On June 16, 2023, the Fish and Wildlife Commission approved agreements with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians during a meeting in Newport. The agreement will advance the government-to-government relationships between the State of Oregon and the Tribe, enhance tribal sovereignty and give the Tribe a stronger voice in protecting and enhancing fish, wildlife, and their habitats. The history and culture of the nine federally recognized Tribes in Oregon closely aligns with ODFW's mission to protect fish, wildlife and their habitats.
On December 5, 2014, the Fish and Wildlife Commission agreed to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with the Confederated Tribe of Siletz Indians that creates a Special Gathering Permit for clams to be used for ceremonial and other non-commercial uses. The permit allows the harvest of seven different species of clams in areas of Lincoln County that are open to recreational harvest.
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Highlights from the 2023 ODFW and Tribal Partnership Annual Report
- In June 2023, ODFW and the Confederated Tribes Siletz Indians (CTSI) signed a Memorandum of Agreement to establish a cooperative partnership to collaborate, share resources, and work as partners to develop and implement plans to protect, restore, and enhance fish and wildlife populations and their habitat. The MOA also established a framework for CTSI members to participate in subsistence and ceremonial harvest of fish and wildlife resources, to be licensed and managed by tribal government in partnership with ODFW.
- In addition to previously mentioned MOA, ODFW and the CTSI established a subsistence and ceremonial hunting, fishing, trapping, and gathering plan in 2023.
- ODFW participated in the annual meeting with the Confederated Tribes of Siletz Indians (CTSI) to discuss current fish and wildlife and management issues, hunting seasons, Tribal fishing site on Drift Creek, shellfish gathering, and future cooperative efforts took place virtually.
- ODFW provided the following fish and wildlife to the CTSI: 440 (4,092 pounds) of adult Spring Chinook from the South Santiam Hatchery for tribal subsistence and ceremonial use.
- ODFW staff distributed big game tags for tribal use to the CTSI.
- ODFW continues to work with the CTSI and USFWS on the 2001 Blue Line oil spill in the Yaquina River. A settlement with Blue Line Transportation has been reached and settlement funds are available once a restoration project has been agreed upon. The CTSI, USFWS and ODFW are tentatively looking to utilize the funds for the restoration of Boone and Nute Sloughs on the Yaquina.
- ODFW continues to partner with the CTSI at the Dundas Pond youth trout fishing location on Tribal property in the town of Siletz. Two stockings of 500 rainbow trout were conducted to support this youth angling opportunity.
- ODFW continues to work with the CTSI on their winter steelhead hatchery program (~5,000 smolts) to provide increased angling opportunity and to utilize the Tribes hatchery facility on Rock Creek, tributary to the Siletz River. The Salmon Trout Enhancement Program (STEP) propagation proposal was approved in late 2019. Approximately 6,500 eyed eggs are transferred annually to the CTSI for hatching and rearing juveniles to the smolt stage. The first release was conducted in spring of 2021.
- ODFW coordinated with the CTSI on a winter steelhead percent hatchery origin stray study in the Siletz basin. The Tribal hatchery on Rock Cr., a tributary to the Siletz River, has a trapping operation and will provide needed information for the study.
- The Western Oregon Stream Restoration Program is working with the CTSI fisheries biologist to develop additional instream and riparian projects.
- ODFW provided game meat from 16 wild turkeys killed due to damage or nuisance issues in the South Willamette Watershed District.
- ODFW provided 55 elk antlers and 10 deer antlers that were collected from wildlife enforcement activities or the Roadkill Salvage Program by South Willamette and Mid-Coast Districts.
- ODFW provided technical assistance and field support to CTSI fish biologists responsible for implementing fish monitoring plan for over 500 acres Southern Flow Corridor estuarine restoration project on Tillamook Bay.
- ODFW participated in planning meetings with CTSI and the Mid-Coast Watershed Council in project review of proposed implementation of high priority habitat restoration actions in the Siletz that were identified during the Coho Strategic Action Plan development.
- ODFW continued to coordinate with CTSI Natural Resources staff for post-project sampling at the Upton Slough (Little Nestucca) fish passage, screening, and habitat restoration project. Additional coordination/discussion occurred on a similar project on the Bay Unit of the USFWS Little Nestucca Wildlife Refuge (across the estuary from Upton Slough). Construction of this project began in 2022 and is scheduled to be completed in 2023.
- ODFW provided technical assistance and field support to CTSI for the Yaquina Olympia oyster restoration project. Oyster shell hash was placed and monitored in the Yaquina estuary to help with recovery of the native Olympia oyster population.
- ODFW Aquatic Inventories Program staff conducted habitat and snorkel surveys at two sites on Cedar Creek.
- ODFW worked with the CTSI to maintain multiple thermistors on Tribal land. The Siletz basin was chosen as ODFW’s first intensively monitored watershed for stream temperature.
- ODFW provided meat from three black bears killed due to damage or human safety issues in the Mid Coast District.
- ODFW provided technical assistance to the Siletz Tribal Garden Program Manager on preventing wildlife conflict to their farm crops.
- ODFW participated at the Siletz Tribal Garden property to improve beaver habitat by cutting willow with them and learning about their method of beaver BDA installation and function.
- The Siletz Tribe donated trees for a habitat restoration project in the Sandlake Basin. Large woody debris structures were placed in Jewel Creek (one of three streams treated). The donation had an estimated value of $15,120 towards the overall project cost of $191,837.
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