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Makah Tribal Member is New EPA Senior Tribal Policy Advisor

Release Date: 05/27/2008
Contact Information: Suzanne Skadowski, Public Affairs (206) 553-6689 / [email protected]

(Seattle, Washington – May 27, 2008) Pacific Northwest tribes and Alaskan native villages have a new champion for tribal environmental issues in Makah tribal member Jim Woods, who today joins EPA Region 10 as a new Senior Advisor for Tribal Policy.

“Mr. Woods brings a wealth of tribal and environmental experience to EPA that will help us build stronger partnerships with our Pacific Northwest and Alaska tribes," said Elin Miller, EPA regional administrator in Seattle. "We're looking forward to working with him to help build tribal capacity, strengthen our communication networks with tribes, and better protect our natural resources."

According to Mr. Woods, “I look forward to improving the effectiveness of government-to-government consultation between EPA Region 10 and tribes in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska. It is my hope that we will be able to strike a good balance among treaty guaranteed rights, sustainable resources and overall environmental protection throughout the northwest and Alaska.”

Since 2004, Mr. Woods has led the Sustainable Resource Management Division within the Makah Fisheries Management Department. In that capacity, Mr. Woods has managed the tribe's environmental protection programs. His duties also included natural resource management of freshwater and marine ecosystems on and adjacent to the Makah reservation as well as serving as a policy advisor to the Makah Tribal Council.

In addition, Mr. Woods is a member of EPA’s Regional Tribal Operations Committee and has been recognized by EPA on a national level for his work in the field of air toxics. He also was appointed by the Secretary of the Commerce to the Marine Protected Areas Federal Advisory Committee, Chairs the National Tribal Air Association, Chairs the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Intergovernmental Policy Council and serves on the Ozette Sockeye Salmon Recovery Steering Committee.

Throughout his career Mr. Woods has worked to protect treaty guaranteed rights and aquatic sustainable resources on the Makah tribal reservation and within the Makah’s usual and accustomed hunting and fishing areas.

“The appointment of Jim Woods speaks volumes about the expertise and capacity found within the ranks of our tribal staff,” said Micah McCarty, chairman of the Makah tribal council. “We’re proactive in this trust relationship and we look forward to continuing a meaningful and productive relationship with EPA.”

Photo: Jim Woods also chairs the annual meeting of the Intergovernmental Policy Council, a tribal, state and federal forum which coordinates activities within the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.


For more information on EPA’s Tribal Programs in the Pacific Northwest and Alaska, visit:
https://yosemite.epa.gov/r10/tribal.NSF

For more information about the Makah tribe, visit:
http://www.makah.com/

For more information on the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, visit:
http://www.nwifc.org/