FY 2014 West Sound Habitat Planning and Coordination

This project continued the Tribe’s work on salmon recovery planning, coordination, and project implementation in its Usual and Accustomed Fishing Area (U&A), working with others in the West Sound Watershed to implement the local chapter of the Puget Sound Chinook Salmon Recovery Plan.
This project continued to support the Tribe’s efforts to address factors limiting productivity of ESA-listed species and other species that support the exercise of tribal treaty fishing rights. Specific activities included:
1. Implementation of the East Kitsap chapter of PS Chinook plan; working to identify and secure funding sources to complete high priority habitat protection and restoration projects, including the Milwaukee Dock Eelgrass Restoration Project and the Golf Club Hill/Keta Park restoration project.
2. Continued to work with Kitsap County (Golf Club Hill Road culvert replacement), City of Bremerton (Kitsap Creek culvert replacement), and Mountaineers Foundation (Hidden Valley floodplain restoration) on planning and implementing priorities identified in the Chico Creek Watershed Assessment.
3. With others in the watershed, worked to align and prioritize restoration/protection actions consistent with Chinook plan.
a. Participated in the West Sound Watershed Council, including contributing to the update of the watershed’s 4 year work plan; updating habitat work schedule; participation in Technical Advisory Group review and ranking of proposed restoration projects.
b. Led preliminary design of the Golf Club Hill/Keta Park restoration project
c. Continued to work with local public works agencies and WSWC to align local capital programs (Transportation Improvement Plans, stormwater management plans, etc.) with salmon recovery
4. Continued to seek funding for Tribe-sponsored restoration projects (e.g. Golf Club Hill Road/Keta Floodplain project). Tribe submitted application for Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Large Capital Project (PSAR Large Cap) funding and assisted County’s submission of the same project for Fish Barrier Removal Board funding (a state capital fund).
5. Coordinated tribal policy for the work products of this project to ensure consistency with policy goals and objectives of the Suquamish Tribe
Overlap with prior year version of project stems only from project billing as efforts represented in the project are ongoing.

The goal is to maintain the Tribe’s technical and policy participation in salmon recovery planning and implementation. The project purpose is well coordinated salmon recovery efforts in East Kitsap. The expected benefit is effective protection and restoration of freshwater, estuarine, and nearshore habitat necessary to support recovery of listed salmonids and to prevent future listings.