Residents press Clallam County commissioners for action on Jamestown S'Klallam land transfer, co-management and lodging-tax fairness

Residents pressed the Clallam County Board of Commissioners on March 24 over a suite of related concerns — a proposed federal trust transfer affecting the Dungeness and Protection Island National Wildlife Refuges, county-tribal co-management of salmon and fish-passage projects, and whether tribal lodging operations pay local taxes.

At the start of an extended public-comment exchange, John Worthington (S8) criticized recent county decisions to defer to tribal-led projects, saying the result has been wasted county funds and lost opportunities for co-management: “We just either let the tribe take over without any case law… and now look at all the money that we've wasted.” He urged the board to exercise co-management rights to protect county taxpayers.

Theresa Miller (S11) and other speakers raised the proposed Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Lands Transfer Act of 2026, which Sequim city leaders had signaled support for the prior evening. Miller asked whether the county had received communications from the tribe about tax pools and urged a clearer, firmer county response.

Commissioners responded that the county has repeatedly reached out to the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe by phone and email but the tribe has not yet agreed to a work session. “I have made several outreaches to the tribe to encourage their continued conversation,” Commissioner (S6) said; “we are continuing to provide encouragement, but we cannot force them to the table.” Chair (S1) added that the county can offer opinions and seek dialogue but said the federal government and treaty obligations limit the county’s direct authority over tribal trust lands.

Discussion also touched on whether lodging and property taxes are being collected uniformly. A resident who operates a vacation rental said competing properties owned by the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe are not paying the county lodging tax, creating an unfair business advantage. Commissioners said jurisdiction over lodging tax is local and voluntary; they have requested partnership discussions and have asked the tribe to participate in regional tourism planning forums. “If the Jamestown tribe chooses to enact the lodging tax, none of that money would come to Clallam County,” Chair (S1) said, describing limits on county authority.

Why it matters: Speakers framed the land-transfer and co-management questions as having fiscal and environmental implications — from how federal grants are allocated to who decides river-restoration strategies. Residents demanded clearer, faster action from the board, including requests to write a formal county letter. Commissioners said they would consider another letter and continue outreach but acknowledged limits on what the county can require of the tribe.

Next steps: Commissioners said they will continue outreach, encouraged the tribe to attend a work session if willing, and noted that some disputes can be appealed or examined through state processes; no new formal county action was announced at the meeting.