The department of Interior’s Partners in conservation award has been received the US Geological survey recently noting the strength
of the collaborative efforts between the USGS and the Coast Salish Western Washington Tribes and the British Columbia First Nations.The USGS plays an important role in the study of marine ecosystems with an emphasis on restoring Puget Sound. In 2008, during the Tribal Canoe journey, amongst the large number of canoes were five specifically equipped with latest state of the art technology to gather water samples and map huge area of Puget Sound and the strait of Georgia.
In addition to sharing ancient tribal knowledge regarding preservation of the ecosystem, the co-operative effort has also emphasized on the need to get equipped with the latest science equipment to better understand the present day situations and preserve the environment in the best possible way.