Sheriff Sanders speaks out on fishing license dispute between Chehalis Tribe, WDFW 

Editor’s note: On Wednesday evening, Thurston County Sheriff Derek Sanders weighed in on the fishing license dispute between the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation and the Washington state Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). His full statement, first published on social media, is below.

Over the last few weeks, I have spent time meeting with both WDFW and Chehalis Indian Tribe to get a better understanding of the ongoing dispute over tribal authority to require and enforce fishing licenses where the Chehalis River runs through the reservation.

I’ve seen some comments floating around (from the general public, not from WDFW) that the tribes are just being “greedy” regarding fishing rights. 

Given the historical context of Indian Reservations across our country and state, I want to start off by making something clear:

There is almost nothing that tribal governments could do at this point that would be worse than what has been inflicted upon them over the last several hundred years. For centuries, Native Americans have been killed, enslaved, tortured and reduced to small pockets of generally undesirable land called “reservations.” Imposing a $45 fishing fee is not, and will never be, remotely comparable to what they have lost. If you are unfamiliar with just how important this topic is right here in Thurston County, I recommend watching Fish Wars.

This dispute is a complex matter that will likely end up in front of a court of competent jurisdiction to weigh in on. WFDW asserts that the river is navigable. Chehalis Tribe does not dispute that; however, they are not prohibiting travel on the river — but instead requiring a $45 fishing license if one wishes to fish on the 10-mile stretch where the river runs across the reservation. A judge will ultimately need to weigh in on the legality of this matter and make a decision.

So what does this have to do with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office? I have commissioned Chehalis Tribal Police to enforce state law off the reservation, and assist our deputies on 911 calls. Chehalis Tribal Police and TCSO have an exceptional working relationship from top to bottom, and that will continue. TCSO does not enforce tribal law.

Here are some basic answers I have been able to ascertain after speaking with both groups:

• Fishing without a tribal license is not a criminal violation. Chehalis Tribe is not seeking to jail anyone over this issue.
• Chehalis Tribe has issued one citation in three years. They want to deal with this issue through education, not citations, and have expressed that the majority of fishermen have purchased a fishing license from them.
• There is no answer about a final decision on this issue and won’t be for some time until a matter is brought before a competent court.
• TCSO will not be participating in the enforcement of any tribal law, including fishing licenses, but we will continue to assist all of our partners (both WDFW and Tribal Police) when peace keeping or officer safety needs arise.
• I urge everyone in this process to remain polite, seek legal counsel if needed, and recognize this is a sensitive issue for many people in our community.
• Both WDFW and Chehalis Tribe have expressed willingness to answer questions from the public despite their disagreement on the issue at hand.
• There are rumors that individuals have threatened to damage the river where the jurisdictional issues are in question to protest the tribe. I will make sure you go to jail for habitat destruction, so please refrain.

Both WDFW and Chehalis Tribe are important and valued organizations in our community. While there is a disagreement on this issue, it is important that we remember we are all on the same team, with the same goals of sustaining our habitat and environment so that the generations who come after us are able to enjoy the same beautiful landscape we are so lucky to call home.