Committees
UCUT Committees: Collaborative Tribal Governance Advancing Natural Resource Protection Across the Upper Columbia Region
Strength Through Collaboration: A Unified Tribal Approach to Resource Management and Regional Advocacy
The de-centralized collaboration of our five Member Tribes working toward common goals makes the structure of UCUT unique and sustainable.
Collaboration means better communication and understanding of natural resource changes and consistent monitoring across all tribal ownerships. By incorporating data entry systems, we ensure data quality and reduce costs. Our evaluation and mitigation efforts are improved. It also allows for participation and reporting in local, regional, national, and international forums and meetings where issues of importance are discussed.
Wildlife Committee
Since time immemorial, the Upper Columbia United Tribes have relied on fish, wildlife, roots, berries, and other first foods—all of which depend on healthy, diverse habitats. Over time, significant changes to our territories have impacted these resources and our way of life.
Today, UCUT’s Member Tribes are leaders in wildlife restoration and management, with world-class programs and staff working to protect, maintain, and restore healthy fish and wildlife populations for the benefit of all.
The Wildlife Committee brings together wildlife managers and key staff from each member Tribe to monitor regional wildlife related decision processes, to share and evaluate the best available science, and to provide guidance and oversight for ongoing projects. Through collaboration and shared knowledge, the committee advances collective goals, restores critical habitats, and supports healthy wildlife populations for future generations.
For more information on wildlife programs,
visit our Member Tribes’ natural resource departments below.
Environment Committee
A healthy environment is essential to the Upper Columbia United Tribes. For generations, our people have relied on clean waters, healthy lands, and abundant wildlife to sustain our way of life. Today, UCUT works to protect these vital resources—ensuring clean water, thriving ecosystems, and healthy air for future generations.
The Environment Committee brings together environmental managers and key staff from each member Tribe to collaborate on regional challenges, guide funding decisions, and oversee impactful projects. Their work includes addressing pollution, supporting cleanups, and conducting studies to better understand and solve environmental threats.
Through shared knowledge and partnerships, the committee advances collective goals to restore and protect the lands, air, and water of the Upper Columbia Basin.
For more information on environmental programs,
visit our Member Tribes’ natural resource departments below.
Timber, Fish & Wildlife Committee
The Timber, Fish & Wildlife (TFW) Agreement (1987) and the Forest and Fish Report (1999) both offered a novel approach to managing Washington State forests. These agreements led the way for tribal engagement in forestry research and decision-making. Through the Washington Department of Natural Resource’s Adaptive Managment Program (AMP) Tribes can participate in the development of research to inform decision-making and have an active role in developing forestry policy. It also allowed for tribal input on approving on-the-ground forestry decisions.
The UCUT TFW Committee brings together TFW staff from each of UCUT’s Washington Member Tribes to coordinate and support their participation in the Timber, Fish & Wildlife Agreement. This includes coordinating representation and participation in the AMP to ensure Member Tribe’s voices are at the table and their goals and priorities are advocated for. The committee also fosters inter-tribal collaboration on issues related to forestry practices in the Member Tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Areas.
With the incredible work UCUT and its Member Tribes are doing to reintroduce salmon and protect and restore wildlife and resident fish populations and habitat, ensuring our forest regulations meet the needs of the Tribes is of vital importance.
For more information about the Timber Fish and Wildlife Agreement Click Here . For he Forest and Fish Report Click Here . And please visit our Member Tribe’s natural resource departments below:
See Our Work in Action
Our commitment to protecting fish, water, wildlife, habitat, and culture comes to life through the projects we lead across the Columbia Plateau. Explore how UCUT’s collaborative efforts are making a lasting impact on the land and its people.
