Tribal Nations, Local Governments, and Regional Pluralism in Washington State: The Swinomish Approach in the Skagit Valley

This article reviews the events that led to improved regional cooperation in land use planning in the Skagit Valley region of Washington State. When the Swinomish Indian Tribe realized that it could not successfully achieve its community development goals in isolation from the surrounding political region, its approach was to bridge relations with surrounding communities by entering into cooperative agreements. The result was to pave the way for a new form of political pluralism in the region that would advance tribal interests and help to achieve Washingtonʹs growth management goal for consistency in regional planning. The article concludes with lessons that can be applied to other regions that face similar opposing interests in the development of coordinated land use policy.