Environmental Project Procedures and Review

Environmental laws at the federal, state and local levels require consideration be given to significant cultural resources (pre-contact sites, historical sites, and traditional and cultural use areas, etc.) during the planning review processes. These same environmental laws require federal, state, and local governments to consult with Tribes and Tribal Historic Preservation Officers regarding numerous aspects of an undertaking/project.

The Squaxin Island Tribe’s Cultural Resources Department (CRD) consults with agencies (federal, state, and local governments), tribes, private citizens, and developers to identify and develop protection strategies to assure that the Squaxin Island Tribe’s (and Washington’s) cultural heritage is not lost. For more information about these environmental laws, please visit the Federal and State Laws section.

How to Start Consultation with the Cultural Resource Department of the Squaxin Island Tribe:
• A detailed project description

• A map identifying the Project Area. Depending on the environmental law, this is either called an Area of Potential Effect or an Area of Potential Impact. These are the full geographic extent of a project’s footprint, including direct and indirect effects. The map should identify either the project’s location/address, UTMs, latitude and longitude, or the township, range and section.

• Environmental law triggering consultation (SEPA, NHPA, 21-02, NEPA)

• Proposed project plans

• If applicable, any cultural resource records or historical documents related to the project area (i.e.: cultural resource survey reports, previous excavation reports and permits, old photos with context, and/or historical summaries, etc.).

All this information should be sent via email to the CRD.

Depending upon the regulatory nexus, the timeline for consultation ranges from 15 to 30 days. For National Historic Preservation Act undertakings, these have a consultation period of 30 days. As for State Environmental Policy Act and Governor’s Executive Order 21-02 projects, these generally have a consultation period of 15 calendar days.

Lastly, large scale Environmental Assessments (EA) and/or Environmental Impact Statements (EIS) under the National Environmental Policy Act or the State Environmental Policy Act require long term consultation due to these types of projects taking years to complete. To start consulting with the CRD on a large scale EA or an EIS, send us a letter of intent and a map with an identified study area.

Incomplete consultation submittals may require additional time for consultation.