Developing a model to assess ecological function in the nearshore
Presentation Abstract
The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and stakeholders have developed an In-Lieu Fee approach for built projects in the Hood Canal of Puget Sound in Washington State to address appropriate mitigation and regional restoration needs. As part of this process, it became apparent that there were no accepted methods for assessing the functional loss associated with built projects or the functional gain associated with restoration projects in the nearshore environment for Puget Sound. The nearshore includes marine riparian, tidal wetlands, tidal non-wetlands, and subtidal habitats. To fill this need a rapid assessment model is being developed by a core science team of regional experts through literature review, iterative stakeholder input, and an independent peer review process. The model evaluates 14 Valued Ecosystem Components based on answering 74 questions in the model dataform. Stakeholders involved in the process include state and federal agencies, Tribes, local agencies, and non-government organizations. The model was developed with the intention that an experienced ecologist could apply this tool with a day or two of training, a day of desktop GIS analysis, and for most sites, one day in the field and a day of data analysis. The model will be field calibrated and verified during the spring/summer of 2013, and a similar iterative process of review will be conducted with stakeholders and the independent peer reviewers. Several lessons learned from this 18 month effort are applicable to developing other rapid assessment models. The greatest challenge was to develop an accessible rapid assessment model, based on a strong science foundation, which did not oversimplify the complex ecology of the nearshore.
Session Title
Session S-03F: Tools for Assessment and Implementation
Conference Track
Planning Assessment & Communication
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
30-4-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
30-4-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 602-603
Genre/Form
conference proceedings; presentations (communicative events)
Contributing Repository
Digital content made available by University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Subjects – Topical (LCSH)
Restoration ecology--Washington (State)--Hood Canal
Geographic Coverage
Hood Canal (Wash.)--Environmental conditions; Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.)--Environmental condtions
Rights
This resource is displayed for educational purposes only and may be subject to U.S. and international copyright laws. For more information about rights or obtaining copies of this resource, please contact University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University, Bellingham, WA 98225-9103, USA (360-650-7534; heritage.resources@wwu.edu) and refer to the collection name and identifier. Any materials cited must be attributed to the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference Records, University Archives, Heritage Resources, Western Libraries, Western Washington University.
Type
Text
Language
English
Format
application/pdf
Developing a model to assess ecological function in the nearshore
Room 602-603
The Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC), the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and stakeholders have developed an In-Lieu Fee approach for built projects in the Hood Canal of Puget Sound in Washington State to address appropriate mitigation and regional restoration needs. As part of this process, it became apparent that there were no accepted methods for assessing the functional loss associated with built projects or the functional gain associated with restoration projects in the nearshore environment for Puget Sound. The nearshore includes marine riparian, tidal wetlands, tidal non-wetlands, and subtidal habitats. To fill this need a rapid assessment model is being developed by a core science team of regional experts through literature review, iterative stakeholder input, and an independent peer review process. The model evaluates 14 Valued Ecosystem Components based on answering 74 questions in the model dataform. Stakeholders involved in the process include state and federal agencies, Tribes, local agencies, and non-government organizations. The model was developed with the intention that an experienced ecologist could apply this tool with a day or two of training, a day of desktop GIS analysis, and for most sites, one day in the field and a day of data analysis. The model will be field calibrated and verified during the spring/summer of 2013, and a similar iterative process of review will be conducted with stakeholders and the independent peer reviewers. Several lessons learned from this 18 month effort are applicable to developing other rapid assessment models. The greatest challenge was to develop an accessible rapid assessment model, based on a strong science foundation, which did not oversimplify the complex ecology of the nearshore.
