EVERETT—Tribal leaders, fish habitat and salmon recovery experts, and members of the No on 2117 campaign announce that a majority of federally-recognized Tribal Nations in Washington state oppose Initiative 2117, that if passed by voters this November, would prohibit carbon tax credit trading, also known as “cap-and-invest,” which would gut Washington’s Climate Commitment Act.
Spencer Island Park, in Everett, was chosen as the location for Thursday’s announcement to bring attention to the salmon recovery project that is set to lose $500,000 in funding if I-2117 passes in November, a No on 2117 spokeswoman told the Lynnwood Times. The project’s goal is to restore the large river delta that provides a valuable nursery habitat for juvenile threatened salmon species, increasing survival and supporting Puget Sound population recovery.
“From warming salmon streams to eroding shorelines, Northwest Tribes know firsthand the need to protect our lands and waters, and to defeat Initiative 2117,” said Suquamish Tribal Chair and President of the Associated Tribes of Northwest Indians Leonard Forsman. “We join together in strong opposition to Initiative 2117, which threatens the lands, cultures, and traditional ways of our region and our communities.”
As of the September 26 announcement, 16 Tribal Nations in Washington state have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign alleging that passage of the initiative this November would have devastating impacts on the air, water, salmon, and transportation. In addition to the Affiliated Tribes of Northwest Indians, there are: Chehalis Tribe, Cowlitz Indian Tribe, Hoh Tribe, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Nisqually Indian Tribe, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Puyallup Tribe of Indians, Quileute Tribe, Quinault Indian Nation, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Snoqualmie Indian Tribe, Squaxin Island Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, and the Tulalip Tribes.
“The Tulalip Tribes have always been dedicated to preserving our natural resources and cultural heritage. Initiative 2117 poses a significant threat to our way of life by undermining our efforts to protect the environment and sustain our communities,” said Tulalip Tribal Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “This initiative would jeopardize critical funding for salmon recovery, clean water, and wildfire resilience projects that are essential to our survival and prosperity. We stand united with other Tribal Nations in Washington state to oppose Initiative 2117 and safeguard our future.”
If passed, the No on 2117 claims that initiative would slash funding for significant Tribal-led projects and harm Tribal environmental leadership and conservation efforts, including:
- Direct financial assistance to help Tribes grappling with environmental impacts, like protecting communities from sea level rise. This includes relocation of the Quinault Indian Nation’s Queets Village and funding for the Coastal Hazards Assistance program;
- Transit projects on Tribal lands, including Lummi Transit electric bus acquisition, the Spokane Tribe Moccasin Express, Snoqualmie Tribal Transit Program, Cowlitz Indian Tribe Transit Program, and Clallam Transit Rural Service;
- Fish habitat restoration and salmon recovery programs across Washington state, with many projects impacting Tribal Nations, to the tune of at least $216 million;
- Tribal-led clean energy projects, including funding for Yakama Solar and a Clean Energy Innovation Center at NW Indian College;
- Direct financial assistance to support Tribal Nations to address the impacts of environmental health disparities, including funds to modernize Tribal schools; and,
- Wildland fire management training for Tribal communities.
Supporter of I-2117 have pointed to the CCA’s contribution for Washington state having one of the highest gas prices in the United States, calling it a defacto “gas tax.”
“As soon as 2023 arrived, and the CCA took full effect, fuel prices immediately began to rise in our state,” Washington State Senate Minority, Senator John Braun wrote in a commentary to the Lynnwood Times. “By that summer, Washington had the highest gasoline prices in the nation. They topped even California, the other cap-and-tax state in the nation, and Hawaii, which has to have all its fuel shipped in at additional cost.”
He further argued that the CCA disproportionately impacts low-income residents.
“Costs that hit lower-income people harder than those with higher incomes are called regressive,” wrote Braun. “A wealthy person may not even notice that 9 or 10 cents tax on each dollar spent, but a poor person does.”
On July 17, 2024, the Washington State Department of Commerce announced that it awarded $52 million in grant funding to support climate resilience for 28 federally recognized tribes within Washington, as well as four federally recognized tribes with lands within the state.
“This CCA funding will help nearly all of the tribes within Washington prepare for the climate risks ahead,” said Washington Governor Jay Inslee in the Department of Commerce’s announcement. “Environmental justice is foundational to the CCA and tribes know best how to protect their land and people. I appreciate that Commerce co-designed this grant in a way that honors tribal sovereignty and knowledge.”
The latest $13 million competitive round of grant funding was awarded to tribes on June 14. It adds to the $25 million in formula grant funding and $14 million in direct appropriations awarded to tribes within Washington during the 2023-2025 biennium for tribal climate resilience. The Tribes and Commerce’s Office of Tribal Relations and Growth Management Services Unit “intentionally designed this funding to give tribes flexibility to determine the best use to address their climate resiliency needs,” the department says.
Why are tribal leaders supporting No on 2117?
“We are the stewards of this land, and we must protect it,” said Puyallup Tribal Chairman Bill Sterud. “We are opposing Initiative 2117 because it would damage everything from the forests to the waters to the air we breathe.”
“Initiative 2117 would harm the Quinault people because it eliminates a key source of funding for relocating our villages outside of the tsunami zone and would leave us that much more vulnerable to threats from coastal erosion and flooding,” said Quinault Indian Nation President Guy Capoeman. “These are our ancestral lands, where generations of Quinault have lived and worked. We must relocate our homes, businesses, school, and fire and police services to higher ground. Losing support for this relocation through Initiative 2117 would represent another broken commitment to Tribal Nations.”
“The Cowlitz Indian Tribe stands united with Tribal Nations across the state in opposition to Initiative 2117,” said Cowlitz Tribal Chair William Iyall. “Our people have been dedicated stewards of our lands and waters since time immemorial. We believe that I-2117 threatens the progress we’ve made together as Washingtonians to protect our communities from the devastating impacts of climate change, and we encourage everyone to join us in voting no this November.”
“The Quileute people are the ancestral stewards and caretakers of A-Ka-Lat, today known as James Island — a place where our ancestors lived, hunted, and flourished for as long as the ageless memory of legend recalls,” said Quileute Nation Chairman Douglas Woodruff, Jr. “Clean and safe water and healthy and abundant salmon are central to our history and our way of life. Initiative 2117 represents an existential fight for the future of our communities, our salmon, and our way of life. We are proud to join Tribal Nations from across Washington to oppose this dangerous initiative.”
“This is a huge moment for our coalition in the fight to say no on I-2117,” said Squaxin Island Tribal Chairman Kris Peters. “We are very proud to stand shoulder to shoulder with a majority of tribes within the state of Washington to express how much of a threat that we believe this initiative is to our collective progress on the environment. I am grateful to all of the tribal leaders and community members who have stepped up to meet the moment and defend our waters and homelands.”
