What's New at Northwest Straits
Celebrate Earth Day - Earth Day is April 22 - Join us in ways to get involved.
Northwest Straits Foundation offered grant to restore habitat for salmon recovery - The Northwest Straits Foundation was recently awarded a grant of $85,525 from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board that will be used to fund 25 operational days to remove abandoned fishing nets in salmon migration routes in San Juan County. It is estimated that about 37.5 acres of derelict fishing nets will be removed as part of the project. All 22 populations of Puget Sound Chinook salmon use the marine waters of San Juan County, mostly for migrating to and from the ocean. The group has already identified 65 derelict nets in the County. The Northwest Straits Initiative has removed more than 700 nets from Puget Sound since 2002 and has documented the deadly effects of this gear on more than 55 marine species, including Chinook, sockeye and chum salmon and bull trout. There were ninety-two applications submitted for consideration in the Salmon Program. Each project went through an evaluation process prior to being recommended for funding. Total estimated project cost is $100,625.00.
Restoring Kayak Point Park: Restoration Design to Account for Sea Level Rise - Snohomish County’s Kayak Point Park is located on Port Susan Bay, one of Puget Sound’s true biological hot spots. The park’s 3,300 feet of shoreline offers valuable habitat for Chinook salmon, steelhead, bull trout, Dungeness crab and forage fish. More than 400 people visit Kayak Point Park each day during the summer months and over the years modifications have been made to encourage access and prevent erosion. Now, thirty years later these modifications also appear to be having a detrimental effect on the park’s backshore habitat and shoreline processes.
With $168,000 in funding from the Northwest Straits Commission, Snohomish MRC is engaging multiple project partners to design restoration strategies to improve marine habitat and the community’s enjoyment of Kayak Point Park. The MRC is also contracting with Coastal Geological Services to factor the effects of sea level rise into the restoration design. Future restoration projects will benefit from this important work as the region works to adapt to the effects of climate change. Finally, the Snohomish MRC is planning a community involvement and education campaign to connect citizens with salmon and the shoreline. Click here to see more information about the project.
Ginny Broadhurst appointed as Northwest Straits Commission director- Ginny Broadhurst has been selected to serve as the director of the Northwest Straits Commission, stepping into that role from her previous position as the Commission’s Marine Program Coordinator. More...
NW Straits Initiative receives $1.56 million for fiscal year 2008 - Buoyed by the leadership of Senator Murray and strong support from Senator Cantwell and Congressman Larsen, the Northwest Straits Initiative received $1.56 million in the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2008. The bill passed Congress on December 19 and was signed by President Bush on December 26. In an increasingly tight federal funding environment, the Initiative's long-term sustainability continues to rely on a strong record of science-based conservation, successful restoration projects, and grassroots citizen involvement. "We are proud of this continuing support of our 'bottom-up' approach to marine conservation and looking forward to another very productive year," said Ginny Broadhurst, Interim Director for the Northwest Straits Commission. More...