Watershed Management Plan Objective #1

The Partnership recommends exploring a range of approaches to improve communication, coordination, and consolidation of all habitat efforts in the Chehalis Basin.

1.   Foster communication and coordination among groups for habitat restoration and protection

· Pursue discussions about a regional strategy

· Create a contact list of all active groups.

· Support the Habitat Workgroup to meet on a regular basis (more than just SRF Board Strategy)

· Support coordinated planning efforts to develop and implement a coordinated habitat restoration strategy. This would include the incorporation of other relevant species plans as the plans evolve

· The Partnership will be instrumental in the creation of a local organization capable of planning, coordinating, and implementing local habitat restoration efforts in WRIA's 22 and 23.

· Establish a coordinator’s position to form partnerships with community members and to use their expertise to create a strong program

· Develop a list of volunteers through a volunteer program to do projects

· Develop a communication and coordination structure among the various groups involved in habitat restoration and protection within the Chehalis Basin.

Begin Implementation................ 2006

Responsibility............................ CBP Habitat Workgroup

Leadership................................ The Nature Conservancy, Heernett Foundation, Thurston Conservation District, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Grays Harbor College, Chehalis Confederated Tribes.

2.   Develop a habitat restoration and protection outreach effort

· Have dedicated staff for an outreach plan

· Provide more teacher trainings and information about existing resources

· Provide teachers, students, and homeowners with a opportunity to apply the knowledge and skills they have learned to a habitat restoration project

· Inform the public about how they can best protect habitat on their own land

· Teach habitat restoration skills to teachers, students, and homeowners

· Offer training in how to use biological assessment as an educational and action tool to determining the health of salmon habitat

· Provide education on the value of salmon, salmon habitat, and stream ecology through workshops and field studies

· Push to use the environment as integrating context (combine with math, science, and English curriculum) to improve test scores, retention, and participation

· Continue Circulation of Drops of Water

· Develop a focused habitat restoration/preservation outreach/education effort within the Chehalis Basin

· Link all public and commercial landowners together

· Establish media relations with press, radio and television.  Involve more organizations with environmental education such as stream team, conservations districts, counties, cities, YMCA Earth Corps, WFPA, and state agencies

· Web site

Begin Implementation................ 2006

Responsibility............................ Habitat Workgroup

Leadership................................ Department of Natural Resources, Mason Conservation District, Thurston Conservation District, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Grays Harbor College, and Chehalis Confederated Tribes

2.   Develop a finance work plan for habitat restoration and protection

(Consider integrating this work item under WMP #3)

· Recommend adequate funding for water resources management (source to be determined; funding to be distributed to those entities involved in water resources management

· Identify or create a funding sources for small habitat projects

· Identify applicable funding sources for habitat protection and restoration projects

· Develop lists of funding sources. (Directory of Watershed Resources developed by the Environmental Finance Center of Boise State University

Begin Implementation................ 2006

Responsibility............................ Habitat Workgroup

Leadership................................ Thurston Conservation District and Chehalis Confederated Tribes

2.   Assessment, implementation, and monitoring of habitat restoration and protection activities and plan

· Develop a data inventory and monitoring strategy for determining how effective habitat enhancement efforts have been (including data management such as EDT)

· Complete categorization of habitat

· Work with stakeholder groups to develop criteria that identify priorities for restoration and protection

· Identify and protect all “high” quality habitat

· Identify and restore all “moderate/medium” quality habitat and connectivity to high quality areas

· Comprehensive fish passage program – funding, ranking, etc.

Begin Implementation................ 2006

Responsibility............................ Habitat Workgroup

Leadership................................ The Nature Conservancy, Department of Natural Resources (Heritage Program), Mason Conservation District, Thurston Conservation District, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Grays Harbor College, Chehalis Confederated Tribes, Olympic National Forest, Heernett Foundation.