. We regret that no
outreach was performed by either entity and wish to both request formal consultation and clarify the role
of DNR, the County and tribes in this new process.
Jefferson County will participate either in formal government-to-government consultation or staff-level
discussion with one or more tribes together, individually or with the Point No Point Treaty Council, as the
tribes desire. We will also defer to the tribes' decision whether to include DNR in these consultations.
Please let me know the tribes' preference and we will work to set up meetings accordingly and quickly.
Additionally, our Board of Commissioners is committed to explicitly upholding hunting and gathering treaty
rights to the greatest extent possible for the TLT parcels and look forward to working with tribes.
The Jefferson County Commissioners value maintaining a collaborative relationship with our sovereign,
tribal neighbors and request your grace as we continue to learn how to best engage. We look forward to
working with you to ensure that the TLT parcels in Jefferson County are accessible to tribes, the original
stewards of these extraordinary lands.
I await your response on appropriate next steps.
With thanks on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners,
V\ ---------
Kate D an, Chair, Dist. No. 1
CC: Kenny Ocker, Trust Land Transfer Program Manager
Hillary Franz, Commissioner of Public Lands
Hansi Hals,Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe, Natural Resources Director
Roma Call, Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe, Natural Resources Director
Commissioner, District 3 Patrick DePoe, DNR Tribal Liaison
Phone(360) 385-9100 jeffbocc@cojefferson.wa.us