Projects in Clallam and Jefferson counties have been awarded $2.1 million as part of a state Department of Fish and Wildlife and state Recreation and Conservation Office program.
In total, the agencies announced $14.6 million in grants for a suite of projects to protect and improve estuaries, shorelines and other near-shore habitat in Puget Sound.
The grants are from the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, which provides funding and technical assistance to projects that restore and conserve near-shore areas in Puget Sound, according to a press release. The goal is to ensure the state’s estuaries, river deltas, bluffs, beaches and bays are intact, functioning and resilient to climate change.
“The areas close to shore are very important for a variety of animals that live on the shoreline, and of course that’s where many people want to live too,” said Catherine Buchalski Smith, manager of the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program for WDFW. “With so many important budget requests this session, we’re grateful the Legislature has continued to fund this work. Now more than ever, state funding is needed to restore our shorelines in support of recovering salmon and orca populations and ensuring Puget Sound continues to exist in the ways we expect for generations into the future.”
The projects which received funding include:
• $1.775 million for the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation grant, offering technical assistance for shoreline armor removal. The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation will use the grant to offer a technical assistance program called Shore Friendly-Northwest Straits to encourage landowners to reduce shoreline armoring. The grant will be split among Clallam, Island, Jefferson, Skagit, San Juan, Snohomish and Whatcom counties.
• $272,160 for the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group grant, planning restoration of the Little Quilcene River Estuary. The Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group will use the grant to complete conceptual and preliminary designs for restoration of the Little Quilcene River estuary.
• $150,000 for the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation grant, removing the Adelma Beach bulkhead. The foundation will remove a creosote-treated wood bulkhead, two cabins, and non-native and invasive plants, and then replant the area.
“These shorelines provide important habitat for many species, including juvenile salmon, which use them for feeding and growing before traveling to the ocean,” said Dr. Tish Conway-Cranos, WDFW senior near-shore scientist and manager of the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program’s Learning Program. “Having bigger, healthier salmon heading to the ocean increases their chances of returning successfully to spawn the next generation of salmon.
The program funds projects to improve the science of habitat restoration so future restoration is more efficient and effective, according to the press release.
“This program increases our scientific knowledge about what really works on the ground and shapes the outcomes of restoration projects across Puget Sound,” Conway-Cranos said.
In addition to the Learning Program, the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program offers the Shore Friendly Program, which provides incentives to private landowners to remove bulkheads, seawalls and other armor to restore shorelines, according to the press release.
More than one-third of Puget Sound’s shoreline is armored, limiting critical spawning habitat for forage fish, an important food for salmon. Since it started in 2018, the Shore Friendly Program has reached thousands of landowners, resulting in miles of armor removal, prevention of unnecessary armor installation, healthier shoreline habitats and greater resilience to coastal hazards for participating landowners.
The Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program has invested nearly $152 million in more than 200 projects since 2006, according to the press release. Those projects are expected to open more than 7 miles of streams, restore 2,267 acres along waterways and conserve (through purchases with willing sellers) more than 3,000 acres and more than 25 miles of shoreline.
“This investment will protect pristine areas from development and restore critical areas that can provide quality habitats for the full spectrum of species that use the shoreline,” said Megan Duffy, RCO director. “This funding is key to ensuring we can make our shorelines healthy and able to sustain salmon and other wildlife.”
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Reporter Emily Hanson can be reached by email at emily.hanson@peninsuladailynews.com.
