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• Four years after the adoption of the Coordinated Water Quality 



Program, the participating tribes would review the program's entire 

 coordinating htimework to see if framework changes might improve 

 the joint tribal water quality efforts. 



Experience has convinced the tribes that the only reasonable and efficient way to 

 address nonpoint source and other water pollution is on a watershed, ecosystem 

 basis that transcends jurisdictional boundciries. No single governmental entity has 

 been able by itself to confront all of the water quality problems facing Washington 

 state and the treaty Indian tribes. Only comprehensive, coordinated efforts can 

 cleanse waters, restore habitat and sensitize the public about why and how to prevent 

 water pollution. 



The tribal commitment to watershed management and plaiming dovetails with the 

 stated goals, objectives and guidance of the Clean Water Act. In addition, the water- 

 shed management approach to water quality concerns furthers those objectives of the 

 Clean Water Act that do not require - but would benefit from - the watershed 

 planning process zmd approach as envisioned by the tribes and State of Washington. 

 Some of the tribal programs would iiKlude efforts to: 



Inventory, assess and protect wetlands to achieve a net gain of wet- 

 land areas; 



Protect and restore tribal spiritual and cultural areas affected by water 

 pollution; 



Upgrade reservation waste treatmail systems; 



Institute cooperative programs for managing active, orphaned and 

 abandoned logging and other roads; 



Identify, classify and monitor ecosystems and biotic communities 

 unique and important to the tribes; 



Coordinate tribal land-use ordinances with those of neighboring 

 governments; 



Have the EPA appreciate and recognize tribal off-reservation rights 

 and authorities; 



Prevent development within riparian areas and flood plains and to 

 feicilitate coordination of buyout programs for those living in flood 

 plains; 



Seek increased funding for the water pollution enforcement divisions 

 of tribal, state and local agencies; 



Work with other governments to develc^ social, political and financial 

 incentives, so that private efforts to curb and stop pollution will be 

 rewarded; and 



Work with other governments to secure funding for research on the 

 water quality and water quantity impacts of silvicultural, agricultural, 

 industrial, and development activities, so that the results of this 

 research will be built into decisions about water quality programs. 



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