Environment
Quileute Tribe turns up pressure on land issue


The Quileute Tribe of Washington is hoping to add some land to its reservation before any more disappears.

The reservation sits at the mouth of Quileute River. But the tribe faces a constant threat of flood and even tsunamis. A storm back in 1910 changed the boundary of the river and the tribe says part of its land is now claimed by the National Park Service.

The tribe has since blocked off a parking lot used to access a popular beach at Olympic National Park. The goal is to acquire 750 acres of parkland on higher ground and 500 more acres of timberland now in private hands.

The National Park Service has offered 247 acres but the tribe is holding out. A second popular beach might also be forced to close as the tribe seeks more bargaining power.

Get the Story:
In a Bid for Higher Ground, a Low-Lying Indian Tribe Raises the Stakes (The New York Times 7/30)
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Relevant Links:
Quileute Tribe, National Resources - http://www.quileutetribe.org
Olympic National Park - http://www.nps.gov/olym

Related Stories:
Editorial: Help Quileute Tribe with boundary issue (10/13)
Quileute Tribe to meet over park boundary dispute (10/12)
Quileute Tribe, National Park Service in dispute (10/5)