Coast Salish Ethnobotany: A Traditional Use Study of National Parks in Western Washington State

The National Park Service is providing public notice of its intention to award a cooperative agreement to Portland State University for a project titled "Coast Salish Ethnobotany: A Traditional Use Study of National Parks in Western Washington State." The project aims to advance the public understanding of traditional and contemporary tribal uses of natural resources and sites within western Washington State, particularly in North Cascades National Park and San Juan Islands National Historical Park. The project will be conducted in multiple phases, with the initial phase focusing on understanding the current extent of available information on traditional plant, marine, and mammal resource uses by Coast Salish and other traditionally associated tribes and groups. The project will also involve tribal outreach and consultation, as well as the development of an ethnographic resource database. Some key aspects of the project include: • Conducting archival research and compiling available literature on traditional land and resource uses of Coast Salish peoples and other park-associated tribal groups • Producing a digital ethnographic database containing references to the ethnobotany of Coast Salish and Plateau peoples within North Cascades National Park and San Juan Islands National Historical Park • Developing a publishable book-length manuscript on the ethnobotany of park-associated tribes • Creating topical maps showing the juxtaposition of park lands with Coast Salish and Plateau tribal lands • Carrying out reconnaissance-level interviews with members of park-associated tribes to identify basic interests, knowledge, and concerns regarding plant use.