ANA ERE - the quinault indian nation proposes a three-year project to improve their regulatory capacity to manage black-tailed deer populations sustainably for tribal subsistence and ceremonial use

The Department of Health and Human Services Administration for Native Americans awarded the Quinault Indian Nation $1.799 million on September 30, 2025, under the Native American Programs grant program (CFDA 93.612) to improve regulatory capacity for sustainable black-tailed deer management supporting tribal subsistence and ceremonial use.

Over the three-year performance period ending September 29, 2028, the recipient will collect baseline population data through GPS collaring of does, camera grid monitoring, and aerial surveys to estimate deer numbers, survival rates, and population trends. The collected data will feed into an integrated population model to assess population status and evaluate management scenarios, with the ultimate deliverable being updated, science-based hunting regulations that balance harvest opportunities against long-term population sustainability. Work is performed in Washington.

The Quinault Indian Nation, a federally recognized tribe headquartered in Taholah, Washington, operates through its Quinault Tribal Enterprises entity to manage the project. The recipient's natural-resource portfolio includes fisheries operations, salmon monitoring, and previous wildlife-management grants; this deer-population project represents the recipient's wildlife-management research arm addressing subsistence and ceremonial needs of the Quinault community.

The project will collect baseline population data through GPS collaring of does, camera grid monitoring, and aerial surveys to estimate deer numbers, survival rates, and population trends. This data will be incorporated into an integrated population model to assess population status and evaluate different management scenarios. The project aims to develop updated, science-based hunting regulations that balance harvest opportunities with long-term population sustainability. This work is critical as the community relies on local deer populations for food and traditional practices. The project will serve the quinault community by ensuring continued access to this important resource for current and future generations.