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please contact the Volunteer Services Coordinator. Phone: (360) 902-2252 Fax: (360) 902-2157 Email: volunteers@dfw.wa.gov RFEG Information
RFEG Annual Reports Other volunteer information:
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In 1990, the Washington State Legislature created the Regional Fisheries Enhancement Program to involve local communities, citizen volunteers, and landowners in the state’s salmon recovery efforts. Initially there were twelve groups, all but one in Western Washington; two more Eastern Washington groups formed in 2000. The fourteen Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups (RFEGs) perform a unique role.They are the only organizations statewide dedicated solely to restoring salmon and steelhead populations. In addition, the RFEGs create dynamic partnerships with state and federal agencies, Native American tribes, and local businesses and landowners.Through these collaborations, the RFEGs help lead communities in successful restoration programs. ANNUAL REPORT: JULY 1, 2001 – JUNE 30, 2002 All information comes directly from the RFEGs and from the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s contract summaries. Volunteer dollars are calculated at the rate of $12.50 per hour. RFEG PROGRAM STRUCTURE The overall program has a multi-tiered structure:
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Funding for the RFEG Programs, administered through WDFW, comes from a portion of fees assessed to commercial and recreational fishing licenses. Revenues generated by the state’s sale of salmon eggs and carcasses also go toward the program. In recent years the RFEG Program has received substantial funding from the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. RFEGs form an integral part of the local salmon recovery Lead Entity processes.The Lead Entities include municipal and county governments, conservation districts, tribes, and nonprofits; their make-up varies from region to region. Lead Entities prioritize projects for funding by Washington’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB). The groups also obtain grants from government agencies and private entities. Individual donations and gifts in kind are also crucial. In the 1999-2001 biennium, RFEGs received donations and in-kind contributions from thousands of different businesses, agencies, and individuals. The involvement of local volunteers and the participation of landowners willing to have projects on their property form the key features of the RFEG Program. The RFEGs create numerous partnerships, bringing diverse interests together. THE REGIONS The organizations share the common goal of restoring fish populations and habitat to their regions, relying on support in local communities. However, the geographic areas and therefore the groups vary widely. The regions of Puget Sound—Nooksack, Skagit, Stilly-Snohomish, Mid Sound, and South Puget—all have lower watersheds situated in the populated Interstate-5 corridor.Their upper watersheds include private and publicly owned forested lands. Consequently, these regions deal with the combined environmental pressures of logging, farming, industry, and urban growth. In addition, many estuaries fall within their borders, and some have cities on their major rivers. The areas along the Olympic Peninsula and Washington coast—Hood Canal, North Olympic, Pacific Coast, Chehalis, and Willapa Bay—all have resource- based economies.The groups play a key role in helping balance the needs of both the human community and the salmon. A significant portion of the area is managed by state, federal and tribal agencies, and private timber companies. Most of these regions receive substantial rainfall. The Lower Columbia group also serves an area heavily impacted by forestry practices, operating in an economy dependent on logging.The group is one of three along the Columbia River.The others are located in Eastern Washington. Mid Columbia and Upper Columbia, along with Tri State Steelheaders, formed new regions January 2001.The regions east of the Cascade Mountains are characterized by low rainfall, irrigated lands, and hydropower projects—all affecting fish habitat.
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