Salmon recovery planning

Staff continues to be highly involved in a wide variety of planning groups, workshops and other forums dealing with protection and recovery of Pacific salmonid species and the environment that they depend on. Most of the groups and projects are on-going, and include, but are not limited to: Lake Ozette Sockeye Steering Committee, NOPLE TRG and LEG, WRIA 19, North Pacific Coast Lead Entity TRG and LEG, and HSRG (Hatchery Scientific Review Group). In recent months a re-alignment of SRFB (Salmon Recovery Funding Board) operations to emphasize regional planning and grant allocations has resulted in increased staff time and effort to deal with the formation of a new Lead Entity for WRIA 20 (North Pacific Coast Lead Entity) and the associated Coastal Recovery Region, while WRIA 18 and 19 remain with NOPLE and become incorporated into the Puget Sound Recovery Region. In addition, staff members attend other meetings on an as-needed and as-applicable basis, in a continuing effort to refine and coordinate recovery plans and projects.
Funding from FY05 continues to support staff work on the development of the Lake Ozette Sockeye Limiting Factors Analyses, which is now in final draft form, and the Recovery Plan that will be associated with this ESA listed species.
Monitoring efforts, data collection and equipment maintenance for gage stations in local watersheds continues on a regular basis, along with planning and negotiation for installation of additional gage stations to monitor such salmon essential parameters as flow, temperature, turbidity and sediment.

Funding of salmon recovery planning allows and supports participation and coordination in groups and meetings that effect regional salmon restoration planning, habitat preservation, stock management and funding efforts. Participation provides the opportunity to apply knowledge and experience toward prioritizing projects, reducing duplication of effort and maximizing productivity and effectiveness. It will also facilitate completion of the Lake Ozette Limiting Factors Analysis and development of an overall Lake Ozette Sockeye Recovery Plan, pursuit of additional funding from other grant sources in support of salmon recovery efforts. Continued monitoring of regional watersheds will assist in both identifying areas most in need of attention, and monitoring the effects of restoration efforts. Basic ongoing assessment and monitoring such as stream gaging will benefit the assessment of salmon populations, hatchery recovery efforts and out-planting success, and watershed planning and instream flow setting efforts (WRIA 19 and 20).