04.30.12

Obama signs bill to move Quileute tribe out of tsunami zone

By:  Staff Writer
Source: Q13 Fox
WASHINGTON D.C.— President Barack Obama signed a bill into law on Monday that will enable the Quileute Nation to move out of a tsunami zone and away from the constant flooding of the Quillayute River. The bill passed the House on February 6 and the Senate, unanimously, on February 13.

The bill was sponsored primarily by Sen. Maria Cantwell  and
Rep. Norm Dicks of Tacoma. In April, repreentatives of the Quileute tribe
traveled to Washington D.C. to lobby for the bill, which had been endorsed by
the Department of the Interior.

“With the President’s signature today, the long-awaited move out of harm’s
way can finally begin for the Quileute,” said Cantwell. “We are proud of the
many supporters who came together over the years to make today a reality. This
is an important victory for the safety and future of the Quileute Nation.

Among other things, the frequent flooding damaged houses and a school at the
Quileute Tribal Reservation, which exists on a square mile of land on the
Pacific coast surrounded by the Olympic National Park.

“One of our classrooms – we had to tear down walls replace the windows and
the ceiling,”  said Principal Al Zantua in April.

The new legislation enables the Quileute tribe to select land at a higher
elevation inside the Olympic National Park. The land will be added to other
parcels held in trust for the Nation and could be used for the construction of a
new school, new homes, tribal government offices, and an elder center.

The territory being vacated by the Quileute, including beaches on the Pacific
coast will become accessible to the public. In addition, a dispute between the
Olympic National Park and the tribe over the reservation's northern border was
resolved.