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WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Project and Program Updates
Salmon Day in Olympia
On January 31, WRIA 8 staff and partners joined other salmon recovery organizations to share salmon recovery priorities with state legislators as part of Salmon Day in Olympia. The coordinated event involved a coalition of over 60 participants from groups around the state, having over 80 meetings with legislators.
This event provided a very effective way to demonstrate strong support for WRIA 8’s salmon recovery priorities as part of a broader suite of common priorities. Legislators and their staff were interested in hearing about our priorities and discussing salmon recovery barriers and needs. The status of the Climate Commitment Act, and impact of revenues generated by it, has been a significant topic for legislators this session. WRIA 8 produced a fact sheet to emphasize that salmon recovery is improving climate resilience, and specifically that investing Climate Commitment Act revenues in salmon recovery funding programs is a direct and meaningful way to achieve desired climate resilience objectives.
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Covenant of the Salmon People – Now Streaming Online
This 2023 documentary film is a portrait of the Nez Perce Tribe’s ancient agreement with salmon and follows their efforts to uphold this relationship as dams threaten the extinction of the species and cornerstone of their culture. It explores the unique relationship between the Nimiipuu, salmon, and the landscape from which both evolved, showing how the covenant with salmon is manifested in the tribe’s culture and history as well as in its current, multi-faceted work to advocate for salmon.
The powerful film is now streaming for free on PBS online – watch the film here.
City of Edmonds approved for NOAA Coastal Cities Resiliency grant
This federal grant will support the planning process for the eventual restoration of the Edmonds Marsh, a project that will reconnect the Marsh to Puget Sound, adding rare pocket estuary and juvenile salmon habitat and decreasing flood risks to the City of Edmonds. It will collect and evaluate existing data, identify funding sources, define the planning process, assess the impact of contaminated soil exposure, and list permit requirements for alternative restoration plans. The application was written by volunteers, Bill Derry and Greg Ferguson, and includes input from City of Edmond’s Directors of Public Works, Parks, and Finance, and the Port of Edmonds. To be competitive substantial match was offered and citizens pledged up to $25,000 in cash and $22,000 in volunteer hours and the City of Edmonds will contribute $10,000 in cash and $22,000 in in-kind services. Learn more!
Community Action Training School Welcomes a New Cohort!
Community Action Training School is excited to welcome a new cohort of future Salmon Stewards. You don’t need prior knowledge to join us. We will highlight salmon recovery efforts and inspire you to activate change in your neighborhood!
The 7 virtual classroom sessions and 4 field experiences run May through August 2024, with a symposium and graduation taking place on September 21. Applications will be accepted now through April 30. C.A.T.S. is funded by the King County Flood Control District as recommended by WRIA 8, and a generous donation by the Muckleshoot Indian Tribe. To learn more, contact Piper Hanson .
Resilient Floodplains for People & Salmon
The Puget Sound Partnership has been working with partners to capture the impacts of FEMA’s no rise policy on restoration implementation and has created the Resilient Floodplains for People & Salmon StoryMap that was developed for Puget Sound and beyond. The plan is to use this tool when speaking with federal legislators and other leaders in the coming months to demonstrate the problem and make the case for change; we hope that you also find it useful in the conversations you are having.
If you missed out on providing projects the first time around, the Partnership is in the midst of setting up an intake form to make it easy. If you are interested, please send an email to april.gassman@psp.wa.gov and megan.wilson@psp.wa.gov to be put on the list so we can send you the link when the form is ready in the coming weeks.
Kokanee Returns on the Rise - 3 Times Greater than the Previous Season
In January, the Kokanee Technical Committee reviewed spawning survey results and developed the final 2023/24 estimates of 279 spawning kokanee in Lake Sammamish, which is over 3 times greater than the 2022/23 return of 81 spawning kokanee. While 279 is an improvement, the estimate is still in the low abundance zone for the population.
Trout Unlimited’s Volunteer Barrier Assessment Team
Trout Unlimited is deploying teams of volunteers to conduct assessments of culverts and other structures that are potential barriers to fish passage using the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) protocol. By partnering with organizations like the United States Forest Service (USFS), counties, Tribes, and the United States Geological Survey (USGS) to evaluate and classify culverts on lands that they manage, TU will aid in developing a comprehensive plan to prioritize the replacement or redesign of culverts that disrupt the movements of aquatic creatures and resources. Trout Unlimited has invested in a number of survey kits across the state to equip Barrier Assessment Teams in their work, using modern equipment to provide accurate data.
All collected survey data is managed in a Geographic Information System (GIS) that will allow the results of barrier surveys to be tracked and shared with interested people. Survey data that determines a culvert is a potential barrier to fish passage will be shared with the WDFW, allowing them to update their own fish passage barrier database.
Read more information on the program or watch a short video to learn more!
Salmon in the News
50 years after Boldt Decision: new and lingering challenges to salmon recovery.
Read the full article.
Lawsuits Fly, as Regulators Come to Grips with a Toxic Tire Chemical.
Read the full article.
Thousands of Chinook wasted as bycatch in B.C. fishery, new report finds
Read the full article.
Upcoming Events
Mid Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group Volunteers have made progress on the West Sammamish River Trail
Mid Sound Fisheries volunteers have made great progress at our Woodinville West Sammamish River Trail restoration site! Where large patches of Himalayan Blackberry once dominated the river’s shorelines, newly cleared openings are ready to get native plants in the ground!.
Please join our planting events on the Sammamish River and help us to create healthy habitat for our local salmon! Upcoming volunteer opportunities scheduled on:
- Saturday March 16th and March 30th from 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Sign up here!
Public Comment on King County’s Draft Flood Plan Opened January 31
Flooding is our region’s most common natural disaster and part of urban and rural life in King County. The King County Flood Management Plan guides King County’s work to reduce flood risks. The draft King County Flood Management Plan will be available for public comment from Jan. 31 – March 15, and the County will host two online meeting options during the public comment period. The new Flood Plan will benefit families, homes, and businesses for years to come. Register today, your voice makes a difference!
If you have questions about the flood plan, contact Jason Wilkinson, Project Manager, King County Water and Land Resources Division, at jason.wilkinson@kingcounty.gov or 206-477-4786.
Funding Opportunities
America the Beautiful Challenge 2024, National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
Proposals due by: April 4, 2024. There are 5 different grant types (with varying project requirements): Implementation Grants, Planning Grants, Sentinel Landscape Grants, National Forest Grants, Private Forests, Rangeland and Farmland Grants. The focus is on projects that benefit fish and wildlife, enhance carbon sequestration and storage, benefit and engage with underserved communities, and protect ecosystems through resilience-focused and nature-based solutions. Approximately $119 million will be available through five categories of grants. NFWF expects to award at least 10% of grant funding to Tribes and 3% to U.S. territories.
View additional information and register for a webinar on February 29, 2024, 2-4pm ET.
2024 Coastal Resilience Program, National Sea Grant Law Center
The 2024 Coastal Resilience Program grants have a recommended funding level of $75,000, and the Law Center anticipates selecting up to two projects for funding. This fund is for legal/policy scholars to assess the effectiveness of a specific coastal resilience law, policy, or program. Projects should address the effectiveness of laws, policies, or programs related to coastal resilience issues. Learn more.
Letters of Intent must be received by 5 p.m. Central Time on Friday, March 8, 2024. Full proposals must be received by 5 p.m. Central Time on Friday, June 7, 2024. The anticipated award start date is February 1, 2025.
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