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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2023 08 23 Dosewallips River Collaborative DRAFT Meeting Summary v. 09 25 1 Dosewallips River Collaborative Rocky Brook and Powerlines Reaches DRAFT Meeting Summary Wednesday, August 23, 2023 9:00 AM – 10:30 AM Hybrid Meeting Welcome and Introductions Attending: Dosewallips community landowners, members of the public, and Tim Abbe (Natural Systems Design [NSD), Eleanor Bartolomeo (NSD), Carrie Cook-Tabor (US Fish and Wildlife), Mike Dawson (Jefferson County), Barb Jones (Jefferson County), Owen French (Washington Conservation Corps Crew Coordinator), Naomi Gebo (Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife [WDFW]), Alex Gouley (Skokomish Tribe), Sarah Haverford (WDFW), Theresa Mitchell (WDFW), Alicia Olivas (Hood Canal Coordinating Council), Tami Pokorny (Natural Resources Program Coordinator, Jefferson County). Tami Pokorny gave an overview of the Dosewallips River Collaborative, an informal and inclusive discussion group focused on the resiliency projects that Jefferson County Public Health is putting forward that will benefit salmon species and the community. The Collaborative started meeting in June of 2020 and continued through February of 2022. They have reconvened to discuss several grant-funded projects and will continue to meet regularly as long as there are agenda items. Agenda Additions (and Eddy Items) and Public Comments There were no public comments or agenda changes. Dosewallips River Project Tami Pokorny introduced the Dosewallips River Project, the website with Dosewallips River Collaborative updates, which is meant to be a community resource. More information can be found at: https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/1435/Dosewallips-River-Project. Floodplain Process Overview Natural Systems Design (NSD) Team and Background: Tim Abbe, Principal Geomorphologist with NSD, introduced himself and the focus of NSD. Tim earned his PhD at the University of Washington and has worked on the Olympic Peninsula for over thirty years. Most of his career has been in the private sector in the Pacific Northwest and beyond. His interest is in how rivers function and how we as communities interact with them. NSD works on salmon habitat, flood resiliency, helping reduce community and landowner damages from flooding and erosion, and water resources. Additional NSD staff include: • Eleanor Bartolomeo, Senior Engineer • Scott Katz, Geomorphologist • Ryan DeKnikker, Habitat Biologist • Torrey Luiting, Ecologist and Project Manager Resiliency Project Development Tami Pokorny gave a summary of the last DRC Meeting, which was held in February of 2022. The Dosewallips River Lazy C and Powerlines Reach Resiliency Plan was presented by NSD. 2 Recommendations were made for aquatic habitat restoration actions along the Powerlines Reach, specifically on maintaining and supporting freshwater habitat. Community members expressed concerns that salmon recovery projects could take precedence over local landowner needs, and that more information was needed about what actions were being considered and why the County was involved. Tim Abbe and Alicia Olivas agreed that community support and stewardship were necessary components for restoration. Alicia added that salmon restoration funds were a resource that could be utilized to benefit not only salmon, but also local communities. Jefferson County Public Works became involved in the process in 2003 to maintain County roads and improve salmon habitat. In addition, the Department of Community Development issues permits for construction and is required to ensure that it’s in compliance with floodplain regulations. Community members noted that the biggest hurdle to the County’s efforts with this project would be overcoming the rumors and distrust that locals held against the County and facilitating the understanding that all stakeholders, residents and regulators alike, were on the same side, striving for a healthy, sustainable ecosystem for both people and salmon. Tami and Tim clarified that there was no restoration plan in place; this stage was about assessment, community outreach, and brainstorming. Tami added that similar funding sources had assisted people in other communities and encouraged locals to consider taking advantage of the resource. One of the landowners present volunteered to facilitate river access from his property. Eleanor Bartolomeo explained that NSD is a firm that specializes in the interface between the rivers and humanity and setting parameters that helped to reduce erosion, economic losses, and risks to roads and infrastructure, while improving salmon habitat and increasing the health of the river. If the river can be brought back to a healthier place, the result will benefit fish and also local communities. Tim went over past NSD habitat restoration projects that installed engineered log jams to create pools and recruit spawning gravels, and in addition slowed the river down and prevented erosion. Eleanor described the two things going on in the Dosewallips River currently: an assessment on the Rocky Brook Reach, and a conceptual designs phase on the Powerlines Reach. One of the requirements due to Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) regulations is that none of the work done downriver can impact the Lazy C Reach at any stage of flood. FEMA prohibits any project that increases flood risk to any structures. As an example of a project that improved river conditions for both the landowner and fish, she described a restoration project that NSD had designed on the Satsop River, which was built entirely on private land, most of which was owned by cattle ranchers. The landowners supported the project because their barns and pastures were at risk due to flooding and erosion, but the work was paid for by WDFW salmon restoration funding. The landowners, who were losing 10-20 acres of pasture per year, were delighted because the restoration project has essentially stopped all erosion. WDFW was pleased with the project because it resulted in more side channels and spawning habitat for salmon. Eleanor stressed that if NSD were to move forward with any projects on the Dosewallips, that is the kind of project they are looking to design. There would also be much time spent working with the community and designing a project based on sound science and local support. The Satsop River project took nearly a decade to design, build community support, and implement. While these kinds of projects take time, they start with assessments and studies like what has been done for the Dosewallips so far. Regarding the Powerlines Reach Conceptual Designs Phase, the majority of the reach is in public ownership where no infrastructure is at risk from flooding. Tim added that the Coone Family, the primary private landowner in the Powerlines Reach, has lost over ten acres of land to the river in recent years and is working closely with NSD. The project would not proceed without their approval. Eleanor emphasized that no projects would occur where landowners objected. The Powerlines Reach conceptual 3 design schedule includes surveys and field assessments from June to October; survey processing, and wetland and cultural resource reporting from October to December; hydraulic modeling and preliminary designs from January to May; and final designs from June to October of next year. The objective of the current phase was to produce a more refined analysis of what could be done. For the Rocky Brook Assessment, through field work and outreach, a resiliency plan is being developed in response to human and salmon habitats and use; the existing conditions of the floodplain and river; the consideration of tools and actions that could be applied to assist with community vulnerabilities, salmon recovery, and climate change resiliency; and the creation of concepts and information to support salmon recovery and future grants for community resiliency opportunities. The project timeline is from June 2023 to October 2024. Outreach efforts include community meetings and individual meetings with interested landowners. A community member emphasized the importance of a robust effort to reach locals through social media and signs posted at the post office, the school, and the general store. *Tami Pokorny said she would create a form that would be posted on the website where people could sign up to be contacted about upcoming meetings. Concerns were expressed by locals over how much funding had been spent on Dosewallips projects to date, the lack of contact they had had from the project developers, the inconvenient timing and location of the public meetings, the disconnect between budgets available for salmon restoration but not for local needs like reliable internet and community buildings, the fear that acquisition funds could be used to push landowners out, and the history of disregard small communities like Brinnon have felt from policy makers. Tim recommended recording all the community’s concerns in a Venn diagram at the next meeting to see where they might overlap, and how they might be addressed and presented to the County Commissioners. Tami suggested moving the next meeting to a Saturday and holding at least part of the meeting at project sites. Public Comments A community member announced the upcoming Board of County Commissioners Meeting at the Brinnon Community Center on 9/8/23 at 6:00 PM. Thanks for the meeting was expressed for both the presenters and the attendees. Tim Abbe asked landowners to let the team know if they would be interested in providing the team with river access through their properties, or if they become aware of any objections. Tami Pokorny reminded attendees to sign up for the email distribution list. Next Agenda: The next meeting is scheduled for September 30th, 2023. Adjourn at 10:34 AM Summary by Rebekah Brooks, Rebekah Brooks Contracting Action Items: *Tami Pokorny said she would create a form that would be posted on the website where people could sign up to be contacted about upcoming meetings.