FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 5, 2023
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov
OLYMPIA — Governor Jay Inslee has appointed Dave Herrera to the Puget Sound Partnership's Leadership Council, the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership. Herrera is a member of the Skokomish Indian Tribe and serves as the Tribe’s Fisheries and Wildlife Policy Representative. He has served as the chair of the Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference, co-vice chair of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Ecosystem Coordination Board and the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, the vice chair of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council, and as a member of the Southern Resident Orca Task Force. In his work and advocacy, Herrera has focused on bringing state and local land use programs in line with salmon recovery goals.
“Dave is a passionate advocate for Tribal treaty rights, salmon recovery, and the health of Puget Sound,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “His resolve and deep understanding of fisheries and natural resources will suit him well on the Partnership’s Leadership Council.”
“I am really looking forward to working with Dave Herrera as a new member of the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council,” said Dennis McLerran, Chair of the Leadership Council. “Dave has been a highly successful collaborative leader for years on watershed recovery, restoration, and stewardship of natural resources. His experience and knowledge will help drive our work to advance Puget Sound and salmon recovery with our many partners.”
Herrera has spent his career protecting and restoring Tribal treaty resources. He has worked in Tribal fisheries and natural resources programs for over 30 years, and he has served the Skokomish Indian Tribe in a policy position for more than a decade. He has also served as a member or officer for many regional boards related to fisheries, environmental policy, salmon recovery, and ecosystem recovery.
Since 2007, Herrera has been a Tribal government representative on the Partnership’s Ecosystem Coordination Board, which advises the Leadership Council on carrying out its responsibilities. He has served as the board’s vice chair for 15 years. He was a founding member of the board’s land use subcommittee and helped establish its mission, which is to provide recommendations for land use regulations, policies, and implementation that ensure the protection and restoration of habitat in watersheds for the future of all species.
Herrera has also served as the vice chair or co-vice chair of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council for over a decade. The Salmon Recovery Council advises the Leadership Council on decisions related to salmon recovery and the implementation of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan.
He has also chaired the Puget Sound Tribal Management Conference, which is a forum where Tribes participate in the Puget Sound Action Agenda update process, set priorities for Puget Sound recovery, and provide input for the National Estuary Program decision-making process.
In addition, Herrera has been Skokomish Commissioner for the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission and chair of its Environmental Policy Committee. He serves as vice chair of the board of directors for the Hood Canal Coordinating Council and he is a member of the State Forest Practices Board, the advisory board for the William D. Ruckelshaus Center, and the board of directors for the Puget Sound Restoration Fund. Herrera was also a member of the Southern Resident Orca Task Force.
“I’m honored to join the Leadership Council, and excited to work with such a diverse team of leaders in this new capacity,” Herrera said. “I hope to help drive recovery of Puget Sound, with a particular focus on improving habitat protection.”
"I am thrilled that the Governor appointed Dave Herrera to the Leadership Council," said Laura Blackmore, executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership. “Dave is a great leader and a wonderful collaborator. He asks tough questions and works hard to build consensus on durable solutions to Puget Sound recovery problems. I am very grateful that he is willing to join the Leadership Council.”
About the Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership. Its seven members are leading citizens chosen from around the Sound and appointed by the Governor to serve four-year terms. Dennis McLerran currently chairs the Leadership Council.
About the Puget Sound Partnership
The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency formed to lead the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. Working with hundreds of government agencies, tribes, scientists, businesses, and nonprofits, the Partnership mobilizes partner action around a common agenda, advances Sound investments, and tracks progress to optimize recovery.
For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.
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