Colville Tribes extend reservation closure

NESPELEM – The Colville Tribes Business Council voted to extend the closure of reservation access to all non-essential visitors until midnight, June 26, due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic.

In a media release dated May 28, the closure includes all fishing for non-tribal members and extends “to all boat launches, lakes, rivers and reservoirs within the exterior boundary of the reservation which includes Lake Roosevelt and Lake Rufus Woods.”

The council initially closed access to the reservation on March 25, following the first reported cases of the COVID-19 virus in Ferry and Okanogan counties.

Reservation access remains open for tribal members, non-member Reservation residents, tribe employees, food, postal, delivery and other essential services, and other pre-approved personnel outside the agency.

“The state highways on the Reservation also remain open to through traffic,” an earlier CCT release said. “These include Highway 155, 97, and 21. Highway signs will urge travelers through the Reservation to stay safe and stay home.”

CCT said the closure is consistent with other actions taken by the Colville Tribes to protect residents from the pandemic and is consistent with the Stay at Home order issued by Governor Jay Inslee.”

The closure appears to be accomplishing its purpose in containing the spread of the coronavirus on the reservation. Latest figures released by Okanogan County Emergency Management show confirmed COVID cases on the reservation remain at 11, a figure that has not changed for a full month since April 29. Meanwhile, elsewhere in Okanogan County confirmed COVID cases have increased in three of the four other monitored locations.

South County has seen its number of cases increase from four one month ago to 17 as of OCEM’s latest count. Central Valley increased from five to 10 cases during the same period, and North Valley went from one to three. The Methow Valley remains at five cases.

Readers can follow Colville Confederated Tribes Fish and Wildlife on Facebook to remain current on any changes regarding this year’s fishing season.