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SAN JUAN COUNTY MARINE RESOURCES COMMITTEE |
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County awarded $319,000 for salmon recoveryposted 1/20/2006
The Marine Resources Committee (MRC) is the designated local Citizens Advisory Group under the Washington Salmon Recovery Act and is dedicated to the protection and restoration of the marine environment in the San Juan Islands. MRC members, selected by the Board of County Commissioners, represent local government, tribal government, the scientific, economic, recreational and conservation communities, and citizens at large. This system utilizes local knowledge, emphasizes education and generates support from local marine users and landowners whose activities impact the waters of Puget Sound. The MRC has a proven track record of being leaders in locally driven marine protection and will celebrate its 10th anniversary this month. The local Lead Entity project evaluation process was performed by strong local technical and citizen's review teams. The MRC solicited requests for proposals from local sponsors regarding specific projects documented in the local salmon recovery plan. The proposals were then evaluated and scored by a local Salmon Technical Advisory Group. The MRC in its role as the local Citizens Advisory Group evaluated and determined the final scoring and ranking of the proposals before submitting the list to the SRFB. County waters and nearshore habitats are an essential part of the larger picture for salmon recovery in Puget Sound as the San Juan Islands provide an important source of energy and shelter for many fish en route to and from other portions of the Puget Sound and other regions. Multiple species of salmon from watersheds across the region use the islands during their juvenile and adult life stages, utilizing a complex array of habitats. All twenty-two populations of Puget Sound Chinook salmon occupy the San Juan Islands nearshore ecosystem at some point in their life cycles. Additionally, salmon recovery will also be critical for recovery of the recently listed Southern resident orca whales, as Chinook salmon are their primary prey species. "We are confident that the money invested in San Juan County will be put to excellent use and will support salmon recovery locally and ultimately, regionally, since San Juan County fulfills an important juvenile and adult feeding and migration route for salmonids from multiple areas," said Barbara Rosenkotter, San Juan County Lead Entity Coordinator for salmon recovery efforts. The three projects funded: Assessing and Protecting Kelp Beds $149,500 Friends of the San Juans Kelp beds are important migratory, resting and feeding habitat for salmon and salmon prey. Identification and mapping of kelp beds is a high priority in the islands and the Friends of the San Juans will use this grant to complete an assessment of kelp beds in San Juan County. The mapped kelp bed locations will be used by local, state, federal and tribal agencies to protect important shorelines through regulations, land acquisitions and land protection agreements and to promote voluntary protection of kelp habitat through education. Friends along with WA Department of Fish & Wildlife will contribute over $27,000 in volunteer labor. Drafting a Salmon Habitat Protection Blueprint $54,825 Friends of the San Juans The primary goal of the San Juan County Salmon Habitat Protection Blueprint is to achieve long-term voluntary protection for priority shoreline habitats through land acquisition, land protection agreements, long-term stewardship plans and tax-incentive programs. San Juan County's nearshore habitat provides critical resources for salmon and their prey. Protection of this critical habitat has been identified as the most important salmon recovery strategy for the San Juan archipelago at both the local and regional scale. The Friends of the San Juans will use this grant to identify priority nearshore sites for protection; survey landowners for willingness to participate; educate landowners about shoreline stewardship techniques; work with people to incorporate shoreline protection strategies into their planning and management plans; develop a ranked list of priority nearshore parcels for acquisition and land protection agreements; visit the highest ranked parcels to determine feasibility of either acquisition or protection agreements; and work with the San Juan County Land Bank, the San Juan Preservation Trust, San Juan County and shoreline landowners to conserve priority properties. Friends will contribute $9,675 from a federal grant. Studying How to Fix Thatcher Bay $115,550 Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will use this grant to assess, design and obtain permits for a future beach and nearshore restoration project in Thatcher Bay on Blakely Island. A mill, operating on the beach until the 1930s, dumped sawdust waste on the beach and in the nearshore areas. Limited tides within the bay haven't washed the debris away. Historic salmon foraging and rearing habitat has been lost as well as forage fish (a salmon food source) beach spawning habitat where gravel was buried under the waste. In addition, the accumulation of wood waste prevents eelgrass, an important salmon habitat, from growing. The Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will use the grant to assess the restoration potential of the area and design a project complete with a budget and construction permits. Assessment will include a determination of the scope of the impact area, an evaluation of what historically existed and a determination of restoration scenarios. Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group will contribute $21,000 in donated materials and volunteer labor. |
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