The Tulalip Tribes are a federally recognized tribe
and successors in interest to the Snohomish,
Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other allied tribes and
bands that signed the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott.
The Tulalip Tribes are a federally recognized tribe
and successors in interest to the Snohomish,
Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other allied tribes and
bands that signed the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott.
In 2024 and 2025 the Tulalip Planning Department will be working with tribal departments, community members, the Tulalip Planning Commission, and the Tulalip Board of Directors to update the Tribes Comprehensive Plan. This plan guides future growth and development on the Reservation and provides a framework of goals and policies to address Tulalip’s treaty rights, interests, and needs both on and off the reservation. The current Comprehensive Plan was adopted in 2009 and needs updating in order to address emerging issues such as climate change.
The updated Comp plan will include 10 different chapters that cover a variety of topics that address both future development challenges and opportunities. To learn more about each topic and to review and comment on draft goals and policies please click on the Chapter tabs listed above.
The update process includes initial community input that will help staff draft goals and policies. The Planning Commission will review these goals and policies and when ready open a public hearing to receive public comment on the Plan. After the public hearing staff and commissioners will incorporate changes where necessary and recommend adoption to the Tulalip Board of Directors.
Your input is vital for creating a comprehensive plan that is inclusive and well represented. Click on the General Comment Form Below to help guide Tulalip’s Future. Comment TODAY!
Comprehensive Plan General Comment FormThe Tulalip Tribes are successors in interest to the Snohomish, Snoqualmie, Skykomish, and other allied tribes and bands signatory to the 1855 Treaty of Point Elliott. The Tulalip Reservation was reserved for the use and benefit of Indian tribes and bands signatory to the Treaty of Point Elliott of January 22, 1855. As per the treaty, tribes ceded millions of acres of their land in exchange for reservations, promises of support from the government, and the right to fish, hunt, and gather on ceded lands. However, in the following decades, the US government's policy was centered on transferring land out of Tribal ownership and prohibiting the practice of tribal culture and language to assimilate Indians into the larger population. This left Indian communities with no voice in what was happening on their reservations.
In the early 1930s, the US Congress passed the Indian Reorganization Act, which empowered tribes to make decisions regarding their economic development and natural resource management. In 1935, the Tulalip Tribes elected their first Board of Directors. They adopted their own Constitution, which gave them greater control over the Tulalip reservation. The Federal Government recognizes the Tulalip Tribes as a sovereign Indian Tribe operating under a Tribal Constitution approved by the Secretary of Interior.
The Tulalip Tribes' Board of Directors acquired a few hundred acres around Tulalip Bay from the US government. It started a leasing program that generated income to invest in government services and more land acquisitions. By 1972, land in Tribal government ownership had grown to 5,000 acres. Tulalip leadership realized the need for a Comprehensive Plan to ensure orderly growth and use of those lands.
To fulfill this need, the first Tulalip Comprehensive Plan was developed for all lands on the Reservation, Indian and non-Indian. This plan outlined a series of programs and projects designed to further the Tribes' economic self-sufficiency, employment, income, social services, and housing goals. The plan also included plans to invest in roads and utility infrastructure and an extensive analysis of the physical and cultural features of the Reservation. Protection of the natural environment was essential to the plan to grow the Tribes' forestry program and support Tribal fishing. Throughout the process, Tribal members were consulted on their views.
In 1986, the Tribes' leadership decided to invest in a Planning program. The Tulalip Planning Commission and a Planning Department were created to prepare updates to the Comprehensive Plan, advise the Board on land use matters, develop the first Tribal land use code, and administer building and land use permits. Since then, there have been two updates to the Tulalip Comprehensive Plan in 1994 and 2009; a third update is currently in progress.
Tulalip's Natural and Cultural Resources Chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that allows the Tulalip Tribes to carry out the tribes' co-management responsibilities in a manner consistent with treaty rights, including the management, protection, and harvest of the resources the tribes have depended on since time immemorial. Tulalip Tribes' natural and cultural resource management programs are active on the Tulalip Reservation and affect management and policy decisions in the Usual and Accustomed Areas throughout the Tribes' ancestral lands. Programs include stock assessment, hatchery, shellfish, wildlife, forestry, restoration, acquisition and stewardship, water quality, and wetlands. Tulalip's cultural programs seek to protect, preserve, practice, and share Tulalip's history and traditions, including archaeology, collections, rediscovery, and summer programs such as mountain and fish camps.
Tulalip’s Reservation Economy Chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that allow the Tulalip Tribes to invest in a well-trained and educated workforce, a strong social support network, infrastructure, and transportation improvements both in the community and in enterprise areas and to capitalize on the physical setting and location next to a major transportation corridor to generate improved and broadly shared economic well-being and quality of life for the Tulalip and broader community. Of more than 500 federally recognized tribes in the United States, the Tulalip Tribes is the first and only to establish a federally recognized city to diversify our financial interests and promote economic activity. Quil Ceda Village is a model for Native American economic development and sustains the tribal community and culture.
Tulalip’s Transportation Chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that allows the Tulalip Tribes to maintain and expand a transportation system for efficient and safe travel in the community and to employment and commercial centers; improve access to the regional transportation infrastructure to benefit Tulalip’s commercial and gaming enterprises; provide connection to local and regional transit options; create safer travel routes for pedestrians and cyclists; and meet the needs for and is resilient to disruptions from climate events, such as windstorms, flooding, and wildfires. Coordination with government partners is key in coordinating, implementing, and funding transportation projects.
Tulalip’s land use chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that will guide how and where the Tulalip Tribes plan the physical development of land uses, such as housing, community and cultural uses, government facilities, and economic growth. This plan describes the Tulalip Tribes' vision for the Reservation and how to preserve and implement that vision. The future land use map is a guide to where the tribes intend to invest in infrastructure to provide housing, community services, and economic development and where the tribes protect and manage resource lands, such as forests, shorelines, wetlands, and estuaries, for access to treaty resources.
Tulalip's tribal rights collaboration chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that will guide how the Tulalip Tribes work together with city, county, state, and federal partners to ensure tribal rights and interests are protected throughout Tulalip's Usual and Accustom Fishing and Hunting areas. This shared vision for collaboration will help the Tribe educate non-tribal partners about the tribes' treaty rights and history while developing strong relationships necessary to preserve and uphold tribal sovereignty. Because of the large number of partners and interest areas, this chapter and the entire comprehensive plan allow our neighboring jurisdictions to engage in more meaningful and collaborative consultation and communication.
Tulalip’s housing chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that will guide how the Tulalip Tribes works to implement its housing programs while also providing opportunities for tribal members to develop their own housing. This chapter outlines a shared vision for updating and improving existing neighborhoods while providing various new housing opportunities to meet the needs of Tulalip Tribal members. Housing is a basic need, and Tulalip’s chapter aims to address these needs and support housing development in various ways. New housing policies provide guidance and direction to address homelessness and transitional housing. A new land use code increases residential housing densities in areas served by sewer and water to allow for more housing development. New opportunities exist for Tribal members to subdivide land into smaller lots or add an accessory dwelling unit to an existing lot to provide housing for family members.
Your input is vital for creating a comprehensive plan that is inclusive and well represented. Click on the General Comment Form Below to help guide Tulalip’s Future. Comment TODAY!
Comprehensive Plan General Comment FormTulalip's culture, education, and language chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that support Tulalip Tribes' ability to teach its people in its own way. This shared vision will include ideas for incorporating language and culture in every aspect of Tulalip Tribes' operations. It will also empower the Tulalip Tribes to educate other schools and institutions about the Tulalip language and culture, thereby influencing a broader understanding and appreciation of our heritage. Lastly, this chapter will provide guidance and support for the siting and development of a new tribal school.
Tulalip’s community health, parks, and recreation chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that will focus on improving opportunities and support for programs that focus on human health. This shared vision will help the Tribe Tribes prioritize the health needs of elders and youth by improving access and opportunities for healthy living. This will include programs that support healthy homes, access to parks and recreation, and education that promotes healthy life choices. It will also support food sovereignty and access to traditional foods and medicines. Lastly, this chapter will include policies that will ensure that we can adapt and respond to changes in our climate that could negatively impact human health. This chapter will embody the value of strengthening our people.
Tulalip’s Utilities and Government Facilities Chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that allows the Tulalip tribes to provide, maintain, and expand infrastructure to support housing, institutional functions, and economic development. This includes providing the Tulalip community with water, sewer, broadband, internet, and phone services and government facilities that provide social services, public works services, Tribal court, police, and fire. Tulalip is also investing in facilities and emergency preparedness to be more resilient to disruptions caused by extreme weather events and other emergencies.
Tulalip’s climate change chapter provides a framework of goals and policies that will guide how the Tulalip Tribes respond to Climate Change now and in the future. This shared vision will help the Tribe develop a common purpose necessary to take action. These actions include both reducing the impacts of climate change and adapting to them. This chapter also has a vision to support work already underway to develop a strong, self-sufficient, and resilient community that can plan ahead to reduce potential negative impacts. Every chapter in Tulalip’s updated Comprehensive Plan will include goals and policies to address the far-reaching effects of Climate Change.
Your input is vital for creating a comprehensive plan that is inclusive and well represented. Click on the General Comment Form Below to help guide Tulalip’s Future. Comment TODAY!
Comprehensive Plan General Comment Form