Quinault Indian Nation Buys More Than 11,000 Acres Within Reservation
The acquisition reconnects lands in the Raft River watershed, advances Indigenous-led stewardship and supports conservation in the Olympic Rainforest.
Media Contacts
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Nikolaj Lasbo
The Nature Conservancy
Phone: 206-375-2832
Email: nikolaj.lasbo@tnc.org
The Quinault Indian Nation, a federally recognized Tribe in Washington state, has acquired more than 11,000 acres of forestland within the Quinault Indian Reservation from the Anderson & Middleton Logging Company. This historic acquisition brings one of the largest remaining privately owned properties within Reservation boundaries back under Indigenous ownership and stewardship.
The acquisition is a major milestone in the Nation's decades-long effort to restore fragmented homelands and supports new opportunities for Indigenous-led stewardship across forests, rivers, salmon habitat and culturally important lands throughout the Raft River watershed.
"This acquisition represents a vision in the making by our forebearers,” said Guy Capoeman, president of the Quinault Indian Nation. “This is making our ancestral land whole again and will allow future generations to strategically manage our culture and traditional land as our ancestors intended.”
The acquisition encompasses 11,196 acres and represents roughly half the remaining privately held fee simple lands on the Quinault Indian Reservation. Most of the property lies within the Raft River watershed, an area that supports salmon, steelhead trout, elk and culturally important gathering areas used by Quinault people. The acquisition increases Quinault Indian Nation ownership within the Reservation from approximately 47% to more than 52%, strengthening the Nation's ability to make holistic land-management decisions across a connected landscape.
The total acquisition cost was approximately $60 million. Funding sources included $25 million through the Washington's Climate Commitment Act and its Natural Climate Solutions Account, approximately $20 million from the Quinault Indian Nation and $15 million raised by The Nature Conservancy from private donors and foundations—the organization granted $14 million toward acquisition costs and $1 million to support stewardship activities identified and led by the Quinault Indian Nation on its lands.
TNC supported the transaction through private fundraising, technical assistance and partnership with the Quinault Indian Nation over the past several years and throughout the acquisition process. Through the Climate Commitment Act, state funding was specifically appropriated for the acquisition in support of fish and wildlife habitat, traditional use and climate mitigation benefits.
"We are incredibly proud to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the Quinault Indian Nation as they reach a milestone they've worked tirelessly toward for decades," said Stephanie Burkhart, TNC Washington state director. "This moment is about more than a land acquisition; it reflects the Quinault Nation's long-standing commitment to stewarding these lands and waters and strengthens the connection between future generations and their ancestral homeland. We are honored to support a vision of care and stewardship that has guided the Quinault people since time immemorial."
The newly acquired lands sit within Washington's Olympic Rainforest and the southern reaches of the Emerald Edge, the largest remaining coastal temperate rainforest in the world. The property includes important salmon habitat, wetlands, wet prairies and forestlands that contribute to biodiversity, climate resilience and the cultural well-being of the Quinault people.
By reconnecting ownership across the Raft River watershed, the acquisition allows the Quinault Indian Nation to manage forests and rivers across an entire landscape rather than parcel by parcel. Long-term stewardship priorities include protection of salmon habitat, wildlife connectivity, climate resilience, cultural resources and First Foods, while maintaining sustainable forestry that supports community priorities and services for Quinault citizens.
"Some of the most fractionated and disconnected land parcels exist on the Quinault Reservation, preventing meaningful forestry, fisheries, cultural and overall ecological resource regeneration,” said Tyson Johnston, the 1st councilperson on the Quinault Tribal Council’s business committee. “This historic acquisition represents one of the most meaningful milestones Quinault has seen to restore our land base, heal our forests, and ensure our children and descendants can preserve our way of life."
Future stewardship investments may support habitat restoration, salmon recovery, climate resilience projects, native plant propagation, wetland and prairie restoration, invasive species removal, cultural burning, youth stewardship programs and other activities to be self-identified by the Quinault Indian Nation.
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