HomeMy WebLinkAboutLetter of Support North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development Council (NODC) - bRINNON cOMMUNITY - 062226 o� Board of County Commissioners
�044,8?•.$ c°��I 1820 Jefferson Street
wA PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Heather Dudley-Nollette,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour,District 2 Greg Brotherton,District 3
SflING'S
June 22,2026
Mirjam Kuzee
Coastal Resilience Program Director
National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
1625 Eye Street NW, Suite 300
Washington, DC 20006
Dear Ms. Kuzee,
We are writing in support of the North Olympic Peninsula Resource Conservation and Development
Council's(NODC)application for a planning grant from the National Coastal Resilience Fund(NCRF). This
funding will be used to advance community engagement and planning work in the Brinnon community, in
the rural south end of Jefferson County.
Brinnon straddles the Dosewallips River before it empties into the Hood Canal. Its location means Brinnon
faces flooding threats not only from the river,but also from rising sea levels and king tides. The designated
floodplain and floodways restrict growth in the community,which limits options for residents in terms of
jobs,housing, and future economic development. The Hood Canal and Dosewallips River are also important
salmon habitat,with multiple ESA-listed salmonids spawning in the river. This co-location of people and
salmonids means that nature-based solutions(NbS)are a critical part of any flood mitigation and adaptation
work. This grant will allow a full exploration of NbS options.
Jefferson County's Department of Community Development and Department of Environmental Health have
worked with the Brinnon community on flooding issues for a number of years. Most recently,we secured
Flood Control Assistance Account Program(FCAAP)funding focused on flood mitigation and adaptation
options for the core business and residential center of Brinnon.NODC is a key partner in this project,
providing community engagement planning and support. We are excited to be part of this NCRF project to
continue development of community plans and extend the work upriver to the Lazy C housing development,
through the specific lens of nature-based solutions. In addition to the time supported by the grant funds, we
are committing additional time of up to two other county employees on the Advisory Committee.
We strongly encourage you to approve NODC's application for NCRF funding for our shared work in
Brinnon. Brinnon's challenges require a collaborative approach across multiple agencies and jurisdictions.
NODC's regional experience is a key element of this work. They are well-respected as conveners and
facilitators of community conversations and planning and we look forward to continuing to work with them
on this project.
Thank you for your consideration,
eidLi./ 4/
her D 4 dley-Nollette, Dist. 1 Heidi Eisenhour, Dist. 2 eg Brotherton, Dist. 3- Chair
Phone (360)385-9100 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us