MEDIA ADVISORY
July 27, 2021

MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov  

Salmon Recovery Council to discuss priorities for the 2023-2025 Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Large Capital request for proposals

The Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council will meet on Thursday, July 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the July 29 Salmon Recovery Council meeting will be a virtual Zoom meeting for all participants and the public. 

Join the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/98728021428?pwd=bzJUUHpmUUIrZlVKVldlWlh3VE01Zz09 Meeting ID: 987 2802 1428, Password: 606542. Dial from any phone: +1 253 215 8782. Zoom instructions are included in the meeting agenda, which is available here: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php

Meeting highlights include: 

• A presentation about a project to advance habitat restoration at stream mouths impacted by the railroad along the eastern shore of Puget Sound. In a first phase completed in December 2019, coastal streams and embayments impacted by the railroad were identified, evaluated in the field, and prioritized based on potential benefits of restoration for juvenile Chinook rearing. A second phase, which began in late 2020, entails advancing site-specific and region-wide restoration implementation planning at coastal streams. BNSF Railway has been an active participant in both phases. Presentation by Paul Schlenger, principal associate, Environmental Science Associates, Phil Bloch, senior ecologist, Confluence Environmental Company, and Todd Zackey, marine and nearshore program manager, Tulalip Tribes.  
  
  
• A presentation and discussion about the Duckabush Estuary Restoration Project. This session will include discussion of the state/federal funding partnership called the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project (PSNERP) and the Duckabush project. The funding for the project is a cost-share relationship between a federal sponsor, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and a non-federal sponsor, led by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). WDFW is seeking support of PSNERP and the Duckabush project. Presentation by Theresa Mitchell, environmental planner and PSNERP program manager at WDFW, and Seth Ballhorn, nearshore communications manager at WDFW.  
  
  
• A presentation and discussion about the priorities for the 2023-2025 Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) Large Capital request for proposals. This session will include a discussion about the priorities that should be incorporated into the request for proposals for the 2023-2025 PSAR Large Capital projects and how those priorities should be incorporated. Presentation by Carrie Byron, PSAR program manager at the Puget Sound Partnership. 

• A presentation and discussion about compiling a list of "mega-project" salmon recovery projects in Puget Sound. This session will include a discussion of criteria to develop and vet a list of "mega-project" salmon recovery projects, where the scale of the funding need far exceeds what is typically available from state grants. Presentation by Carrie Byron, PSAR program manager at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Ahren Stroming, executive policy advisor at the Puget Sound Partnership. 

The full Salmon Recovery Council agenda and meeting materials are available at https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php. 

If you need special accommodations to participate in this meeting, please notify Special Assistant to the Boards Anna Petersen at 360.338.2384.

About the Salmon Recovery Council

The Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council advises the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council on decisions relating to salmon recovery and the implementation of the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan. 

About the Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency formed to lead the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. Working with hundreds of governments, tribes, scientists, businesses, and nonprofits, the Partnership mobilizes partner action around a common agenda, advances Sound investments, and tracks progress to optimize recovery. For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.