Northwest Straits Commission Meeting and Work Session Agenda Padilla Bay Reserve, Large Conference Room

April 29, 2016 • 9:00 am – 3:00 pm

9:00 am – 9:30 am Coffee and light refreshments

9:30 am – 9:40 am Welcome, Introductions

MRC Presenters Project

9:40 am - 10:05 am Skagit MRC Jamey Selleck Nearshore Monitoring in Skagit

10:10 am – 10:35 am Whatcom MRC Elizabeth Kilanowski Aiston Preserve: From a Rock Quarry to a Public/Private Conservation Partnership

10:40 am – 11:05 am Snohomish MRC Franchesca Perez Port Susan Shoreline Storm Surge Monitoring

11:05 am – 11:20 pm Break

11:20 am – 11:45 pm Clallam MRC Jeff Ward Oil Spill Preparedness

11:50 pm – 12:15 pm San Juan MRC Arnie Klaus 2017 Marine Managers’ Workshop

12:15 pm – 1:10 pm Working Lunch

1:10 pm – 1:35 pm Jefferson MRC Cheryl Lowe Olympia Oyster Restoration in Jefferson County

1:40 pm – 2:05 pm Island MRC Frances Wood A Pigeon Guillemot Survey: both monitoring and outreach

2:10 pm – 3:00 pm Public Comment, Business Items, Elections

3 : 0 0 p m Adjourn

minutes

Northwest Straits Commission March 25, 2016 • 10:00am – 12:00pm

WebEx Meeting

Attendees: Commission Members: Jamey Selleck (Skagit), Jeff Ward (Clallam), Phil Green (San Juan), Ed Adams (Island), Nan McKay (Chair), Ron Thom, Dale Moses (Jefferson), Paul Clampitt (Snohomish), Tom Cowan, Marc Daily (Puget Sound Partnership-alt) Additional MRC Support: Kathleen Herrmann (Snohomish MRC staff), Holly Faulstich (Whatcom MRC staff), Arnie Klaus (San Juan MRC staff)

Commission Staff: Ginny Broadhurst, Nicole Jordan, Sasha Horst, Lucas Hart

Others in Attendance: Caroline Gibson (Northwest Straits Foundation), John Githens

Welcome and Introductions

Nan McKay welcomed everyone to the meeting and did introductions by roll call.

Approval of January Meeting Minutes

The minutes from the January Northwest Straits Commission meeting were approved with one change.

Committee Updates Executive Committee Nan McKay shared a draft letter to the Northwest Straits Foundation Board President containing recommendations on the overlap between Commission and Foundation board members and regular meetings of Commission and Foundation Executive Committees. The Commission approved the letter to be sent to the Foundation. Nan that Stephanie Buffum will present information on the Particularly Sensitive Sea Area (PSSA) designation at the May Commission meeting.

Action: Letter from Commission to Foundation will be sent by Nan.

minutes

Science Advisory Committee Ron Thom shared recent committee discussion topics including progress on the discussion on drone use in kelp monitoring and the definition of a healthy Straits ecosystem. Ron plans to consider of how the science goals of the Commission align with the science goals of the Puget Sound Partnership (PSP). Nominations Committee Jerry Masters was designated as the chair of the Nominations Committee for election of officers, which will take place at the Commission’s April meeting.

Action item: Nan McKay asked those interested in making nominations for chair and vice-chair for the coming one-year term to send an email to Jerry Masters.

Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) Nan McKay briefed the Commission on the February 9 Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) meeting. Both she and Ginny attended.

Business Items

April Commission meeting details

MRCs will present on upcoming projects at the April Commission meeting and Ginny encouraged people to attend in support of the MRCs.

Action: Nicole will send out a schedule to get MRCs assigned to their 25 min slots (20 min presentation, with a five-minute question and answer period).

Kelp update

Lucas Hart discussed the decision by the Science Advisory Committee in the use of drones in kelp monitoring. The committee agreed drones are useful but utilization must remain on a voluntarily partnership with individuals volunteering their equipment and time. The Committee was responding to a presentation made to the Commission at its January meeting, there is currently no funding or specific drone use proposed. Lucas said that Alan Clark (Clallam MRC) is planning a kayak safety training for June which will include training in the use of GPS units. Caroline Gibson was successful in finding grant funding for support staff for the 2016 kelp survey season.

minutes

Light attenuation project follow up

Lucas updated everyone on a light attenuation device in prototype stage developed by John Vavrinec (Pacific Northwest National Laboratory) and Jeff Gaeckle (Department of Natural Resources) used to better understand the ideal conditions for eelgrass growth. The prototype will be released in May 2016 followed the designation of separate pilot sites over the 2016 summer. More information will be made available in the coming months.

WDFW – NWSC forage fish partnership update

Lucas met with Phil Dionne (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife - WDFW) to talk about the Sound Wide Forage Fish Survey Project and the MRC’s role in revisiting established forage fish survey sites. The WDFW is able to sample once per site at multiple locations throughout Puget Sound but will need assistance in continued sampling. The project will last till June 2017. Lucas invited people to contact him with questions.

Net pen forum report

Lucas reported out on his recent attendance at the Net Pen Forum at University of Washington. A key issue discussed at the forum was the lack of net pen data for Puget Sound. Summaries from the forum will be made available to the public by the University of Washington.

Action: The Department of Ecology will be invited to the August Commission meeting.

Leadership Council Brief

Ginny said that the Commission will be presenting at the April 28 meeting from 11:30-12:15 PM. A field trip will take place after the briefing, showcasing key Jefferson MRC project sites.

Puget Sound Day on the Hill update

Ginny provided highlights from her and Jerry Masters’ participation in the event in Washington, DC in early March. Fifty people attended and were met by US Representatives Heck, Kilmer, Larsen, De Fazio, and Del Bene as well as Senators Murray and Cantwell. The event demonstrated strong support for Puget Sound.

minutes

Retreat follow up

Ginny said that survey results indicated an overall positive outcome for retreat attendees. Action items from the retreat are currently being followed up on.

Action: Nicole will send out a summary of the survey results.

Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP)

Ginny explained that she and Caroline are working with staff from the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP), a Washington State grant program to design small grants. A Request for Proposals (RFP) will be issued soon for small grants aimed at projects supporting the MRC’s Strategic Plans.

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (SSEC)

The Northwest Straits Initiative will be well represented at this event.

Action: Nicole will send out a list of Initiative representatives who are presenting at SSEC. MRC support Ginny invited MRCs to contact Commission staff for information on project proposals. MRC Reports In addition to the written reports, MRCs provided highlights of their work since the last Commission meeting. Clallam - Jeff Ward shared information on the recent Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training offered by the MRC. Clallam is working on their internship program for 2016, including the need for an intern to specifically address issues in the Elwha Dam removal beach area. John Cambalik (Coordinator, Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network -SERN) has arranged for Jeff to be a voting member on SERN’s technical task force. Whatcom - Holly Faulstich updated the Commission on new members to the MRC including Pete Sim and returning member Bob Cecile. Results from the February elections include; Rachel Benbrook (Chair), Eleanor Hines (Vice Chair), Doug Stark (NWSC Representative), Pete Granger (NWSC Alternate Representative). She also shared information on the upcoming speaker series and the MRCs preparation for the upcoming grant cycle.

minutes

San Juan - Phil Green noted that San Juan MRC plans to host a reception the night before the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference in support on their Marine Managers Workshop. Arnie Klaus introduced himself to the Commission as the new lead staff for San Juan MRC and shared information about his background, including work in Puget Sound restoration efforts.

Jefferson - Dale Moses shared the MRCs intention of setting more long-term goals and prioritizing their projects on a broader scale. Dale shared the MRC’s Fort Townsend State Park outreach initiative is gearing up in the next few months, building interest in the nearshore restoration project there in June. Skagit- Jamey Selleck updated the Commission on Skagit MRC’s new members including Kit Rawson and Phyllis Bravinder as new members and Erica Pickett and Jodi Bluhm as new alternate members. He also shared information about the completion of Bowman Bay restoration project. Snohomish - Paul Clampitt shared updates from Snohomish MRC including the acceptance of a bid for nearshore beach restoration at Howarth Park. He also shared information on a new shoreline storm surge monitoring project.

Island - Ed Adams shared that the MRC recently hosted their 2016 retreat on Camano Island at a potential restoration site in Camano Island State Park. The area is a possible pre-restoration forage fish spawning survey site due to the presence of surf-smelt eggs.

Public Comment: There was no public comment. Round Table: Ron Thom shared his involvement in the Blue Carbon Summit hosted by Puget Sound Partnership. He also shared that the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has reported an increase in eelgrass in Puget Sound, though reasons remain unknown. Marc Daily shared the release of the Near Term Actions (NTAs) and provided an update on project proposals from Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs).

*The next Commission meeting will be on April 29th at Padilla Bay Reserve in Mount Vernon.*

Commission Staff Updates – April 2016

Regional Forums

Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference – There was broad representation across the Initiative. Commission presenters included; Ginny Broadhurst and Suzanne Shull on SoundIQ and Lucas Hart on citizen science. MRC presenters included; Marta Branch on monitoring (San Juan MRC), Cheryl Lowe on Olympia oysters (Jefferson MRC), and Kathleen Herrmann and Paul Schlenger on nearshore restoration (Snohomish MRC). Foundation presenters included; Joan Drinkwin on derelict gear and Lisa Kaufman on citizen science.

Next stage of kelp– Emily Bishop is working on protocol edits. We hope to have these finalized in mid-late May. Caroline and Lucas met with a candidate to serve as Kelp Coordinator for the survey season (grant funding provided by Conservation, Research and Education Opportunities International (CREOi)).

Marine Resources Advisory Committee’s Adaptation and Remediation Committee – Lucas joined the MRAC Adaptation and Remediation Committee call on 4/21. The committee is reviewing and assisting in the ranking of Ocean Acidification related project ideas. Top projects will be recommended to MRAC as priorities for legislative funding.

Forage Fish – Ginny is working with Sen Kevin Ranker regarding $25,000 proviso for the Northwest Straits Commission to work on forage fish surveys that will expand the work currently being done through WDFW to achieve full Puget Sound surveys. A total of $50K will be available over 2 years.

Leadership Council – a presentation and field trip will be offered April 28 for the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council. Ginny is working with the executive committee on the presentation and Cheryl Lowe on the field trip.

Action Agenda – the draft AA is being reviewed for comment by Commission staff.

EPA Request For Proposals was released April 12 titled Funding Opportunity: Puget Sound Management Conference Support for Implementation Strategies and Additional Activities. Commission staff are reviewing and working with potential partners on development of a proposal.

Commission Staff Updates – April 2016

Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) Request For Proposals – The ESRP small grants program RFP was sent out April 12. MRCs are encouraged to apply for this funding opportunity.

MRC Staff Meeting – Commission staff held a brief conference call with MRC staff April 11, mainly reviewing past/present/future MRC grant topics. Clallam MRC shared information about their internship program, which other MRCs have inquired about.

#CatchMoreCrab – The interagency agreement with WA Dept of Fish and Wildlife for the recreational crabber social marketing campaign was prepared and executed, and a position announcement posted to hire part-time temporary staff to support the first year of this outreach.

SoundIQ – The interagency agreement with the City of Bellingham for SoundIQ “phase 6” was prepared and executed. This phase of the project will add MRC data as provided, and maintain/upgrade the software and existing data as the City continues to upgrade the underlying CityIQ platform.

Annual report – Additional copies of the 2015 annual report were printed and distributed to all MRCs, with the goal of providing a copy to each MRC member as well as others the MRC would like to share with.

MRC Meetings Attended – Lucas attended Jefferson, Clallam and Island County MRC meetings to provide input and answer questions about ongoing project planning. Sasha attended the Island (WebEx), San Juan and Whatcom meetings this month.

Washington DC trip – Ginny went to Washington DC as a member of the government advisory committee to EPA regarding environmental issues related to NAFTA. While there she had a day for meetings with staff from our delegation.

MRC Monthly Report

County: Clallam

Month/Year: March 2016

Submitted by: Cathy Lear and Helle Andersen

Membership/Leadership Changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-

chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff): None

Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from

past month such as number of participants or highlights):

MRC Meeting: The monthly CMRC meeting was held March 21st and the topics on the agenda included:

Jon Schmidt, coordinator for CoastSavers, gave a presentation on their current work including

the upcoming Earth Day April 23.

Finalized 2016-17 NWSC grant proposal projects

Finalized the summer 2016 intern program including selection of topics and number of interns

Discussed the Oil Spill Preparedness NTA and oil spill workshop

ERN/LIO Meetings: Cathy Lear, the MRC coordinator, participated in the quarterly March Strait ERN LIO

Steering Group meeting at the JKT. Jeff Ward, Cathy Lear and Helle Andersen participated in the

quarterly Strait ERN/LIO meeting March 4th. At the ERN/LIO quarterly meeting Jeff Ward has elected to

be a member on the Technical Task Force until September 2016. Helle Andersen was also elected to be a

member on the task force until September 2016 as a representative for the Strait ECO Net. Both Jeff and

Helle participated in the Technical Task Force meeting March 22nd.

Oiled Wildlife Training: Clallam MRC and Island Oil Spill Associated partnered again this year to host two

oiled wildlife trainings. The first of the two 8-hr trainings was held March 26th at the Clallam Fairgrounds.

This training focused on Basic Intake and Stabilization. The participants learned basic bird anatomy and

how to take care of oiled birds. The training included working with live ducks learning how to hold,

weigh, and give them fluids and how to perform a general health examination. The participants also had

the opportunity to examine several different species of dead frozen birds. A total of 27 volunteers

completed the training.

A second oiled wildlife training is scheduled for April 9th and will focus on Search and Capture.

Olympia Oyster Project Update: The Clallam MRC ran into unforeseen difficulties getting permission to

access Washington Harbor by the landowners. A final compromise was reached and Clallam MRC will be

able to access a small portion of the tidelands through an upland parcel owned by Battelle. Because of

these difficulties another restoration site was identified in a cove adjacent to John Wayne Marina and a

landowner agreement is currently being finalized between the Port of Port Angeles and Clallam County.

Clallam MRC will not, as expected, receive the seeded cultch in 2016 from Puget Sound Restoration

Funds and the introduction of Olympia oysters to the two areas will therefore be delayed until summer

of 2017. Meanwhile Clallam MRC will perform site visits to the two potential restoration sites and based

on these visits apply for the JARPA permit and update the QAPP.

MRC Monthly Report County: Island Month/Year: April 2016 Submitted by: Anna Toledo Membership/Leadership changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff): None Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights): Meetings

- On April 5, Gregg Ridder, lead for the eelgrass monitoring project presented on the results from the 2015 monitoring, and asked the MRC for input on locations for monitoring in 2016.

- On April 19, Max Gordon from Department of Ecology presented on his work to update the Admiralty Inlet Geographic Response Plan, and requested input and feedback from the MRC on the plan.

- On May 3, Chris Robertson from Washington DNR will present on the DNR Creosote Removal program and discuss how the MRC can help locally to identify creosote for removal.

Events

- MRC volunteers participated in a planting party organized by NW Straits Foundation with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group on March 19th. Future weeding parties are scheduled for: April 26, May 24, June 28, July 26, and August 23.

- Two MRC members and one staff attended the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. - A training for new and existing volunteers interested in the pigeon guillemot survey is scheduled

for May 4, 7:00-8:45pm at the Unitarian Church in Freeland (20103 State Route 525) Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments): None Project Updates (progress from past month on existing project or any new projects identified): Seining: 150 Chinook have been counted in beach seines at Cornet Bay through March 25th. Pigeon Guillemot Survey: The scientific paper that was submitted to Northwestern Naturalist has been accepted, and is scheduled for publication in the Winter 2016 issue. Potential volunteers from Camano Island have been contacted to initiate a similar survey there. Kelp Monitoring: Linda Rhodes is working on linking the shoreline images and GPS data from Gregg Ridder’s 2015 data. The team will develop criteria for identifying bull kelp beds from the photos. Forage Fish Monitoring: The team has added 3 WDFW index sites to conduct monthly surveys. These are related to the legislature-mandated forage fish survey of the entire Puget Sound area that started this spring and will continue through most of 2017. Cornet Bay: The NWSF worked with Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group to organize a planting event at Cornet Bay on March 19th. 76 volunteers planted hundreds of trees, shrubs, and native beach grasses.

Other (anything not covered above, including local issues of interest to the regional group, questions to the Commission, etc):

Planting at Cornet Bay. Left photo: Anna Toledo and Ruth Richards (Credit: Jim Somers), Right photo: Volunteers planting at new restoration area (Credit: Pete Haase)

JCMRC Monthly Report County: Jefferson Month/Year: April 2016 Submitted by: Cheryl Lowe Membership/Leadership Changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff):

• No changes Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights): Past Meetings & Events:

• The April JCMRC monthly meeting was held Apr 5, 2016. 15 members/staff attended and 1 guest. It was a business meeting, focusing on 2016-17 priority projects and current project status reports.

• Executive Committee met April 19, 2016. (Al, Dale, Ashley, Nam and Cheryl) to discuss member renewals, future programs and budget status.

• Dale and Cheryl attended the April NWSC meeting. • MRC members Cheryl, Shannon, Bob, Neil, and Ralph attended the Salish Sea Conference in

April 2016. • Jeff Taylor attended the Chumsortium meeting April 7, 2016.

Upcoming Meetings/Events:

• Next MRC meeting is May 3, 2016. No guest speaker is scheduled. • The MRC-sponsored Digging for Dinner is Saturday, May 7th at 9:45 am. Publicity is going out this

month. • On June 4th and 5th the MRC will host beach tours/info programs to highlight the upcoming

nearshore restoration project at Fort Townsend State Park. These events are funded by a NWS Foundation grant from WDFW Marine and Nearshore program funds.

Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments): The Jefferson Community Foundation is currently considering an MRC-NwSF rain gardens grant. Formal presentation was made on April 21, 2016 and we should hear by May. Project Updates (progress from past month on existing projects or any new projects identified):

1. Monitoring: (a) The Kelp sub-committee met in April to discuss next steps. (b) Forage Fish: Based on advice from the Point No Point Treaty Council biologists, we will not collect data on forage fish spawning at Fort Townsend State Park again until September. We are now planning for a last pre-construction beach characteristics monitoring for May.

2. Rain Gardens: The two 2016 rain garden site locations have been selected: near the County Courthouse and at the PT Community Center. We are planning for early June installations.

3. Voluntary No Anchor Zones: Mystery Bay buoys were pulled and inspected on April 10, 2016. They are all in good condition.

4. Education & Outreach: Implementation of the 2016 Education/Outreach Plan is underway. Cheryl presented info about the MRC to the WSU Beach Naturalist Class on April 7, 2016, described the MRC’s Olympia Oyster project in an oral presentation at the Salish Sea Ecological Conference on April 14, and the Fort Townsend monitoring effort at a poster session at that same conference. Our Digging for Dinner event is May 7, 2016. Planning continues for two public events at Fort Townsend State Park on healthy shorelines in early June.

5. Olympia Oyster – (1) Discovery Bay Project Site: We will add more clean cultch in May to bring the distribution back to 2 shells/sq ft. (tides dispersed last year’s shell). Taylor Shellfish is donating this shell. We’ll also check condition of the Olympia oysters after concerns raised last winter about effects on other shellfish operations further up the bay. (2) Quilcene Bay Project Site: Planning continues to put out 10 bags of overwintered, seeded cultch (donated by Taylor Shellfish) in May. The seeded cultch ordered from Puget Sound Restoration Fund will be delivered in May or June.

Other (anything not covered above, including local issues of interest to the regional group, questions to the Commission, etc.): Jefferson MRC has been assisting NWSC staff with plans for a short tour of MRC projects (rain gardens and eelgrass no-anchor zones) for the PSP Leadership Council on April 28th.

MRC Monthly Report County: San Juan County Month/Year: April, 2016 Submitted by: Phil Green Membership/Leadership changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff): n/a Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights): Several staff and members of the MRC attended the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (SSEC): staff included Arnie Klaus, Marta Branch (presented) and Byron Rot (presented); MRC members included Barbara Bentley (presented), Patti Gobin (presented), Megan Dethier (presented), and Phil Green. Arnie, Laura Arnold, Barbara and Phil attended the monthly LIO meeting. Arnie, Phil and Laura attended the Stewardship Network meeting. Barbara Bentley hosted a public meeting for the San Juan Mobile Pump-out Project. County Commissioner Rick Hughes gave input before the meeting to state representatives from WA State Parks, WA Dept of Health, WA Sea Grant and the East Sound sewer district. Unfortunately no one from the public attended the meeting to give input. Future meeting are scheduled for Lopez and San Juan Islands following the past one on Orcas Island. The May meetings for the MRC will be totally devoted to acting as the Citizen Advisory Group (CAG) for salmon recovery. May 4 SRF Board project proponents will present their projects in the morning followed by site visits in the afternoon. Thursday will as be a day of site visits. Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments): n/a Project Updates (progress from past month on existing project or any new projects identified): The Deer Harbor monitoring project did the first official beach seine.

Other (anything not covered above, including local issues of interest to the regional group, questions to the Commission, etc): Several ideas for future projects and presentations to the MRC came out of the SSEC:

1. Having a presentation by NW Indian College on clam gardens. 2. Continue to update the county council on ocean acidification issues. 3. Learning more about blue carbon 4. Have Megan Dethier present to the MRC on her recently published paper on the cumulative

effects of shoreline armoring. Might the NWS also be interested in this presentation?

MRC Monthly Report County: Skagit Month/Year: April/2016 Submitted by: Jamey Membership/Leadership changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff): No changes Events/Meetings – two MRC meetings since the last NWSC meeting (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights):

• April 14, Skagit MRC meeting: Bridget Trosin provided a short overview of Washington Sea Grant (WSG) programs and some of the various opportunities. MRC project leads are working on project proposals for the FY16 MRC Grant. Jamey Selleck will present Skagit MRC’s Nearshore Restoration Monitoring proposal at the April 29 NWSC meeting. The MRC formed a subcommittee to develop and review proposals for the new ESRP Small Grants pilot program. Copies of the NWSC Annual Reports and the “Your Marine Waterfront” guides were distributed.

• Earth Day Celebration at Bowman Bay- April 23: Skagit MRC is co-sponsoring an Earth Day Celebration at Bowman Bay on April 23rd from 10:00am – 2:00pm. It will be a fun filled day with a planting party, beach monitoring, salmon burgers and raffle items. The event will kick off on April 22nd with a film screening of the Maiden of Deception Pass at Padilla Bay from 6:30p.m. – 8:00p.m.

• Shoreline Landowner Workshop-May 7: The Northwest Straits Foundation is sponsoring a free Shoreline Landowner Workshop in partnership with the Skagit MRC. The workshop will be held Saturday, May 7, 9:30a.m. – 12:30p.m., at Seafarers’ Memorial Park Building (601 Seafarers Way, Anacortes). Coastal Geologist Jim Johannessen will be presenting on erosion management, alternatives to hard shoreline armoring, enhancing beach access, and native vegetation for slope stability and habitat. The presentation will be followed by a short afternoon beach walk to see geologic processes and beach habitats. Shoreline property owners can also apply for a free technical site visit from a qualified professional to receive management recommendations. Free engineering design services and permitting assistance are also available for qualified landowners willing and able to remove or reduce hard shoreline armoring. Register for the workshop online: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/SKAGIT2 or email: lehman@nwstraitsfoundation.org.

Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments): No updates Project Updates (progress from past month on existing project or any new projects identified):

• Salish Sea Stewards/Beach Naturalists: 24 volunteers signed up for the free Salish Sea Stewards training. Unfortunately, four had to drop out for various reasons. Classes started March 15 and will be held every Tuesday at Padilla Bay until May 17. Some of the topics that have been covered so far include: Puget Sound 101, Skagit MRC 101, Intertidal Monitoring 101, Mussel Watch Program, Skagit County Water Quality, Pollution Identification & Correction & Padilla Bay Watershed TMDL, BEACH Program, History of Padilla Bay, Interpretation Skills & Trail Tales Docent Opportunities, Coastal Geologic Processes, History of Bowman Bay, and Bowman Bay and Shannon Point Nearshore Restoration. The complete schedule is posted on the MRC website (Click here for the class schedule). A Beach Naturalist committee meeting was held April 26 after the Salish Sea Stewards class. Beach Naturalist volunteers will be scheduled to be at Washington Park in Anacortes one day a month from May through October. Unfortunately, the Shannon Point Marine Center’s portable

touch tank won’t likely be available for the Beach Naturalists to use at Washington Park this year. However, the volunteers are working on interpretive stations that will be integrated into the Beach Naturalist’s summer program at Washington Park. The Padilla Bay Foundation is also in the process of purchasing a portable touch tank, but it is unclear when it might become available.

• Shannon Point Nearshore Restoration: This project has been put on hold until the City of Anacortes makes their final determinations on their trail planning as it relates to the new project design. Nearshore monitoring continues to collect baseline data before construction.

• Bowman Bay Nearshore Restoration: The Bowman Bay Restoration video featuring time lapse of the construction and aerial footage with a drone has been completed. A link to the video has been posted on the Skagit MRC website (click here). A planting party will be held April 23 from 10:00am – 2:00pm. Post-construction monitoring continues.

• Fidalgo Bay Day: The Fidalgo Bay Resort has been reserved for August 27, 2016 (11am – 3pm). Save the Date Cards have been widely distributed. The planning committee met on March 11. The Shannon Point Marine Center touch tanks and Samish canoe rides might not be available this year, so we are trying to come up with some new ideas for fun activities.

• Olympia Oyster Restoration: 20 bags of oyster seed were recently purchased with Skagit Restoration Initiative funds and 10 bags were generously donated by the Puget Sound Restoration Fund to expand the native oyster restoration effort at Cap Sante. The additional seeding at Cap Sante will take place in May in coordination with Betsy Peabody from the Puget Sound Restoration Fund and the Port of Anacortes. Paul plans to continue looking at different options to enhance the native oyster restoration effort in the western side of Fidalgo Bay. Native oyster settlement hasn’t spread very much to the western side of the bay due to the currents. Monitoring sensors and four bags of native oyster seed were recently purchased with Skagit MRC grant funding and will be deployed soon in the recently restored channel/marsh system at Secret Harbor, Cypress Island. Paul will also be working with Sharron Riggs to monitor oysters in Padilla Bay.

• Pinto Abalone Restoration: Paul recently went out with the Puget Sound Restoration Fund crew to monitor pinto abalone at Allen Island, Burrows Island and Cypress Island restoration sites. Additional seeding of juvenile pinto abalone will take place later this month at Cypress Island. Some of the pinto abalone at the Cypress Island site have been tagged and are being monitored for growth, survivorship and movement of the pinto abalone.

• Nearshore Monitoring: Monitoring continues at Bowman Bay, Shannon Point, and NW March’s Point nearshore restoration sites.

Other (anything not covered above, including local issues of interest to the regional group, questions to the Commission, etc):

MRC Monthly Report County: Snohomish Month/Year: April 2016 (covers March 2016 and April 2016) Submitted by: Kathleen Herrmann Membership/Leadership changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff): None. Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights): MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and MRC Member Paul Clampitt attended the Northwest Straits Commission Conference Call on March 25, 2016. On March 25, 2016, MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and Autumn Moore held a conference call with Lucas Hart to discuss forage fish project opportunities and protocols. MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and Autumn Moore, and MRC members Susan Tarpley, and Mike Ehlebracht held an Oil Spill Subcommittee meeting on March 28, 2016. The meeting focused on next steps in strengthening Snohomish County’s oil spill prevention, preparedness and response systems. MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and MRC Member Traci Sanderson attended a Shoreline Stabilization Workshop on March 31, 2016. The one-day forum to discuss how the shoreline permit process can be used to protect and restore shoreline habitat and property. MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and Autumn Moore, and MRC members Traci Sanderson, Franchesca Perez, and Paul Schlenger attend the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference on April 13-15, 2016. The conference focused on various topics involving the health of the Salish Sea. Kathleen Herrmann and Paul Schlenger gave a presentation called “Building Cross Jurisdictional Partnerships to Restore Habitat Processes to the Railroad Impounded Nearshore of Puget Sound/ Snohomish County”. The presentation discussed the MRC’s collaborations with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) fisheries and the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) for the Long Term Nearshore Beach Restoration Maintenance and Management Study. Autumn Moore presented a poster on her graduate research, titled “Bringing Conservation and Recreation Together”. Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments): None. Project Updates (progress from past month on existing project or any new projects identified): The Nearshore Beach Restoration Project— The Nearshore Restoration Project bids opened on March 22 at 11:00 a.m. The County selected Redside as the contractor and contract development is in progress. Project Construction will begin as early as June 15th for the Beach Nourishment and September 16th for

the Howarth Park Beach Restoration and Bulkhead Removal. The Informal HPA Appeal filed by Sound Action has been resolved. Estuary and Salmon Recovery Program (ESRP) Learning Grant) — On April 4, 2016, MRC Staff Kathleen Herrmann and Autumn Moore held a conference call with Jason Toft, Senior Research Scientist at the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences. The meeting focused on the MRC’s ESRP Learning Grant. The UW in partnership with the MRC received the grant funding for an “Effects of Nourishment on Railroad Grade Beaches” study. MRC staff began preliminary planning to conduct sampling at various armored and unarmored sites within Snohomish County and assess the best methods for conducting forage fish sediment sampling which will be used as match for the grant. Long Term Nearshore Beach Restoration Maintenance and Management Study— The MRC continues work to develop a preliminary assessment of nearshore marine culverts within and potential beach nourishment locations along the Snohomish County Nearshore south of Everett. SWM staff reviewed the draft GIS maps which outline the potential nearshore marine culverts for replacement and potential locations for beach nourishment. These GIS maps were shared within the presentation by Kathleen Herrmann and Paul Schlenger at the 2016 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. The MRC continues communication with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) on the Special Investigation Study. The study aims to evaluate USACE’s current business practices in the area of beach nourishment along the BNSF Railroad Corridor. The MRC hired Anchor QEA/Confluence to create a series of long term management funding options for beach nourishment maintenance. Request for Proposal for MRC Projects— The MRC is writing a Request for Proposal (RFP) for the 2016-2017 grant cycle called “Snohomish County Shoreline Storm Surge Monitoring”. The MRC proposes to pair outreach activities surrounding shoreline armoring with an effort to engage homeowners in monitoring the shoreline of their properties following storm events. The goal is to demonstrate the difference between hard armoring, softshore armoring, and benefits of protection, as well as to provide landowners with a measureable demonstration of beach dynamics in response to weather. The MRC will submit a final RFP May 31, 2016. Oil Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response— The MRC is developing a list of recommendations to incorporate into the Vessel of Opportunity (VOO) program website, administered by the Washington Department of Ecology. This work aims to ensure that community members receive the highest level of easily accessible, spill-related, educational materials. The Oil Spill Subcommittee continues to research the key players in the event of an oil-by-rail spill within Snohomish County. Port Susan —The MRC received a final version of the MRC’s Port Susan Communication Plan from Confluence. The Port Susan Subcommittee is preparing to use this communication plan to conduct outreach with homeowners at Homeowner’s Association Meetings over the summer of 2016.

MRC Monthly Report County: Whatcom Month/Year: April 2016 Submitted by: Holly Faulstich Membership/Leadership changes (including new members, departing members, changes to chair/vice-chair, NWSC representative/alternate, staff):

• Holly is still serving as interim MRC coordinator for at least the next month. Events/Meetings (including upcoming events/meetings and/or information on meetings/events from past month such as number of participants or highlights):

• The MRC met on April 7 and discussed project proposals for the 2016-17 grant cycle. The next meeting is scheduled for May 5 and will include a presentation by Paul Dinnel on Olympia oysters.

• The Executive Committee met on March 15 to prepare for the April MRC meeting and 2016-17

project idea discussion. The next meeting is scheduled for April 19 and they will continue planning for a presentation to County Council and discuss options for spending excess funds.

• The Speaker Series Subcommittee met on March 16 and finalized six upcoming speaker events:

o May 5 – Olympia oyster restoration, Paul Dinnel & Shannon Buckham o June 2 – Marine plastics in the Salish Sea, Leah Bendell o July 7 – Bellingham restoration priorities, Analiese Burns o Sept 1 – Bellingham Bay monitoring, Jude Apple o Sept 24-Oct 1 – Lk. Whatcom circulation study results, Bert Rubash & Elizabeth

Kilanowski o Nov 3 – Lummi Island quarry update, Rebecca Rettmer

• Their next meeting is scheduled for April 20.

• The Project Development Subcommittee met on March 24 and discussed current, proposed and tabled projects. The project matrix was updated to reflect current status/challenges/questions. Olympia oyster restoration, Aiston preserve and forage fish monitoring were prioritized for the next grant cycle. Their next meeting is scheduled for April 24.

Funding updates (newly-awarded grants, in-kind support or other funding commitments):

• Extra funds will be available due to less staff time being spent on MRC operations during Austin’s maternity leave. Every effort will be made to spend out completely by 9/30/16.

Project Updates (progress from past month on existing project or any new projects identified):

• A project subcommittee (Doug, Eleanor and Holly) continues to meet with the Julie Hirsch and staff from the Garden of the Salish Sea Curriculum to prepare for N. Chuckanut Bay clam surveys, which will occur on May 6 and 9. Holly submitted a Scientific Collection Permit

application to WDFW, but still has not heard back. The classroom portion of this project will begin next week.

• MRC staff, members and volunteers have been conducting bi-monthly water quality sampling in the Chuckanut watershed. Sampling results can be found on the MRC and Whatcom County Public Works’ websites. Whatcom County has contracted with Environmental Canine Services for the use of Crush, a sewage sniffing dog, to look for human sources of fecal coliform bacteria in the Chuckanut watershed (among other areas) on April 28-29.

• Jerry’s Journey interpretive signs are moving forward, despite slow responses from the graphic

design artist. The hope is for the three panels to be finalized by the end of April and installed by June-July 2016.

Other (anything not covered above, including local issues of interest to the regional group, questions to the Commission, etc): None.