Island's only resident supports transfer from feds to tribe

On Protection Island in Jefferson County, Washington, the debate over a proposed land transfer is unfolding around seabirds that breed in burrows. The island is a national wildlife refuge because its bluffs preserve some of the Salish Sea’s last undeveloped habitat for species such as rhinoceros auklets and pigeon guillemots. Ron Allen, longtime chairman of the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, is urging Congress to transfer ownership of Protection Island’s nearby Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to his tribe. The tribe already co-manages with federal officials, and supporters say the change could set a precedent for other Native nations.