An excellent overview of the state of the salmon in Puget Sound

Posted on August 11, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Chris Dunagan is one of the best reporters in the Pacific NW covering the Salish Sea. Here’s a great overview of the state of the salmon.

Are we making progress on salmon recovery?

In recent decades, hundreds of millions of dollars have been spent to restore habitat for Puget Sound salmon. In this article, we look at how scientists are gauging their progress. Are environmental conditions improving or getting worse? The answer may depend on where you look and who you ask. Chris Dunagan reports. (Salish Sea Currents)

https://www.eopugetsound.org/magazine/is/salmon-recovery

Filed under: Around the Sound, Endangered Species, fisheries, Puget Sound, Salmon | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Wash. Budget Has Pros And Cons For Environmental Policies – KNKX

Posted on July 9, 2017 by Al Bergstein

A brief overview of the good news on the State budget front.

Washingtonians are parsing the state budget passed last weekby a divided legislature. It adds $1.8 billion for basic education over the next two years.  A big chunk of that comes from the closure of a so-called “extractive fuel” loophole, which is one of several new policies that many environmentally progressive groups like.

Eric de Place, an energy and climate policy analyst at the Seattle-based Sightline Institute, says from his perspective, the new state budget is mostly good news.

“I think on net, the budget was a win for the environment and a win for the climate,” de Place said.

http://knkx.org/post/wash-budget-has-pros-and-cons-environmental-policies

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Damage estimate soars to $57M, but insurers likely to pay in flood at West Point wastewater plant – Seattle Times

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Al Bergstein

The real damage is likely to not be known for decades. That’s the effect on our fisheries and underwater world from this massive, unprecedented spill that in effect, brought Seattle to the 1920s all over again dumping untreated sewage into the Sound for months.

The new price tag for the catastrophic Feb. 9 flood that crippled the West Point Treatment Plant is up to $57 million — more than double the previous estimate. But taxpayers may be off the hook for most of it. The Wastewater Treatment Division, in a letter Friday to the Metropolitan King County Council, updated its initial estimate of $25 million in damage, stating major repairs and replacement of equipment will continue through October and cost $49 million to $57 million. Christine Willmsen reports. (Seattle Times)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/damage-estimate-soars-but-insurers-likely-to-pay-in-flood-at-west-point-wastewater-plant/

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Washington state loses big legal battle over salmon culverts – AP

Posted on May 22, 2017 by Al Bergstein

As if it’s not bad enough with the lack of money to deal with the public schools, now this. I think a change to a state income tax is a way forward to properly make the wealthiest of our high tech workers, etc. pay their fair share. Property taxes are a joke. You can’t get to funding of all our needs by property taxes and you end up hurting fixed income elderly the worse.

Washington state lost a major legal battle Friday that could force it to spend nearly $2 billion to restore salmon habitat by removing barriers blocking fish migration. A panel of the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals last year affirmed a lower court’s 2013 ruling ordering the state to fix or replace hundreds of culverts — large pipes that allow streams to pass beneath roads but block migrating salmon. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/washington-state-loses-big-legal-battle-over-salmon-culverts

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Muri’s bill supporting Puget Sound Partnership signed into law – Suburban Times

Posted on April 21, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Good news, albeit a small thing.

The governor signed a bill sponsored by Rep. Dick Muri, R-Steilacoom, that would help the on-going efforts of the Puget Sound Partnership…. Every two years, the Puget Sound Partnership is required to produce a State of the Sound science work plan. The plan identifies recommendations for improvements to their ongoing work in Puget Sound. Because of the short interval for updates, they are in a continuous planning mode. Muri’s bill changes the frequency of the report from every two years, to four years. By reducing the frequency of the updates, the proposal would help free up the Puget Sound Partnership’s resources. This would allow them to focus on meeting restoration performance targets. (Suburban Times)

http://thesubtimes.com/2017/04/20/muris-bill-supporting-puget-sound-partnership-signed-into-law/

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EVENT: Farm Bureau to present on Hirst Decision 4/12 @7PM Chimicum Grange

Posted on April 3, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Al Latham just alerted me that a fellow from the Farm Bureau will be doing a presentation on the Hirst Decision (on building permits and water rights) and current legislative activity around exempt wells at the Chimacum Grange, 7pm Wed April 12.

What is the Hirst Decision? It’s an extremely important new ruling that addresses an ongoing battle over development vs. water rights. Let me copy from the Dept of Ecology web site:

“A recent Washington State Supreme Court decision has changed how counties decide to approve or deny building permits that use wells for a water source.

In the Whatcom County vs. Hirst, Futurewise, et al. decision (often referred to as the Hirst decision), the court ruled that the county failed to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements to protect water resources. The ruling requires the county to make an independent decision about legal water availability.

Background

We protect rivers and streams across the state by creating instream flow rules, which set the amount of water necessary for protecting fish, wildlife and recreation. In 1985, we adopted an instream flow rule for the Nooksack River (WAC 173-501) in Whatcom County. This rule closed most streams in the watershed to new water right permits but allowed landowners to use permit-exempt wells in most of the area. Whatcom County’s development regulations followed our instream flow rule.

A reliable, year-round supply of water is necessary for new homes or developments. Before the Oct. 6, 2016, court decision, many counties relied on what the Department of Ecology said about whether year-round water was available. This court decision changes that – counties now have to make their own decisions about whether there is enough water, physically and legally, to approve a building permit that would rely on a well.

Impacts

The case directly relates to Whatcom County but appears to set legal precedent that applies in other counties where there are instream flow rules that were not intended to regulate permit-exempt water uses. It is unclear how the decision affects areas of the state where there are no instream flow rules. Counties are working to review the decision and what it means for them. Contact your county’s building, planning or health departments if you have questions about how the Hirst decision may affect you.

Key points

  • Science has shown that rivers and streams are generally connected to groundwater. The Washington State Supreme Court said that water is not legally available if a new well would impact a protected river or stream, or an existing senior water right.
  • If your county determines that water is not legally available for your new use, the county would not be able to approve your building permit – even if you have already drilled a well.
  • We are providing technical assistance to counties as they determine their next steps. Our priority will be to provide information about the status of stream closures and instream flows.
  • Anyone with questions about how the decision affects them should contact their county government.

 

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If Canada ups its oil shipping, should we worry?- Crosscut

Posted on March 30, 2017 by Al Bergstein

Would be nice to think this bill has a chance, but appears that it doesn’t. There is always next year.

 

…. The House Finance Committee in Olympia is set to vote Thursday on a measure to require tug escorts for articulated oil barges. HB 1611 aims to address some shortcomings in the state’s oil spill prevention program. It would improve safety requirements for water transport, including mandating tug escorts for oil-transporting vessels. It also would tighten safety standards for pipelines and provide additional funding for the oil spill program administered by the Department of Ecology. Strong opposition from Republicans in the Senate means the bill faces a steep uphill climb, its sponsor, Rep. Jessyn Farrell, D-Seattle, acknowledges. She failed to get similar legislation passed two years ago, instead passing a bill that improved safety only for oil transport by rail. Adiel Kaplan reports. (Investigate West)

http://crosscut.com/2017/03/if-canada-ups-its-oil-shipping-should-we-worry-trans-mountain-pipeline/

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Trump budget slashes agencies to focus on wall, defense – AP/Seattle Times

Posted on March 18, 2017 by Al Bergstein

It’s no longer theoretical about what the Republicans might do to the environment. It’s here now and it’s real. They are going to take the money from environmental restoration and pour it into bombs and more border patrols. Is that really in our best interest as a country? What really matters to you as a citizen and what are we defending? We need all hands on deck to register disgust and anger at this proposed budget. Eastern Washington Republicans, Republicans from all over the Puget Sound region, including Mason county and other locales, and Representative Dave Reichert, the “brave” ex-sheriff that is afraid of holding public town halls because he doesn’t want to face the public that he is personally impacting with his support of these changes, all need to hear from you now. A year from now will be too late. Your neighbors, your environment, restoration of salmon stocks, the protection of the Orca, and by the way,  your health care if  you are not employed by a major corporation or the military, is all on the line. Our fellow citizens in the midwest have allowed us to be taken over by a far right wing zealot and a congress that will stop at nothing to strip us of our hard earned gains in environmental protection, health care, and much more. Time to speak up, or forever hold your peace.

President Donald Trump unveiled a $1.15 trillion budget on Thursday, a far-reaching overhaul of federal government spending that slashes many domestic programs to finance a significant increase in the military and make a down payment on a U.S.-Mexico border wall. Trump’s proposal seeks to upend Washington with cuts to long-promised campaign targets like foreign aid and the Environmental Protection Agency as well as strong congressional favorites such as medical research, help for homeless veterans and community development grants. Andrew Taylor reports. (Associated Press)

http://www.seattletimes.com/business/trump-budget-defense-spending-a-priority-over-agency-money/

Filed under: Around the Sound, Environmental Activism, Puget Sound | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Climate change, rural growth are priorities for new Washington lands commissioner – Seattle Times

Posted on December 27, 2016 by Al Bergstein

The state’s newly elected lands commissioner says her top priorities will be to find ways to strengthen local rural economies and to prepare state lands and communities to deal with climate change. Hilary Franz, an environmental attorney who beat out retired Navy commander Steve McLaughlin, will take over the helm at the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) in January from two-term commissioner Peter Goldmark. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/climate-change-rural-growth-are-priorities-for-new-washington-lands-commissioner/

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Whatcom asks state to pay for pilot program to offset well water use – Bellingham Herald

Posted on December 19, 2016 by Al Bergstein

So after fighting this all the way to the Supreme Court the county now wants us taxpayers to foot the bill for trying this out. I suppose this might be a good trial situation. But let’s remember we don’t offer government sponsored trials for solar panels.

The County Council has asked the state Legislature to pay for a three-year pilot project that could address a state Supreme Court mandate that Whatcom County ensure new permit-exempt wells don’t hurt minimum stream flows and senior water rights. The idea came from County Councilman Rud Browne. The council voted Dec. 6 to ask the state for money, although no specific amount was requested…. The system – which includes software, water tanks, water meters – would allow homeowners in rural Whatcom County taking part in the pilot to seasonally store water during the wet winter months to offset the impact of their use in drier months. It would cost a little over $16,000 for a four-person household. Kie Relyea reports. (Bellingham Herald)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/local/article121447892.html

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Voter Turnout in Jefferson County Tops 85% – PT Leader

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Al Bergstein

Kudos to the Jefferson County Democratic Party, which helped create an amazing voter turnout this year. Chairman Bruce Cowan deserves credit for steering a contentious turnout for the two candidates into a high turnout of ballots.

At last count, 85.45 percent of registered voters in Jefferson County turned out to vote. San Juan County beat Jefferson for turnout honors, with 86.62 percent of registered voters there casting ballots.

http://www.ptleader.com/news/election/voter-turnout-in-jefferson-county-hits-percent/article_b2b01a80-b109-11e6-abf4-432ce0d01a73.html

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Polly Dyer, driving force for Northwest conservation, dead at 96 – Seattle Times

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Al Bergstein

Goodbye to another legend.

The majestic wilderness of Shi Shi Beach, an indelible sight for many visitors to the Olympic wilderness near Neah Bay, might look entirely different today if not for the cheerful tenacity of Polly Dyer, a conservationist icon who died Sunday in Shoreline. She was 96. Equally at home testifying before Congress or entertaining a new generation of environmentalists in her Lake City living room, Pauline “Polly” Dyer came from modest means to become a driving force in Northwest wilderness and conservation circles. While unable to attend college as a young woman, she would grow up to count governors and Supreme Court justices among her friends. Claudia Rowe reports. (Seattle Times)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/polly-dyer-driving-force-for-northwest-conservation-dead-at-96/

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Politics Of Trade: The Northwest’s Complicated Relationship To The TPP -OPB

Posted on July 31, 2016 by Al Bergstein

Another article outlining some of the difficulties in getting to the truth about the TPP this election year.  As I have said before, I don’t believe that the TPP is the problem, just a symptom, and that the real problem that we face by these massive trade deals, which are always done with an eye towards helping American businesses, is that the tax law is what ultimately defines whether companies can outsource their work to low wage countries. If the tax laws make it unfavorable to move factories overseas, then they won’t. An unintended consequence of that is that they may just choose to open new factories overseas and slowly shut down antiquated ones, by not investing in them, but again, tax law dictates such issues as depreciation schedules of equipment. One reason Japan outcompeted us in the 198os was due to a very favorable depreciation schedule of 1 year to our 5 (or more) years. A company could write off the depreciation of a large manufacturing machine in 1 year, and then buy the latest state of the art one the next, making them more and more competitive. By the time our companies would have depreciated the equipment, the Japanese were 5 or more times efficient against our companies.

Part of our complicated tax law in the US gives different industries different depreciation schedules. For example, replacing computers at companies like Microsoft can be done more rapidly than standard companies, due to the ability to classify them as Research and Development (R&D) tools, rather than just standard business equipment. That Microsoft tests new Operating systems and programs like Word on their internal computer users first, allows them to take advantage of this tax law issue.

Another thing to think about, is that we currently dominate the world in software, a business that generates not only great middle class and upper class jobs, and has an enormous effect on follow on jobs for low income workers, that often supply goods and services to these businesses, and to the universe of partner companies that establish offices in the area of the business, such as we see with partners to Microsoft,Boeing and Amazon. These businesses all   generate enormous tax revenues for our country. Working towards a beneficial trade agreement that forces other countries, like China or India,  to get better at supporting our intellectual property, such as software, music and film rights, is a good thing for American workers. Fighting trade deals and making it more punitive or operating outside of trade deals leads to piecemeal implementation (or no implementation) of protection of these laws. 

There is always an inbalance between competition between nations and even states. Most people have heard that Delaware  has a special tax law that allows corporations to form easily there and shelter themselves from taxes. Nevada, likewise is a haven for companies in other states, to use as a tax haven for their revenues to be gathered. A large global company, headquartered in the Bay area, can open a subsidiary in Nevada, and have all their revenues go there first, to avoid California tax rates. You likely have heard of our massive tax breaks to Boeing and other companies. These are our states’ TPP deals with internal US companies, and external foreign companies that can bring jobs. This is the way states compete. It is legal. Allowing corporations to have signification input on trade deals is the way to get US subject matter expertise to the table so that our negotiators can best understand what we need from other countries. It’s our governments fault if they allow corporations to bury tax advantages into these but it is not the fault of the agreeement. And it is a political football to pretend that the deal is the problem.

To be clear, there are many other isssues that are concerning in TPP, and again our Congressional delegation should support taking it out from behind it’s secrecy and opening the process up for feedback.  I support the documented TPP problems and the solutions to them that were laid out in a 20 page detailed over veiw by a consortium of the Sierra Club,  Friends of the Earth, Public Citizen, Institute for Policy Studies and Earth Justice in 2012. If you like detail on these issues go and read the document.

But the following article is a good generic article, useful for much more discussion, I present it with an eye on helping us better understand why our representatives in Congress in the Pacific NW are not flocking to damn TPP, while the outsiders, who have nothing to lose, are. Ultimately we need trade deals, but they need to protect our environment, our hard won intellectual property. We must make sure they don’t give hidden benefits to countries and companies that are working against these issues.

Politics Of Trade: The Northwest’s Complicated Relationship To The TPP

http://www.opb.org/news/series/election-2016/tpp-trade-oregon-economic-impact-political/?utm_source=Sightline%20Institute&utm_medium=web-email&utm_campaign=Sightline%20News%20Selections

 

 

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Dairy farmers tell state its rules on cow manure are too costly – AP

Posted on July 28, 2016 by Al Bergstein

I’m afraid that I’m not on board with these new rules, unless we the tax payers are going to offer no interest loans or fund their needed work.  I want these dairies cleaned up, but am not willing to force them into it when this state could help them out. There is a middle way between forcing the change quickly or exempting huge amounts of dairies. Maybe a tax on all milk for 5 years to help fund the cost of the conversion?

The unintended consequence of this could be farms downsizing to just under the limit, or going out of business all together. Puget Soundkeeper Alliance has sometimes taken wrong approaches in the past to situations like this. It’s not the first time I’ve found myself disagreeing with their tactics. They often take too much of a “Big City” approach, and see the people in the hinterlands as easy targets.

Dairy farmers and environmentalists are criticizing new manure-control rules the state Department of Ecology plans to finalize early next year. The Capital Pressreported that at a public hearing on Tuesday, July 26, farmers said dairies already are heavily regulated and that Ecology’s new layer of mandates would be unnecessary and expensive…. After Tuesday’s hearing, Ecology’s special assistant on water policy, Kelly Susewind, said the department may consider redrawing the line and exempting more dairies…. Environmentalists testified that the department should require dairies to line lagoons with synthetic fabric to prevent leaks and to install wells to monitor groundwater. (Associated Press)

http://www.bellinghamherald.com/news/business/article92244202.html#storylink=mainstage

Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Around the Sound, Puget Sound | Tagged: , | 1 Comment »

Plan would ban boats from releasing sewage into Puget Sound – Seattle Times

Posted on July 22, 2016 by Al Bergstein

This proposal has been in the discussion phase for a couple of years now. We discussed it in the Jefferson County Marine Resources Committee back in 2014 I believe. It was clear then, and is clear now, that if they are going to do this, it should be in more than one stage, with exemptions for working commercial vessels that cannot retrofit for the new rules.  I have to say that I agree with the critics that are quoted in the story. What those of us involved with the preliminary rules found back then, was that a number of tug boats, have never had an ability to have a holding tank, because they were built in an era where it wasn’t required, and they filled the hold with engine. There is no way to retrofit some of these working boats. As you can see from the reaction of commercial interests in this article, the issue has not magically gone away. That Ms. Bellon has chosen to ignore this feedback and simply given them 5 years to comply or have to buy a new tug is not going to solve the problem. It leads to the kind of anger against agencies like DOE, run under this Democratic governor. It can be fuel for the fire of the Republicans which is not needed in this election year. Ms. Bellon needs to come to the table with an exemption status for the small number of commercial vessels, perhaps establishing a 20 year exemption, what would allow the natural cycle of vessel replacement to happen.The small amount of treated human waste from these commercial vessels pale in comparison with the fecal runoff of the roads, which carries away pet waste by the ton every time it rains. I don’t see DOE getting all upset and banning cities from expanding until they fix their storm sewer systems. We know that it would not be politically acceptable. I highly recommend that if you are involved in any kind of organization or NGO that is involved in Puget Sound protection, that you write Ms Bellon, and call your legislators, and tell them and her that we need to have the commercial interests on board with this proposal before inacting it. As to the recreational boaters, getting them  to go to pump out stations is a good idea, but DOE better fund an expansion of those stations. There are not enough around the Sound.

Boaters and vessel operators would not be able to release sewage, treated or untreated, into Puget Sound under a proposal by Washington state regulators. The Department of Ecology said Thursday it and other state agencies petitioned the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to designate the waters of Puget Sound a “no discharge zone” to improve water quality and protect shellfish beds and swimming beaches from harmful bacteria. If approved, the zone would cover waters from near Sequim to south Puget Sound to the Canadian border, and includes Lake Washington and Lake Union. There are dozens of no-discharge zones in the country, but this would be the first in the Pacific Northwest. Phuong Le reports. (Associated Press)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/plan-would-ban-boats-from-releasing-sewage-into-puget-sound/

Filed under: Around the Salish Sea, Around the Sound, Puget Sound | Tagged: | 2 Comments »

Event: Saturday – Diggin’ For Dinner!

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Al Bergstein

There may still be spots open for this. Check it out! It was a lot of fun last year. diggin for dinner

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State says more ferries needed for aging fleet – KING

Posted on May 5, 2016 by Al Bergstein

Good news. If the Seattle area can get massive budget busting huge bridges  and tunnels to support their never ending growth needs, we in the hinterlands should be getting safe updated ferries, since they are our bridges, are considered state highways in their own right, and support our commerce.

Washington state is moving closer to adding a new ferry to its fleet. But before that, one of its older vessels will likely enter retirement. The state hopes to have a 144-car Olympic class ferry on the waters of Puget Sound by next year. By then the much smaller Hiyu ferry will likely be gone, according to state transportation officials. Even with the future additions to the fleet, the state will still need more vessels to accommodate a record amount of ridership. Michael Konopasak reports. (KING)

http://www.king5.com/news/traffic/state-says-more-ferries-needed-for-aging-fleet/169823226

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Wolf Bauer, 103, mountaineer, environmentalist dies – Seattle Times

Posted on January 28, 2016 by Al Bergstein

A remarkable life.

Wolf Bauer, accomplished mountaineer and environmentalist with a passion for teaching and sharing, has died at 103. His work influenced generations of skiers, climbers and kayakers and led to protection of shoreline areas. Jack Broom reports. (Seattle Times)

http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/obituaries/wolf-bauer-103-mountaineer-environmentalist-dies/

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12 projects receive state grants to restore Puget Sound shorelines

Posted on December 11, 2015 by Al Bergstein

 Here’s the list with the specifics for Jefferson County. Congratulations to the North Olympic Salmon Coalition

OLYMPIA – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has begun distributing $8.2 million in funding for 12 local projects designed to protect and restore the natural shorelines around Puget Sound.

Project sponsors include local governments, tribes and non-profit organizations from Hood Canal to the Snohomish River Delta who applied for funding through two competitive grant programs administered by the department.

Funding distributed by WDFW through those programs comes from a combination of state capital funds and federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Projects funded this year involve restoring beaches for fish habitat and public use, correcting barriers that prevent salmon from reaching key spawning and feeding areas, and restoring tidal functions altered by land-use practices over the past century, said Jay Krienitz, who manages WDFW’s Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP).

“Seawalls and other structures line more than a quarter of Puget Sound’s 2,500-mile shoreline,” Krienitz said. “These projects play an important role in restoring the Sound’s natural shorelines, helping to ensure these areas are healthy and productive for fish, wildlife and people.”

Ten projects will be solely funded this year with revenue from the state’s capital construction budget. One project will be funded through EPA grants administered by WDFW’s Marine and Nearshore Grant Program, and another will be funded by both programs.

This year’s funding was directed to qualified projects that will protect and restore Puget Sound shorelines through the removal of bulkheads and protection of bluffs, said Patricia Jatczak, WDFW manager for the EPA grant program.

“Sediment from bluffs is critical in providing new beach material and creating the healthy shorelines necessary for salmon survival,” Jatczak said. “Loss of sediment can lead to reduced breeding habitat for nearshore fish, such as surf smelt, that salmon feed on.”

These grant programs provide many public benefits aside from restoring Puget Sound shorelines and salmon runs, said Krienitz.

“Every $1 million invested in restoration and protection programs, such as ESRP, results in at least 17 jobs and more than $3 million in economic activity,” Krienitz said. “Investments in ESRP projects provide sustainable fish and shellfish populations that support recreational and commercial fishing industries critical to the economies of coastal communities.”

ESRP is a collaboration between WDFW, the Recreation and Conservation Office, and the Puget Sound Partnership.

Here is a summary of the 12 restoration projects funded this year:

JEFFERSON COUNTY
Discovery Bay Restoration ($257,862)
Grant funding will be provided to complete the restoration of 37 acres of shoreline and estuary in the Snow/Salmon Creek estuary and Discovery Bay. Restoration actions include removal and modification of an abandoned railroad grade and associated infrastructure, and removal of dredge spoils and sediment. The area is critical habitat for Hood Canal summer chum salmon, which are listed for protection under the federal Endangered Species Act.
Phase: Implementation
Sponsor: North Olympic Salmon Coalition
Contact: Kevin Long (360) 379-8051

Kilisut Harbor Restoration ($2,000,000)
Grant funding will be provided to remove 450 feet of causeway to connect Kilisut Harbor, a coastal inlet between Indian and Marrowstone islands, with Oak Bay. This project will provide migrating juvenile salmon access to a relatively pristine bay with abundant forage fish and intact eelgrass beds. The project is conditionally approved barring a final report of sediment transport and assurance of adequate channel stability.
Phase: Implementation
Sponsor: North Olympic Salmon Coalition
Contact: Kevin Long (360) 379-8051

West Dabob Bay Restoration ($527,000)
Grant funding will be provided to protect and restore a portion of the Dabob Bay Natural Area, one of the highest quality estuarine embayments remaining in Puget Sound. Three adjoining residential parcels along Dabob Bay at the mouth of Anderson Creek will be acquired by Northwest Watershed Institute and the Washington Department of Natural Resources (as match to the ESRP grant). The project involves removing a 400-foot long rock bulkhead along the shoreline, tideland fill, a boat ramp and shoreline structure. In addition, the project includes re­shaping the low bank shoreline and meandering a 1,000 feet of lower Anderson Creek where it joins Dabob Bay.
Phase: Design and implementation
Sponsor: Northwest Watershed Institute
Contact: Peter Bahls (360) 385-6786

MASON COUNTY
Beard’s Cove Restoration ($409,000 – Funded with federal EPA grant dollars)
Grant funding will be provided for the restoration of nearshore and estuarine habitat in Lynch Cove, on the Union River Estuary in Hood Canal. The project will restore up to 1,550 feet of natural shoreline and 1,200 feet of tidal channels, and approximately 7.3 acres of tidal marsh/estuary habitat. The restoration will include the acquisition of approximately 2 acres of Beards Cove Community Organization property that presently contains derelict structures and fill. The restoration, along with a 7-acre conservation easement donation, will reconnect 1.7 miles of contiguous, preserved estuarine habitat.
Phase: Implementation
Sponsor: Great Peninsula Conservancy
Contact: Kate Kuhlman (360) 373-3500

Skokomish Delta Restoration ($1,231,929)
Grant funding will be provided to reconnect forested wetlands to the Skokomish River estuary by removing existing barriers to stream flow and salmon. This project, which will significantly increase the area of wetlands critical for juvenile salmon, includes 17 new stream crossings and restoration of 0.5 miles of existing stream habitat.  The overall goal is to restore quality and diverse habitat to the estuary.
Phase: Implementation
Sponsor: Mason Conservation District
Contact: Gavin Glore (360) 427-9436, ext. 120

PUGET SOUND-WIDE
Prioritization for Bluffline Structure Protection ($149,621)
Grant funding will be provided to identify actions that will help manage coastal erosion and reduce risk of damage to private and public property. Coastal Geologic Services will compile, augment, and analyze a geodatabase of long-term coastal bluff erosion rates in Puget Sound. This information will be used to characterize risk to properties, identify priority sites to remove shoreline armor, and inform protective strategies involving setback regulations and easement acquisitions.
Phase: Feasibility
Sponsor: Coastal Geologic Services
Contact:  Andrea McClennan (360) 671-6654

Identifying Target Beaches for Restoration and Protection (*$34,685.)
Grant funding will be provided to develop a consistent and strategic regional approach for directing site-level restoration and protection proposals for Puget Sound beaches. This effort will provide new and refined spatial data and tools to natural resource managers and local organizations working to restore and protect Puget Sound beach systems. (*Only partial funding due to current level of remaining ESRP funds.)
Phase: Feasibility
Sponsor: Coastal Geologic Services
Contact:  Andrea McClennan (360) 671-6654

 

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Twelve Washington projects receive state grants to restore shorelines – Maple Valley Reporter

Posted on December 9, 2015 by Al Bergstein

It is great to see the work being done around the Sound to restore some of the 150 years of destruction to our shorelines. These funds are going to local jobs, restoring beaches, streams and more, as well as helping to do what best available current science says will help to restore fish, shellfish and other sea life along the nearshore. All these projects were ground up based designs, with local non profits and governments helping put the grants together. If you are a fisherman or a beach harvester you should be happy with this work. Thanks to WDFW for continuing to find the funds to help do this. If you live in one of these areas, and are affiliated with the project, be sure to get still and video photography of the projects in action.

The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has begun distributing $8.2 million in funding for 12 local projects designed to protect and restore the natural shorelines around Puget Sound…. [Projects include:] Jefferson Co. Discovery Bay Restoration ($257,862), Kilisut Harbor Restoration ($2,000,000), West Dabob Bay Restoration ($527,000); King Co. Maury Island Restoration ($1,586,712 – Federal EPA grant funds and ESRP state capital funding provided); Mason Co. Beard’s Cove Restoration ($409,000 – Funded with federal EPA grant dollars), Skokomish Delta Restoration ($1,231,929); Kitsap Co. Teekalet and Port Gamble Restoration ($1,500,000); Snohomish Co. Railroad Grade Beach Nourishment ($99,010); Thurston Co. Bulkhead Removal Planning ($86,684); Thurston/Pierce Cos. Restoring Sediment Supply to Sustain Delta Marsh ($350,000); Puget Sound-Wide: Prioritization for Bluffline Structure Protection ($149,621), Identifying Target Beaches for Restoration and Protection ($34,685 partial funding)…. Funding distributed by WDFW through those programs comes from a combination of state capital funds and federal grants from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (Maple Valley Reporter)

http://www.maplevalleyreporter.com/news/360968671.html

Filed under: Around the Sound, Puget Sound | Tagged: , | Comments Off on Twelve Washington projects receive state grants to restore shorelines – Maple Valley Reporter

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