Letters to the editor

Published 1:30 am Tuesday, June 9, 2026

Quinault lawsuit update from Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council

As many of you are aware, the Quinault Indian Nation recently filed documents attempting to have additional Usual and Accustomed (U&A) areas recognized beyond those established by the Court in previous rulings. These additional areas included Willapa Bay, Shoalwater Bay, as well as portions of the Columbia River.

Today we received notice that the United States District Court has ruled against allowing Quinault to open a new subproceeding under U. S. v. Washington. The Court noted in its order that Quinault’s fishing grounds had previously been adjudicated and that there was no justification to revisit that determination through the proposed subproceeding.

This is great news for now.

We want to thank the Tribal members who have contacted us with information, support, and concerns about what this could mean for our homeland and resources.

Although this may not be the final word on the matter, it is a decisive ruling from the Court at this time denying Quinault’s request to reopen their boundaries. We will continue to monitor the situation and will certainly take action if we feel it’s necessary to protect the interests of the Shoalwater Bay Indian Tribe.

At this point, it’s enough for us to remain vigilant and stand strong. We recognize and respect the sovereignty, history, and treaty rights of all Tribal Nations surrounding us. However, we will also fight vigorously to defend Shoalwater Bay’s rights to our reservation, our tidelands, our resources, and future generations.

Please continue sending any historical documents, photographs, maps, oral histories, or family stories that you come across that help show Shoalwater Bay’s connection to Willapa Bay and our ancestral homeland. Our history is important and our voice needs to be heard.

Shoalwater Bay Tribal Council

Westport Golf Links presentations are evasive

The decision-making process for the proposed Westport Golf Links project relies on a deeply troubling combination of constrained science and incomplete financial projections. The Parks Commission and the public must look past the glossy promotional spin.

Environmentally, the project’s AECOM hydrology report relies on a “sunny-day” scenario, mapping its predictive particle tracking pathlines from a dry baseline in June. A true pollution risk analysis requires simulating transport during wet winter conditions when the water table rises above the surface. Cool, wet maritime winters require intense golf course maintenance. While winter fertilizer use drops, the application of disease-controlling fungicides spikes dramatically to prevent turf rot. In highly permeable dune sands with widespread winter surface saturation, this chemical plume won’t just sit still — it will rapidly spread horizontally through the connected wetland mosaic.

Fiscally, the golf presentations are also evasive. Proponents hint at aggressive revenue without providing business modeling. If Chambers Bay Golf in Pierce County has never made a profit, how will Westport Golf break even? If this course fails, the public could be left holding the bag for massive long-term liabilities.

High-stakes environmental and economic promises should not be accepted at face value. The Parks Commission has a fiduciary and environmental duty to protect Westport Light State Park. This means hiring more consultants to evaluate environmental and fiscal claims.

Commissioners, it is time to stop bleeding public money in staff, attorney time and required developer oversight. Make a decision now that reflects your mandate to protect park land for the public good.

Meghan Anderson

Grayland