Port of Tacoma Commissioners have approved the Blair Cutback Implementation Agreement with the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, clearing the way to cut back a portion of tribal property along the Blair Waterway and create a wider passageway for ships. The agreement, approved by the Tribal Council weeks earlier, supports development of a new joint terminal and builds on a 2008 framework that was paused during the recession.

Under the deal, the Tribe will manage project design and permitting while partnering with the Port on construction. Clean dredge material from the project will be used to build the East Commencement Habitat Opportunity (ECHO) project, creating mudflat and estuarine marsh habitat to support juvenile salmon and Dungeness crab populations along Marine View Drive.

The Port and Northwest Seaport Alliance are also coordinating with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to deepen the Blair Waterway navigation channel and berth areas by six feet to accommodate larger container ships, reinforcing Tacoma’s competitiveness in the global cargo market.