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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020 01 21 NPC MRC FINAL Meeting Summary.docxNPC MRC 1/21/2020 FINAL Meeting Summary 1 January 21st, 2020 NPC MRC FINAL Meeting Summary The Tuesday, January 21, 2020 NPC MRC meeting took place at the DNR Conference Room, 411 Tillicum Lane, Forks, WA from 4:19 to 6:02 PM (from [00:16:00] to [01:59:04] on the audio recording). Appointed committee members present at the meeting were John Hunter (Citizen Rep., Clallam County – Education/Environmental Groups), Katie Krueger (Citizen Rep., Clallam County – Scientific Community), Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County Rep., Coordinator/Facilitator) and Jill Silver (Citizen Rep., Jefferson County – Conservation/Environmental Groups). A quorum was not present at the meeting. Also present were Tressa Arbow (WA Sea Grant and Department of Ecology), Jackson Blalock (WA Sea Grant), Rebekah Brooks (Rebekah Brooks Contracting), Ian Miller (WA Sea Grant) and Rich Osborne (Olympic Natural Resources Center and Coast Salmon Partnership). Introductions A quorum was not established at the beginning of the meeting. Public Comments Tami Pokorny informed the group that the NPC MRC will be meeting at the DNR Conference Room for the near future. In the event of a timber sale or forest fire, an alternate location will be arranged. Additions to and Approval of the Agenda Approval of the agenda was skipped because a quorum was not present. Approval of the December Meeting Summary Approval of the December Meeting Summary was skipped because a quorum was not present. Announcements Old Business River & Ocean Film Festival Planning The River & Ocean Film Festival is scheduled for Saturday evening on 3/28/20. Ian Miller announced that the website has been updated. Tami Pokorny has reserved the Rainforest Arts Center. Eight films have been submitted so far. Katie Krueger suggested reaching out to the other coastal and strait MRCs to advertise and invite the submission of relevant films. Ian requested someone to take on the marketing side of the Film Festival. Discussion followed on outreach and advertising possibilities. Film reviewers and an outreach and distribution plan will be solidified at the February NPC MRC Meeting. Near the end of this meeting, Ian received several drafts of the new Film Festival poster; the group recommended their favorite poster. MRC Resolution Amendment Update This item was pushed down in the agenda to accommodate Tressa and Jackson, who had to drive through the storm to get back to Seattle after the meeting. When the group returned to the item, Tami Pokorny explained that the amendment to add advisory ex officio seats to the NPC MRC, which was approved by the Committee NPC MRC 1/21/2020 FINAL Meeting Summary 2 last year, has been presented for legal review ahead of presentation to the Boards of County Commissioners (BoCC). New Business Washington Coast Resilience Action Demonstration Project: Mapping Local Coastal Hazards Efforts Tressa Arbow and Jackson Blalock presented on the Coastal Hazards Resilience Network and their efforts to map coastal hazards issues. Jackson presented to the NPC MRC at the April 2018 Meeting, where concerns were expressed regarding flood insurance and economic costs. The emphasis of the project now is to focus on projects rather than on regulation, and to contribute to building up capacity. The outreach element of the project is to understand the coastal hazard needs and priorities, and connect related community issues. Next, the project will work on agency coordination, project refinement, and grant assistance to develop a system-wide approach. Identified coastal hazards included flooding, sea level rise, tsunami, erosion, landslide, and earthquake. Tressa and Jackson asked the Committee for its input on locating hazards issues, appropriate contacts, and existing efforts. Katie Krueger believed the biggest problem County Sheriffs are facing is that only 10% of people prepare for disaster. Jill Silver suggested contacting the Healthy Peninsula Coalition, who are working on community resiliency and local food supply. Rich Osborne mentioned that tourists will be trapped without support. He also pointed out that nearly all of the north coastal infrastructure is tribal, with the rest of the coastline being National Park. The group discussed the impact of earthquakes and landslides in cutting off local communities, and that the infrastructure along rivers within the high tidal zone will also be threatened. Ian Miller predicted that the greatest risk to Kalaloch and Rialto beaches will be erosion, while La Push is in erosion, landslide and flooding zones. Katie suggested contacting Susan Devine, who is managing the Quileute Tribe’s Move to Higher Ground project. Jill brought up the impact of tribal woodcutting from beaches and logjams, which is contributing to erosion; she suggested supporting the tribal communities by creating jobs to provide firewood. Tami Pokorny asked Tressa and Jackson to bring up climate change mitigation in the conversations about adaptation, to inform people of why we are facing these problems, and how to help prevent them. Updates Orca Task Force Rich Osborne reported that the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is going to manage a permitting system for whale watching. Two Canadian universities are working with the shipping industry to develop a model that will alert them to when the orcas migrate through shipping zones. Rich and Keven Bennett with ONRC received funding for their orca migration model to include it in the shipping model. King County is developing a model on southern resident killer whales to inform regulations by studying life cycles. The Makah Tribe has also received funding for a model. Discussion followed on the precedent in other killer whale groups to shift diets, but if the southern residents do not shift from Chinook, they will die out. Last year’s actions and other associated documents can be found at the Governor’s Task Force webpage: https://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/southern-resident-killer-whale-recovery-and- task-force. Invasive European Green Crab Tami Pokorny said that there seemed to be momentum for green crab management, but the MRCs are not too involved with any of it. Jill Silver reported that green crab have shown up far inland in Puget Sound. The group discussed the difficulty of managing established invasive species. Marine Debris (All) There was nothing new to report. NPC MRC 1/21/2020 FINAL Meeting Summary 3 Washington Coast Marine Advisory Council (WCMAC)/Marine Spatial Planning The last meeting was held on 12/11/19 in Aberdeen. Rich Osborne gave an update on the agenda: the meeting included a presentation from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on southern resident killer whales, a presentation on potash from the Potash Terminal, and one from the Department of Ecology on the resiliency project they presented tonight. Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Advisory Council The last meeting was held on 11/8/19 in La Push. The next meeting is scheduled for 1/24/20 in Montesano. Tami Pokorny reviewed the upcoming agenda, which will include Orca Task Force recommendations and a Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team presentation. West Coast Ocean Alliance Jennifer Hagen was not present for an update. Washington Marine Resources Advisory Council (MRAC) The last meeting was held on 4/10/19 in Olympia. Good information can be found at their website: https://ecology.wa.gov/About-us/Our-role-in-the-community/Partnerships-committees/Marine-Resources- Advisory-Council. Climate/Fossil Fuels Related (All) There was nothing new to report. Administration and Fiscal Agent Update This item was addressed under MRC Resolution Amendment Update. Next Agenda (February 18, 2020): The next NPC MRC Meeting will be held at the DNR Office in Forks on 2/18/20, and will include solidifying Film Festival reviewers and an outreach and distribution plan. Tami Pokorny asked for input on possible speakers, and for opinions for a project for the remaining NPC MRC funds. Public Comments/General Jill Silver expressed gratitude for everyone’s commitment and involvement. Adjourn at 6:02 PM [01:59:04] Draft summary compiled by Rebekah Brooks.