Since enactment
of the law in 1990, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)
has been
working with the States to acquire, restore, enhance
and manage pristine and threatened coastal wetlands through partnerships
between federal and state agencies. Funding for the program is
generated from excise taxes on fishing equipment and motorboat
and small engine
fuels.
Projects are managed by individual WDFW biologists. See the list
of funded projects below for the project manager for
specific projects.
2002:
Lower Nooksack River Acquisition and Restoration
The Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife
received funding to acquire 324 acres
of formerly tidal river flood plain and wetland habitat on
the Lower Nooksack River, feeding Bellingham Bay in Whatcom
County. The acquisition
completes a continuous 4.4-mile, 1,700-acre wildlife corridor
and provides important rearing and salt water transition
habitat for
six species of Pacific salmon, including chinook salmon and
bull
trout.
Partners: Salmon
Recovery Funding Board, Ducks Unlimited, Whatcom County
Coastal grant:
$ 954,600
State share: $ 345,000
Partner share: $ 66,700
Total cost: $ 1,366,300
WDFW contact:
Steve Seymour (360) 676-2003, seymosas@dfw.wa.gov.
2003:
Dungeness-Meadowbrook Coastal Wetlands and Estuary Habitat
The
Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation with
the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, received funding to protect--through
a combination of acquisitions and easements 140 acres in the
Dungeness and Meadowbrook Creek Estuary. A variety of salmon
species, Taylor’s
Checkerspot butterfly and a high number of other diverse wildlife
species, benefit from this project.
Partners: Clallam
County (SRFB-State), Audubon/Rainshadow Natural Science Foundation,
the Jamestown
S'Klallam Tribe, the North Olympic
Land Trust, North Olympic Salmon Coalition, and the Puget Consumers
Coop Farmland Fund.
Coastal grant:
$ 997,243
State share: $ 339,090
Partner share: $ 88,300
Total cost: $ 1,424,633
WDFW contact:
Anita McMillan, (360) 457-4601, mcmilakm@dfw.wa.gov
2003:
English Boom-Leaque Island Acquisition and Restoration
The
Department of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation with the state’s
Salmon Recovery Fund, received funding to purchase and restore
the tidal habitat on about 150 acres of diked tidal slough,
salt marsh
and freshwater wetlands. The project is in the Stillaguamish
River Estuary and Skagit Bay in Island County, an area that
supports large
concentrations of migratory and wintering raptors, waterfowl,
shorebirds and songbirds.
Partners: Stillaguamish
Tribe, Island County, Camano Island Salmon Work Group, Friends
of Camano Island
State Park, Island
County
Beach Watcher Program and the Stilli-Snohomish Fisheries
Enhancement Task
Force.
Coastal grant:
$ 977,000
State share: $ 444,500
Partner share: $ 15,400
Total cost: $ 1,436,900
WDFW contact:
Steve Seymour (360) 676-2003 seymosas@dfw.wa.gov.
2004: Deadman
Slough Acquisition and Restoration Project
The Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation
with the state’s
Salmon Recovery Funding Board, received funding to purchase
243 acres and restore 353 acres of estuarine marsh near
the mouth of the Snohomish
River. The project provides nursery habitat for several
species of salmon, as well as wintering habitat for migrating
waterfowl and
shorebirds.
Partners: The
Cascade Land Conservancy, Ducks Unlimited, and the Pacific Coast
Joint Venture.
Coastal grant
request: $1,000,000
State share: $ 400,000
Partners share: $ 373,000
Total cost: $1,773,000
WDFW contact:
Lora Leschner (425) 775-1311 Ext 121 leschlll@dfw.wa.gov
2004:
Dungeness Estuarine Wetlands Project
The Washington Department
of Fish and Wildlife, in cooperation
with the state’s Salmon
Recovery Funding Board, received funding to acquire
and permanently conserve several coastal wetlands properties
in the lower 1.5 miles
of the Dungeness River and Meadowbrook Creek
systems. Approximately 50 acres will be purchased with this
project,
providing habitat essential
to several salmon species, migratory birds, shorebirds
and also to the rare Taylors checkerspot butterfly.
Partners:
Jamestown Sklallam Tribe, Clallam County, Ducks Unlimited,
Dungeness National Wildlife
Refuge Coordinated
Volunteer Program,
Puget Consumers Co-op, Dungeness River Center,
Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society, and the
North Olympic
Land Trust.
Coastal grant
request: $987,500
State share: $414,500
Partners share: $ 35,106
Total cost: $1,437,196
WDFW contact:
Anita McMillan, (360) 457-4601, mcmilakm@dfw.wa.gov
2004: Lower
Sequim Bay Estuary Acquisition and Restoration
The Washington
Department
of Fish
and Wildlife received
funding to
acquire eight
acres of coastal wetlands and restore
an additional 7 acres of wetland habitat,
completing an ongoing
restoration effort
affecting
about
156 acres of coastal wetlands. The project
benefits chinook
and chum salmon, as well as migratory
birds such as the greater yellowlegs,
black oystercatcher, and rock sandpipers.
Partners: Clallam
County, the Clallam County Conservation District, the Jamestown
Sklallam
Tribe, Clallam
County Streamkeepers, Dungeness River
Audubon Center, and
the Olympic Peninsula
Audubon
Society.
Coastal grant
request: $998,900
State share: $685,000
Partners share: $133,000
Total cost: $1,816,900
WDFW contact:
Randy Johnson (360) 417-3301 johnsraj@dfw.wa.gov
2004: South
Padilla Bay Acquisition and Restoration
The Washington
Department of Fish and Wildlife,
in cooperation with the Salmon
Recovery Funding Board, received
funding to acquire and restore
approximately
440 acres of estuarine wetlands
along the south end of Padilla
Bay, within
the Puget
Sound
ecosystem of northwest
Washington.
The project
provides nursery habitat for
several species of salmon,
as well as foraging areas for
migratory waterfowl and shorebirds
during
their
annual migrations
Partners: Skagit
County, Ducks Unlimited, and the Pacific Coast
Joint Venture.
Coastal grant
request: $1,000,000
State share: $ 100,000
Partners share: $520,000
Total: $1,620,000
WDFW contact:
Lora Leschner (425) 775-1311 Ext 121 leschlll@dfw.wa.gov
2004:
Willapa/Cedar River Acquisition
The Washington
Department of
Fish and Wildlife received
funding to purchase 475
acres of wetlands in
the Cedar
River Estuary and
restore the habitat for
wintering
shorebirds. In addition
to providing
improved resting and
feeding habitat
for several
species of waterfowl
and shorebirds,
the
project provides critical
salmon rearing habitat,
and protects
two sites
which are important for
the reproductive success
of band-tailed
pigeons.
Partners: The
Cascade Land Conservancy, the
Wildlife
Forever Foundation,
and the Pacific
Coast Joint
Venture.
Coastal grant
request: $860,000
State share: $ 5,000
Partners share: $395,000
Total cost: $1,260,000
WDFW contact:
Greg Schirato, (360) 956-2800, schirgas@dfw.wa.gov
2005: Davis
Bay Acquisition and Restoration
The Washington Department of Fish
and Wildlife received funding to acquire conservation easements
and restore approximately 120 acres of estuarine and freshwater
wetlands
on Davis Bay, within the Puget Sound Ecosystem. The restoration
includes the removal of the existing tide gate system, filling
of drainage
ditches, raising two sections of roads that will be inundated by
the restoration, and providing a new potable water system for several
families. This project provides rearing habitat for fish and important
migration and wintering habitat for birds.
Partners: A private landowner, Ducks Unlimited, Pacific Coast Joint
Venture, and the San Juan Preservation Trust.
Coastal grant request: $1,000,000
State share: $10,000
Partners share: $1,083,000
Total cost: $2,093,000
WDFW contact: Ruth Milner (425) 379-2310 milnerlm@dfw.wa.gov'
2005: Willapa Bay/ Seal Slough Acquisition Project
The Washington
State Department of Fish and Wildlife received funding to purchase
1,002 acres of fee title and 374 acres of conservation easement
along Seal Slough, Lynn Point, and Willapa Bay tidelands and
adjacent uplands. The project will include control of invasive
Spartina
on 300 acres of the tide flats, enhancing utilization by wintering
shorebirds and foraging waterfowl.
Partners: Cascade Land Conservancy, Pacific Coast Joint Venture,
and Wildlife Forever Foundation.
Coastal grant request: $900,000
State share: $5,000
Partners share: $562,400
Total cost: $1,467,400
WDFW contact: Greg Schirato, (360) 956-2800, schirgas@dfw.wa.gov
