FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 27, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov
The Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council will meet on Thursday, September 29, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. at Port Gamble S'Klallam Longhouse, 31964 Little Boston Road NE, Kingston, WA 98346.
All are welcome to attend the meeting. All Partnership staff will be fully masked for the duration of the meeting, and we encourage others who elect to attend in-person to wear well-fitting masks in the meeting room as well. We plan to have gallery seating for partners and other members of the public who join us, and will make every effort to provide (but cannot guarantee) adequate spacing between seats within the constraints of our meeting space.
We’ll be providing an all-virtual livestream of this meeting, through TVW (link below). We highly encourage partners and other members of the public to utilize this virtual option, if possible, to reduce carbon emissions and to minimize COVID risks for everyone.
TVW will be providing an all-virtual livestream of the meeting. TVW web link: https://tvw.org/video/puget-sound-partnership-salmon-recovery-council-2022091216/?eventID=2022091216
The agenda and meeting materials are available through our board meetings page: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php
Meeting highlights include:
- A presentation for decision about two Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) budget items that need formal action from the Salmon Recovery Council. These items include: 1) how to apply the Salmon Recovery Council's unobligated funds policy, and 2) how to account for program costs in the PSAR 2023-2025 funding request. Presentation by Alison Agness, PSAR program manager at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) 10-year plan. This session will include discussion of the recommended prioritization for this PSAR biennium (2023-2025); a review of the reasons for the development of a 10-year plan for PSAR; and a discussion to start creating a 10-year strategic plan for PSAR. Presentation by Alison Agness, PSAR program manager at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about possible criteria and definitions to evaluate what would constitute a salmon recovery emergency. This session will also include discussion about criteria and definitions for projects and policies that might be designated as responses to such emergencies. Presentation by Ahren Stroming, executive policy advisor at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about the 2023 Washington state legislative session. This session will include an update from Partnership staff about the build-up to the 2023 legislative session and a discussion about potential Salmon Recovery Council policy and budget priorities and legislative engagement opportunities. Presentation by Don Gourlie, legislative policy director at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Mindy Roberts, member of the Salmon Recovery Council's Legislative Committee.
- A presentation and discussion about the Puget Sound Future Scenarios project. This session will include an update on the progress, outcomes, and implications of the first phase of the project and a preview of opportunities for upcoming work. Partnership staff will seek input from the Salmon Recovery Council on salmon recovery decisions, analyses, or policy choices to focus on in Future Scenarios Project work. Presentation by Katherine Wyatt, assistant science director at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- The Salmon Recovery Council will hear a report from the Washington State Academy of Sciences (WSAS) on net ecological gain. This session will include a presentation on the report's findings. Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) requested that WSAS inform WDFW's work on the development of a net ecological gain standard for public projects as part of the response to a proviso contained within Engrossed Substitute Senate Bill 5092 (2021). WSAS convened a committee of scientific and technical experts to conduct this work. The scope of work for the committee was to develop a definition, goals, objectives, and performance metrics for the net ecological gain standard, assess how sufficient existing standards have been in achieving endangered species recovery, and make recommendations about monitoring and indicators for no net loss and net ecological gain. Presentation by Ron Thom, member of WSAS, staff scientist emeritus at the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, and senior science advisor for the Puget Sound Partnership; Donna Riordan, executive director of WSAS; and Yasmeen Hussain, program officer at WSAS.
- A presentation and discussion about the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program (PSEMP) Salmonid Work Group's watershed story map. This session will include an overview of the story map, which attempts to tell the watershed-level salmon recovery story with monitoring information from marine to headwaters environments. Presentation by Dawn Spilsbury Pucci, PSEMP Salmonid Work Group coordinator.
The full Salmon Recovery Council agenda and meeting materials are available through our board meetings page: 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 government agencies, 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.
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