Good news from the State Department of Fish and Wildlife. Based on the good outcomes of similar workshops a few years ago, the Northwest Straits Foundation, which helps support the work of the Jefferson and Clallam County Marine Resource Committees, has been chosen as one of the recipients of a grant. The grant will allow us to hold workshops and offer technical training on state of the art information for reducing hard-armoring of shorelines. This money will be used in the counties affected. It's a great example of using the State to fund the activities but keeping them by and for the people who know the priorities at the local level. An example of what this is all about can be found by watching this short video we did two years ago for Jefferson County. There is a very good example of soft shore armoring in it. Done by folks over on Dungeness Bay. http://vimeo.com/68819395
OLYMPIA - Five proposals to provide incentives for shoreline landowners in Puget Sound to manage their property in a "shore friendly" way will receive funding through the Puget Sound Marine and Nearshore Grant Program at the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW).
The grant program, jointly managed by WDFW and the Washington Department of Natural Resources, will distribute $1.6 million provided by the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to support actions outlined in the state’s Action Agenda for Puget Sound.
“Reducing the amount of hard-armored shoreline is critical to Puget Sound recovery,” said Patricia Jatczak, grant program manager. “Shore-friendly techniques that avoid the use of bulkheads, seawalls and other types of hard armor can protect property with minimal interference to important natural processes that create and maintain aquatic habitat.”
The grant proposals are designed to examine how incentives can be used to motivate residential landowners to remove unnecessary armor or install soft shore protection if needed, Jatczak said. Those incentives may include onsite technical assistance, help with permit costs and workshops for landowners.
The five applicants selected to receive funding were:
- Northwest Straits Foundation – $312,117: This project will be implemented in San Juan, Whatcom, Skagit, Snohomish, Island, Jefferson, and Clallam counties, and focuses on providing technical assistance to residential landowners to avoid or replace shoreline armor with soft shore protection.
- Kitsap County – $365,854: Kitsap County will use the grant to offer financial incentives and a streamlined permit process for bulkhead removal, as well as technical assistance and erosion assessments.
- Mason Conservation District – $315,155: This project will be implemented in Mason County, and will provide resources such as workshops, information about shoreline processes, and technical assistance to encourage the removal of bulkheads, install soft shore protection if needed and improve stewardship of the nearshore.
- Island County – $290,399: This project focuses on the preservation of Island County’s unarmored shoreline, and will provide streamlined permitting and financial assistance for shoreline residents who choose soft-shore alternatives.
- San Juan County – $348,170: The goal of this project is to protect San Juan County’s unarmored shoreline by providing information and assistance to landowners and shift the cultural norm toward natural shorelines.
Since 2010, the state grant program has received more than $18 million in funding from the EPA to support the state’s Puget Sound Action Agenda. The funding has supported about 60 projects including those designed to restore marine habitat, support citizen science at the state’s protected aquatic areas, and engage citizens in preparing and responding to oil spills.
The program also developed the Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines, which provide guidance on using soft shore techniques.