This agreement provides funding to the nisqually indian tribe to provide natural resource expertise in local, regional, and puget sound basin-wide initiatives and forums that restore and rebuild the…

The Nisqually Indian Tribe received a $700,000 cooperative agreement from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Region 10 under the Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Protection and Restoration: Tribal Implementation Assistance Program (CFDA 66.121) for the five-year period from October 1, 2025, through September 30, 2030. The award funds the Tribe's provision of natural resource expertise and leadership in local, regional, and Puget Sound basin-wide ecosystem restoration initiatives aligned with the Puget Sound Action Agenda. Primary deliverables include tribal representation and participation in key regional forums such as the Puget Sound Ecosystem Coordination Board and Salmon Recovery Council; development and implementation of watershed volunteer and educational programs targeting Nisqually watershed youth, with projected participation exceeding 400 students; creation of curriculum resources supporting collaborative natural resource management approaches; and technical support for water quality investigations and monitoring activities within the Nisqually watershed.

The award structure includes a subaward to the Nisqually River Council to support public involvement, education, and outreach programs consistent with the EPA-approved Puget Sound Recovery Plan. The Tribe's responsibilities encompass grant administration, information management, and leadership of the Nisqually Watershed Water Quality Program implementation. These coordinated activities advance the broader objective of protecting and restoring the Puget Sound ecosystem and the natural systems upon which the Tribe and regional communities depend.

This agreement provides funding to the nisqually indian tribe to provide natural resource expertise in local, regional, and puget sound basin-wide initiatives and forums that restore and rebuild the puget sound ecosystem. These work to be accomplished includes participating in key meetings and forums, conducting critical water quality investigations, supporting volunteer citizen-based science and actions, and supporting the work of the nisqually river council. The purpose of this award is to protect and restore the watersheds and resources of the puget sound ecosystem and the natural systems that the tribe depends upon.activities:the activities to be performed involve five tasks: tribal representation in leadership forums that advance implementation of the puget sound action agenda; development of watershed volunteer and educational programs for tribal and nisqually watershed youth; support for the nisqually river council for watershed public involvement, education, and outreach programs; grant administration and information management; and nisqually watershed water quality program implementation. Subrecipient:the subaward will support the nisqually river council and its public involvement, education and outreach actions. The subaward will support work on the nisqually river education program as well as other elements of the nisqually watershed stewardship plan consistent with the puget sound action agenda, the EPA-approved regional puget sound recovery plan. Outcomes:the anticipated deliverables include director's attendance at meetings of the puget sound ecosystem coordination board, salmon recovery council, leadership council, and south sound local integrating organization; over 400 students' participation in watershed volunteer and educational programs; curriculum resources to support collaborative natural resource solution approaches; program and meeting support for the nisqually river council; grant administrative deliverables including progress reports; and a water quality sampling plan together with sampling results. The anticipated outcomes include improved content and implementation of regional puget sound ecosystem and salmon recovery plans; broader engagement of tribal and watershed youth in environmental and treaty rights issues; continuation of the oldest western watershed council; timely submittal of required grant reports; broader use and acceptance of collaborative tools to resource challenges and a better understanding of their history and use in the region; and treatment as a state for the purposes of water quality standards management. The intended beneficiaries are members of the nisqually indian tribe and its surrounding communities in the puget sound basin.