Welcome to the Drops Of Water

Issue 13 October 1997

This newsletter appears monthly in 45,000 households throughout the watershed. Printing is done by The Chronicle, and distribution is by the Chronicle, the Olympia Daily Olympian, the Tenino Independent, the Rochester Sun News and the Aberdeen Daily World. This is an early edition available only to WWW users. Please send us your feedback. The first people to find errors in spelling or word structure receive a free map of the Chehalis watershed. Send us an e-mail note telling us about the error.

---

Stories of interest in this issue:

-

Shade the Chehalis - a Picnic and Program Join us for this event!

America's National Wildlife Refuges Learn about one of ouor great resources!

Water and People or How much water do we consume?

Reader's Opinions and ThoughtsTwo letters from readers

Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution from Households Some advice from the EPA

Do's and Don'ts Around the Home More suggestions on household practices

Oakville: Project Green - Water and Youth Learn about our youth!

SPAWNING SALMON IN THE CHEHALIS BASINThis is the season when salmon spawn!

FOR THE SAKE OF THE SALMONSome insight on the organizations which is helping the CBFTF.

YOUTH CORNER

This is an early electronic copy of Drops of Water. Drops of Water is distributed monthly to newspaper receiving households throughout the basin. It goes to print mid-September and will be distributed during the following week. Watch for it in the Tenino Independent, the Rochester Sun News, The Olympian, The Chronicle and the The Daily World.

The newspaper insert is funded with a grant from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. This electronic edition is sponsored by the CRC.

Letters to the Editor, contributed articles and contributing partnerships are encouraged.
Comments via email to The Chehalis River Council
Back to CRC Home Page

A personal view of Shade the Chehalis

Back to top or Back to home page

-

America's National Wildlife Refuges

Where Wildlife Comes Naturally!

Grays Harbor Estuary in Hoquiam, Washington became the newest site in the Western Hemisphere Shorebird Reserve Network (WHSRN) on April 28, 1996 when dedication ceremonies attended by 55 representatives of local, state, and federal agencies and nongovernmental organizations climaxed the successful Shorebird Festival.

While over 200,000 shorebird were gathering in the estuary under sunny skies, the official dedication was conducted with supporting comments offered by many of the stake holders including the Washington Department of Natural Resources, Washington Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Nature Conservancy, Grays Harbor Audubon Society, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Evergreen State College, the Pacific Coast Joint Venture, as well as WHSRN. Certificates recognizing the importance of this new Hemispheric Site were presented to these organizations plus to the cities of Ocean Shores and Westport and to the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission by both WHSRN and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Ceremonies concluded with the unveiling of a new sign identifying the estuary as a WHSRN site.

The Shorebird Festival, sponsored by the Grays Harbor Audubon Society, was highlighted by a series of workshops in shorebird identification and photography along with a small arts and crafts exhibit. Shuttle buses ran from early morning to mid-afternoon taking enthusiasts out to vary observing sites to watch the spectacular spring northern migration of hundreds of thousands of shorebirds.

The 4,000 acre (approx.) refuge is one of four major staging areas for shorebirds in North America. Up to one million shorebirds gather, or stage, here in spring to store up fat reserves and rest for the nonstop flight to their northern breeding grounds. This is one of the largest concentration of shorebirds on the west coast, south of Alaska. Of the two dozen species of shorebirds that use this area five of the most abundant are the western sandpiper, dunlin, shortbilled and longbilled dowitchers, and semipalmated plover. Western sandpipers compose 85% of the shorebirds present in the spring. The site is a relatively undisturbed estuary including subtidal (open water), intertidal (mudflat), rocky shore (harbor mouth) intertidal emergent (salt marsh) intertidal emergent (scrub/shrub), palustrine forested (forested wetland/willow), palustrine amergent (common reed), and palustrine emergent spoil (fill).

Counts from various sources report that an estimated 300,000+ shorebirds were observed during an aerial survey of Grays Harbor on April 27, 1993. Ground counts of Bowerman Basin on April 26 and 27, 1993 indicated about 150,000 and 125,000 shorebirds respectively.

The majority of these of species known to use this site include the: Western Sandpiper, Dunlin Long-billed Dowitcher, Short-billed Dowitcher, Semipalmated Plover, Red Knot Black billed Plover, Greater Yellowlegs, Lesser Yellowlegs, Whimbrel Long-billed Curlew, Marbled Godwit Sanderling, Least Sandpiper Killdeer, Ruddy Turnstone, Black-Turnstone, Common Snipe Spotted Sandpiper, Surfbird Rock Sandpiper, Lesser Golden Plover, Snowy Plover, Red-necked Phalarope.

Grays Harbor is also used by other species of birds such as the peregrine falcon, brown pelican, gulls, terns, common loon, great blue heron and double-crested cormorant.

Threats to the area include those associated with expanding economic base and a growing population. Invasive introduced vegetation is also a current threat to the native plant community. For example, Giant reed (Phragmites Communis) and spartina are pose two of these species.

The site is owned by: Washington State Department of Parks and recreation, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, The Nature Conservancy, Army Corp. of Engineers, and Weyerhaeuser.

A Management and Development Plan for Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge directed by legislation was completed in 1990. The Grays Harbor Estuary Management Plan is a long-range, coordinated comprehensive plan designed to guide future land and water use activities in Grays Harbor. Although never approved, it was to be implemented through individual local Shoreline Management Programs under the Washington State Shoreline Management Act, other ordinances, and through various State and Federal regulations and permit actions.

Bibliography:

Herman S.G. and J.B. Bulger, 1981. The distribution and Abundance of Shorebirds During the 1981 Spring Migration at Grays Harbor, Washington. U.S Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle, WA. Contract No DACW 67-81-M-0936 64pp.

Washington State Coastal Zone Management Program Amendment No. 3: Approval and Adoption of the Grays Harbor Estuary Management Plan, Draft Environmental Impact Statement, Washington state Department of Ecology, Olympia, WA 105 pp.+ appendices

Management and Development Plan Gray Harbor National Wildlife Refuge, Hoquiam, Washington, February 1990, prepared by Grays Harbor Refuge Planning Team, USFWS. 54 pp. + appendices.

Paulson, D.R., 1993. Shorebirds of the Pacific Northwest. University of Washington Press. 406 pp.

Back to top or Back to home page

-

Water and People

Water use in the United States in 1980 was estimated to be an average of 450 billion gallons per day, a 22 percent increase from the 1970 estimate. Average per capita use was 1,600 gallons per day of fresh water and 400 gallons per day of saline water. Total fresh water consumed (and therefore no longer available for immediate subsequent use) increased to 100 billion gallons per day, with irrigation in the western states accounting for about 80 percent of the total consumed. By the year 2000, it has been estimated that 17 out of 21 water resource regions of the United States will suffer from inadequate surface and underground (groundwater) water supplies, flooding, erosion and sedimentation problems, and pollution of both surface water and groundwater.

Much of our water use is hidden. Think about what you had for lunch. A hamburger, for example, requires water to raise wheat for the bun, to grow hay and corn to feed the cattle and to process the bread and beef. Together with french fries and a soft drink, this all-American meal uses about 1,500 gallons of water--enough to fill a small swimming pool. How about your clothes? To grow cotton for a pair of jeans takes about 400 gallons. A shirt requires about 400 gallons. How do you get to school or to the store? To produce the amount of finished steel in a car has in the past required about 32,000 gallons of water. Similarly, the steel in a 30-pound bicycle required 480 gallons. This shows that industry must continue to strive to reduce water use through manufacturing processes that use less water, and through recycling of water.

Source:

Hydrology: The Study of Water and Water Problems A Challenge for Today and Tomorrow

A publication of the Universities Council on Water Resources

Back to top or Back to home page

-

Reader's Opinions and Thoughts

Dear Editor,

I'm sorry to admit that the recent issue (#12) of Drops of Water is the first one I've actually read (and reread!) because, for whatever reason, I felt I'd find it uninteresting, or uninformative, as far as I was concerned. Boy, was I wrong. I was utterly amazed and fascinated reading about the enormous amount of information, facts, state data and unbelievably complicated, diverse and important factors that relate to us ALL, concerning water.

The vocabulary alone (glossary of "some"?) was totally mesmerizing. Although I consider myself reasonably intelligent I had NO IDEA there was so much scientific data concerning the various factors related to water, the usage thereof, the conservation, and just the basic understanding of this glorious, vital, life giving absolutely miraculous, even, chemical compound (?) we call H2O! Thanks!

I'd be interested in seeing some sort of listing or chart that breaks down the actual water to whatever breakdown, because everybody knows (or so, most of us were taught, I believe) our bodies are comprised of mostly H2O. The earth is covered with (75 - 80%?) mainly water, in fact, I've always considered it be one of the major miracles that every single form of life, from an amoeba on up to us, cannot sustain life itself without our precious H2O! Amazing!

Even more amazing, is I hardly dreamed there was so little I never even knew! Not a clue, and what's worse, there are those who never give it a second thought, maybe not a first, even! There's so, so much we take for granted, but we all need to know all we can, everything there is to know, in order to ensure the water that is here, is here to stay. Additionally, that it remains as close to its purest natural form as is humanly possible! Wow! What a job!

Thanks for the enlightenment, and keep up the good work! We need to spread the word, without seeming or becoming "environmentally extreme" or "preachy". I think you've done a fine job at that! (And remember I'll be looking for that water to (?) ratio report with anticipation).

Valerie Burns

To the Editor:

You invite opinions, and I am trying to learn how to use my son's computer so I'll do both at the same time.

I just read the article about a new Watershed Coordinator. He's probably a wonderful person and is very well qualified, but to a layperson he sounds just like everyone else who is hired to try and help bring back the dwindling fish runs.

He has lots of experience in research, and collecting data, plus lots of degrees. Where have I heard all of these kind of qualifications? From all the people who have been given the job of helping the poor Salmon.

So far I have heard of no one actually accomplishing much of anything. No one needs to waste millions of dollars more on research. Someone, whether it's in the Fisheries Dept. or an organization who wants to BE SUCCESSFUL at bringing back the Salmon needs to have someone in some capacity that has actually RAISED FISH and have them come back and spawn on their own.

It doesn't take an engineer and it doesn't take a lot of money. It just takes someone who loves [actually obsessed] with the idea they want the Salmon to come back to the river where they used to be.

Of course this has been very scary to some, not all, of the Fisheries, and they are now helping, after trying to get rid of us. They didn't dream the fish would actually come back on their own and spawn.

All you need is a pond, and some hatching , or spawning channels.

We had to watch our river die after they started logging above us My husband brought back our Salmon, and some of the Fisheries people don't like to admit it, but it is on paper. We have the biggest run of Salmon in the State.

By the way, he has no degrees, We only had lots and lots of fish last year. It's too bad, but this coming cycle is his bad one. It was the year the Fisheries Dept. decided to cut off his eggs.

All the years we have spent fighting with the Fisheries, Weyerhaeuser, and all the rest who didn't want Fred to raise fish.

As I said it's not hard to raise fish, and now the Fisheries are paying for a new spawning channel. I see all these high paid so-called experts that haven't done a thing for the resource.

I think it may because Fred thinks like a fish. Sometimes it has been frustrating watching him dig with a shovel all winter long, with no help from no one. He has spent probably $20,000.00 of his own money to get started.

That's not a lot when you hear about the millions wasted. He's got all the basics, but he still spends a lot of time trying to improve. Of course he doesn't get a cent.

It irritates me to no-end the high paid people that are so called fish experts and they don't have the foggiest idea how to help a run of fish.

Georgia March

Back to top or Back to home page

-

Managing Nonpoint Source Pollution from Households

The well-known stories about environmental problems tend to focus on big, recognizable targets such as smoking industrial facilities, leaking toxic waste dumps, and messy oil spills. As a result, people often forget about water pollution caused by smaller nonpoint sources--especially pollution at the household level.

However, nonpoint source (NPS) pollution is the Nation's leading source of water quality degradation. Although individual homes might contribute only minor amounts of NPS pollution, the combined effect of an entire neighborhood can be serious. These include eutrophication, sedimentation, and contamination with unwanted pollutants.

To prevent and control NPS pollution, households can learn about the causes of such pollution and take the appropriate (and often money-saving) steps to limit runoff and make sure runoff stays clean.

Limit Paved Surfaces

Urban and suburban landscapes are covered by paved surfaces like sidewalks, parking lots, roads, and driveways. They prevent water from percolating down into the ground, cause runoff to accumulate, and funnel into storm drains at high speeds. When quickly flowing runoff empties into receiving waters, it can severely erode streambanks. Paved surfaces also transfer heat to runoff, thereby increasing the temperature of receiving waters. Native species of fish and other aquatic life cannot survive in these warmer waters.

To limit NPS pollution from paved surfaces households can substitute alternatives to areas traditionally covered by nonporous surfaces. Grasses and natural ground cover, for example, can be attractive and practical substitutes for asphalt driveways, walkways, and patios. Some homes effectively incorporate a system of natural grasses, trees, and mulch to limit continuous impervious surface area. Wooden decks, gravel or brick paths, and rock gardens keep the natural ground cover intact and allow rainwater to slowly seep into the ground.

Landscape With Nature

Altering the natural contours of yards during landscaping and planting with nonnative plants that need fertilizer and extra water can increase the potential for higher runoff volumes, increase erosion, and introduce chemicals into the path of runoff. In contrast, xeriscape landscaping provides households with a framework that can dramatically reduce the potential for NPS pollution.

Xeriscape incorporates many environmental factors into landscape design--soil type, use of native plants, practical turf areas, proper irrigation, mulches, and appropriate maintenance schedules. By using native plants that are well-suited to a regions climate and pests, xeriscape drastically reduces the need for irrigation and chemical applications. Less irrigation results in less runoff, while less chemical application keeps runoff clean.

Proper Septic System Management

Malfunctioning or overflowing septic systems release bacteria and nutrients into the water cycle, contaminating nearby lakes, streams, and estuaries, and ground water. Septic systems must be built in the right place. Trampling ground above the system compacts soil and can cause the systems pipes to collapse. Also, septic systems should be located away from trees because tree roots can crack pipes or obstruct the flow of wastewater through drain lines. Proper septic system management is also important, and a system should be inspected and emptied every 3 to 5 years.

By maintaining water fixtures and by purchasing water-efficient shower heads, faucets, and toilets, households can limit wastewater levels, reducing the likelihood of septic system overflow. Most water conservation technologies provide long-term economic and environmental benefits.

Proper Chemical Use, Storage, and Disposal

Household cleaners, grease, oil, plastics, and some food or paper products should not be flushed down drains or washed down the street. Over time chemicals can corrode septic system pipes and might not be completely removed during the filtration process. Chemicals poured down the drain can also interfere with the chemical and biological breakdown of the wastes in the septic tank.

On household lawns and gardens, homeowners can try natural alternatives to chemical fertilizers and pesticides and apply no more than the recommended amounts. Natural predators like insects and bats, composting, and use of native plants can reduce or entirely negate the need for chemicals. Xeriscape can limit chemical applications to lawns and gardens.

If chemicals are needed around the home, they should be stored properly to prevent leaks and access by children. Most cities have designated sites for the proper disposal of used chemicals.

Back to top or Back to home page

-

Do's and Don'ts Around the Home

by Robert Goo

So what can you do to help protect surface and ground waters from so-called nonpoint-source pollution? You can start at home. Begin by taking a close look at practices around your house that might be contributing to polluted runoff: You may need to make some changes. The following are some specific tips to act on--do's and don'ts to help you become part of the solution rather than part of the problem of nonpoint-source pollution.

Septic Systems

Improperly maintained septic systems can contaminate ground water and surface water with nutrients and pathogens. By following the recommendations below, you can help ensure that your system continues to function properly.

Inspect your septic system annually.

Pump out your septic system regularly. (Pumping out every three to five years is recommended for a three-bedroom house with a 1,000-gallon tank; smaller tanks should be pumped more often.)

Do not use septic system additives. There is no scientific evidence that biological and chemical additives aid or accelerate decomposition in septic tanks; some additives may in fact be detrimental to the septic system or contaminate ground water.

Do not divert storm drains or basement pumps into septic systems.

Avoid or reduce the use of your garbage disposal. (Garbage disposals contribute unnecessary solids to your septic system and can also increase the frequency your tank needs to be pumped.)

Don't use toilets as trash cans! Excess solids may clog your drainfield and necessitate more frequent pumping.

For more information on how you can help, contact your

State Water Quality Coordinator or Local Cooperative Extension Officer, or the CRC.

(3rd in a series of 5, taken from an EPA Journal article, November/December 1991,EPA-22K-1005)

Back to top or Back to home page

-

Oakville: Project Green - Water and Youth

Thurston Conservation District

The age old question of "How can I both make some money and have some fun (and maybe even learn something) this summer?" was answered for six students in the Chehalis River Basin through a grant written by Thurston Conservation District (TCD) and funded by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS).

The program, an alliance among USFWS, TCD, Community Youth Services, and ESD 113 provided the opportunity for the students to earn money by working on the monitoring and maintenance of Chehalis River watershed restoration projects three days a week, and to earn high school scion credit by learning about the Chehalis Basin and water resources two days a week.

Claire Denise, who wrote the grant and taught the twice weekly classes, saw the program as an opportunity to get some students involved in the stewardship of the Chehalis Basin. "It really makes an impression on a student when after learning about stream restoration in an academic setting you can take them out into the field and show them hands on, concrete examples of what you have been talking about," said Denise about the program.

The crew visited more than 15 project sites located in Thurston, Lewis and Gray's Harbor counties. The typical site consisted of pastureland with a creek running through it that had been fenced off on both sides with New Zealand fencing to keep the livestock out of the creek bed, and in which the riparian zone had been revegetated with native trees and shrubs.

One of the crew's objectives was to weed around the younger trees and shrubs, giving them a better chance to become established among typically heavy weed competition from Reed Canary Grass and other weeds.

The other main objective was to count the number of trees still alive on each site and then compare that number to the number of trees originally planted to come up with a percent survivability figure.

By the end of the summer the crew had weeded around and taken survivability data from more than one thousand trees, visited more than 15 project sites, and searched many miles of creek bank looking for project trees hiding among weeds.

Although the crew spent two days a week on education, the classes were not your typical classroom setting. Instead of the more traditional lecture method, the classes stressed an active, hands-on approach to learning. The students learned about water quality by actually going out and conducting water quality tests on local creeks and rivers. A lecture and activity session on wetlands took place at the Nisqually River Delta. The students also learned about hydrology, soils and groundwater, local plant identification, mapping and surveying, and other topics related to water resources during the summer. Classes were held at the Chehalis River Council resource library in downtown Oakville.

The active, hands-on approach appealed to the crew members. "I liked this better than school because as soon as we learned about something we got to go out and see how it worked in real life," said Chris Galeana, a high school junior from Oakville.

In addition to the academics and work experience the crew members also gained valuable experience in learning how to work together as a team, which was in part facilitated by a visit to the WSU/Bonney Lake Ropes Course early in the summer. "You could definitely see a difference after going through the ropes course. It was neat to see them start working more and more as a group as the summer progressed," said Dave Shoddy, the crew leader.

On the final day of the program the crew was treated to a final lesson on watersheds and rivers by canoeing six miles down the Black River, giving the crew a chance to see the mature riparian corridor of the Black River and the abundance of wildlife and vegetation contained therein.

Back to top or Back to home page

-

SPAWNING SALMON IN THE CHEHALIS BASIN

Mike Kelly, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service

By the time this article hits the street, adult salmon should be hitting the gravels of the Chehalis River Basin. Fall is spawning season for most of the Pacific salmon of the Chehalis and its tributary streams. The following information may help you understand what's happening if you are lucky enough to see some of these magnificent animals in their spawning colors.

The first thing to know is how not to make life any more difficult for salmon than it already is. Here are a few things to keep in mind:

Don't spook spawning fish. When you approach a stream, do it slowly and quietly. Watch the salmon from behind trees and brush.

Don't throw anything like sticks or rocks into the water.

Stay out of the stream. It is important not to disturb the gravel because this is where the salmon deposit their eggs.

Never drive in a stream. Even after the adult salmon are gone it is important to stay out of the stream. The eggs and newly hatched fry (alevin) can be crushed if gravel is disturbed.

Keep animals out of the stream. Some dogs love to harass salmon, but if they eat any they can become sick.

It is best to keep livestock out of streams at all times. If you would like help fencing your livestock out of a stream, give me a call at the number below. We may be able to share the cost.

The term "anadromous salmonid" refers to salmon, trout and char that live as adults in saltwater and return to freshwater to spawn. The major anadromous salmonids in the Chehalis River are chinook, chum, and coho salmon, as well as steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout. Of these, the earliest spawners you may see are likely to be spring and summer chinook (the season denotes the time at which they enter freshwater), which spawn in September and October. Spawning chum and coho are most numerous from November through mid-December. Some steelhead will enter rivers in the summer, but most enter during the winter. Steelhead spawn in the Chehalis from February to June. Sea-run cutthroat trout have spawning timing similar to steelhead.

Pacific salmon and trout construct nests (called "redds") in the gravels of rivers, creeks, spring- fed channels, and sometimes lake shores. The female will select a site, which is often at the downstream edge of a pool where it gets shallow and turns into a riffle. She will sometimes test an area with a little digging before deciding on the best spot. Salmon turn over on their side and dig with powerful strokes of the tail. Large chinook salmon have even been seen digging in rocks the size of bowling balls! The female digs a pit in which she deposits eggs. As she does this, the male positions himself next to her and fertilizes the eggs. She then moves just upstream and digs another pit. The gravel from the second pit covers the eggs in the first pit. She may dig, and deposit eggs in, several pits in each redd. The covering gravel is called "tailspill," and the eggs are buried in the "egg pocket."

Chum salmon spawn (sometimes in large groups) in lower Chehalis River tributaries, up to the Black River. Chum are often the easiest and most entertaining to observe. If you are careful and observant, you may be able to see as many as 16 distinct behaviors on the spawning ground. Some of these behaviors have to do with digging and site selection. Others concern mate selection and defense of territory, and some behaviors are mysterious.

Male chum salmon push, bite and fight each other, and the action can get quite violent. When all else fails a defeated male may resort to trickery in order to spawn. Some scientists have observed submissive males change colors from their normal red side streaks to the single dark band of a female. In this disguise he is able to "sneak in the back door" and spawn with a female as she releases eggs for the dominant male to fertilize. You may also see a male quivering and repeatedly crossing over a female's back. These behaviors are thought to be courtship displays. If you are patient and lucky, you may be able to see the actual release and fertilization of eggs. Look for the male and female to be positioned side by side over the pit with their mouths wide open and fins spread, then watch for the release of white milt from the male.

A female will guard the redd until she is too weak to continue. A male will attempt to spawn with as many females as possible. Eventually, all adult salmon die after spawning. (Steelhead and sea-run cutthroat trout, however, are capable of spawning again another year.) You may notice that a creek can get awfully smelly with all those dead salmon lying around. I would argue that this is a beautiful stench. Obviously it means that the stream has salmon, which is more than can be said for many of our formerly salmon-bearing local streams. Since adult salmon have built their bodies from food in the ocean, it means that the stream is receiving valuable nutrients from the ocean. Studies have shown that these nutrients are used by many plants and animals, and even contribute to growth of the next generation of salmon.

For more information contact Mike Kelly of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service's Chehalis Fisheries Restoration Program at 360-753-9560.

Back to top or Back to home page

-

FOR THE SAKE OF THE SALMON

Last month we announced a new watershed coordinator at the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force. This was made possible by a grant awarded to the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force by "For the Sake of the Salmon". Here is more information about that organizaiton.

FROM THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

When it comes to issues of salmon management, even a small degree of consensus is encouraging.

In the past months, we've been lucky to see much more than a small degree of consensus in the Pacific region on an important issue. More and more political leaders and communities are recognizing that one of the best ways to conserve salmon is the multi-stakeholder watershed-wide approach embodied by local watershed groups.

These groups are the unsung heroes of salmon protection and restoration. For years, they've been working hard to bring diverse interests to the table and restore habitat stream by stream. The governors in California, Oregon, and Washington have all included funding in their 1997 budgets for watershed group projects. Legislative support has been strong.

The work being done by watershed groups forms a cornerstone of Oregon's Coastal Salmon Restoration Initiative and is especially important in the transboundary ESU where coho have been listed as threatened.

Our top priority at For the Sake of the Salmon is our watershed support program. We're glad to see the growing recognition in the Pacific region of the significance of watershed work.

Bill Bradbury

CHARTER

PREAMBLE

For the Sake of the Salmon is an organization created for the purpose of supporting and coordinating efforts to protect, restore and sustain the salmon.

We are convinced this is critical to the success of regional salmom

protection and restoration. This effort is not intended to impose solutions on any region, nor to usurp existing authorities and responsibilities. It takes a voluntary, non-regulatory approach.

Its purpose is to facilitate effective local solutions by providing information and assistance to the many efforts needed to protect and restore the salmon, and serve as a forum to increase coordination and cooperation among its members.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of For the Sake of the Salmon is to restore salmon to levels which ensure healthy, sustainable natural populations and support productive fisheries.

MEMBERSHIP

Membership in For the Sake of the Salmon is open to all public and private organizations who share our vision and principles and wish to contribute in a coordinated, positive manner to the success of our mission.

The charter signature members of FOR THE SAKE OF THE SALMON are:

Governors of Pacific salmon region states; Tribal leaders; Regional directors of federal resource agencies; Local Governments; Private sector leaders; Sport and commercial fishing industry representatives; and Environmental and conservation organizations.

PRINCIPLES

Salmon are essential to our quality of life and a diversified, sustainable economy. Natural populations of salmon are indicators of the health of our land and water, and we seek to restore t hem to levels that ensure their survival and support productive fisheries.

A robust regional economy, and our ability to protect, restore and sustain salmon, are mutually interdependent. We reject the idea that salmon must be sacrificed in the name of economic prosperity, or that economic sectors must be sacrificed to sustain the salmon.

A healthy, sustainable fishing industry and the jobs it supports are positive and deliberate outcomes of our efforts.

The role of federal, state, tribal, and local governments is to work together and with the public and private sector to protect, restore, and sustain salmon. Together we seek to establish a regional framework with measurable objectives in order to maximize efficiency, minimize duplication, and provide the necessary technical expertise.

The success of salmon protection and restoration efforts depends upon the full participation of local citizens, landowners, the private sector and governments, focusing on the specific needs of their watersheds.

Protection, restoration, and long term maintenance of the salmon and their ecosystems will be based on the best available scientific information. Action, however, cannot always be conditioned on absolute certainty.

While consensus is desirable, restoring and sustaining the salmon will require difficult decisions, and these decisionsmay not always be unanimous.

Successful protection and restoration of salmon and other natural resources can best be achieved by an integrated, ecosystem approach to management, rather than a species-by-species approach.

Innovative economic incentive programs and other voluntary approaches are the preferred means for restoring and sustaining salmon. Where existing mechanisms provide inadequate incentives or serve as disincentives to conservation actions, new mechanisms will be proposed to promote conservation of salmon.

An appropriate foundation of regulations is necessary to sustain salmon. Whenever possible, simplification of existing regulations and improved enforcement are to be favored over new regulations.

STRATEGY

We will sustain our cooperative effort to restore the salmon relying upon a five part strategy:

1. We will identify public and private policies that contribute to the decline of the salmon and identify ways to make human activities less harmful. We will emphasize the creation of economic incentives and the identification of positive alternatives to activities affecting habitat. Development of innovative landowner incentive programs to encourage habitat conservation will be a key element of our effort.

2. Because so much habitat throughout the range of the salmon already has been seriously degraded, we will seek to assist in the identification and protection of the remaining healthy habitat which is increasingly critical to the future existence of the salmon. In addition, we will assist existing efforts, and support new initiatives, to restore productivity in areas where habitat already has been degraded. This will be accomplished through the active involvement of local citizens and organizations focused on the specific needs of individual watersheds.

3. We will promote efficiency and cost-effectiveness in efforts to protect and restore the health and productivity of our salmon resources. This will be accomplished by promoting and facilitating better coordination and cooperation among all levels of government. We will help create functional mechanisms to interact with and support local governments. We will call for the reduction of ineffective and unnecessary regulatory burdens on private activities.

4. We will establish a system to monitor progress toward measurable salmon recovery objectives. To assure a rational scientific basis, we will develop a coordinated system of scientific data for salmon region-wide. We will develop biologically sound criteria that serve as a common standard to guide prioritization of habitat projects. Our goal is achieving the greatest benefit from available resources.

5. We will seek to encourage a conservation and stewardship ethic toward our natural environment in government, the public, and private decision making. This will be accomplished by making better information available about how decisions affect the salmon’s environment and offering reasonable alternatives and options that are more compatible with sustaining salmon. This effort will involve our educational institutions and other public and private organizations. IMPLEMENTATION Top of Page Implementing the For the Sake of the Salmon initiative will require the sustained effort of people dedicated specifically to that task. This charter creates the For the Sake of the Salmon Conservation Council to manage the initiative and serve as a focus of accountability for the success of our mission.

The member states, tribes, federal government, local governments, private sector, public interest and community organizations commit to working together through the Council to maximize cooperation, coordination and effectiveness of our salmon effort.

For the Sake of the Salmon will be governed by the Conservation Council and an Executive Committee. By-laws will provide a decision-making structure that guarantees all members have a voice, no one group or government on the Council holds a controlling position and decisions can be made. Policies and recommendations developed by the Council become effective upon adoption by the Executive Committee.

Membership: The Council shall be comprised of representatives of the member organizations

Back to top or Back to home page

YOUTH CORNER

Back to top or Back to Chehalis River Council home page
or Back to What's New
or Back to newsletter index