After Dam Came Down, Tribe's 'Creation' Site Found - Spokane, North Idaho News & Weather KHQ.com

PORT ANGELES, Wash. (AP) - A site sacred to a Washington state tribe has been found among the 1,100 acres of land that emerged after the Elwha Dam was removed.
    
And now the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe would like to have that land back.
    
The Seattle Times reports Saturday (http://bit.ly/MMurqh) that tribe chairwoman Frances Charles said she visited the site last month after National Park Service cultural-resources staff notified.
    
Acting superintendent for Olympic National Park Todd Suess says the National Park Service intends to launch a public process to decide the long-term disposition of the land, but at the moment has no funding to pay for an environmental assessment.
    
When Congress authorized removal of the dam in 1992, the so-called project lands were to be set aside either for use as a state park, a national park or a national wildlife refuge, or be transferred to the tribe.

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