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HomeMy WebLinkAboutNovember 2025 NPC MRC First DRAFT Meeting Summary (0002) NPC MRC 11/18/2025 DRAFT Meeting Summary 1 November 18, 2025 NPC MRC Draft Meeting Summary The Tuesday, November 18, 2025 NPC MRC meeting took place at the Peninsula College campus in Forks, Washington and by Zoom connection from 4:00 PM to 5:42 PM. Appointed committee members present at the meeting were Chris Butler-Minor (Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary [OCNMS], ex officio), Eileen Cooney (Citizen Representative, Jefferson County – Economic Groups), Wendy Feltham (Citizen Representative, Jefferson County – Scientific Community), Rod Fleck (City of Forks), Jennifer Hagen (Quileute Tribe Representative), John Hunter (Citizen Representative, Clallam County - Conservation / Environmental Groups), Rebecca Mahan (Clallam County), Ian Miller (Washington Sea Grant, ex officio), Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County Representative and NPC MRC Coordinator), Alice Ryan (Citizen Representative, Clallam County – Recreational Groups), and Jill Silver (Citizen Representative, Jefferson County– Conservation/Environmental Groups). A quorum was present at the beginning of the meeting. Guleed Ali (Stonybrook University), Rebekah Brooks (Rebekah Brooks Contracting), Teagan Darmody (Washington Sea Grant), Angela Glore (North Olympic Development Council), Nancy Messmer (citizen), Roy Morris (citizen), Chase O’Neil (Clallam County), and Katie Wrubel (OCNMS) were also in attendance. Introductions Public Comments Wendy Feltham appreciated the minutes from the October NPC MRC Meeting. Additions to and Approval of the Agenda Jill Silver moved to approve the agenda as written; Rod Fleck seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Approval of the October NPC MRC Summary Alice Ryan asked whether the Zoom recording link could be included in future NPC MRC minutes. *Rebekah Brooks said she would follow up with Tami Pokorny after the meeting about whether that would be possible. (Note: Tami has since clarified that while the meeting recordings are not available by link, she is happy to provide the recording by email to anyone who would like to request a copy to view.) John Hunter moved to approve the October NPC MRC Summary; Alice Ryan seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Announcements Alice Ryan thanked the group for letting her practice her presentation to the Washington State Science Teachers Association Conference regarding the Marine Advanced Technology Education (MATE) Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) Competition program and the value it has in small schools like Quileute Tribal School. She said the presentation went very well. Ian Miller thanked Teagon Darmody for attending the meeting. Teagon is one of four fellows who were hired to work with the Shoalwater Bay Tribe, the Chinook Tribe, the Quinault Tribe, and the North Olympic Development Council in coastal Washington as part of a new program that will feature at least two additional cohorts in the future. Roy Morris announced that he and Nancy Messmer had recently NPC MRC 11/18/2025 DRAFT Meeting Summary 2 presented at the E3 Washington Conference, and noticed a lack of representation about marine resources committees. He suggested including connectivity with future E3 conferences in an upcoming NPC MRC agenda or workgroup. Old Business There was no old business. New Business Coastal Bluff Erosion at Kalaloch Beach Dr Ian Miller, coastal hazards specialist with Washington Sea Grant, presented on the erosion occurring at Kalaloch Beach in the Olympic National Park (ONP). When Ian first came to the area, he focused on locations where there was no existing data on the coast, including Kalaloch. Many of the coastal beaches protect infrastructure, and the ONP started paying attention to his work around 2018-19 when the bluffs really started eroding heavily. What had started as a monitoring project then changed into a relationship with the Park, informing them about the erosion, but not participating in the management decisions. He was asked by the North Olympic Library System to do a talk as a part of the ONP speaker series last year and was now bringing the talk to the NPC MRC. The data he has collected may be able to help facilitate conversations about possible actions. Kalaloch includes a lodge, cabins, a campground, a creek, and bluffs that are eroding at rapid paces. Ian acknowledged the connection with the work of Guleed Ali’s team, and with the interest that past NPC MRC member Chiggers Stokes expressed years ago on the preserved trees that were emerging from the bluffs with the erosion. There are three sediment layers in the Kalaloch bluffs: a recent “loess” layer that is less than 20,000 years old; the last glacial period that is between 20,000 and 40,000 years old; and the Queets glacier advance outwash that is more than 70,000 years old. This is based on research from Glenn Thackray’s dissertation, published in 1996. Erosion is the thing that characterizes coastal bluffs; it is expected. They must erode to be maintained in place. However, especially when infrastructure is involved, it is of interest to look at why and where the erosion is taking place. Over the past four years, every winter has brought new trail closures, damage, and chunks lost from the bluffs. In late 2023, the ONP and Kalaloch Lodge management company, Delaware North, adopted a retreat policy to measure the bluff crest relative to the cabins, retiring use of cabins when erosion came to within five meters. Those cabins were then slated for removal. To date, seven structures have been removed: five in 2024, and two more just two weeks ago. Another response was the installation of the five photo chronolog stations at Kalaloch. The chronologs are a tool for monitoring erosion and shoreline conditions. Erosion follows a cycle: bluffs are undercut by waves, then they collapse, then sediment builds up, and finally the cycle restarts. Complex processes contribute to the pattern, including water seeps, freezes and thaws, and the movement and accumulation of beach logs. To try to get more information on how long this has been happening and how big a role erosion has played at the site, Ian tracked down several resources that document Kalaloch’s history, including the new book Kalaloch Lodge (Wilderness Roads) by David Emmick. There was a settlement near the creek called Castile from the 1890’s to 1921. Up to 17 people lived there until it was destroyed in the storm of 1921. Between 1925-1978, Becker’s Resort was at the site. Before the loop highway was completed in 1931, the resort could be accessed by foot from the Queets, or by boat. During WWII, it was utilized by coast patrol as a headquarters, which led to the original lodge being burnt down in a kitchen fire. However, the store that is still there is original to that time. In 1953 the ONP Coastal Strip was established, and in 1955 the current lodge opened. Today, Kalaloch is a hugely important site in terms of the lodge, access to the ONP and beaches, and the location of the famous Tree of Life. Erosion is not new at Kalaloch; a Kalaloch Lodge Shoreline Change Study documented the average erosion rate for the part of the bluff that is eroding the most rapidly at up to one foot per year. Since 2013, Ian has been conducting shoreline surveys to monitor erosion and other coastal processes using transects to collect data by walking a GPS along lines from the beach to the bluff, NPC MRC 11/18/2025 DRAFT Meeting Summary 3 creating a shoreline profile of elevation versus distance. The data shows a very clear erosion pattern of the bluff face moving landward. He created a time series of bluff face erosion rates from 2011 to 2023. The bluff to the north of creek is eroding at a rate between zero and six inches per year on average. However, the bluff to the south of creek, in front of the lodge, is eroding at a rate between three inches and 3.5 feet per year, increasing the closer the transects get to the creek. This is evidence to support the observation that erosion is accelerating at Kalaloch. The question is why. Ian posited that it could be due to the creek. Potential engineering options at the site could inform future decisions. Jill Silver noted that a lot of timber has been harvested upslope of the creek, which could be contributing. Ian wondered if the pattern could be cyclical and would like to map the creek over time. Emmick’s book references “Kalaloch Cove,” which could indicate a major transformation at the site if there was a cove there. There could be cyclical processes by which the creek gets blocked off, creating a lagoon feature. Ian displayed an old map of Kalaloch that shows a cove labeled “beach” where the creek comes out now, appearing to push the creek north. Jill noted that the same process happens at the mouth of the Hoh River on more of an annual basis, depending on storms and the amount of wood on the beach. Ian said that the Kalaloch process could be decadal; it would be interesting to see if the bar in front of the creek slows erosion of the bluffs. Rod Fleck and Jennifer Hagen pointed out the sewage treatment outfall near the creek and the impervious surfaces on the bluff that direct water. Ian did not think stormwater management was as important on the coast as in areas like Puget Sound, because the natural forces are so huge, but research is ongoing. He encouraged the group to take photographs and submit them to the chronolog at Kalaloch. Alice Ryan brought up her observation at Second Beach: when logs were washed away, the sand eroded and you could no longer walk down the beach. Ian said that there is a connection between wood stripping events and an increase in erosion; at Kalaloch the wood that was perched on the bar was washed away, but there has been a loss of wood elsewhere, and places where wood has been lost have not always seen increases in erosion. Discussion followed on patterns and the history of monitoring data. Updates Coast MRC Update Chris Waldbillig was not present for an update. Washington Coastal Marine Advisory Council (WCMAC) Rod Fleck gave an update. The next meeting is scheduled for 12/3/25 and will be a hybrid meeting with the in- person meeting in Grays Harbor. The steering committee meets tomorrow. One issue being looked at is economic resiliency. Appointees must be reappointed by the new governor. At the last NPC MRC meeting, the group authorized Rod to continue to represent the committee; he is still waiting on confirmation from the governor. The agenda and other WCMAC meeting materials can be found on the Ecology website. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council Chris Butler-Minor gave an update. The next meeting is still to be determined. The November meeting was canceled due to the government shutdown. She said the Council was looking forward to 2026, reconsidering the day they meet, which are currently Fridays, and new topics. Meetings are likely to still be held during the third week of the month every other month. West Coast Ocean Alliance Jennifer Hagen reported that the Alliance was in the process of developing their Strategic Plan, which is on a timeline to be finalized in the spring. They have a new governance document and have gone through a round of positions appointed by their governments. Jennifer is one of the delegates for the Quileute Tribe. They are planning the annual summit and trip to Washington D.C. and are interviewing Sea Grant fellow candidates. Invasive European Green Crab NPC MRC 11/18/2025 DRAFT Meeting Summary 4 Jennifer Hagen announced an upcoming gathering hosted by the state to go over lessons learned over the last year of trapping. The Quileute Tribe is still holding their own, but it is a different story to the north and south. Eileen Cooney and Wendy Feltham volunteer with the Washington Sea Grant program to survey closer to Port Townsend. Today was their first of three Zoom sessions on training; they inventory everything that gets caught in the traps and are learning to identify shrimp, one of which is invasive. Jennifer added that there is a ship agreement about flushing ballasts before entry to Puget Sound. Marine Debris Chris Butler-Minor announced that CoastSavers and members of Surfrider went out in late October to beaches between Clallam and Neah bays, collecting an entire dumpster of foam debris and bags of trash. The effort is ongoing but huge progress was made. The data they collected will be used to try to get funding to remove metal and tires on site. Climate/Fossil Fuels Related There was nothing new to report. Administrative Update Tami Pokorny had to leave the meeting early and was not present for this update. Next Agenda (December 16, 2025): The next NPC MRC Meeting will be held on 12/16/25. Location is to be determined. Jill Silver offered her office for the in-person location. Public Comments/General Alice Ryan and Wendy Feltham thanked Ian Miller for his presentation and Chase O’Neil for coordinating the meeting. Adjourn at 5:42 PM Rod Fleck moved to adjourn the meeting; Alice Ryan seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Action Items: *Rebekah Brooks said she would follow up with Tami Pokorny after the meeting about whether it would be possible to include a link to the NPC MRC meeting recordings in the minutes. Draft summary compiled by Rebekah Brooks.