Native Vegetation Filling in Restored Skokomish Estuary
Kneeling in a thicket of vegetation in the Skokomish estuary, Shannon Kirby combs her hands through the tall green grasses in front of her, calling out codes that identify them…
Tribes receive recovery funding from NOAA for restoration projects
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration recently awarded $16.4 million from its American Recovery and Investment Act of 2009 funding to Washington state. Each of the six projects directly or indirectly involve seven western Washington tribes. Four tribes are direct recipients of funding; the other two involve either tribal contributions or benefit from the project.
Lummi Nation stomping out knotweed in Bells Creek
Restoring native vegetation along the North Fork Nooksack River, the Lummi Nation faces an unlikely adversary: nature.
The tribe has planted a streamside buffer near Bells Creek, where invasive knotweed, elk and beavers threaten the survival of the freshly planted trees.
Last year, Lummi Natural Resources placed large pieces of wood in Bells Creek to create protected pools for spawning coho salmon, steelhead and bull trout. A history of removing wood and straightening the channel for flood control had left the creek devoid of quality salmon habitat.
The next step was to plant trees in the 2-acre buffer along the creek near its confluence with the North Fork Nooksack River and within 17 acres of existing hardwood stands nearby. Whatcom Land Trust owns the property. (more…)
Lummi Nation partners with county, land trust on South Fork Nooksack restoration
LUMMI NATION – The Lummi Nation has entered into a partnership with Whatcom County and the Whatcom Land Trust to re-align a portion of a county road that runs past the tribe’s Skookum Creek Hatchery. This section of the road segment serves primarily as access to the hatchery and to a system of logging roads.
Moving the road off the bank of the South Fork of the Nooksack River will allow the tribe to restore habitat to its natural condition, by replanting native vegetation in the riparian area and building logjams for instream cover and complexity. The project ranked first for restoration benefit in a habitat assessment of the upper South Fork conducted by the tribe’s Natural Resources department in 2007. (more…)
Skagit County receives millions
The Skagit Valley Herald (story not available online) reported last week on the SRF Board funding in Skagit County, which included several Skagit River System Cooperative and Upper Skagit Tribe project:
Local habitat efforts get state’s second-largest share of grant
A grant agency saw the value of protecting salmon in Skagit County. Organizations here have received $6.3 million from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board to restore salmon habitat.
Projects in Skagit County are getting the second-largest grant total in the state behind King County’s $7.1 million.The board awarded more than $60 million in salmon recovery grants statewide.
Road Abandoned To Restore Salmon Habitat
CLALLAM BAY (December 1, 2004) – It’s not often that removing a road will provide better access, but for fish it does just that.
Salmon and trout in the Clallam River now have more access to spawning and rearing habitat after an old logging road along the river was partially removed and closed in August. The joint project between the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and the Washington Department of Natural Resources involved removing landfill, culverts and a bridge along the nearly 1-mile stretch of road near Clallam Bay.