Snoqualmie Tribe closes on purchase of 12,000 acres of ancestral forest in King County

The Snoqualmie Indian Tribe has purchased thousands of acres of property in King County’s Tolt River Watershed, marking the largest acquisition of land in the Tribe’s history.

Located in East King County, the 12,000 acres represents the acquisition of what the Tribe calls ancestral forestland, which has significant cultural, historical, environmental, and economic value to the Snoqualmie Tribe.

The acreage is near land that was originally promised to the Tribe in the 1930s, but after World War II broke out, attempts to secure a reservation for Snoqualmie were suspended by the U.S. government. The land was later used for industrial timber logging.

“Because of this purchase, roughly 12,000 acres of the ancestral lands of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe are being returned to the People who have loved, cared for, cultivated, and protected them since the beginning of time, and who dearly felt their loss for over a century,” wrote Snoqualmie Tribal Chairman Robert de los Angeles in a news release.

“Going forward, our Tribe will sustainably manage these lands to produce revenue for our Tribe while we steward the functioning ecosystems and thriving wildlife populations that have shared these lands with our People since time immemorial,” he added.

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Now called the Snoqualmie Tribe Ancestral Forest, the forest reclamation process follows the Tribe’s $125 million purchase of the Salish Lodge and Spa, near the Snoqualmie Falls, a popular tourist destination in the Seattle area.

The acquisition was facilitated by Forterra, a nonprofit environmental group, purchased from the previous landowner via Campbell Global LLC.

“We have great respect for the people of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe,” Campbell Global CEO John Gilleland said. “They are committed to their heritage. It is an honor to be a part of the forestlands now being under their stewardship. We are looking forward to having the Snoqualmie Tribe as a neighbor and deepening our existing relationship.”

The Snoqualmie Tribe plans to use the land for sustainable timber harvest and “protect and build upon the Tribe’s cultural heritage and connection to the site.”

“I congratulate the Snoqualmie Tribe on a major land acquisition and victory for conservation in our region,” King County Executive Dow Constantine added. “The Snoqualmie Tribe has provided leadership on important economic and cultural challenges, including the emergency work to restore the Lake Sammamish Kokanee. Today’s bold action affirms the Tribe’s strong commitment to protecting water quality and restoring habitat, contributing to the collective action we’re taking throughout local watersheds.”

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