HomeMy WebLinkAbout062716_ca09Consent Agenda
Commissioners Office
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
FROM: Julie Shannon, Executive Secretary I
DATE: June 27, 2016
SUBJECT: Letter of Support re: Lower Big Quilcene River Design and
Acquisition Grant Proposal, an important component to Salmon
Restoration and Recovery in Hood Canal; Hood Canal Salmon
Enhancement Group, The Salmon Center
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
Letter of Support re: Lower Big Quilcene River Design and Acquisition Grant Proposal, an important
component to Salmon Restoration and Recovery in Hood Canal; Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group,
The Salmon Center
ANALYSIS:
An email was received from Michelle Myers, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, The Salmon Center
requesting a Letter of Support from the Jefferson County Commissioners.
RECOMMENDATION:
Review and sign the Letter of Support re: Lower Big Quilcene River Design and Acquisition Grant
Proposal, an important component to Salmon Restoration and Recovery in Hood Canal; Hood Canal Salmon
Enhancement Group, The Salmon Center
REV WED BY:
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ZilipW�e,uministrator Date
June 27, 2016
1820 Jefferson Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Phil Johnson, District 1 David W. Sullivan, District 2 Kathleen Kler, District 3
Re: Letter of Support for the Lower Big Quilcene River Design and Acquisition Grant Proposal
Dear Funder,
Jefferson County has been involved in efforts to advance a restoration project that benefits the
local community and wishes to acknowledge our support of the Lower Big Quilcene River
Design and Acquisition grant proposal. Development of a restoration design for this important
project will pave the way for estuary restoration that will enhance salmon habitat and address
community needs, such as flood control, shellfish, water quality, and recreational access.
We support this project because it has the potential to address issues that are of interest to
Jefferson County. Water quality, which has been degraded by sanitation issues related to a
recreational fishery (among other sources), is linked to $20M per year in revenue in Jefferson
County. Flooding in the lower river affects private landowners and has resulted in closures of a
county -owned road. In addition, we are interested in the ways that the project might pull tourists
off of Highway 101 to enjoy the river and estuary and encourage them to spend a few dollars in
Quilcene, also known as "The Pearl of the Peninsula". Additionally, we support the approach
that The Nature Conservancy (TNC) and the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG)
are using to include community benefits in a salmon habitat project, as well as the plan for
extensive outreach.
The work described in the proposal builds upon work already completed by Jefferson County
(related to assessing potential flood reduction and salmon habitat actions), as well as by HCSEG
to secure partial funding for a preliminary restoration design and by TNC to understand the local
community's needs and concerns.
The Lower Big Quilcene River Design and Acquisition proposal is an important component to
salmon restoration and recovery in Hood Canal and we thank you for considering this project for
funding.
Sincerely,
Kathleen Kler, Chair Phil Johnson, Member David Sullivan, Member
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc(a),co.jefferson.wa.us