Chehalis Basin Partnership

M e e t i n g S u m m a r y - November 19, 2004

GENERAL PARTNERSHIP BUSINESS

Introduction

Chair Bob Spahr welcomed everyone and opened the meeting. Sixteen of the Partnership's twenty-eight member organizations had a representative or alternate at the meeting. Eight additional citizens, alternates, or visitors were at the meeting. (See attendance list on the last page of this summary).

Steering/Technical Advisory Committee

The Steering/Technical Committee met November 4th and worked on developing material that will be discussed later in this meeting.

Water Quality Committee

The Water Quality Committee met November 11 ^th and selected the following activities from the 2005 Annual Plan of Work to complete first: Development of a basin-wide monitoring program, development of a monitoring Quality Assurance Plan and entering Watershed Plan actions number 31 through 45 into the Plan-2-Fund implementation planning tool.

At its December meeting the Water Quality Committee will review water quality grants and loans that have been submitted from the Chehalis Basin to the Department of Ecology for funding and prepare a priority recommendation. The Committee will also begin developing and entering tasks into the Plan-2-Fund implementation scheduling/budgeting tool to learn how it works.

Citizens' Advisory Committee

Chair Chanelle Holbrook-Shaw handed out a letter prepared for Citizen's Advisory Committee members with a list of events that they could participate in. (Attachment)

A question about the possibility of duplication of effort between the Water Quality Committee and Citizens' Advisory Committee was asked. The two committee chairs responded that the committees are aware of the potential for duplication of effort and work to avoid it.

Other Business

Water Quality Grant and Loans: Local prioritization has to be completed and turned in to Ecology by 5:00 on December 17 ^th . The Water Quality Committee will prepare a recommendation and present it to the Partnership December 17 ^th for action.

Department of Health Representative: The Department of Health is looking into the issue. They probably do not have the resources to have someone attend every Chehalis Basin Partnership and Steering/Technical Committee meeting, but if an issue they are responsible for needs to be addressed they will make sure someone attends.

Chair and Vice-Chair for 2005: Bob Spahr and Jim Haslett were nominated to serve as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively during 2005. The Partnership agreed by consensus.

Retainage from the Watershed Planning Grant: Kahle Jennings reported that Ecology has decided it has the flexibility to allow Planning Units that have approved watershed plans, such as the Chehalis Basin Partnership, to use any remaining planning funds to prepare a scope of work for implementation.

Partnership Meeting Locations: The Chehalis Tribe casino has determined that the Partnership can meet at the casino at no charge as long as the casino doesn't provide coffee and refreshments. Since the building opens at 9:00 starting our meetings right at 9:00 can be a logistical problem. The Partnership agreed to meet at the Lucky Eagle Casino and start meetings one-half hour later at 9:30 a.m. Coffee and refreshments will be available at the casino coffee shop.

SPECIAL PROJECTS

2005 Annual Plan of Work

The draft 2005 Annual Plan of Work sent out in the packet for this meeting was reviewed. The following comments were recorded:

The format is easy to follow but a "deliverables" or "expectations" column needs to be added. [This will be done.]

The time that the Citizens' Advisory Committee meets will be "after the Partnership meets each month." [This also will be done.]

Response to draft paper on "Implementation and Funding of Salmon Recovery and Watershed Health Efforts" prepared by Governor Locke's staff. (August 2004 and November 2004 versions attached)

Watershed planning and salmon recovery in Washington State are both entering a period of transition as plans are completed and implementation begins. At the state level there are policy and budget issues that need to be addressed during the transition between Governors and in the new budget. This draft paper looks at possible benefits of combining watershed planning and salmon recovery. The topics it raises will probably be discussed throughout the upcoming legislative session as the new Governor's administration develops its agenda and the legislature responds.

In the Chehalis Basin we have integrated watershed planning and salmon recovery by consolidating watershed planning Lead Agency and salmon recovery Lead Entity functions within Grays Harbor County. Many basins have not consolidated these functions and this paper looks at the efficiencies that might be gained by doing so. For instance, in the Puget Sound there are nineteen Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs) and each one develops its own priority list. How the final decision would be made to determine which of the top priorities from each of the different WRIAs is the highest priority overall must be addressed. The paper discusses, but does not require, formation of broader salmon recovery regions that might, for example, include coastal areas beyond the Chehalis Basin.

What does the term "Watershed Action Council" mean when compared to what the Chehalis Basin Partnership is? Since the Chehalis Basin Partnership is currently doing both watershed planning and salmon recovery as described above it would be a change in name only. In basins where the Lead Agency and Lead Entity are different organizations it would lead to coordinating the functions. It would not include the establishment of any legal status that would allow applying for funding directly. There would still need to be a Lead Agency or Lead Entity.

The purpose is not to co-mingle watershed planning and salmon recovery funds at the state level, but to coordinate the two programs so that they are more efficient.

One concern with combining the functions is that groups involved in one or the other these activities could loose focus because the size of the effort would become very large. Other concerns are that the permitting reforms and streamlining discussed in Topic #7 could mean additional work for local governments and that Topic #8 (funding) doesn't contain any information at all. There is a concern that funding both the programs together could reduce the overall level of funding currently available.

Watershed Plan Implementation

The handouts from the October Partnership meeting were reviewed. The Partnership has stated that it is interested in moving forward with developing a scope of work for implementation. The Steering/Technical Committee (STC) developed Key Concepts for the scope of work that will implement the watershed plan the Partnership approved. The next challenge for the Partnership will be how to turn the actions approved in the watershed plan into tasks, schedules, budgets, etc. The STC will begin this work at its December 2 ^nd meeting and encourages Partnership members to attend or send someone.

Salmon Recovery

The December Salmon Recovery Funding Board meeting will determine how much funding the Chehalis Basin receives to implement projects in 2005.

The next meeting of the Chehalis Basin Partnership will be held on December 17, 2004 from 9:30 to 12:00 a.m. at the Lucky Eagle Casino near Oakville.

Decisions

Bob Spahr and Jim Haslett were nominated and appointed to serve as Chair and Vice-Chair respectively during 2005.

The Partnership agreed to meet at the Lucky Eagle Casino and start meetings one-half hour later at 9:30 a.m.

A "deliverables" or "expectations" column should be added to the 2005 Annual Plan of Work

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