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• Each tribe shall maintain its govemment-to-govemment relationship 

 with the EPA and all other governmental entities. No organization 

 shall speak on water quality policy matters for ciny tribe unless that 

 tribe agrees to be so represented. 



• Each tribe intends to institute for itself an educational program on how 

 to prevent and control water pollution. The tribes recognize education 

 as a major tool for preventing water pollution, especially nonpoint 

 source pollution. Educational programs carrying the tribal voice have 

 strong effect on tribal members and furthermore act to make the tribal 

 voice heard in neighboring non-tribal communities. 



Regional And Watershed Coordination: 



Circumstimces amd experience convince the Washington tribes that the success of any 

 water quality program depends on coordinated, cooperative pollution control efforts 

 eunong the tribes themselves and between the tribes and other governments. 



The tribes agree that ongoing and new efforts to protect, restore and enhance the 

 purity of waters within the state must continue to be cooperative and must continue 

 to be carried out on a watershed basis. Watershed programs usually involve a multi- 

 plicity of tribal and nontribal governments. As part of the Coordinated Tribal Water 

 Quality Program, the tribes intend: 



• Individually, cind as groups, to strengthen and institutionalize ties 

 between the tribes and the counties and municipalities in combatting 

 water pollution. 



• Individually, and as groups, to strengthen their govenunent-to- 

 goverrunent relations with such state agencies as the state 

 departments of Ecology, Natural Resources, Fisheries, Wildlife, 

 Agriculture, Health and Community Development and with the Puget 

 Sound Water Quality Authority. 



Many tribes already involve themselves in tribally-directed regional organizations 

 that have evolved from the necessity to jointly manage off-reservation fisheries and 

 other resources dependent upon water quality. These organizations include the 

 Ska^t System Cooperative (Swinomish, Upper Skagit and Sauk-Suiattle tribes). Point 

 No Point Treaty Council (Skokomish, Port Gamble S'Klallam, Jamestown STClallam 

 imd Lower Elwha Klallam tribes) and Upper Columbia Uruted Tribes (Spokane and 

 Kalispel tribes). 



With the development and initial funding of the Coordinated Tribal Water Quality 

 Program, these organizatior\s take on additional importance as both technical and 

 policy structures for dealing with nonpoint source and other water pollution. As 

 intra-tribal water quality programs broaden jmd deepen, these organizations should 

 develop further importance as chief regional tribal entities focusing on watershed 

 water pollution problems in cooperation with non-tribal governments. 



Along with the the Skagit System Cooperative, Point No Point Treaty Council and 

 Upper Columbia United Tribes organizations, other options exist for formal and 

 concentrated tribal cooperation in water quality progtcuns. These iiKlude: 



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