Habitat Work Group (HWG) Meeting

October 13, 2006

Lewis Conservation District Office

Lee Napier, Andy Olson, Brett DeMond, and Chad Stussy were present.

Strategy Update

Lee asked the group for input regarding her written response to the SRFB strategy summary requirement.

Watershed and Marine Ecological Processes-

• Keep hydraulic regime and replace organic matter with light heat to address long term benefits for Chinook.  LWD is more of a short term benefit with riparian (light/heat input). 
• They are all important and intertwine. 
• Hydrologic regime standalone.
• Light/heat input with subcomponents as long-term with sediment and organic as short-term supply.
• Is light/heat input process for temperature or LWD recruitment?
• Temperature about LWD as a priority 
• At this time, light/heat, organic and hydrologic regime will be our priorities. 
• Should we include tidal as part of the hydrologic regime?  Maybe we should provide a description that’s unique for the Chehalis but based on Beechi et al. 2003. 
• Consider a set of ecological process priorities for the estuary. 
• Should we identify high priority watershed processes by subbasin? Yes.
• Can we use EDT to double check priority of processes and features?  Chad did double check his chapters against EDT. 

Habitat Features/Limiting Factors

• Lee asked the group to help her pull out the priority habitat features when they review the Skookumchuck chapter. 
• Wiskhah stock uses different habitat.  Review the stock discussion from the tape.
• It seems like features and processes are redundant.
• Clearly describe the limiting factors.  The bullets should be more concise

Actions/Areas

· Upper basin spring chinook-escapement data may indicate a low population.  This is significant population for the tribes

· Upper basin chum distribution is severely impaired.  Historically the distribution was wider.

· Newaukum/Skookumchuck steelhead was formerly depressed.  Last SaSI update changed  the status.  Should the group view this as a species of concern based on USFWS process?

· Bulltrout should be listed as a priority species.  Anderson Road BA mentions bulltrout capture in a smolt trap in 1997.  Andy has the information. 

· Chum is limited in the Black River based on tribal observations.  Is this a harvest issue or a habitat issue?  Improved chum spawning habitat may alleviate some of the sediment issues. 

· If we prioritize mainstem spawners, how can we propose work in smaller tribs? Life stage benefit may help with this issue.  Such as chehalis coho as high priority, then we achieve a trickle down benefit.  Input from Kurt Holt and Andy may be able to provide input based on their fish surveys. 

Community Issues

• Workshops in four areas of the basin. 
• Brian suggestions focusing our efforts on reengaging groups like the CBFTF, CRC, CBLT, City focus groups, Long live the Kings, Cloquallum Creek homeowners instead of starting from scratch with a potentially new group 
• Double check distribution list-CRC CBEC

Skookumchuck Subbasin Chapter

Chad explained that HDR is involved with the I-5 widening project. They are interested in finding mitigation sites and asked if the strategy would provide some guidance.  Based on this request, Chad and Lee selected this profile for the group’s discussion today. 

Group discussion:

• Chad added some text from the LFA.    
• The group would like links between symptoms, causes, and actions.
• Explore calling out process and features as priorities by subbasin in the opening language.
• List stocks and priority stocks in the introductory text.  Lee noted that the current table, Section Two, is not accurate.

The next meeting date is November 10^th, which is a holiday.  The group discussed meeting the day before from 1:00-3:30pm.  Lee will send out a message to the group asking for confirmation to change the meeting date.