The purchase, between Fidalgo and Similk bays, includes the Similk Beach Golf Course, as well as the tidal and beach land once used for shellfish farming.
Marty Loesch, a consultant for the tribe, said the tribe will continue to operate the golf course and plans to restart shellfish farming on tidal lands. “The tribe is very enthusiastic about getting those shellfish beds back into cultivation,” he was quoted by the Skagit Valley Herald as saying.
The Swinomish are buying the land from the Morgan-Turner family, longtime owners of the property.
Brian Cladoosby, chairman of the tribe, said “I cannot describe the feeling in my heart knowing we have secured the original boundary of our reservation for future generations. I get choked up just thinking about how many generations of Swinomish people have waited for this day.”