SWINOMISH, Wash. – We have great news for some local berry pickers.
The U.S. Department of the Interior announced on Wednesday, November 2nd, they will be sending over $10 million to tribal communities in Washington state to help address the impact of climate change.
And $63,000 of that money will go to the Swinomish Tribe to protect access to huckleberry patches on tribal land west of La Conner.
The project is designed to increase access to berries by building new trails, and weeding projects and pruning huckleberry bushes should also boost berry production.
The Climate Resilience funding will go to ten Washington tribes in total, including the Swinomish and Tulalip tribes, and is part of the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law signed by President Biden last November.
For more details on the funding, visit the Bureau of Indian Affairs’ website.