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Partner Updates
Duwamish Alive! Celebrating Our River's Salmon and Puget Sound Orca
Communities will be celebrating and helping improve salmon habitat at multiple sites within the watershed. This collaborative effort is to emphasize the importance of the interconnectedness of all our lands and waters throughout the watershed and the communities within it. Hundreds of volunteers will be planting native plants, removing invasive plants and debris. This is a family friendly event, all are welcome! This is being co-sponsored by the Environmental Science Center, and Tukwila Parks as part of Duwamish Alive! Spanish speaking translators will be available.
- Saturday October 19th from 10 am – 2 pm. A Salmon Saturday Festival is planned afterwards from 2-4 at the Tukwila Community Center. View the website to register and learn more.
Seattle’s Lowman Beach Project Receives Best Restored Shores Award
The Lowman Beach project received the 2024 Best Restored Shores Award from the American Shore and Beach Preservation Association! Thank you all for your support of the project – we could not have completed it without your help and enthusiasm for the project.
Salmon Friendly
Mid Sound is getting ready to launch outreach to Soos Creek watershed streamside property owners as part of the Salmon Friendly program. Properties will be identified that are suitable for rain gardens and cisterns to be installed at no cost to property owners. Spread the word to streamside landowners in the Soos Creek watershed!
Green Jobs Youth Crew
Mid Sound has wrapped up the 2024 Green Jobs Youth Crew! The crew of 8 teenagers from the Auburn area worked hard over 8 weeks this summer to remove approximately 20,000 sq ft of blackberry from along the Green River at Fenster Nature Park, Isaac Evans, and Mary Olson Farm. They learned about water quality testing, macroinvertebrates, dendrochronology, and monitoring. They went on field trips to the Flaming Geyser State Park, the White River Valley Museum, White River Salmon Hatchery, Mud Mountain Dam fish passage facility, Duwamish River restoration sites, Seahurst Beach, Green River College, and the King County Wastewater Treatment Plant to learn about salmon recovery and Green Job opportunities in our community. We are excited to see what they do next!
Shore Friendly Workshops
Mid Sound and Blue Coast Engineering are offering 2 free workshops and beach walks through Shore Friendly King County where shoreline property owners can learn how to protect their property and the Puget Sound. View the webpage to learn more and register!
- September 28, 2024 9:00-11:30 am - Burien Community Center
- October 12, 2024 9:00 am - 12:30 pm - Des Moines Beach Park Dining Hall
Join Salmonwatchers on Vashon!
This annual community science program has been running for over 20 years. Volunteers sign up to count salmon returning to island creeks from September 30-January 1st. There is a zoom presentation on September 26th from 7-8 pm for all potential and returning Salmonwatch volunteers. We will go over basic information on salmon and salmon identification, a summary of data since 2001, and information on survey protocols. In addition, there is an in-field training for new volunteers on Saturday September 28th at 10:30 am. Volunteers spend 15 minutes twice a week at a creek throughout the Salmonwatch season. View the website to sign up.
Salmon and the Gray Whale!
Since April, Vashon Nature Center has been tracking the decomposition of a gray whale that washed onto a King County Natural Area beach on Vashon Island. We have recorded some great connections with salmon throughout this process. The Nature Center has obtained a permit from NOAA to salvage the bones of the whale to rebuild the skeleton with local school kids and the community for educational display. The bones have now been removed from the beach and we are embarking on the next phase of the rebuild. Support this project.
Open Recruitments
EarthCorps is Seeking its Next Executive Director
The Board of Directors seeks an Executive Director who is a visionary leader with a passion for the environment, community, racial equity, and leadership development in young adults. EarthCorps is a non-profit organization based in Seattle, Washington that cultivates leaders and community partnerships to advance environmental justice. We believe in the power of people, acting through their collective responsibility to one another and our planet, to tackle the most pressing challenges facing our world and we envision a world in which people and nature thrive together. The priority deadline is October 4.
Volunteer Opportunity: Northwest Straits Foundation Board Members
The Northwest Straits Foundation, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit, is recruiting board members for a three-year term starting January 1, 2025. The Foundation is dedicated to sustaining a healthy and vibrant Salish Sea. Our work in marine restoration, monitoring and education spans the waters and coasts of the seven coastal counties in NW Washington. The Northwest Straits Foundation was founded in 2001. During its 20-year history, it has been a leader in derelict gear removal, restoring natural coastlines and marine habitat, monitoring, and public education. In the years ahead, we’re innovating new practices and programs in climate resilience, shoreline homeowner education and diversity internship programs. Applications are being accepted until September 30.
To learn more about this work and joining the board, please contact: Don Hunger, Executive Director, 360-739-9909, don@nwstraitsfoundation.org.
Grant Announcements
High Priority Capital Project Meetings Scheduled
In anticipation of the upcoming 2025 grant round, WRIA 9 is scheduling meetings 1-hour meetings with partners to begin drafting the 2025 High Priority Capital Project list. WRIA runs several grant programs each year, one of them being the High Priority Capital Projects grants (you can learn more at our Funding Opportunities webpage). The WRIA team meets with our partners and ILA member jurisdictions annually to discuss ongoing and upcoming priority projects that may be seeking salmon recovery funding. These projects are of mutual interest, primarily target salmon recovery, and are specifically detailed in the 2021 Salmon Habitat Plan or fall clearly within one of the Plans policies or programs (e.g., fish passage).
If you have not yet been contacted and would like to schedule a meeting with WRIA staff, please contact Suzanna Smith, 206-477-4641.
Partners in Water
The King County Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) is pleased to announce the opportunity to apply for a PiW collaboration grants. A total of $160,000 in grant funding is available for this effort. The Partners in Water (PiW) program connects Wastewater Treatment Division (WTD) work groups with community organizations to advance mutually beneficial goals related to WTD operations and services. The PiW program was co-created by community representatives in partnership with WTD staff to:
- advance mutual priorities and needs of community organizations and WTD;
- provide community organizations access to influence WTD programs, processes, and decision-making;
- engage community organizations efficiently, effectively, and consistently across WTD.
Applications must be received by 11:59pm on October 14, 2024, at partnersinwater@kingcounty.gov .
Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead
The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead will open Requests for Proposals on October 23. They are looking for a wide variety of projects to fund that will support clean water, salmon recovery, and healthy Puget Sound communities by addressing the following priorities:
- Climate Resiliency in Stormwater Management ($2.5 million available)
- Developing Stormwater Parks and Regional Facilities ($1.6 million available)
- Addressing Toxic Hotspot Impacts on Juvenile Chinook Salmon ($2.5 million available)
If you are considering an application under one or more of these opportunities, please submit this short “Interest in Applying” form as soon as possible to help them connect you with resources to develop a strong application!
Puget Sound Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool
Visit the new Puget Sound Recovery Acceleration Funding Tool (PS RAFT) for more funding information about current funding opportunities, including eligibility, deadlines, and scope.
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