Tribe objects to governance by elected officials for watershed council

Clallam County, WA - The Clallam County Commissioners have applied for a Watershed Planning Grant. The Lower Elwha Tribe (Tribe), on Dec. 12, 1997, wrote a letter to oppose the proposal, primarily because the watershed council would be subject to the authority of the elected Board of County Commissioners. "'Authority' [of the elected commissioners] simply has no place in a consensus process", the letter, signed by Carol Brown, Environmental Coordinator, stated. "To support this statement the Tribe would necessarily subject sovereignty to Clallam County. This will not happen."

Under the proposed grant, the commissioners have designated the Elwha Klallam Tribe as lead for the Elwha basin. On Dec. 16, the Tribe and County staff met and apparently came to some agreements.

On Dec. 17, the Tribe wrote to the WA State Dept. of Ecology, stating among other things that the county would revise their watershed grant proposal and refer it to the Tribe for review and consultation with and approval by the Tribal Council prior to submission to Ecology. The change was a result of a meeting between the Tribe and the Clallam County staff.

On Jan. 6, 1998, a fax transmittal was send from Ann Soule, Clallam County Department of Community Development to Carol Brown and Linda Newberry (of the Dungeness River Management Team) with apparent changes as requested by the Tribe.

We have not seen the final version of the grant request. We presume by the above correspondence that the "authority of the elected Board of County Commissioners" has been replaced by a "consensus process." See other articles in this issue about what governance by a "consensus process" instead of governance by elected officials means.