HomeMy WebLinkAboutSnow & Salmon Creek Watershed Planning - Letter of Support �� Co� jss Board of County Commissioners
�w�` C0, 1. 1820 Jefferson Street
O' w a Po Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
O' Kate Dean,District 1 Heidi Eisenh District 2 GregBrotherton,District 3
q S-II NGOC our,
December 18, 2023
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration
National Marine Fisheries Service
1315 East-West Highway, 14th Floor
Silver Spring, MD 20910
Re: Letter of Support— Snow& Salmon Creek Watershed Planning
To Whom It May Concern:
We are offering support of the Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) grant proposal titled
"Snow& Salmon Creek Watershed Planning."Jefferson County strongly supports the proposed
regionally important reach-scale project that will collectively help ensure and strengthen
resilience to our communities, neighboring communities, and our ecosystem, while promoting
the recovery of the Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca summer-run chum salmon.
Vulnerabilities identified in the Snow Creek and Salmon Creek watershed and estuary threaten
the communities within and surrounding the watershed as well as all along the northern Olympic
Peninsula as the highway corridor provides the primary access to these areas with no overland
alternative in case of inundation or extreme marine storm event hazards.
This proposal aims for a comprehensive reach-scale approach providing a vital boost towards
reaching recovery targets for the Endangered Species Act listed Hood Canal and Eastern Strait of
Juan de Fuca summer chum salmon. This project aims to modernize rural transportation
infrastructure and significantly improve habitat connectivity and resiliency by moving forward
planning and community engagement for preparation of Snow Creek and Salmon Creek strategy
setting and implementation.
Local, State, Federal, and Tribal governments have greatly invested in summer chum recovery.
With promising positive trends for Hood Canal summer chum, we have an opportunity to delist
and recover the population. Delisting Hood Canal summer chum would be a nationally
significant conservation achievement, providing a blueprint to others for how investments in
habitat restoration and sustainable fisheries management can effectively recover salmon and
steelhead stocks on the west coast.
Acting with urgency on this matter will support the collective efforts of HCCC, Tribes, and local
jurisdictions to improve resiliency to adverse effects of extreme weather events and climate
hazards. Thank you for your consideration of funding for this regionally signifi ant salmon and
ecosystem recovery restoration planning proposal.
Sincerely, ` -�
Kat Dean, Dist. No. 1 eidi Eisenhour, Dist. No. 2 Greg Bro rton, Chair, Dist. No. 3
Phone(360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us