FY 2017 Salmon and Steelhead Habitat Planning and Coordination in West Sound

This project continued the Suquamish Tribe’s focus on salmon recovery planning, coordination, and project implementation within its Usual and Accustomed Fishing Area (U&A). This project focused on coordinating the implementation of 1) local recovery efforts including participating in the work of the West Sound Watershed Council; 2) regional planning through participation in the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council; 3) local and regional strategies and actions that address factors limiting the production of populations important to the exercise of the Suquamish Tribe’s treaty rights.

Significant coordination occurred through participation in the West Sound Watersheds Council (WSWC). The Tribe’s work with WSWC included assistance with 1) identifying and prioritizing protection and restoration actions; 2) participation in technical review of proposed restoration projects; 3) coordinating local all-H (habitat, hatcheries, harvest) integration, 4) ensuring consistency of local capital and non-capital programs with recovery priorities; and 5) developing updates to local recovery plans (including the local chapter of the PS Chinook plan) and updates to the watershed’s strategy and 4-year work plan.

Funding from this project also supported the Tribe’s efforts in securing construction funding for the Keta Park Floodplain Restoration and Golf Club Hill Road Culvert Replacement project. This project was advanced through prior planning projects and was recently ranked the number 1 project in the state by the Fish Barrier Removal Board. Funding under this project type also allowed the Tribe to continue to coordinate the implementation of this important restoration.

The Tribe also coordinated with other parties on design and implementation of actions identified in the Chico, Curley, and Blackjack watershed assessments.

Additional accomplishments from the project period include:
• Working with Kitsap County, continued planning and coordination of the Golf Club Hill Road project, including securing additional funding, working with stakeholders to delineate separate bid schedules, and developing RFP-bid documents reflecting priorities of the Tribe, WDFW, Kitsap County and the Lead Entity; contracted elements of the project were completed in 2019 and 2020, including replacement of the concrete box culvert with a 140 foot full span bridge and instream restoration
• Worked successfully with other tribal staff and state and local jurisdictions to move priority barrier culverts into design (including SR3 culvert at Chico Creek, and SR305 culverts on Bainbridge Island), providing technical support and coordinating with Suquamish Tribal policy
• Made significant progress on completing the revision and development of new salmon recovery strategies for the East Kitsap Lead Entity – these will be revisited in 2020 and 2021, drawing on recently completed EK Steelhead Recovery Plan and past complete watershed plans in Chico, Blackjack, and Curley Creeks
• Coordinated with and provided technical support to partners in advancing important habitat priorities (e.g. Point No Point salt marsh restoration) and worked with partners in securing funding for their implementation
• As chair of the Technical Advisory Group, led technical review process for the local lead entity’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board grant rounds in 2019 and 2020

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

In coordination with federal, state, and local jurisdictions and agencies, the Suquamish Tribe has completed (or will soon complete) the following watershed assessment, protection, and restoration plans that identify strategies and actions to protect and restore habitat and habitat forming processes in the following high priority (based on population presence, abundance, productivity, diversity and spatial structure) East Kitsap watersheds:

1. Chico Creek (completed 2014)
2. Curley Creek (to be completed in early 2017)
3. Blackjack Creek (to be completed in 2017)

Implementing the East Kitsap chapter of PS Chinook plan and each of the above watershed plans requires identifying and securing funding sources to complete the highest priority habitat protection (e.g. acquisition) and restoration projects. This project focuses on aligning and prioritizing actions with PS Chinook recovery and with strategies that address factors limiting production of important treaty right populations (principally East Kitsap (EK) fall chum, EK summer chum, and EK coho).

Funding for this project is essential to advancing priority habitat protection and restoration actions from concepts to implementation. For example, the Tribe is currently using funding under this project type to complete design and permitting of the Keta Park Floodplain Restoration and Golf Club Hill Road Culvert Replacement project. This project will replace the highest priority non-state culvert in the West Sound Watershed Area.