Suquamish Tribe, Navy sign agreement ahead of Bremerton drydock project

The Suquamish Tribe and the U.S. Navy signed a government-to-government agreement before construction begins on a new drydock at Puget Sound Naval Shipyard, according to reporting by The Seattle Times. Tribal Chairman Leonard Forsman said the agreement follows about 20 years of discussions over the project and reflects the tribe's position that its sovereignty and treaty rights must be protected. The new drydock is part of a multibillion-dollar effort to modernize the shipyard and accommodate the Navy's Gerald R. Ford-class aircraft carriers.

The agreement follows three years of formal negotiations and includes funding for the tribe's existing salmon-rearing facility, construction of a new shellfish hatchery, land protection and income supplements for tribal fishers, according to The Seattle Times. Assistant Secretary of the Navy Brendan Rogers said the agreement was built through government-to-government collaboration, while Vice Chief of Naval Operations Adm. James Kilby acknowledged the project's effects on local fisheries, wildlife, transportation and the surrounding area.