Presentation Abstract
The 2005 Snohomish Basin Salmon Conservation Plan identified targets for improvement in habitat conditions for all salmonid species but in particular ESA listed Chinook. While progress has been made in the basin on restoring habitat and updating land use regulations to reflect best available science, yet a comprehensive and strategic protection strategy, including acquisition, incentives, regulations, policy and education, has not been developed. Land use pressures and climate change threaten to overwhelm gains made through restoration and undermine the long-term viability of fish populations. The Snohomish Basin Protection Plan is an EPA-funded grant project developed through a partnership between Snohomish County, the Tulalip Tribes and King County that will serve as an addendum to the 2005 Conservation Plan. This protection effort identifies hydrology as the critical process to salmon survival and recovery and focuses on those areas essential to the hydrologic health of the basin, regardless of the level of degradation. The technical approach assesses the existing conditions of the landscape using patterns of land use and fish distribution as well as the WA Department of Ecology Watershed Characterization, ecosystem services information and local knowledge about protection opportunities from the Snohomish Basin Technical Committee. Areas important to the hydrologic functions of the basin were highlighted for protection and strategies that were identified to protect these areas included different tools ranging from landowner tax incentive programs to new policy recommendations that would offer greater protection to these critical areas. The effort developed a comprehensive and explicit protection strategy for the basin to address threats and emerging problems that also accommodates growth while protecting areas critical to the hydrologic health of the basin.
Session Title
Session S-07G: Integrating Landscape Scale Assessments Into Local Planning II
Conference Track
Planning Assessment & Communication
Conference Name
Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference (2014 : Seattle, Wash.)
Document Type
Event
Start Date
1-5-2014 3:30 PM
End Date
1-5-2014 5:00 PM
Location
Room 6E
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)
Salmonidae--Habitat--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Watershed; Aquatic habitats--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Watershed; Restoration ecology--Washington (State)--Snohomish River Watershed
Subjects – Names (LCNAF)
Snohomish Basin Salmon Conservation Plan
Geographic Coverage
Salish Sea (B.C. and Wash.); Snohomish River Watershed (Wash.)--Environmental conditions
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
Included in
Snohomish Basin Protection Plan - innovative approaches to hydrology protection opportunities
Room 6E
The 2005 Snohomish Basin Salmon Conservation Plan identified targets for improvement in habitat conditions for all salmonid species but in particular ESA listed Chinook. While progress has been made in the basin on restoring habitat and updating land use regulations to reflect best available science, yet a comprehensive and strategic protection strategy, including acquisition, incentives, regulations, policy and education, has not been developed. Land use pressures and climate change threaten to overwhelm gains made through restoration and undermine the long-term viability of fish populations. The Snohomish Basin Protection Plan is an EPA-funded grant project developed through a partnership between Snohomish County, the Tulalip Tribes and King County that will serve as an addendum to the 2005 Conservation Plan. This protection effort identifies hydrology as the critical process to salmon survival and recovery and focuses on those areas essential to the hydrologic health of the basin, regardless of the level of degradation. The technical approach assesses the existing conditions of the landscape using patterns of land use and fish distribution as well as the WA Department of Ecology Watershed Characterization, ecosystem services information and local knowledge about protection opportunities from the Snohomish Basin Technical Committee. Areas important to the hydrologic functions of the basin were highlighted for protection and strategies that were identified to protect these areas included different tools ranging from landowner tax incentive programs to new policy recommendations that would offer greater protection to these critical areas. The effort developed a comprehensive and explicit protection strategy for the basin to address threats and emerging problems that also accommodates growth while protecting areas critical to the hydrologic health of the basin.
