The commissioners did not answer yesterday's question seeking clarification about whose interests they primarily represent. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
Skagit County has demonstrated that counties can formally respond to BIA land-into-trust actions as part of the administrative record—so why has Clallam County failed to do so for over a decade, and will you commit to submitting responses going forward?
At March's Comms Forum, you asked French about his responsibility to his constituents. His long reply to you was that he represents the Tribes in District 3. He did not mention anyone else. Not even an "also." He was defensive of his stance, almost as if you had hit a sore thumb. I found it verfied his favoritism to the Tribal Corps and his annoyance with your question.
I did not steal the property on which I reside. I pledge allegiance to one nation. I am not racially biased against tribal ancestry. I am in favor of governance of county commissioners responding to state and federal agencies requesting input on economic impact of land transfers. It is a dereliction of duty to not respond. There is also the impact on governance of sovereign nations control of land and exclusive admittance to such land.
There's that "Turtle Island" again... I see many businesses - especially back in North Eastern US - have aknowledgements. It is definitely catching hold here in the North.
I wonder if we will acknowledge we stole land from King George III? Or ripping off the French for the Louisiana Purchase; the Spanish will demand Texas, California? The Russians take back Alaska? The American natives give all their claims back to Asians, who migrated from Middle East, Africa and Europe who crossed the Pacific? Irrational to think land hasn’t been inhabited by multiple Homo sapien tribes over the entire earth. Will the tribes contribute to our knowledge base by releasing their DNA records? That might clear up the confusion by some that homage must be paid for daring to send advanced seafarers on discoveries to the unknown. (Homo Sapiens all migrated from Africa…different routes, different sea levels, different tribes)
We are short timers in the county, have only been here 11 years. We moved to where we could have elbow room, grow a garden, plant some fruit trees, and harvest seafood to enjoy with friends and family.
When we moved here we were told our property was not in the boundary of the Dungeness Water Rule (DWR), and that we could put in a well. After checking into it, we find we are in the DWR area (did the boundaries move?). We can pay over $5,000 for a permit to dig a well, but if permission to dig is denied, we can’t have our $5,000 back. Furthermore, we can’t dig a well unless Cascadia Water gives their permission. Why would they give permission when we currently have to pay them for our water?
Also, if we put in a well (which we planned to use only for watering our garden and trees), we would have to disconnect from our community water source (Cascadia), because the county apparently doesn’t allow a property to have two water sources unless their well was grandfathered in before Cascadia bought Estates Water.
With the continually increasing cost of water from Cascadia, this will mean that we can’t afford to have a garden.
Maybe we need a Water Steward to guard private property owners’ water rights, but I doubt that is the objective of the proposed position.
Don’t even get me started on fishing and crabbing rights. The tribal rights are so generous that the tribes can increase their wealth by commercially fishing, and crabbing, leaving very little for non tribal members to put on their tables.
We’ve been here 10 years and had the same conversations with our realtor about the Dungeness water rule. We ultimately bought in PA, which came with a different set of caveats. 🥴
You're spot on here. I'm trying to figure out how to present a position with facts so that I don't look like I'm yelling at the moon. The last thing I want to do is come across like Paul Pickett in the Charter Review Commission meeting where he called anyone supporting the land in trust matter as outright racists.
Great article, Jeff. Hopefully all of your hard work with the CRC will have positive outcomes. Now it's up to us and the BoCC. If our Commissioners have any problems composing a letter to the BIA, Skagit County can be a role model. I don't expect Commissioners to know everything about everything, but I do expect them to represent County citizens. One of the most important responsibilities they have is to be prudent with our tax dollars. A vital step to protecting our property and our money is a response to the BIA. Do your job, BoCC!
GREAT EXPECTATIONS! It all there, wealth and poverty and the eventual triumph of good over evil. Now about composing a letter to the BIA? I'm sure the one paragraph they write will contain everything but persuasive facts. Have I become cynical? We can lead the horses to water....
I saw the County just posted that DCD is hiring a StreamKeepers coordinator. The job description looks very similar to the Water Steward proposal: water testing, reports, organizing, suggesting policy. Anyone have any idea how these two positions would interact or differ? Do we actually already have a “water steward” and this is redundant?
And then there's the CCD, the X, the Y, and the Z people who espouse some sort of water control title. Let's get all of those people into one room and decide who is doing what, where's there's overlap, and what's good for everyone including the golf course watering Corporations.
Yes, it does. Even Director Emery has stated as such. Multiple people with the same job. Sounds exactly like gov't finding ways to waste our money and employ their friends.
We want representation and the 3 commissioners are falling short by a mile. They have to put their politics aside and truly represent us, the citizens who pay them.
How can we keep supporting the growing government control system if the tax base keeps shrinking. It would totally different if the corporation pays as all business pays. The transfer of wildlife refuges us a deeper subject, as we all know they destroy natural habitat for profit.
Thank you Doggers for the great comments supporting our concerns.
Kind of funny how Jamestown doesn’t respond to a government-to-government request from Clallam County to have a discussion about the lodging tax issues; and at the same time Clallam County commissioners won’t respond to a government-to-government request from a federal agency. I wonder where Ozias learned it from? LOL.
It's like the argument against voter ID. If you had to present ID to pick up your $1 million Powerball winnings you'd certainly find a way wouldn't you?
It has been said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Sadly, I see us doing the same things over and over and over, ignoring the fact that nothing changes. The commissioners ignore us, cater to their owners (JKT), Jeff writes daily letters to them that are ignored. the Tribe keeps taking more property and shifting the tax burden onto us, business close, people leave the area, and we bitch and moan about it all. Nothing changes.
I hope wiser readers and citizens here can come up with a different strategy that works. I just read that in NYC, several city council members, fed up with the Marxist Mamdani, resigned and plan to separate Staten Island as it's own sovereign city and get out from under Mamdani. Is that something we could possibly due? Declare a portion of Clallam County as sovereign and no longer under the control of the 3 miscreanteers? Any lawyers here that might address the feasibility of this? What about Nullification? What if we ignore the miscreants' edicts en masse? What is we make them irrelevant?
I am just tossing out idea, because at the rate we're going, I will die before anything meaningful improves in Clallam County. And I don't say this to discourage anyone or "piss on your cheerios" as I have heard said, but maybe we need a different approach. It is clear to me that Democrats everywhere are INTENTIONALLY ruining their jurisdictions to drive out business and conservatives, so that they gain an even stronger embedded power/control. Ruling a slum, to them, is better than being part of a thriving community. In a slum, all kinds of federal money pour in for them to pocket and enrich themselves. With a strong majority, their power is cemented in, thwarting accountability, audits, and more. Maybe keeping in mind the fact that they are intentionally inviting homeless, drug addicts, and driving out people and businesses, perhaps we can come up with more effective approaches to being rid of the parasites. Hey-- maybe we can spray them with Ivermectin....
One would think looking around, "Who's responsible for all this?"
Do we need a rocket scientist to look at the consistency in leaders in Clallam County government for 20+ years and compare it to the consistent decline in what is going on here?
Maybe words are too hard to hit the target. I know for me pictures and charts do the trick.
It seems the Skagit County Board of Commissioners not only responded negatively to the Swinomish claim of Tribal Jurisdiction of Land, BUT ALSO SENT LETTERS OUT TO LAND OWNERS AS SOON AS THEY GOT NOTICE. The letters were clear and included maps. Clallam County residents have never been notified, or treated with the respect that the Skagit Board of Commissioners shows to their constituents. Click on site below to read how Skagit Commissioners treat their citizens in a professional and transparent way.
SKAGIT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
TO; FIDALGO ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS
Re: Notice of Proposed Expansion of Swinomish Reservation
Date: December 1, 2016
We are writing because your property appears to be within an area of land over which the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (“Swinomish”) is asserting tribal jurisdiction. Swinomish recently filed papers with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”), seeking approval of a Swinomish constitutional amendment to be voted on by Swinomish tribal members, which, if approved, may annex your property into the reservation. We have included the Swinomish map of their proposed expanded reservation with this letter. Swinomish is asserting jurisdiction over the area north and west of the bold red line on the map—an area that is not within the current reservation. The map uses the abbreviation “SIN” for the Samish Indian Nation
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners has objected to the Swinomish reservation expansion plan by the enclosed letter dated November 28, 2016. While we oppose the Swinomish reservation expansion plan, SKAGIT COUNTY MUST REPRESENT THE INTEREST OF SKAGIT COUNTY AS A WHOLE, WHICH MAY NOT AT ALL TIMES BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR INDIVIDUAL INTEREST AND RIGHT. WE PROVIDE YOU THIS LETTER SO YOU HAVE TIMELY NOTICE AND CAN SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING YOUR RIGHT.
MK, The Skagit Commissioner's wrote a 5 PAGE detailed letter, along with the proper research and legitimate objections to any land transfer. It was a strongly worded concise letter. AND THE CITIZENS GOT A COPY! This kept everyone in the loop.
What I think is going to happen with our Commissioners, IF they write a letter to the BIA, is that their letter will be anemic enough to the point of being useless.
I’m so ashamed how the Commissioners lack professionalism...Slouching in chairs, ignoring public remarks, abusing government property, chewing on fingernails, speaking without facts and the overall smug attitudes...We have gotten so use to it, we don’t see it unless compared to how other County Commissioners run their Boards.
Yes, we need to have a redo and get the respect back. How can they live in their own skin knowing people are embarrassed and laughing at them? We start with Jake Seegers and rebuild from there!
The dialectical use of “lived experience” is to destroy real science and the lived experience of those who’s experience contradicts the Marxist revolutionary’s intentions. Or in this case Lunatics in Clallam County government.
Dialectical climatology is about rewriting the science to make it appear as if the world will be destroyed if we do not deconstruct Western Civilization immediately with the loons in Clallam its their start with water monitoring in Clallam county. Exactly as they the left loons did with “Nuclear Winter”. Some went as far as to claim it was a solar system wide event. (In a rare case of genuine irony, since the sunspot cycle was more active for a few decades it actually was a solar system wide phenomenon which itself destroys the concept of anthropogenic Global warming since no one was driving a Ford F 150 on Mars.)
“Trans-affirming care” is a dialectical term that actually means to spay or neuter children, or severely brainwashed or mentally unwell older children. The State of Washington put this to State Law with arrest power of those that interfere Trans- affirming care.
Multiculturalism is my favorite one. It actually means to use one culture against another until there are no cultures left. It works extremely well against tolerant cultures but it has never worked against Islam, because Islam knows what it believes and can’t be conned into believing something else equally ludicrous and destructive to themselves as a culture. “Health-Canada”, say no more. Black Lives Matters was a communist minstrel show. “ANTIFA”, do I really need to explain that one? Feminism: A war on women via dialectical lines of operation.
All very true, Russell. An Imam in a video interview with Dinesh D'Souza explains that Islam is aligned with Democrats because they can be brainwashed, or at the least, easily persuaded. Whereas, Republicans have core values and beliefs making them harder to manipulate. My example: Feminists on the Progressive Left endorse Sharia Law. No freedom loving woman would ever align herself with that!
Charter Government: Unlike standard counties that operate under general state laws, home rule counties create their own "constitution" (charter).
Greater Autonomy: They can often exercise any power not specifically prohibited by state law, providing more flexibility in handling local issues.
Tailored Structure: Home rule enables counties to change their government structure, such as appointing officials instead of electing them, enacting term limits, or increasing the number of commissioners.
Increased Local Control: It gives citizens greater control over county policies, such as land use, administrative services, and local regulations
So, we get to vote these people in, and they are not beholden to the State. WHAT A JOKE!
ABeetle, in 4 more years we will have another stab with a new Charter Review, this time with lessons learned from the previous sessions and the public will be more informed.
We live at the base of a huge water reservoir called the Olympic Mountain Range. I fully acknowledge how essential water is to our lives. Stewardship is wise to the extent that the resource is not negligently wasted. However; it is my understanding that our local water table has, is and likely will remain stable. If I am wrong about this, I would love to be corrected with evidence, not Chicken Little possibilities. Absent any measuring statistics proving our water supply is in danger why would we spend money to keep the sky from falling ? Show me the beef. Without getting into the weeds, having sovereign nations within a nation is untenable. The BIA is an antiquated Bureau functioning in the past. There are no indigenous people living today. Only their progeny who have and use cell phones, computers, powered vessels, transportation systems, sanitation systems and Casinos; none of which their ancestry included. Friends and neighbors or sovereign, but not both and.
The Jamestown band's website lists 4 key partners. In addition to the treaty council and Indian fish council they are
The Dungeness Audubon Society and
The Dungeness River Management Team.
The DRMT appointed Tony Corrado to write a report for them which the gazette article summarizes. Having the League push approval is included.
The article summarizes the goal of the DRMT is to have the CO manage water just as the Charter Review Committee first publicized the position. They seek to have CO reallocate the citizens water rights, shutter and expand their systems and dictate where, when and how much water they may have because the team does not expect source and system owners to do so willfully. They advise consolidating private wells and B classified systems into A systems triggering millions in cost to just one neighborhood of 15 connections.
The data to be gathered and given to the state agencies can further result in the reduction of your water rights, the number of connections served and whether your system meets new regulations to actually serve more than one.
The CO and other sytems learned their consolidation with a private for profit company would include rate increases to pay for upgrades to other systems outside the county but could oppose them through the state utility commission. However, their is no recourse through the utility commission if the system is managed by a PUD, city or county.
Much of the Dungeness area has been subject to the Dungeness Water Rule since 2013 brought on by a lawsuit in Whatcom CO from the Lummi tribe to protect their salmon resource. Whatcom and Clallam CO may not issue building permits without proof of legal water availability there. The cost is substantial as it has always been to anyone seeking a water or utilty source. As Mr. Fleck, the Forks city attorney and planner commented during the Charter Review Committee hearings, this proposal seeks funding from the West End citizens they cannot afford to pay for the East End.
If CO can secure the management of our water rights and systems, they can charge what they want for whomever they want; prioritization is up to them. But grant funding requires affordability and ability to secure payment with liens and foreclosures and they need all of our properties to secure it.
The special committee within the Charter Review Committee could not obtain passage from among the 15 elected CRC commissioners to presnt it to the county citizens for a vote and instead are seeking passage by just two of three CO Commissioners.
This is not a matter of what government can do for you but to you. Good luck citizens!
The commissioners did not answer yesterday's question seeking clarification about whose interests they primarily represent. Here is today's email:
Dear Commissioners,
Skagit County has demonstrated that counties can formally respond to BIA land-into-trust actions as part of the administrative record—so why has Clallam County failed to do so for over a decade, and will you commit to submitting responses going forward?
It is outright maddening that the commissioners are not answering these necessary and logical questions.
Stay on them Jeff...
We know things have a tendency to "Catch" up to us.
Yep Commissioners.... we are the "Catch" up.
The Citizens of Clallam County.
They have to answer some day, to someone or something.
At March's Comms Forum, you asked French about his responsibility to his constituents. His long reply to you was that he represents the Tribes in District 3. He did not mention anyone else. Not even an "also." He was defensive of his stance, almost as if you had hit a sore thumb. I found it verfied his favoritism to the Tribal Corps and his annoyance with your question.
I remember.
The plan IS bigger than one man, that’s for sure.
Puppet.
Marionette…
Strings attached.
Odd, I thought of a hand stuck up the puppet
Jamestown Tribe.
a Corporation.
2nd Largest employer in Clallam County
or
have they now moved to first?
Who is running this place?
Mike?
Randy?
Mark?
United States of America
🇺🇸
One Nation, Under GOD
we want answers & change.
I did not steal the property on which I reside. I pledge allegiance to one nation. I am not racially biased against tribal ancestry. I am in favor of governance of county commissioners responding to state and federal agencies requesting input on economic impact of land transfers. It is a dereliction of duty to not respond. There is also the impact on governance of sovereign nations control of land and exclusive admittance to such land.
You're going to find this perspective immensely interesting
https://c2cjournal.ca/2026/03/we-have-ways-of-making-you-talk-the-tyranny-of-land-acknowledgements-and-other-compelled-speech/
Great article. Thanks MK.Tribe USA.
There's that "Turtle Island" again... I see many businesses - especially back in North Eastern US - have aknowledgements. It is definitely catching hold here in the North.
ABeetle, I saw that and thought of you. So, I went to a 'happy place' of dogs and forgot about us land abusers ; )
aw, that's nice. Yes, I'm sitting here with my pooch, birdwatching :)
Land Ad Nauseam in Real Time
Thank you MK
I wonder if we will acknowledge we stole land from King George III? Or ripping off the French for the Louisiana Purchase; the Spanish will demand Texas, California? The Russians take back Alaska? The American natives give all their claims back to Asians, who migrated from Middle East, Africa and Europe who crossed the Pacific? Irrational to think land hasn’t been inhabited by multiple Homo sapien tribes over the entire earth. Will the tribes contribute to our knowledge base by releasing their DNA records? That might clear up the confusion by some that homage must be paid for daring to send advanced seafarers on discoveries to the unknown. (Homo Sapiens all migrated from Africa…different routes, different sea levels, different tribes)
We are short timers in the county, have only been here 11 years. We moved to where we could have elbow room, grow a garden, plant some fruit trees, and harvest seafood to enjoy with friends and family.
When we moved here we were told our property was not in the boundary of the Dungeness Water Rule (DWR), and that we could put in a well. After checking into it, we find we are in the DWR area (did the boundaries move?). We can pay over $5,000 for a permit to dig a well, but if permission to dig is denied, we can’t have our $5,000 back. Furthermore, we can’t dig a well unless Cascadia Water gives their permission. Why would they give permission when we currently have to pay them for our water?
Also, if we put in a well (which we planned to use only for watering our garden and trees), we would have to disconnect from our community water source (Cascadia), because the county apparently doesn’t allow a property to have two water sources unless their well was grandfathered in before Cascadia bought Estates Water.
With the continually increasing cost of water from Cascadia, this will mean that we can’t afford to have a garden.
Maybe we need a Water Steward to guard private property owners’ water rights, but I doubt that is the objective of the proposed position.
Don’t even get me started on fishing and crabbing rights. The tribal rights are so generous that the tribes can increase their wealth by commercially fishing, and crabbing, leaving very little for non tribal members to put on their tables.
We’ve been here 10 years and had the same conversations with our realtor about the Dungeness water rule. We ultimately bought in PA, which came with a different set of caveats. 🥴
- thanks for the article recap today Jeff...
I almost forgot the "Calico Cat Club" meeting.
Yes, we will be there.
And the Sequim Town Hall and Port Angeles....
We need to ask the right questions and come "Prepared".
It is curious the people who purchase news papers and radio stations.
My conspiracy brain.
Especially if they are not local.
So last year the Peninsula Daily news was asking for handouts and donations?
The Peninsula Daily News in OWNED by Sound Publishing & Black Press-(Previously) however, NOW it is owned by Carpenter Media Group. (rabbit hole)
You really cant tell who owns it... now.
Regardless, this Newspaper is owned by MONEY, they don't need your bailout.
Shame on these clowns.
Water Steward?
No.
No way.
Keep pushing back for your land rights, and human rights.
Enough.
I have had enough.
For me, but not for thee.....
Please, please TAKE the time and get to the meeting. (s)
Either on-line, in person or via letter.
If we don't take the bull by the horn, the outcome will be haunting
for your kids, grandkids, nieces and nephews., and neighbors.
Have a great Friday.
T
You're spot on here. I'm trying to figure out how to present a position with facts so that I don't look like I'm yelling at the moon. The last thing I want to do is come across like Paul Pickett in the Charter Review Commission meeting where he called anyone supporting the land in trust matter as outright racists.
LOL!
Great article, Jeff. Hopefully all of your hard work with the CRC will have positive outcomes. Now it's up to us and the BoCC. If our Commissioners have any problems composing a letter to the BIA, Skagit County can be a role model. I don't expect Commissioners to know everything about everything, but I do expect them to represent County citizens. One of the most important responsibilities they have is to be prudent with our tax dollars. A vital step to protecting our property and our money is a response to the BIA. Do your job, BoCC!
GREAT EXPECTATIONS! It all there, wealth and poverty and the eventual triumph of good over evil. Now about composing a letter to the BIA? I'm sure the one paragraph they write will contain everything but persuasive facts. Have I become cynical? We can lead the horses to water....
There's a difference between cynical and foolish. You can be cynical all you want, Jennifer, and let everyone else be foolish.
I saw the County just posted that DCD is hiring a StreamKeepers coordinator. The job description looks very similar to the Water Steward proposal: water testing, reports, organizing, suggesting policy. Anyone have any idea how these two positions would interact or differ? Do we actually already have a “water steward” and this is redundant?
https://www.governmentjobs.com/careers/clallam/jobs/5287909/dcd-streamkeepers-coordinator
And then there's the CCD, the X, the Y, and the Z people who espouse some sort of water control title. Let's get all of those people into one room and decide who is doing what, where's there's overlap, and what's good for everyone including the golf course watering Corporations.
Agree. Before we create any more positions we need to understand what already exists.
Yes, it does. Even Director Emery has stated as such. Multiple people with the same job. Sounds exactly like gov't finding ways to waste our money and employ their friends.
It looks as if they are trying to sneak this job into the machinery. 40 bucks an hour -!!
Good morning Jeff and Doggers,
Thanks for keeping the burner on Jeff.
We want representation and the 3 commissioners are falling short by a mile. They have to put their politics aside and truly represent us, the citizens who pay them.
How can we keep supporting the growing government control system if the tax base keeps shrinking. It would totally different if the corporation pays as all business pays. The transfer of wildlife refuges us a deeper subject, as we all know they destroy natural habitat for profit.
Thank you Doggers for the great comments supporting our concerns.
Have a great day all!
Kind of funny how Jamestown doesn’t respond to a government-to-government request from Clallam County to have a discussion about the lodging tax issues; and at the same time Clallam County commissioners won’t respond to a government-to-government request from a federal agency. I wonder where Ozias learned it from? LOL.
Ironic, isn't it?
It's like the argument against voter ID. If you had to present ID to pick up your $1 million Powerball winnings you'd certainly find a way wouldn't you?
Stop making sense!
Oh, the Corporation, and Commissioners, respond when you dangle greenbacks in their face.
It has been said, "Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results."
Sadly, I see us doing the same things over and over and over, ignoring the fact that nothing changes. The commissioners ignore us, cater to their owners (JKT), Jeff writes daily letters to them that are ignored. the Tribe keeps taking more property and shifting the tax burden onto us, business close, people leave the area, and we bitch and moan about it all. Nothing changes.
I hope wiser readers and citizens here can come up with a different strategy that works. I just read that in NYC, several city council members, fed up with the Marxist Mamdani, resigned and plan to separate Staten Island as it's own sovereign city and get out from under Mamdani. Is that something we could possibly due? Declare a portion of Clallam County as sovereign and no longer under the control of the 3 miscreanteers? Any lawyers here that might address the feasibility of this? What about Nullification? What if we ignore the miscreants' edicts en masse? What is we make them irrelevant?
I am just tossing out idea, because at the rate we're going, I will die before anything meaningful improves in Clallam County. And I don't say this to discourage anyone or "piss on your cheerios" as I have heard said, but maybe we need a different approach. It is clear to me that Democrats everywhere are INTENTIONALLY ruining their jurisdictions to drive out business and conservatives, so that they gain an even stronger embedded power/control. Ruling a slum, to them, is better than being part of a thriving community. In a slum, all kinds of federal money pour in for them to pocket and enrich themselves. With a strong majority, their power is cemented in, thwarting accountability, audits, and more. Maybe keeping in mind the fact that they are intentionally inviting homeless, drug addicts, and driving out people and businesses, perhaps we can come up with more effective approaches to being rid of the parasites. Hey-- maybe we can spray them with Ivermectin....
Agreed!
One would think looking around, "Who's responsible for all this?"
Do we need a rocket scientist to look at the consistency in leaders in Clallam County government for 20+ years and compare it to the consistent decline in what is going on here?
Maybe words are too hard to hit the target. I know for me pictures and charts do the trick.
DOING THEIR JOBS WITH RESPECT AND TRANSPARENCY
It seems the Skagit County Board of Commissioners not only responded negatively to the Swinomish claim of Tribal Jurisdiction of Land, BUT ALSO SENT LETTERS OUT TO LAND OWNERS AS SOON AS THEY GOT NOTICE. The letters were clear and included maps. Clallam County residents have never been notified, or treated with the respect that the Skagit Board of Commissioners shows to their constituents. Click on site below to read how Skagit Commissioners treat their citizens in a professional and transparent way.
https://www.skagitcounty.net/Home/Documents/Letter%20to%20Fidalgo%20Island%20Property%20Owners%20RE%20Swinomish%20annexation.pdf
SKAGIT COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ADMINISTRATIVE BUILDING
TO; FIDALGO ISLAND PROPERTY OWNERS
Re: Notice of Proposed Expansion of Swinomish Reservation
Date: December 1, 2016
We are writing because your property appears to be within an area of land over which the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (“Swinomish”) is asserting tribal jurisdiction. Swinomish recently filed papers with the U.S. Department of Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs (“BIA”), seeking approval of a Swinomish constitutional amendment to be voted on by Swinomish tribal members, which, if approved, may annex your property into the reservation. We have included the Swinomish map of their proposed expanded reservation with this letter. Swinomish is asserting jurisdiction over the area north and west of the bold red line on the map—an area that is not within the current reservation. The map uses the abbreviation “SIN” for the Samish Indian Nation
The Skagit County Board of Commissioners has objected to the Swinomish reservation expansion plan by the enclosed letter dated November 28, 2016. While we oppose the Swinomish reservation expansion plan, SKAGIT COUNTY MUST REPRESENT THE INTEREST OF SKAGIT COUNTY AS A WHOLE, WHICH MAY NOT AT ALL TIMES BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR INDIVIDUAL INTEREST AND RIGHT. WE PROVIDE YOU THIS LETTER SO YOU HAVE TIMELY NOTICE AND CAN SEEK LEGAL COUNSEL REGARDING YOUR RIGHT.
Our Commissioners are failing on an epic scale!
What an amazing difference in leadership quality. It's hard to understand or appreciate why our Commissioners sit on their hands like whipped puppies.
Vote for Jake. He clearly understands his obligation to represent everyone in Clallam County EQUALLY. End the lopsided imbalance.
MK, The Skagit Commissioner's wrote a 5 PAGE detailed letter, along with the proper research and legitimate objections to any land transfer. It was a strongly worded concise letter. AND THE CITIZENS GOT A COPY! This kept everyone in the loop.
What I think is going to happen with our Commissioners, IF they write a letter to the BIA, is that their letter will be anemic enough to the point of being useless.
I’m so ashamed how the Commissioners lack professionalism...Slouching in chairs, ignoring public remarks, abusing government property, chewing on fingernails, speaking without facts and the overall smug attitudes...We have gotten so use to it, we don’t see it unless compared to how other County Commissioners run their Boards.
Yes, we need to have a redo and get the respect back. How can they live in their own skin knowing people are embarrassed and laughing at them? We start with Jake Seegers and rebuild from there!
Jake is the wedge to move this mutha from its entrenched position.
It is the smug attitudes that turn me off. But then, most progressive/socialists are smugly.
The dialectical use of “lived experience” is to destroy real science and the lived experience of those who’s experience contradicts the Marxist revolutionary’s intentions. Or in this case Lunatics in Clallam County government.
Dialectical climatology is about rewriting the science to make it appear as if the world will be destroyed if we do not deconstruct Western Civilization immediately with the loons in Clallam its their start with water monitoring in Clallam county. Exactly as they the left loons did with “Nuclear Winter”. Some went as far as to claim it was a solar system wide event. (In a rare case of genuine irony, since the sunspot cycle was more active for a few decades it actually was a solar system wide phenomenon which itself destroys the concept of anthropogenic Global warming since no one was driving a Ford F 150 on Mars.)
“Trans-affirming care” is a dialectical term that actually means to spay or neuter children, or severely brainwashed or mentally unwell older children. The State of Washington put this to State Law with arrest power of those that interfere Trans- affirming care.
Multiculturalism is my favorite one. It actually means to use one culture against another until there are no cultures left. It works extremely well against tolerant cultures but it has never worked against Islam, because Islam knows what it believes and can’t be conned into believing something else equally ludicrous and destructive to themselves as a culture. “Health-Canada”, say no more. Black Lives Matters was a communist minstrel show. “ANTIFA”, do I really need to explain that one? Feminism: A war on women via dialectical lines of operation.
All very true, Russell. An Imam in a video interview with Dinesh D'Souza explains that Islam is aligned with Democrats because they can be brainwashed, or at the least, easily persuaded. Whereas, Republicans have core values and beliefs making them harder to manipulate. My example: Feminists on the Progressive Left endorse Sharia Law. No freedom loving woman would ever align herself with that!
Must be a different kind of government there in Skagit County. One that doesn't want to go broke and is not taking away property rights.
Skagit is not a home rule county from what I find, does that make the difference?
Here's what Google AI says:
Key Characteristics of Home Rule Counties:
Charter Government: Unlike standard counties that operate under general state laws, home rule counties create their own "constitution" (charter).
Greater Autonomy: They can often exercise any power not specifically prohibited by state law, providing more flexibility in handling local issues.
Tailored Structure: Home rule enables counties to change their government structure, such as appointing officials instead of electing them, enacting term limits, or increasing the number of commissioners.
Increased Local Control: It gives citizens greater control over county policies, such as land use, administrative services, and local regulations
So, we get to vote these people in, and they are not beholden to the State. WHAT A JOKE!
ABeetle, in 4 more years we will have another stab with a new Charter Review, this time with lessons learned from the previous sessions and the public will be more informed.
In practice, silence becomes consent. ----- It always does too.
promoted by the League of Women Voters ----- In other words it is not a good idea
Actually they have become a Legion of Women Voters who are in a League of their own.
We live at the base of a huge water reservoir called the Olympic Mountain Range. I fully acknowledge how essential water is to our lives. Stewardship is wise to the extent that the resource is not negligently wasted. However; it is my understanding that our local water table has, is and likely will remain stable. If I am wrong about this, I would love to be corrected with evidence, not Chicken Little possibilities. Absent any measuring statistics proving our water supply is in danger why would we spend money to keep the sky from falling ? Show me the beef. Without getting into the weeds, having sovereign nations within a nation is untenable. The BIA is an antiquated Bureau functioning in the past. There are no indigenous people living today. Only their progeny who have and use cell phones, computers, powered vessels, transportation systems, sanitation systems and Casinos; none of which their ancestry included. Friends and neighbors or sovereign, but not both and.
Only N.A. and the Mafia own Casinos... humm
N.A. ?
I'm sorry, I mean Native American... :)
The Jamestown band's website lists 4 key partners. In addition to the treaty council and Indian fish council they are
The Dungeness Audubon Society and
The Dungeness River Management Team.
The DRMT appointed Tony Corrado to write a report for them which the gazette article summarizes. Having the League push approval is included.
The article summarizes the goal of the DRMT is to have the CO manage water just as the Charter Review Committee first publicized the position. They seek to have CO reallocate the citizens water rights, shutter and expand their systems and dictate where, when and how much water they may have because the team does not expect source and system owners to do so willfully. They advise consolidating private wells and B classified systems into A systems triggering millions in cost to just one neighborhood of 15 connections.
The data to be gathered and given to the state agencies can further result in the reduction of your water rights, the number of connections served and whether your system meets new regulations to actually serve more than one.
The CO and other sytems learned their consolidation with a private for profit company would include rate increases to pay for upgrades to other systems outside the county but could oppose them through the state utility commission. However, their is no recourse through the utility commission if the system is managed by a PUD, city or county.
Much of the Dungeness area has been subject to the Dungeness Water Rule since 2013 brought on by a lawsuit in Whatcom CO from the Lummi tribe to protect their salmon resource. Whatcom and Clallam CO may not issue building permits without proof of legal water availability there. The cost is substantial as it has always been to anyone seeking a water or utilty source. As Mr. Fleck, the Forks city attorney and planner commented during the Charter Review Committee hearings, this proposal seeks funding from the West End citizens they cannot afford to pay for the East End.
If CO can secure the management of our water rights and systems, they can charge what they want for whomever they want; prioritization is up to them. But grant funding requires affordability and ability to secure payment with liens and foreclosures and they need all of our properties to secure it.
The special committee within the Charter Review Committee could not obtain passage from among the 15 elected CRC commissioners to presnt it to the county citizens for a vote and instead are seeking passage by just two of three CO Commissioners.
This is not a matter of what government can do for you but to you. Good luck citizens!