The North Olympic Peninsula’s congressional delegation has reintroduced legislation expanding the Hoh reservation and giving the tiny West End tribe land out of the reach of flooding.
The news sparked an impromptu celebration Friday on the reservation south of Forks.
“People are jubilant,” Alexis Barry, Hoh executive director, said.
“There’s not much concentration on work today.”
The Hoh Indian Tribe Safe Homelands Act was introduced Friday in the House of Representatives by Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, and in the Senate by Sens. Patty Murray, D-Freeland, and Maria Cantwell, D-Mountlake Terrace.
It would expand the reservation by 425 acres of land that the tribe has acquired, plus transfer another 37 acres of Olympic National Park land to the tribe.
The reservation’s present 640 acres are located on flood plain at the mouth of the Hoh River south of Forks. The additional 462 acres, which would expand the reservation to 1,102 acres, are on higher ground, out of the flood zone. It takes an act of Congress to change reservation and national park boundaries.
Move out of flood plain
The tribe wants to use the land to relocate its 133 members out of the river’s flood zone, and for economic development.
The act was initially introduced by Dicks, who represents the 6th District, last September, but the session ended before it could be considered for approval.
“It was one of the biggest hurdles,” said Janet Reyes, Hoh vice chairwoman.
“It took a lot of the pressure off. I haven’t smiled this much in a long time.”
The borders of the reservation haven’t changed since it was created in 1893.
Sand bags around buildings are a constant sight at the reservation, which loses land to the Hoh River just about every year.
In a press release, Dicks said the legislation “offers the Hoh tribe a safer and more secure future and an opportunity to sustain the Hoh culture for many generations.”
Berry said Dicks as well as the state 24th District’s legislative delegation — state Sen. James Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, Rep. Kevin Van De Wege, D-Sequim, and Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, who represent Clallam, Jefferson and a portion of Grays Harbor counties — have all championed the Hoh’s efforts to relocate the village.
Those efforts, begun about 20 years ago, have been stepped up in the last three years, with tribal members making multiple visits to Dicks, Murray and Cantwell in Washington, D.C.
She said that the tribe has lost about seven homes to flooding in the last five to 10 years. During heavy flood years Berry said the tribe spends tens of thousands of dollars on labor, sand and repairing damage.
Berry said that the tribe was lucky this fall and winter, because the river stayed a few inches below flood stage.
“We had 7,000 sand bags ready,” she said.
If approved by Congress, the reservation would extend eastward to U.S. Highway 101.
It would include 37 acres of Olympic National Park land that lies between the current reservation and the property the tribe has purchased.
The tribe would not be able to develop the park land, according to the act.
“We’re committed to stewardship,” Berry said. “It will not be developed at all.”
Berry said that acquiring the park land would make the reservation one contiguous piece of land.
Property acquired
The properties the Hoh tribe has acquired are:
•âÇ160 acres of state Department of Natural Resources trust land, which was transferred to the tribe in June.
•âÇ200-acre Fletcher Tree Farm, purchased by the tribe for $750,000 in April.
•âÇ65 acres purchased from Rayonier Inc. for $280,000 in fall 2007.
That Berry said the land does not have to be part of the reservation for the tribe to develop it.
But extending the reservation would extend the tribe’s sovereignty and remove some hurdles when applying for grant money, she said. Berry said the tribe received a $90,000 U.S. Department of Agriculture rural development grant last year to develop a master plan for the property.
She said the tribe also will seek U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development grants to relocate the village.
But before any homes are constructed, Berry said the tribe wants to first build a fire station on the former Rayonier property, in partnership with Jefferson County government.
Berry said the reservation, and the rest of West Jefferson County, has been without fire service for several years since Jefferson County Fire District No. 7 closed its sole fire station in the area.
Berry said a tribal building burned to the ground more than a year ago.
Since then, the tribe has purchased two fire engines with a $100,000 USDA rural development grant.
Berry said the tribe also wants to build a store and gas station on U.S. Highway 101.
Currently, tribe members have to travel to Forks to buy groceries or gas, she said.
“Beyond Forks, there is really no gas facility to speak of,” Berry said. “We have to drive 25 miles to buy food.”
Berry said the Jamestown S’Klallam tribe is assisting the Hoh with planning for using the land for economic development.
“It’s a great idea,” said Ron Allen, Jamestown S’Klallam chairman, in December. “We are just providing them with some assistance and helping them prepare for that.”
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Reporter Tom Callis can be reached at 360-417-3532 or at tom.callis@peninsuladailynews.com.
