The Quinault Indian Nation — after generations of occupying the village of Taholah, right on the Pacific Ocean — has decided to move it to higher ground as a way to avoid the threat of tsunamis, flooding and earthquakes that could wipe out the community.
A master plan to relocate the village, which sits on land owned by the Quinault Indian Nation, should be completed by the end of the fiscal year in 2016, said Quinault Indian Nation Community Services Director Michael Cardwell.
In March a storm caused water to come over a seawall that separates the lower village from the ocean and caused minor flooding. There is also concern that the village is vulnerable to having its sediment lose strength and have houses and buildings sink into the soil in the event of an earthquake, a condition known as “liquefaction.”
“We live in a ring of fire,” said Cardwell, referring to the seismically active area that rings the Pacific Ocean. “This is an active area. When the water comes to shore, it will go right up the river valley.”
The broad plan calls for the village to be moved from its current location to land 120 feet above sea level. The new, elevated area is already home to the tribe’s medical center, which was moved before work began on the current effort to relocate. Of the 200 acres tribal officials believe they’ll need for the new village, 120 already have been acquired by the tribe. The families who own the remaining 80 acres have requested a land exchange for the remaining property needed, which is currently being vetted by the U.S. Bureau of Affairs. It is unknown how long it will be until the exchange is finalized.
The lower village includes housing for just under 1,000 residents, along with a small store and gas station, jail facility, some tribal offices, daycare and k-12 school.
Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp estimates construction of the new village would take about 10 years.
A three-year planning grant given to the tribe by the Administration for Native Americans will cover the cost of developing the plan. Once the master plan is completed, the tribe will then look to possible funding sources for help covering the cost of moving the village, which Sharp estimates will be around $65 million.
According to Cardwell, where the funding will come from will not be determined until the master plan is completed.
“That’s at the end of the pipeline. Right now we’re at the beginning. We’ve identified a need, we’ve identified an area and we’ve got staff in place now to develop a master plan,” he said. Cardwell did say, however, that FEMA and HUD are possible funding sources.
During the past seven months, planning meetings have been held in which community members gave input on what they want to see in the new village. Surveys conducted by the planning committee ask residents what type of housing they would like to see in the upper village, what they believe is most important for families in the relocated area and how infrastructure can best assist village elders.
Although the tribal council has voted in favor of relocation, residents will not be forced to leave. One of the residents not planning to move is Quinault elder James DeLaCruz Sr. DeLaCruz says he’s lived near the ocean for as long as he can remember and doesn’t see any reason to leave now.
“I’ve lived on the ocean all my life. I love where I live,” said DeLaCruz.
Although it may be impossible to change some villagers’ minds about whether or not to move, Cardwell wants the new location to be as appealing as it can to residents in an attempt to draw more people to elevated ground. He uses the line from the 1989 film “Field of Dreams.”
“If we build it, they will come,” he says.
“We want to build it up there and encourage everybody to move,” he said.
Sharp said the relocation would be a chance for the tribe to grow economically, as well as evade natural disaster.
“In addition to keeping our people safe, the relocation will provide an opportunity for our village to expand. We have a fairly large land base adjacent to the village we are looking to develop. There will be opportunity for building a private sector economy,” she said.
On top of relocation of the village, Taholah residents are in need of an updated road system in order to get in and out of the village safely in the event of a natural disaster. Right now villagers must rely on State Route 109 to leave the area; that road is also the only way for street traffic to access Taholah or the rest of the region.
A proposal to build a two-lane roadway is under way in order to remedy this problem. McBride Road, a Forest Service road located just southeast of the village, is the targeted area for the development. More than eight miles of roads need to be paved in order to complete the project, which will cost an estimated $3.5 million. It is unclear where funding for this project will come from at this point.
Members of the community and the tribe’s planning committee will meet again this month to discuss the relocation.
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