Washington tribes seek to halt offshore wind development 

More than a dozen tribes are asking the federal government to stop plans for offshore wind farms along Washington’s coast, saying the environmental impacts aren’t being studied well enough.

Why it matters: Offshore wind turbines could provide a source of renewable electricity, aiding the fight against climate change. But tribes say the projects may also violate tribal treaty rights, harming shoreline habitat and tribal members’ way of life.

Driving the news: The Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, which represents 20 Washington tribes with treaty-protected fishing rights, sent a letter last week asking the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to halt all discussions of new offshore wind facilities until the tribes’ concerns can be addressed.

What they’re saying: “We have always supported clean energy,” Quinault Nation president Guy Capoeman told Axios. “But our concern is we don’t want it to be on the backs of tribes.”

• Bernard Afterbuffalo, a council member for the Hoh Tribe, told Axios that ripple effects could be felt up and down the coast, particularly if the wind farms affect the migration of fish and birds, or limit fishing access.

State of play: The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management has received two unsolicited lease proposals for offshore wind farms along Washington’s coast.

• One, from Trident Winds, would cover an area of about 315 square miles about 45 miles off the coast of Grays Harbor and Pacific counties.

• The other, from Hecate Energy, seeks to lease 403 square miles in a nearby area about 17 miles off the coast.

Between the lines: In a written statement to Axios, Trident said its proposal wouldn’t locate offshore wind turbines in the Quinault Nation’s treaty-protected waters.

• But transmission lines to bring the wind power to shore could potentially pass through a treaty-protected area, possibly landing near the Quinault Beach Resort and Casino, the company’s proposal says.

• The Hecate proposal, meanwhile, notes its proposed wind turbines could “be visible as small objects from coastal areas.”

• Afterbuffalo said those visual impacts could alter landscapes that have held spiritual and cultural significance for tribes for generations.

Zoom in: The July 17 letter from the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission describes offshore wind as “a newly developing industry” with potential environmental impacts that are “poorly understood.”

• Per the letter, “those impacts will not be meaningfully considered” until too late, when the companies develop their construction and operations plans.

• “This is unacceptable,” the letter says.

• The tribes are seeking “meaningful tribal consultation” on the projects, arguing that outreach so far has been “a box-checking exercise.” They also want scientific studies of how the projects would affect ecosystems along the entire West Coast.

Officials with the Bureau of Ocean Energy Management wouldn’t comment on how they plan to respond.

• “Our policy is to engage directly with Tribal communities rather than through the media,” spokesperson Tracey Moriarty told Axios.

What we’re watching: Afterbuffalo said Washington Gov. Jay Inslee should step in to demand deeper scientific analysis and ensure tribes are truly at the table.

• Inslee spokesperson Jaime Smith told Axios the governor hasn’t made any decisions about the next steps on offshore wind, but “will continue to seek out as much Tribal consultation and participation as Tribes would like to offer.”