Natural Resource | The Cowlitz Indian Tribe

Natural Resources Department

The Cowlitz Indian Tribe has inhabited the Lower Columbia River Basin since time immemorial. Innumerable aspects of Cowlitz culture emerge from the natural landscape. Examples include, but are not limited to:

Plants – red cedar, acorns, camas, wapato, and huckleberries.
Animals – elk, deer, mountain goats, salmon, eulachon, sturgeon, and lampreys.
Key habitats – rivers and fisheries, prairies, oak woodlands, and berry fields.

Hunting, fishing, and gathering foods, medicines, and materials are central to the identity and traditional lifeways of the Tribe.

The Tribe’s Natural Resources Department (NRD) seeks to promote healthy, harvestable plant and animal populations, foster connections with traditional and cultural First Foods, and steward Tribal lands and waters consistent with its Mission / Vision.

NRD is working to ensure that the plants, animals, and landscapes central to Cowlitz culture persist and thrive for future generations. We do this by restoring ecosystem health and function through direct action. We conserve and maintain lands for cultural and natural resource purposes, provide fish and forest resources for Tribal members, and advise Tribal leadership on natural resource issues that impact the plants, animals, and landscapes critical to Cowlitz culture.

Mission / Vision

To protect, conserve, restore, and promote culturally relevant species and landscapes integral to the unique identity of the Cowlitz people. To further educate the community and inspire future leaders and participants in this vision.

Overview

NRD is comprised of five core programs: Fish Distribution, Lands Maintenance, Habitat Restoration & Conservation, Wildlife, and Administration & Policy. Together, these programs work to advance the Tribe’s natural resource objectives.

Fish Distribution
Lands Maintenance
Habitat Restoration & Conservation
Wildlife
Administration & Policy

Services & Programs

Fish Distribution

The Fish Distribution Program provides salmon and steelhead from local hatcheries to Cowlitz Tribal members free of charge, directly connecting Tribal members to a cultural and traditional First Food. This program is part of the Tribe’s broader food sovereignty initiative, which seeks to revitalize traditional and cultural food practices, reduce food insecurity, promote health and well-being, encourage the transfer of intergenerational knowledge, and build community resilience. In addition, we supply fish for cultural events and partner with Health and Human Services to expand access to fish through other programs and activities, such as the Annual Elders Fishing Trip.

Tribal members can arrange to pick up fish from Tribal offices in DuPont, Toledo, Longview, or Ridgefield. Those living more than 60 miles from a pickup location can have frozen filets shipped to them.

Sign up / Shipping / Most pickup sites:
Email fishdistribution@cowlitz.org or call (360) 577-8140.

DuPont pickup site scheduling:
Call (360) 806-8251.

Tribal members are placed on the distribution list in the order requests are received, with priority given to Elders. Each Tribal member can receive up to 10 fresh fish or frozen filets per distribution.

Fish Distribution flyer: how to receive fish, including pickup, shipping, and contact information

Lands Maintenance

The Lands Maintenance Program provides the Tribe with a variety of services for more than 1,000 acres of fee-ownership and trust lands. We conduct property maintenance and improvement projects and strive to manage these landholdings for the benefit of current and future generations of Tribal members. We also partner with other programs and departments on joint projects.

Additional program activities include mowing, general cleanup, road maintenance, noxious weed control, fence installations, preservation and planting of native species, fire protection, site preparation for cultural events, and more.

Habitat Restoration & Conservation

The Habitat Restoration & Conservation Program develops, secures grant funds, and implements fish and wildlife habitat restoration projects throughout the Tribe’s aboriginal territory / Historic Area of Interest. Program activities include conservation property acquisition, floodplain reconnection, large wood placement, channel modification, culvert replacement, riparian planting, and dam, levee, and road removal. Most projects are centered on the protection and recovery of Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed salmon and steelhead.

Wildlife

The Wildlife Program works with local, state, and federal agencies to develop management actions that support culturally significant animal species and their habitats. The program has assisted with the translocation of ESA-listed Columbian white-tailed deer and is currently focused on restoring beaver to streams throughout Cowlitz Country.

Key activities include beaver reintroduction and habitat inventory, Columbian white-tailed deer translocation, monitoring and recovery, involvement in public forums and technical workgroups, and other wildlife management activities and research.

Administration & Policy

The Administration & Policy Program supports all NRD programs through coordination, oversight, and administrative functions. Policy staff identify, track, and engage on environmental policy issues and work to ensure Tribal leadership has access to the best available information when making decisions on natural resource matters.

Key activities include partnership- and capacity-building in support of Tribal stewardship goals, review and analysis of actions and proposals affecting Tribal rights and resources, policy and regulatory engagement, intra- and inter-department coordination, personnel management, budget planning/oversight, and other administrative functions.