City council delays decision to support tribe’s land transfer proposal

Published 3:30 am Wednesday, April 15, 2026

Sequim city councilors, at their regular meeting Monday evening, pushed a decision to the end of April on whether they will send a letter of support to federal lawmakers for Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to take over ownership of approximately 900 acres of federal properties including the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge, Protection Island and land by Sequim Bay.

Councilors had unanimous consent at the April 13 gathering, with Brandon Janisse excused, to bring back the topic as a general business item at their April 27 meeting.

They agreed to wait so they and community members could watch a video recording of the Clallam County commissioners’ April 13 work session earlier in the day that had tribal officials answer questions about the land transfer.

Find the video at https://clallamcowa.portal.civicclerk.com/.

Councilor Dan Butler said he learned from the presentation that there was no rush for a decision as it is being prepped for the 2027 legislative session.

“We have time to be deliberative about it and not be like we’re under pressure,” he said.

Deputy Mayor Nicole Hartman first suggested bringing it back for discussion on April 27.

“County commissioners did a good job to collate all the questions they received,” she said.

Hartman said she felt satisfied with the tribe’s answers about what the proposal is and is not.

The Sequim City Council became involved in the discussion when Tribal Chairman/CEO W. Ron Allen emailed Mayor Rachel Anderson a letter with background about The Jamestown S’Klallam Land Transfer Act of 2026.

Tribal officials write that legislation would “restore tribal stewardship over ancestral lands while expressly preserving conservation purposes, appropriate public access, and wildlife protections through a Tribal Management Plan.”

According to the tribe’s documents, Jamestown must maintain a publicly available management plan, continue to allow appropriate public access and educational opportunities, and prohibit commercial development and any gaming on the transferred lands.

Anderson placed the letter of support for the land transfer on the March 23 council meeting’s consent agenda, but councilors moved it to the regular agenda for discussion before voting to delay any decision until they had more information.

On April 13, Anderson said agencies and organizations request letters of support, typically written by them and not councilors or staff, and the city’s attorney reviews them to make sure they align with the city’s values.

At the March 23 meeting, she said in her experience the tribe has “been excellent partners of stewards of things I’ve seen them do,” which led her to bring the letter of support forward.

During the public comment session on April 13, councilors heard concerns from constituents about the environmental impact of a potential oyster farm, accessibility being denied to the Dungeness Spit, and more. Others expressed support for the tribe.

Sarah Kincaid, a former city councilor, said five council members who were endorsed by the tribe and/or received campaign contributions should recuse themselves from any decisions involving the tribe.

Darlene Schanfald, a Sequim resident involved with the environmental group Protect the Peninsula’s Future who has pending litigation against the Department of Interior/Fish and Wildlife related to allowing a shellfish farm by the Dungeness Refuge, encouraged city councilors to let the court process finish.

Others encouraged waiting on a letter of support until a possible compatibility study with an oyster farm and the refuge is conducted.

In a previous interview, Allen said studies have been done and that any danger to native species is erroneous.

Deborah Harrison of Sequim said the issue of the land transfer is not about who owns the properties, but rather industrialization of the refuge.

“I don’t care who owns it,” she said. “I want it to stay unmarred by human industry.”

Ron Richards of Port Angeles questioned the tribe’s stewardship efforts due to its connection to oyster farms, fish farms, and its handling of sewage in Blyn that was only sent to Sequim after Protect the Peninsula’s Future threatened a lawsuit.

He said the tribe has the right to do the same things it has always done under its current management, and he urged councilors to recommend maintaining the status quo.

Jamestown and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service agreed to a co-stewardship agreement for the Dungeness and Protection Island National Wildlife Refuges with the Tribe taking over the day-to-day management of the refuges on Aug. 16, 2024.

Joan Rudd of Sequim said since moving to Sequim 10 years ago, she’s been impressed with the tribe’s contributions to the community through its clinics, providing vaccinations during COVID-19, and with the Dungeness Railroad Bridge.

She said with the federal government slashing budgets, the community is “lucky we have a strong, responsible tribe willing to take care of these lands for us.”

John Bridge, also of Sequim, said the tribe has proven themselves to be good stewards.

“They’ve always been great neighbors and I’m sure they’ll continue to do that because they’ve proven that over and over,” he said.

Loni Greninger, the tribe’s vice chairwoman, said the transfer of lands would shift the properties from U.S. Fish and Wildlife, under the Department of Interior, to the Bureau of Indian Affairs in a trust.

She said that means the tribe will have “fuller management” of the properties and relieve themselves of bureaucracy.

“We can take care of issues right then and there in real time,” she said.

They also want an official connection to their ancestral lands again, Greninger said.

The tribe also intends to keep public access to the Dungeness Spit.

“We’ve never, ever wanted to shut the people out because people are connected to the land,” Greninger said. “It’s not just the S’Klallam. Other people are connected to this land, too. So we will maintain public access if this act should pass. We will never develop on it. That is not allowed.”

Read documents from the city council meeting at https://sequimwa.civicweb.net/Portal/MeetingInformation.aspx?Id=330.