The new village established a trading company, store and sawmill. However, the villagers were never comfortable with the arrangement, and at their request in 1926, the land was restored to its former status as part of the Tongass National Forest. 189 acres of the land were reserved for the school and townsite disposals. The first fish processing plant opened in 1927, and three other canneries operated through the 1930s. Culture Hydaburg is the largest Haida village in Alaska.
Residents maintain a subsistence and commercial fishing lifestyle.
A totem park, developed in the 1930s, is located in the village. Economy Hydaburg has a fishing-based economy. 42 residents hold commercial fishing permits. The Haida Corp. maintains a substantial timber holding, although logging was suspended in 1985 due to a decline in the timber market. The Corporation's log storage facility and sort yard are leased to Sealaska Corp., where locals are employed during logging operations.