Grays Harbor County Marine Resources Committee - Washington State

Washington Department of Ecology offers new online recreational planning tool

2011-07-05T11:24:00.000-07:00

Recreational opportunities abound all along Washington's coastline.

Plan a trip to the beach with Ecology’s new online tool!!!

Anyone interested in visiting one of Washington’s public beaches now has a great new online recreational planning tool, thanks to the Department of Ecology (Ecology).

A new Public Beach Access feature on Ecology’s Coastal Atlas website (www.ecy.wa.gov/coastalatlas) provides detailed information on where to legally access the state’s public beaches – including those owned by the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, the Department of Natural Resources, counties and cities, or another agency. The website includes interactive maps and photos of trail heads, viewpoints and signs. This is especially helpful for access points that aren’t well marked or are located some distance from the beach.

Users can enter a beach name or a general location, or hover a computer mouse over a map and click to zoom in. The site includes information on:

• Whether beaches are closed to swimming, with links to advisories and monitoring reports.
• Public boat launches, docks, piers and marinas.
• Campsite availability, accessibility, hours of operations, fees.
• Amenities such as bathrooms, drinking water, picnic tables, barbeque pits and whether pets are allowed.
• Hiking trails.
• Links to weather and tide information.

Dr. Kathy Taylor of Ecology’s Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program said, “Especially with the high price of gas, no one wants to spend a day driving only to find a beach is closed for swimming or there is no legal access close by. Now, you check that before you leave, make sure the campsite you picked has the features you want, and even view photos of the beach and trail heads.”

Director of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission Don Hoch said: “Anyone contemplating a trip to one of Washington’s beautiful public beaches will find this site helpful. It’s fast, it’s fun, and it tells you just about everything a person would need to know to plan a great day at the beach.”

Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant said, “For some time now, scientists, business owners and citizens have benefited from the tremendous amount of data available on Ecology’s Coastal Atlas. The Public Beach Access feature is a wonderful addition to this already impressive online resource. It is a great example of how Ecology uses technology in a smart way to give our citizens the information they need.”

The Department of Health and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) partnered with Ecology in developing the Beach Access online tool. NOAA Coastal Fellow Deborah Purce, who was temporarily placed at Ecology, did much of the field work and data collection used in developing this online tool.

The Public Beach Access program is part of Ecology’s Coastal Atlas, a powerful interactive map and searchable database that allows users to navigate and zoom detailed maps of Washington State and then select and layer different types of information.

As just one example, a person wishing to buy shoreline property might use the Coastal Atlas to view an aerial photograph or satellite image of the parcel, then zoom in for views from the water. Photos taken from this angle reveal bulkheads and other armoring that might not be seen from the air. The tool then allows the user to superimpose county jurisdictions, data on slope stability and soil erosion and other data.

The tool is frequently used by property owners, real estate professionals, government land and resource managers, and scientists. This fall, Ecology plans to unveil improvements to the site that will make information easier to find, navigate and customize.

Another way to find the site online is to visit Ecology’s home page at www.ecy.wa.gov and type “Coastal Atlas.”

For more information:

Public Beach Access Website/ Washington Coastal Atlas: www.ecy.wa.gov/coastalatlas

Beach Environmental Assessment, Communication and Health (BEACH) program: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/eap/beach/

For tips on keeping Washington waters clean:
Washington Waters, Ours to Protect: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/washington_waters/

Ecology’s homepage: www.ecy.wa.gov

Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission: http://www.parks.wa.gov/

One Front Door to Washington’s Outdoors: http://access.wa.gov/environment/index.aspx

Check out ECOconnect, Ecology’s blog: http://ecologywa.blogspot.com/

Follow Ecology on Twitter: http://twitter.com/ecologywa

Like us on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/EcologyWA

Media Contact:

Ecology media relations: Sandra Hughes, 360-407-7006 or Sandra.Hughes@ecy.wa.gov

Ecology Shorelands and Environmental Assistance Program: Kathy Taylor, Ph.D., 360-407-7125 or Kathy.taylor@ecy.wa.gov.

Westport/Grayland Fireworks Beach Cleanup to be held July 5, 9-Noon

2011-07-01T08:39:00.000-07:00

Just ONE of the loads collected last year at the Cove.

Local organizers in Westport and Grayland are joining forces this year to coordinate a community coast wide clean up of fireworks and other 4th of July debris, this Tuesday, July 5 beginning at 9:00 am. Folks may check in between 9:00-10:00am at the parking lot of either Westhaven State Park (the Jetty) or at the Grayland Beach approach, located off SR Spur 105 on Grayland Beach Road. Just look for signs in the parking lot and clean up organizers handing out trash bags.

This will be the third annual July 5 clean up aimed at removing literally hundreds of pounds of post fourth trash and fireworks off our beaches. For the last two years the effort has been centralized in Westport at Halfmoon Bay and Westhaven State Park but this year Joseph Stacey of Grayland made contact with Westport organizers in order to combine efforts. Spent fireworks and garbage from bonfires and 4th of July tailgate parties are left behind year after year by both visitors and locals alike.

Cleanup volunteers from the past two years who have lived in the South Beach area for years recall visiting the beach even weeks after the fourth and still finding fireworks debris laying around. This being a primary reason why Kathy Greer began this clean up effort in 2009 with huge support from a small handful of locals. The 4th of July holiday wreaks havoc on beautiful coastal areas everywhere aesthetically and with negative impacts to the health of marine environments. Grayland and south to Pacific County in particular, are hit hard each year with the addition of plentiful vehicular access to the beach. As a beach community it’s a time of year we can all pitch in for the health and beauty of resource we all enjoy and benefit from every day.

A special thanks to Washington State Parks and Ranger Brad Staab who will again donate trash bags and assist with debris transport and to LeMay Enterprises who has sponsored a dumpster which will be placed at the Grayland Beach approach. Volunteers are asked to bring plastic or work gloves.

Below are the logistics for the cleanup:

-Date/Time for the cleanup will be July 5 from 9-12 at both Westport and Grayland locations below.

-Check in for clean up will be July 5 between 9-10 where volunteers can pick up trash bags from cleanup leads at parking lot of Grayland Beach Road (Grayland beach approach) OR Westhaven State Park/the Jetty, Westport.

-Bags of debris in Westport vicinity can be left at either the garbage can area near bathrooms at Westhaven or at a central spot near Coast Guard Tower at Half Moon
Bay where it will be gathered in a pick up truck to be hauled to the dumpster in Grayland.

-Bags of debris in Grayland vicinity must be taken to the dumpster at Grayland Beach Road (the Grayland beach approach of spur SR105).

Folks are asked to bring gloves and/or garbage "pickers" if they like but bags will be distributed. Debris found during past years' have included loads of fireworks debris, wood launch stations, and then your regular party garbage. So come prepared!

Special thanks to all the awesome local support and volunteers heading up this year's cleanup!

See you at the beach!!!

Stakeholder input session to be held June 21 at Grays Harbor College in Aberdeen

2011-06-16T08:41:00.000-07:00

Those interested in compatible uses of Washington’s coastal and marine resources from shipping to surfing are invited to share their input at the June 21 session.

The Grays Harbor County Marine Resources Committee invites local stakeholders, residents and others with an interest in compatible uses of Washington’s coastal and marine resources to community forum on Tuesday, June 21st from 2 to 3:30 p.m. The forum will be held at Grays Harbor College, Room 2250.

The goal of the gathering is to provide a forum for coastal communities to share information describing their use of Washington coastal and marine areas as part of the outer continental shelf; to offer perspectives regarding potential conflicts with future alternative energy projects there; and contribute to the development of a system of communication designed to identify potential conflicts as early as possible, to avoid them or to mitigate their impact.

Keynote speaker for the meeting is Flaxen Conway, Director of the Marine Resource Management Program, Oregon State University, College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences. She will discuss a research project started at the university in the spring of 2010 related to renewable energy and space use conflicts on the outer continental shelf. The project’s primary objectives are to identify and characterize potential space and use conflicts that could result from renewable energy activities in the Outer Continental Shelf of both the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and to describe strategies and specific measures for avoiding or resolving these conflicts.

One part of the project included finding ways for improved communication and cooperation among stakeholders. The project continued into fall 2010 with a draft plan for the development of a geospatial database. Following this there has been a near-yearlong process of gathering stakeholder input, including the Grays Harbor session, consisting of meetings and interviews with three different types of coastal and marine resources users. They include commercial fishing users involved in harvesting, processing, tribal fishing and aquaculture; non-commercial users involved in recreational fishing, boaters and scientists; and commercial nonfishing users such as shippers, dredge operators and underwater cable operations. A final report for this project is due September 2011. Public input and questions will be taken following her presentation.

Join Hands Across The Sand - Westport June 25

2011-06-10T08:32:00.000-07:00

On June 25th at 12:00 PM in corresponding time zones, people around the world will join hands on beaches and in cities for the second annual Hands Across The Sand to oppose expanded offshore drilling and call for clean energy solutions for a sustainable planet.

There will be multiple locations in Washington that you can participate including Westhaven State Park Beach (the Jetty) in Westport. Participants are asked to arrive at the beach by 11:00am to coordinate for the noon hand joining. Washington Surfrider volunteers and Washington State Park Rangers will be on hand to help organize the event.

Hands Across The Sand is a movement made of people of all walks of life and crosses all borders and political affiliations. It is about supporting the advancement of clean energy sources that will sustain our planet. This movement is not about politics; it is about protecting coastal economies, oceans, marine wildlife and fisheries from the threats of expanded offshore drilling and the accidents associated with this.

Hands Across The Sand participants are joining hands on June 25th to say NO to offshore oil drilling and YES to clean energy. They are joining hands to implore leaders and decision makers to end the United States’ dependence on oil and coal and embrace a clean energy future for a sustainable planet.

Florida surfer and restaurateur Dave Rauschkolb founded Hands Across The Sand in October 2009 in response to a bill passed in the Florida House of Representatives to lift the ban on nearshore drilling. With the support of sponsor organizations, he rallied over 10,000 Floridians to join hands on February 13, 2010, covering the state’s coastlines, to show a united opposition to nearshore drilling.

Two months later the BP Deepwater Horizon exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. Dave then organized a global Hands Across The Sand to urge President Obama to abandon his bid to open the continental United States waters to offshore oil drilling.

On June 26, 2010, over 1,000 Events took place in all 50 states, the District of Columbia and Puerto Rico. International events were held in 42 countries including Australia, Bangladesh, Brazil, Belize, Canada, China, Colombia, Costa Rica, Germany, Denmark, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, Spain, France, United Kingdom, Greenland, Greece, Croatia, Ireland, India, Italy, Japan, South Korea, Lebanon, Mexico, Malaysia, Nicaragua, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Panama, Peru, Poland, Romania, Sweden, Turkey, Tanzania, and South Africa .

For more information visit www.handsacrossthesand.org.

Visit the Flickr Photo stream from June 26, 2010.

National Ocean Council Listening Session in Ocean Shores June 27

2011-06-02T14:44:00.000-07:00

The National Ocean Council (NOC) has announced a series of listening sessions to be held around the country including one right here in Washington concerning the new National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes. This policy was established by President Obama through an executive order in July 2010 and is currently being implemented through the National Ocean Council. The upcoming listening sessions will provide a unique opportunity to learn more about the National Ocean Policy and provide input on strategic action plans being developed for each of the nine priority objectives.

Please mark your calendars. The Washington session will be held:

June 27, 2011

8:30am-5:00pm

Quinault Beach Resort and Casino

Ocean Shores, Washington

PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE MEETING NOTICE South Beach/Westport Project Safe Haven

2011-05-30T14:20:00.000-07:00

Please join the University of Washington Hazards Mitigation Institute along with state and local emergency management agencies for an open house event to present final project information regarding tsunami vertical evacuation opportunities in the South Beach area.

Results from the previous South Beach vertical evacuation meetings held March 2011 – May 2011 will be presented. The results will illustrate where potential vertical evacuation sites could be located in the South Beach area. This meeting will be an opportunity for all attendees to participate in an interactive environment and learn about tsunami vertical evacuation. ALL are welcome and encouraged to attend.

Thursday, June 2nd, 2011
6:00PM – 8:00PM

Chateau Westport
Meeting Room
710 South Hancock Avenue
Westport, WA 98595

Surfrider Foundation hosts 10th Annual Clean Water Classic Surf Competition in Westport

2011-05-19T09:21:00.000-07:00

Last weekend over 1000 spectators and more than 50 volunteers turned out for Surfrider Foundation’s 10th Annual Clean Water Classic Surf Contest. The weather delivered a mix of overcast skies, spring drizzle, occasional sun breaks, and steady downpours, but there were fun waves to be had by all from surfers to stand up paddle boarders. This annual event, traditionally held the second weekend in May is the only pro/am contest in the northwest and is organized by and raises funds for the Washington, Oregon, and B.C. Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation. Surfrider is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the worlds oceans, waves and beaches.

The Clean Water Classic not only provides a great setting for surfing and other great ocean recreations, but it also provides a fantastic, family friendly weekend for folks from all over the northwest and even Hawaii!

The first heat for the men’s Pro/Am kicked off at 7:00 AM Saturday morning, followed by heats for women’s short and long board, men’s regular and master’s short and longboard, and one of the newest heat categories stand-up paddle board. In addition there was a morning and afternoon kid’s surf camp and beach clean up sponsored by A Warm Current a non-profit organization dedicated to reducing waste in our local communities and improving the lives of young people in coastal towns and villages throughout the world. The afternoon kid’s surf camp brought professional surf talent onto the scene with Hawaiian Surf pros and contestants Bonga Perkins, Kekoa Uemura, Kaponpo Nahina, and Scotty Fong who along with contest volunteers, in getting kids out in the water, most for the very first time, for an hour long surf lesson.

Saturday night drew a huge crowd at Half Moon Bay Bar and Grill for great food, drinks, conversation, and fantastic “island” style music by Braddah Elias Kauhane and FORREAL. There was also a silent auction and raffle filled with surf gear, art, jewelry, and other great ocean themed goodies.

The heats concluded Sunday afternoon with final round heats in all categories followed by an awards ceremony and raffle drawing back at the Islander mid afternoon. During the two-day event more than 50 heats and over 125 competitors who were scored on their wave riding abilities. A huge boom for the tourist shoulder season here in Westport, the Classic always does a fantastic job of filling up area lodging and boosting local off season business.

This year’s contest was made possible with HUGE support from local sponsors including: the City of Westport, The Islander and Half Moon Bay Bar & Grill, The Surf Shop, Steepwater Surf, The Westport Inn, Vacations by the Sea, The Alaskan Motel, Glen Acres Inn, Bayside Bed and Breakfast, Breakers Boutique, the Sandy Sea Inn, and American Sunset RV Pacific NW. Additional support came from Pacific NW Judges, Todd Fischer, Kona Brewing, REI, Surf Ballard, Globe, Surfer Magazine, Northwest Riders, Sitka Clothing, Analog, Westbay Paddleboards, and North by Northwest.

All contest proceeds are split evenly among participating Surfrider chapters in Oregon, Washington, and British Columbia to provide funds for initiatives and campaigns. All chapters work together as part of a global network of volunteers to raise awareness about the importance of healthy oceans and beaches and how vital it is to protect and preserve it.

A special thanks goes out to all the sponsors and Surfrider chapter volunteers for their outstanding effort on this year’s contest.To learn more about this and past years Clean Water Classics visit www.cleanwaterclassic.com or to learn more about the Surfrider Foundation including becoming a member please visit www.surfrider.org.

2011 Clean Water Classic Results

High Score Shortboard – Nathan Ridens
High Score Longboard – JP Canlis

Pro/Am
1 JP Canlis
2 Nathan Ridens
3 Greg Urata

Women’s Shortboard
1 Leah Oke
2 Gillian Montgomery
3 Sarah Elliot

Master’s Shortboard
1 Greg Urata
2 Peter Hamilton
3 Andrew Drake

Men’s Longboard
1 JP Canlis
2 Larz Richardson
3 Yoshiro Takeuchi

Master’s Longboard
1 Spike Richardson
2 Jay Sennewald
3 Jon Tipple

Women’s Longboard
1 Monica Todd
2 Emily Ballard
3 Leah Oke

Juniors
1 Laird Tuel
2 Travis Cockcroft
3 Anthony Mazzoni

Stand-up Paddle
1 Ken Wilson
2 Patrick Aio
3 Spike Richardson

Keiki with Parent
1 Dylan Todd
2 Lucy Aronson
3 Gavin Izzard
4 Trover Tice
5 Breanna Hicks
6 Taylor Izzard

Visitors flock to coastal southwest Washington for spectacular birding opportunities for 16th Annual Grays Harbor Shorebird Festival

2011-05-12T06:38:00.000-07:00

Western Sandpipers, Black-bellied Plovers, Dunlins, and Surfbirds are just a few of the dozens of shorebird species on display all around the South Beach and vicinity during their annual spring migration and during the Shorebird Festival held last weekend April 29 through May 1. Each year hundreds of thousands of shorebirds stop on their migration northward to feed and rest along the bountiful estuaries, mudflats, marshlands, and beaches of Grays Harbor. With some arriving from as far south as Argentina and traveling over 15,000 miles round trip during their migration, it is no wonder so many are drawn to our area from all over the world just to view this spectacle of nature!

Fair-weather welcomed birders, artists, photographers, scientists and the like from far and wide to harbor. Event headquarters was located at the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge in Hoquiam and from there folks could take guided and self guided tours at the refuge or are directed to other areas including the South Beach and vicinity. In particular Westport’s ocean beaches and Bottle Beach State Park, are among festivalgoers’ favorite locations. Our area’s close proximity to the ocean offers a uniquely dense concentration of bird species where thousands can be observed feeding and flocking on the open mudflats and beaches. All with a breathtaking river estuary panorama featuring the Cascade Mountain range.

Traditionally held the last weekend in April, the Shorebird Festival is hosted by area businesses, individuals, and groups such as Grays Harbor Audubon Society. Dozens of volunteers work year-round to coordinate this three-day family friendly event, which offers visitors field trips, lectures, a banquet with live auction, and a nature fun fair. The proceeds go to the Grays Harbor National Wildlife Refuge and to help support conservation outreach and education programs in the area.

The migration continues through the first week of May but many will continue to travel through and nest throughout the warmer months. Enjoy! To learn more the types of birds seen in our area and where to see them or to find out more about the Shorebird Festival visit www.shorebirdfestival.com.

Over one ton of trash removed from Westport beaches at this year’s Coastsavers Beach Cleanup

2011-04-27T11:22:00.000-07:00

Beach clean up volunteers early Saturday at Twin Harbors Beach

Last Saturday, April the 24th, over 130 registered volunteers turned out for this year’s Washington Coastsavers beach clean up at Twin Harbors State Park with dozens more showing up to offer assistance. With blue bird skies and perfect temperatures it was a far cry from last years drizzle and fog and with that over 324 volunteer hours were tallied by Ranger Brad Staab from registration sign-in sheets. Ranger Staab, as in years passed, did a fantastic job facilitating this annual Earth Day inspired clean up which is led by Washington Coastsavers, a program organized by the Washington Clean Coast Alliance, which includes participating nonprofits, community groups, corporations, and public agencies whose main goal is to save Washington's Pacific Coast from the harm of marine debris. In all Staab reported over 1.5 tons of trash was collected last Saturday, as weighed upon disposal. That’s about the equivalent of two dump trucks! Coastsavers is still tallying results but including the Twin Harbors area clean up, along with all the other participating Washington coastal communities, there were total of 1158 volunteers involved and over 23 tons of debris collected! An amazing success!!!

Volunteers from the South Sound and Seattle Chapters of Surfrider Foundation arrived at 8:00am sharp to set up food and refreshments for volunteers and their chapter sponsored BBQ was in high demand all day as hungry volunteers straggled in for hot dogs, cheeseburgers, chips, fruit, and sodas. Chapter members Andy, Holly, Darren, and Justin stayed busy from morning till late afternoon flipping burgers and plating food for hungry volunteers who came from as far north as Bellingham and as far south as Cannon Beach, Oregon. They also provided information about the work Surfrider and nearby coastal groups are doing along our coast to promote clean oceans, beaches, and marine areas. Recycling containers were also on hand to sort plastics, glass, and paper being collected from the beach and dunes. Among all debris plastics is STILL the reigning champion of the types of debris being collected.

Chapter volunteers L-R Justin, Andy, Darren, Holly, Kathy

The day’s clean up volunteers included nearly a dozen folks from Ocean Gold Seafood who also set up a an information and recycling table at the clean up, 10 volunteers from a Tacoma Community College Oceanography class, and so many others! In addition, natural resources teacher Bruce Jones from Ocosta High School brought out over 25 student and local volunteers the day prior and put in 50 hours of work along Westport beaches. Although Twin Harbors served as the registration site for the clean up dozens of folks chose to gather clean up supplies from Park rangers and head as far north as Westhaven State Park and as far south as Washaway Beach.

Volunteer coastal cleanups and public education efforts can help reduce the amount of debris in our waterways and coastlines. EPA reports that in 2008, over 183,000 people across the U.S. participated in beach cleanups. These cleanup efforts removed almost four million pounds of debris from more than 9,000 miles of coasts, shorelines, and underwater sites. Efforts like the one held this Saturday are definitely a part of the big picture of working toward healthy marine ecosystems. So get involved whenever you can to appreciate the amazing natural resources that our beaches and marine areas have to offer. Learn more by visiting Coastsavers website or contact them at (206) 220-4279 or David Landau via email. Special thank to everyone involved in this years cleanup and especially to Andy at the Seattle Chapter for bringing and organizing all of the food for nearly 150 volunteers!

Coastal Beach Cleanup in Westport April 23

2011-04-20T22:50:00.000-07:00

Swing out to coastal Grays Harbor this weekend for this annual Earth Day event to remove marine debris from Washington's Pacific Coast. Plastic water bottles, fishing nets, tires, and all kinds of other items that are harmful to the environment wash up on Washington's beaches all year and need to be removed before they cause irreparable damage to countless marine mammals, fish, plants, and birds. You can help with general beach cleanup or several other tasks that will make this year's event a success Saturday, April 23rd 2011. Check in will be at the Schafer Rd. beach approach parking lot, between 8 a.m. and 11 a.m. On-site registration, orientation and instructions will be provided upon arrival. All volunteers must register and sign a State Parks volunteer timesheet. For more information about volunteering at this location, please contact a park ranger at Twin Harbors State Park, 360-268-9717. You may also visit www.coastsavers.org.

Coastal Learning Resources Center at Grays Harbor College Hosts Earth Day Celebration April 25

2011-04-15T23:03:00.000-07:00

Students at Grays Harbor College will observe Earth Day on Monday, April 25, with a variety of activities planned on the main campus in Aberdeen.

From 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. on April 25, students enrolled in various GHC programs will showcase projects that they have completed during the year. In addition, tree planting and other restoration projects will take place along the College’s Lake Swano trails. In the HUB, starting at 10:30 a.m. and continuing until 2 p.m., the annual Sustainability Fair will occur featuring local businesses, projects and suggestions of how individuals can be more sustainable.

The College’s Sustainability Committee is also planning a clothing exchange in the HUB and Earth Day-related films will be shown during the day in the Fireside Room. Projects along the Lake Swano trails will include picking up litter, spreading woodchips on the trails and planting trees, all organized by students in the Coastal Resources Learning Center and Forestry programs.

The day’s activities will involve more than 150 younger students from area school districts, plus GHC students, faculty and staff, plus community members. The public is invited to participate in all of the GHC Earth Day activities. There is no admission charge. This year, sustainability and service learning activities at GHC are supported by the Washington Campus Compact Northwest Sustainability Initiative. Coordinating activities on the GHC campus are Jessica James of the Coastal Resources Learning Center at (360) 538-4140 or email jmjames@ghc.edu.

10th Annual Clean Water Classic Surf Contest Set for May 13th-15th in Westport, WA

2011-04-06T09:21:00.000-07:00

The 10th annual Clean Water Classic surfing competition has been scheduled for May 13, 14, and 15, 2011 and registration is now open for contestants and volunteers. This event, the largest continuously run Pro/Am competition in the Pacific Northwest, will take place in Westport, Washington.

The Clean Water Classic weekend includes not only great surfing, but also live music, movie showings, a vendor village, silent auction and raffle. The event is a fundraiser for the Pacific Northwest Chapters of the Surfrider Foundation. Surfrider is a grassroots environmental organization dedicated to the protection and enjoyment of the worlds oceans, waves and beaches. To learn more about the Surfrider Foundation or find a chapter in your area please visit www.surfrider.org.

This fun, family friendly event attracts thousands of spectators and competitors from all over the world!

As part of this year’s Clean Water they will be helping out the organization “A Warm Current.” A non-profit organization dedicated to reducing waste in our local communities and improving the lives of young people in coastal towns and villages throughout the world. It’s mission is to collect, transport, and distribute recycled and new wetsuits to areas of the world where economic limitations make costs extraordinary to the average local. So please bring any old (smaller sized) wetsuits to the event that you would be willing to donate to those in need. A Warm Current will also be running a kids camp on the Saturday. To learn more go to http://awarmcurrent.org.

For contest registration go to http://www.surfrider.org/cleanwaterclassic/index.php/surfers/register.

Volunteers are always needed and hugely appreciated! You may sign up by visiting http://www.surfrider.org/cleanwaterclassic/index.php/volunteers/sign-up.

Hope to see you there!

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary's Draft Management Plan Targets the Ban of Cruise Ship Discharge

2011-03-23T10:30:00.000-07:00

The Olympic Coastal National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) Draft Management Plan offers an exciting opportunity to ban cruise ship discharges off Washington's coast.

Please take a moment to send comments to OCNMS and say that you support Alternative B, the preferred alternative.

Comments must be sent by this Friday, March 25th.

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments. (Select proposed rule for "document type" and search for "Olympic Coast Sanctuary". It will come up first on the result list. select "submit comment" under actions)

Fax: 360-457-8496, Attn:George Galasso

Mail: George Galasso, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, 115 East Railroad Avenue, Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362

Details:
The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Draft Management Plan was developed over two years with input from OCNMS Advisory Council working groups, collaborations with other managers, and public workshops. Once finalized, this management plan will serve as a guide to OCNMS management on their activities for the next 5 to 10 years.

Surfrider Foundation supports the draft management plan and Alternative B (the Sanctuary's "preferred" alternative) in the required draft environmental assessment.

Plan highlights:
Fulfills the Sanctuary's treaty trust responsibility to the Hoh, Quileute and Makah Tribes and Quinault Indian Nation.

Proposes modifying regulations to prohibit discharges from cruise ships into sanctuary waters.

Conducts collaborative research assessments and monitoring to inform ecosystem-based management.

Improves ocean literacy.

Advances stronger oil spill prevention measures.

Supports closure and remediation of the Warmhouse Dump, reducing contaminants released to marine waters.

The federal register notice can be downloaded from http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/fedreg_1_14_11.pdf

The document can be downloaded from http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_draftdoc.html

Is Washington prepared for a major oil spill?

2011-03-09T10:17:00.000-08:00

Unconfirmed "sludge" seen at a Westport area beach March 6.

Tens of millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf this summer reminding us that catastrophic oil spills do happen and the consequences of failing to prepare for them is severe. Many agree that, should a mayor oil spill occur in Washington waters, even one on the scale of one million gallons, the consequences could be much greater than in the Gulf due to the geography and rich ecological values of Washington’s marine environments.

While we have a decent spill response program in Washington, recent studies, including one from the State Oil Spill Advisory Council in 2008, have shown that the program has several significant gaps. It is essential that we address those problems. A major concern that has been identified in several of these studies is the failure of the state to require oil companies to stockpile appropriate, state-of-the art equipment in key locations in Washington. With the right equipment in place, we can ensure a faster, more effective response should a spill occur.

One such improvement would be to ensure that we have equipment, which would allow the state to track oil spills at night and in periods of low visibility. Such equipment exists and it is used in other states and around the world. If we had the ability to image and map the 7,600 gallon Dalco Passage oil spill near Tacoma in 2004, for example, the outcome of that spill would have likely been very different. That spill occurred at night and, as a result, the state had no ability to verify the size or extent of the spill. The problem was compounded by morning fog, which made attempts to track the spill from the air impossible. By the time a response had been organized, the slick had spread dramatically. The resulting delays led to oil washing ashore, spoiling our shorelines and impacting wildlife and fisheries. We can and should do better.

Luckily, this legislative session, with the support of coastal communities, fisherman, shellfish growers, tourism and recreation, and others who care about clean water, House Bill 1186 offers coastal Washington much needed protection against future oil spill incidents.
If it passed, HB 1186 will strengthen Washington oil spill programs. It will strengthen requirements for stockpiling appropriate spills response equipment to respond to events in challenging environments. It will expand the spill response “drill” program to test assumptions made in our spill response plans to better train responders and it will help provide commercial fisherman with incident training and equipment. In addition, funding will increase for the state’s Oil Spill Program, which is currently running a multi-million dollar deficit.

It’s very clear what the economic impacts of a major spill could have on Washington State. A study completed within the last three years by the Department of Ecology was able to determine that such a spill could cost 165,000 jobs and 10.8 billion dollars in economic impacts, not including individual claims or environmental impacts. In addition oil spills are of a huge threat to any number of marine water species and according to NOAA scientists the single greatest threat posed to orca whales in the region, which could disappear entirely upon the threat of a major spill.

So is Washington currently prepared to handle a major oil spill? In October 2008, the Washington Oil Spill Advisory Council completed a yearlong study of the state’s ability to respond to a major spill relying on technical experts from inside and outside the spill cleanup industry, consultants, and their own staff. Currently under Washington law, those responsible for transporting and receiving oil in Washington must have enough staff and equipment to respond to a “worst case scenario” spill and the results of this study revealed our state is simply not prepared for such an event with funding or resources.

To read up on the current status of HB 1186 please visit http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1186.

Public Comment Invited at February Meetings Hosted by the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary

2011-02-16T20:24:00.000-08:00

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) will host public meetings in Port Angeles (February 23) and Forks (February 24) to hear public comment on its Draft Management Plan (DMP) and Proposed Rule (proposed changes to sanctuary regulations). The meetings are opportunities for interested people to learn more about the DMP and Proposed Rule, speak directly to sanctuary staff, and most importantly provide sanctuary staff with ideas on how to improve the DMP. Meetings will begin informally, with an opportunity for attendees to talk with sanctuary staff, followed by a brief introduction by George Galasso, Acting Sanctuary Superintendent. At approximately 6:30 pm, members of the public will be provided opportunity to provide their comments and recommendations.

Port Angeles, February 23 6 pm to 9 pm; Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth Street, Commissioner’s meeting room (#160). (Note: the after-hours entrance to the Courthouse is via Fourth Street, to the left of the flag poles near the main courthouse entrance).
Forks, February 24 6 pm to 9 pm; Washington Department of Natural Resources Community Room, 411 Tillicum Lane.

On January 14, 2011, OCNMS released a Draft Management Plan (DMP) that is largely based on recommendations developed by its Advisory Council through an intensive working group and workshop process (see http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/AboutUs/sac/sac_actions.html). When finalized, this management plan will serve as a guide to OCNMS management on its activities for the next 5 to 10 years.

Proposed revisions to OCNMS regulations (referred to as the Proposed Rule) also were developed while reviewing our existing management plan and regulations. The DMP and proposed regulatory changes formed a framework around which OCNMS staff wrote a Draft Environmental Assessment (DEA) document that accompanies the DMP and Proposed Rule and includes all of the federal compliance documentation to accompany the DMP. A January 14th Federal Register notice announced availability of the DMP, DEA and Proposed Rule for public comment (Regulation Identification Number RIN 0648-BA20).

This notice marks the end of the development phase of the management plan and the beginning of the public review phase. These documents provide for the public to review a tangible expression of the Sanctuary’s vision for the next five to ten years.

We encourage interested members of the public to comment on the Proposed Rule and DMP/DEA. These documents and updated information on the management plan review process is available at our web site http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/welcome.html

All comments on the Proposed Rule and DMP/DEA be received or postmarked by March 25, 2011.

In addition to comment at the public meetings, you may submit comments in the following ways:

Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov . Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

Fax: 360-457-8496, Attn: George Galasso

Mail: George Galasso, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, 115 East Railroad Avenue, Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362

For more information, email us at ocnmsmanagementplan@noaa.gov or call 360-457-6622 ext. 28

Coastal Doppler for Grays Harbor To Be Operational By Midsummer

2011-02-09T12:03:00.000-08:00

At the recent annual meeting of the American Meteorological Society, news was shared as to the status of the new coastal weather radar destined for the Washington Coast. It was announced that the National Weather Service (NWS) is confident that the new radar will be operational by the end of September (2011). By the start of the next storm season, the radar will finally allow the ability to see the details of incoming storms and weather systems.

The location of the radar will be on Langley Hill in Grays Harbor County, offering clear views out to the Pacific Ocean, the radar will be able to see the heavy precipitation on the windward side of the Olympics and over the Willapa Hills. The radar itself is one that was used for training purposes by the military and is identical to the radars used by the NWS over the rest of the country (known as the NEXRAD or WSR-88D radars). Using a preexisting radar not only saves money, but the NWS folks know how to maintain and service it.

This radar will be the ONLY one in the nation using a zero degree scan angle, allowing the ability to see much farther out at low levels than normal and will be a boon for viewing weather out over the Pacific. No other NWS radar in the country has this capability, hopefully inspiring the NWS to try this elsewhere.

During the next few months, a lot of action will begin at the site. Trenching for utilities, putting down a concrete pad, erecting a building for the generator, putting up the tower, and more. The radar should be installed by midsummer. By late September a local meteorological revolution will occur and for the first time one of the stormiest areas in the country will be able to see incoming storms. Coastal communities and those in the marine industries of the Washington Pacific coast will finally have what our inland communities have had for years, quality weather radar coverage and the added benefit of safety and a boost to our coastal economy.

For more information and continual updates visit http://cliffmass.blogspot.com/2011/02/latest-on-new-coastal-radar.html.

Public Invite: SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project Groundbreaking with Governor Gregoire

2011-02-04T18:44:00.000-08:00

Join us for this exciting event to mark the next big step for the SR 520 program! Please plan to join Governor Chris Gregoire, state and local leaders, WSDOT, and Kiewit-General Joint Venture as we break ground on the SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520/Pontoons.htm. We’ll be at the Aberdeen Log Yard where crews will begin construction in the coming weeks. We are building pontoons to replace the SR 520 floating bridge in the event of a catastrophic failure and to store them until they are needed for the planned bridge replacement. This event will happen rain or shine. Plan to wear boots or sturdy shoes, as the site has uneven ground and some standing water.

SR 520 Pontoon Construction Project groundbreaking:

Time: 11 a.m. to noon

Date: Saturday, February 12, 2011

Location: Aberdeen Log Yard, Aberdeen, WA.

Parking areas will be clearly marked upon arrival.Confirmed speakers include:

·Governor Chris Gregoire

·Former House Majority Leader Rep. Lynn Kessler (24th District)

·Transportation Secretary Paula Hammond

To RSVP: E-mail Amanda Cox at coxa@consultant.wsdot.wa.gov

Contact person on the day of the event:

Amanda Cox, coxa@consultant.wsdot.wa.gov, 206-409-0177 or Jeff Switzer, switzerj@wsdot.wa.gov, 206-819-7230

Directions From I-5, take exit 104 onto US-101 N. Travel approximately 40 miles to Aberdeen. Continue on US-101 N through Aberdeen (US-101 N is also called E. Wishkah St. once you enter Aberdeen). Continue on E. Wishkah through Aberdeen. Take a slight right onto W. Wishkah St., and then an immediate left at S. Division St. Signs will lead you to the event entrance at the Aberdeen Log Yard.

Southwest Washington's Grass Roots Garbage Gang Hosts Yet Another Wildly Successful January Beach Clean up!

2011-01-23T14:00:00.000-08:00

By Shelly Pollock - Grass Roots Garbage Gang

Before the sun rose this past cleanup day, I laid in bed listening to the squall roll in. The trees creaked as the west wind hit and the hail pelted the windows. "Ugh", I thought, please, "not on cleanup day!"   After the sun rose, we had a bit of a break and then at 9:00 another shot of rain and wind. Then the clouds parted and the sun came out to join me in thanking all the wonderful folks who came out to clean the beach that day!

And what a turnout it was, that cold, showery   morning. Over 300 volunteers cleaned OUR beaches! Some came in for the day from Portland (including my niece, Sarah), and some enjoyed a weekend here from Seattle. Our local schools turned out in large numbers and many from the Ocean Park Lutheran Church helped, too. What a good community time we shared with them! A blanket of gratitude is spread over all who participated and a closer view highlights them as follows.

First let's thank those several businesses and organizations that contribute to our cleanups on a regular basis:   Jack's Country Store, The Berry Patch Restaurant, Long Beach Coffee   Roasters, Sid's Market, Thriftway, and 42nd Street Café. And, as always, to the Chinook Observer for helping to spread the word with announcements and articles (awareness is so critical to our success). An extra special thanks to those businesses who advertised the cleanup in print, on their reader boards or displayed our banners: Chinook Observer, Pioneer Market, FunBeach.com, Long Beach Visitors Bureau, Taft Plumbing, Raymond Federal Credit Union, Box K Auto, City of Long Beach, Ocean Park Elementary and the Senior Center - and to the   Neptune Theater for promoting our cleanup year round!   THANK YOU!

Our   VERY special thanks to our dozens of key volunteers who come and clean as well as the many who organize, develop newsletters, write articles, make soup, set up, clean up, make gorgeous signs, make phone calls, answer emails, drive their trucks and collect bags, bring crane trucks to get the really big stuff, ham radio operators that assist in communication, and you all!   I'd be hard-pressed to hear of another organization that has as much diverse participation or the level of organization as this one does.
Again - thanks to you all!

To   our Adopt-A-Beach Groups and Approach Coordinators - thank you for your ongoing commitment, enthusiasm and caring. Two new members, our local Cub Scouts Pack 29 and Quakers, and our ongoing groups; Amundsons, Lesley Ferguson's Farmers   Insurance, Friends of Columbia Gateway, Breakers, Surfside Homeowners Association, Sporseens, Kate & Del Bayne, the Hansons, Stonebreakers, Stettners, Cooks, Logans, Joe Johns Neighbors, Kiwanis Club, Life's a Beach, North Ocean Park Neighbors, Grovers, Shoalwater Birders, Larys, Schroeders &   Lorente's, Peninsula Rotary, Ilwaco H. S. Honor Society, Ocean Beach Middle and High schools, Eerie 8's, Magnusons, Frosts, Kelly Rupp, Kennedys, Lewises, Sartins (some of you were missed this clean up - we'll see you in April) and all the wonderful volunteers and supporters, so many left unnamed but never unappreciated!

The potluck the night before was extra, extra special (thanks to Peninsula Baptist Church for sharing their wonderful space with us - so very welcoming you all are). We were entertained with a special poem from   Gayle Borchard presented by Michael Campallone.   Mary Garvey had the crowd listening intently to her stories she so wonderfully shared and heightened with lyric and rhythm. We all enjoyed it tremendously and we learned so much, too.   The soup feed was as wonderful as always; we so appreciate the talent of our soup-crafters, Steve Pollock, Gayle Borchard, Susan Clark, and Jane Holeman..   Thanks to Susi and Steve for cleaning up! You, too, Gayle! Many thanks to the Moose Lodge for inviting us to use their great space too, so very generous!

We had several groups, dozens and dozens of people who were repeat volunteers, and some visitors who were first-timers or recently moved to   the area. We love meeting new people! What a difference each pair of hands made toward our clean beach. We so hope everyone who participated enjoyed themselves, felt a great sense of satisfaction and connection to this community and beach, and will join us whenever they can. Lastly, our thanks to Kelly Rupp and Bev Arnoldy for generously storing so much of our supplies and to the organizations that paid to dump all we collected: Pacific County Marine Resource Committee, City of Long Beach and Willapa National Wildlife Refuge.

My apologies to those I've missed, and I know I've missed some important efforts.   Please know that we couldn't have had nearly the success without you.   My thanks to everyone for doing all you've done and will do to keep our beaches and waters clean, safer for the birds, wildlife and THANKS, EVERYONE! GRATEFUL TO BE A PART OF SUCH AN AMAZING COMMUNITY! Four tons of trash was removed from our beaches, thanks to hundreds of volunteers!

CONTACT: Shelly Pollock, 665-5388 ~ Shelly@OurBeach.org

The Grass Roots Garbage Gang is an all-volunteer, Washington State not-for-profit group that cleans up the Peninsula beaches in SW Washington. Each January, April and July hundreds of volunteers clean the Peninsula's 25-mile beach. Support comes from incredible volunteers, local businesses, City of Long Beach, Marine Resource Committee, Washington State Parks and many others. For more information visit http://www.OurBeach.org/

SR 520 Pontoon Project Open House Wednesday in Aberdeen

2011-01-18T12:32:00.000-08:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - January 18, 2011

Washington State Department of Transportation

SR 520 Program Office – 600 Stewart Street, Suite 520 - Seattle, WA 98101 - 206-770-3500

Contacts: Joe Irwin , WSDOT Communications, 360-357-2703, 360-507-6521 (cell) Jeff Switzer <mailto:SwitzeJ@wsdot.wa.gov>, WSDOT Communications, 206-770-3547, 206-819-7230

ABERDEEN – The Washington State Department of Transportation (WSDOT) and its contractor, Kiewit-General Joint Venture (K-G), invite the public to a pre-construction open house for the State Route 520 Pontoon Construction Project in Grays Harbor. Now that federal approval has been received, construction is expected to begin at the Aberdeen Log Yard as soon as mid-February.

When: 4 – 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 19

Where: Aberdeen High School Commons, 410 N. G St., Aberdeen

Speakers: WSDOT and K-G staff will be on hand to provide detailed project information and explain how to stay informed during the project. Representatives from local unions will also be available. There will be no formal presentation.

Visuals: WSDOT and K-G will have displays of the casting basin and staff to explain the casting basin and pontoon construction.

For more information about the project and the open house please visit: www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/SR520/Pontoons.

The Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Invites Public Comment for Management Plan Review

2011-01-18T12:16:00.000-08:00

The Olympic Coastal National Marine Sanctuary (OCNMS) has reached a milestone in their management plan review process and is inviting public comments at several meetings across western Washington in the coming weeks. The management plan has been developing through recommendations from the OCNMS Advisory Council's working groups and workshops over the last months and when finalized, this management plan will serve as a guide to OCNMS management on their activities for the next 5 to 10 years.

On January 14, 2011, a Federal Register notice announced availability for public comment of the proposed rule covering regulatory changes (Regulation Identification Number RIN 0648-BA20) and the DMP/DEA.The public comment period for the proposed rule and DMP/DEA will extend through March 25, 2011.

Please note that the FR notice includes a closing date for the comment period as March 15th.This is a mistake, and we will publish a correction in the Federal Register in the near future. Apologies go out for any confusion this may cause. Individual letters to tribal councils, Washington State and key agency partners will be sent out via mail this week and as will a press release and emails to the IPC and OCNMS listserv which includes interested members of the public.

This marks the end of the early development phase of management plan review and introduces the public review phase of the work. These documents provide something tangible and written for folks to review.

Through various routes (Listserv, press release, web site updates, and other outreach), we are encouraging interested members of the public to comment on the proposed rule and DMP/DEA.The management plan review parts of the OCNMS web site has been updated to provide more information and access to these documents.See http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/welcome.html

The federal register notice can be downloaded from http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/fedreg_1_14_11.pdf

The document can be downloaded from http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/mpr_draftdoc.html

We have a limited number of hard copies and some CD's that will be available at the AC meeting next Friday, although if possible we are requesting that an electronic version of the document be used in the review process. **

*All comments must be received or postmarked by March 25, 2011. ***

Comments can be provided in the following ways:

·Electronic Submissions: Submit all electronic public comments via the Federal eRulemaking Portal http://www.regulations.gov. Follow the instructions for submitting comments.

·Fax: 360-457-8496, Attn:George Galasso

·Mail: George Galasso, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary, 115 East Railroad Avenue, Suite 301, Port Angeles, WA 98362

In addition, there will be public meetings in Port Angeles and Forks at which folks can learn more, speak directly to sanctuary staff, and provide comments on the proposed rule and DMP/EA.

Port Angeles - February 23rd, 6-9 pm, Clallam County Commissioners' hearing room (room 160), Clallam County Courthouse, 223 E. Fourth Street, Port Angeles, WA. Note: the after-hours entrance to the Courthouse is via Fourth Street, to the left of the flag poles near the main courthouse entrance.

Forks - February 24th, 6-9 pm, Washington Department of Natural Resources Community Room, 411 Tillicum Lane, Forks, WA.

OCNMS also announced via a listserv message and web site postings that the public can learn more about the proposed rule and DMP/EA at the January Advisory Council (AC) meeting Friday, January 21 in Port Angeles, WA, where staff will lead a review and discussion of the proposed rule and DMP/DEA.

During this public review phase of the OCNMS management plan review folks are encouraged to spread the word and reach out to local constituents. OCNMS greatly values the comments and advice received through the Advisory Council and the interested public. For more information visit OCNMS at http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/.

Erosion Concerns Loom at Westport's South Jetty

2011-01-04T13:40:00.000-08:00

Erosion on back side of Westport's south jetty spring '10

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sand nourishment project at Westhaven State Park in Westport, Washington, adjacent to Half Moon Bay, is already showing signs of weakness after repairs were done early this November a very vulnerable section of dunes. The park's south Jetty underwent a devastating breach in December 1993, and a partial breach some years later. The threat has been ongoing in the years since including this fall and winter.

The thin stretch of sand connecting Westhaven to the base of the Jetty was approximately 100 feet wide during last year’s November 4 repairs, which included placing fill along 200 feet of shoreline parallel to the entrance road coming into Westhaven Park (just above the cement walking trail and leading to the Park’s restrooms). Although the fill added by the Corps remains, fall storms and extreme high tides have led to very evident and increasing erosion along Half Moon Bay’s western shore. In addition very large chunks of land have broken away from the top of the dune just above the beach access trail that leads from the park restrooms to base of the South Jetty. A weakened section of dune which runs parallel to Westhaven’s beach about 35 to 40 feet wide and appears ready to break away. Concerns for further erosion continue as much of the area's winter storms are yet to come.

A major challenge for the Corps is that they have already utilized their entire remaining fill in the dune area just east of Half Moon Bay for continued beach nourishment work this fall. If an emergency situation occurs they will need to have more fill available, but the question of funding and how emergency nourishment might take place remains. Until decided the Corps continues to carefully monitor the situation with their primary concern being to protect Westport’s river mouth and shipping channel.

Secretary of Interior Announces 19 million for Coastal Conservation Projects

2011-01-02T11:07:00.000-08:00

This December, Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar announced the award of more than $19 million to support 24 conservation projects benefiting fish and wildlife on more than 5,900 acres of coastal habitats in twelve states in the U.S. through the 2011 National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program. These federal grants will be matched by nearly $21 million in partner contributions from state and local governments, private landowners and conservation groups. The grants will be used to acquire, restore or enhance coastal wetlands and adjacent uplands to provide long-term conservation benefits to fish, wildlife and their habitat. States receiving funds include: Oregon, Washington, Wisconsin, Alabama, Florida, North Carolina, Delaware, Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey, Alaska, and California.

“Our Nation’s coastal wetlands encompass large areas of vital habitat for countless species of wildlife while providing important economic resources and recreational opportunities for the American people,” Secretary Ken Salazar said. “These grants will offer additional protection, restoration, and enhancement of these precious habitats.”

The National Coastal Wetlands Conservation Grant Program is administered by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and funded under provisions of the 1990 Coastal Wetlands Planning, Protection and Restoration Act. Funding is provided by Sport Fish Restoration Act revenue – money generated from an excise tax on fishing equipment, motorboat and small engine fuels.

Including the 2011 grants, the Service has awarded nearly $260 million to coastal states and territories since the program began in 1992. When the 2011 projects are complete more than 265,000 acres of habitat will have been protected, restored or enhanced.

Celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the Service’s Coastal Program provides strategic conservation planning and assistance in coastal areas. It represents one of the Service’s most popular and effective programs for voluntary, locally-based habitat restoration and protection efforts. With climate change threatening to reduce coastal habitats, the public and private partnerships garnered by the Coastal Program are essential.

Coastal areas comprise less than 10 percent of the nation’s land area yet support the majority of wildlife species, including 75 percent of migratory birds, nearly 80 percent of fish and shellfish and about half of all threatened and endangered species. The Coastal Program is a vital tool in helping to recover listed species and maintaining populations of candidate species that depend on coastal habitats.

Several examples of projects include:

Central Willapa Bay Conservation Project – The Washington State Department of Ecology, in partnership with the Columbia Land Trust, was awarded $1 million to help acquire and permanently protect four parcels totaling 575 acres of highly threatened, pristine, declining coastal wetlands, riparian areas, and associated mature and old growth conifer forest on Willapa Bay in southwest Washington. The total project cost is $1,405,000. Willapa Bay is the second largest estuary on North America’s west coast and is one of the most pristine estuaries in the United States. The unique habitats of Willapa Bay include a variety of estuarine wetlands, freshwater wetlands, lakes, old growth and mature conifer forest, sand dunes, beaches, and grasslands that support a diversity of wildlife and plants. The project area is home to Federally threatened salmon, Green sturgeon, Marbled murrelet, Brown pelican, and Bald eagle. The four parcels are located near the 15,000-acre Willapa Bay National Wildlife Refuge.

Drayton Harbor Estuary: Coastal Wetland Protection and Restoration – The Washington State Department of Ecology, in partnership with the Whatcom Land Trust and the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, was awarded $340,000 to help acquire, restore and protect in perpetuity eight acres of estuarine habitat at the confluence of California Creek and Drayton Harbor in northwestern Washington. The total project cost is $496,000. The project area includes 1,700 feet of freshwater and saltwater frontage and contains both estuarine and palustrine wetlands, of which six acres are nationally declining wetlands. The project will also restore the wetland hydrology; remove noxious weeds and establish native plants; and remove a dilapidated house, outbuildings, driveway, and culverts. The property is adjacent to State-owned tidally inundated mud flats and is within the 100-year floodplain of California Creek. Upon completion of the project, public access for passive recreation will be accommodated, including a parking lot and educational signage.

North River/Willapa Bay Conservation – The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) was awarded $1 million to help acquire and restore 505 acres of estuarine and freshwater marsh, and forested riparian and shoreline in northern Willapa Bay in southwest Washington. The total project cost is $1,460,000. Willapa Bay is regarded as one of the most pristine estuaries in the United States and is the second largest estuary on the west coast. This project will protect an assemblage of high quality wetlands, including estuarine, emergent salt marsh, marsh scrub/shrub and freshwater forested wetlands. The project area is adjacent to 1,300 acres of coastal habitat already protected by WDFW and the Cascade Land Conservancy, thus consolidating nearly 2,000 acres of protected lands in north Willapa Bay, including property which would otherwise be at risk of residential and commercial development. The project has wide support from a variety of partners, including the Cascade Land Conservancy, the State Department of Agriculture, Wildlife Forever Fund, and the USFWS Coastal Program.

Tarboo-Dabob Bay Acquisition and Restoration, Phase II – Washington State Department of Ecology was awarded $1 million to help acquire and protect in perpetuity eight properties making up approximately 108 acres within the State-designated Dabob Bay Natural Area. The total project cost is $1,500,000. This acquisition would complete a continuous nature preserve surrounding Tarboo-Dabob Bay, one of the least developed coastal embayments remaining in Puget Sound. Four previous National Coastal Wetland Conservation Grants have helped protect a total of 875 acres fronting on the Bay. This project will help protect highly productive salmonid habitats and benefit a diversity of at-risk freshwater and estuarine species, including five salmon stocks, forage fish species, numerous shorebird, waterfowl, and land bird species. This project is essential for the continued success of the larger effort by 34 project partners, including Federal, State, tribal, shellfish grower and landowner interests to protect wetlands of State and national significance.

The mission of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service is working with others to conserve, protect and enhance fish, wildlife, plants and their habitats for the continuing benefit of the American people. They describe themselves as both a leader and trusted partner in fish and wildlife conservation, known for scientific excellence, stewardship of lands and natural resources, dedicated professionals, and commitment to public service.

A complete list of projects funded by the 2011 grant program can be found online at: http://www.fws.gov/coastal/CoastalGrants/index.html. For more information on our work and the people who make it happen, visit www.fws.gov.

The Gulf Oil Spill: A Wakeup Call for Washington State

2010-12-01T10:56:00.000-08:00

As tens of millions of gallons of oil spilled into the Gulf this summer, we are once again reminded that catastrophic oil spills do happen and the consequences of failing to prepare for them is severe. In fact, experts agree that, should a catastrophic spill occur in Puget Sound, even one on the scale of one million gallons, the consequences of such a spill would be much greater than in the Gulf due to the fact that the Sound is a confined body of water. There is little ability of the spill to be swept out into the open ocean as occurred, to a certain extent, in the Gulf.

Impacts of a Major Spill in Washington Waters

Several years ago, Department of Ecology conducted a study to determine what the economic impacts of a major spill might be. They concluded that a major spill would cost 165,000 jobs and 10.8 billion dollars in economic impacts alone. This does not include individual claims or environmental impacts. According to NOAA scientists, of all the threats posed to orca whales in the region, the threat of a major oil spill is the single greatest risk to the species. Such a spill could easily eliminate our resident orca populations.

OSAC Large Scale Oil Spill Report

As the Gulf spill reminds us, it’s not a question of if we will have such a spill, it’s a matter of when such a spill will occur and whether we are prepared to respond to it. With this in mind, in October 2008, the Washington Oil Spill Advisory Council completed an extensive year-long study of the state’s ability to respond to a major spill. The Council relied on technical experts from inside and outside the spill cleanup industry, consultants, and their own staff to conduct a complete review of oil spill response capability. Specifically, these experts reviewed the type and amount of spill response equipment that could be brought to the spill in a timely fashion and whether there were personnel available to operate the equipment.

Under existing Washington law, those responsible for transporting and receiving oil in Washington must have enough staff and equipment to respond to a “worst case scenario” spill. The results of the study were alarming. After running a number of real world scenarios, it became clear that we are not prepared for a major spill. Preparing for a Large Scale Spill in Washington Several policy changes are needed to insure that Washington is well prepared for a major spill, including:

•Improve funding for the Department’s Oil Spill Program, which is currently running a multi-million dollar deficit.
•Strengthen requirements for stockpiling spill response equipment in Washington to insure that we have equipment on hand to respond in large seas, fast currents, darkness and fog, and other challenging environments. Ensure that we are ready for a large spill in Puget Sound or on the outer coast.
•Expand spill response “drill” program to test assumptions made in our spill response plans and to better train responders.
•Train and prepare commercial fishermen to help with any oil spill cleanup.

For more information contact Bruce Wishart, People for Puget Sound, 360-754-9177 or bwishart@pugetsound.org.

*Blog entry printed Courtesy of Bruce Wishart, People for Puget Sound.

Westport Fisherman Provide Siting Recommendations for Ocean Observatories Initiative

2010-11-20T08:01:00.000-08:00

On Wednesday, November 17, over a dozen locals, mostly representing the Westport fishing industry, attended a public meeting at the Westport Maritime Museum to provide input for a project under the Ocean Observatories Initiative. This cooperative between the National Science Foundation and the Consortium for Ocean Leadership, will construct a network of instruments, undersea cables, and instrumented moorings that will span the Western Hemisphere. These ocean observatories will measure physical, chemical, geological, and biological phenomena in carefully selected key coastal, regional, and global areas. Project Manager Rick Spaulding of TEC, Inc. welcomed the evening’s participants and introduced other key leads for their project including Oregon State University Science Professors Bob Collier and Ed Dever and CGSN Project Scientist and Engineer with Oregon State University and Sue Banahan, from the Consortium for Ocean Leadership. Dever and Collier present a majority of agenda taking questions and concerns throughout their presentation of the project being planned just offshore of Westport. In addition to a site in Westport the Initiative will encompass the installation, operation, and maintenance of this ocean science in Newport, Oregon and on the east coast in Massachusetts. There will also be additional “global” buoys in the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans.

The evening offered another of several opportunities extended by the project over the last several months to distribute project information and get local input, particularly from our area’s fishing industry. The agenda listed three main objectives: 1. Review the candidate mooring locations, their associated siting boxes, and the science and operational siting requirements. 2. Review fishing community requirements. 3. Discussion of options for mooring locations within the siting boxes. The “Grays Harbor Line” would consist of a total of 3 paired surface and subsurface moorings (for a total of 6), in 3 locations, and 6 gliders. Running east to west they would be deployed at approximately 14 fathoms, 44 fathoms, and 273 fathoms. Each mooring then provides the power needed by seafloor and platform instruments and sensors to use wireless technologies to transmit data to back to shore. Gliders would run missions in the vicinity of the moored array.

Detailed maps of each siting location were provided to all attendees for discussion and input. Many questions were raised regarding the two shallowest sites. Tangled gear was a major concern as was having limited access to certain areas to retrieve normal catch since the proposed siting areas revealed an approximate quarter mile “buffer” around each. Bananhan, who has worked closely on the community outreach for this Initiative, promptly addressed these concerns. “In no way are we trying to restrict fishing. Our major goal is to meet the science and operational requirements for the project and avoid conflicts with regional fishing activities.”

Very detailed siting information was taken from several local fisherman and several industry representatives including Mark Cedargreen of the Westport Charter Boat Association, Ray Toste of the Washington Dungeness Crab Fisherman’s Association, and Doug Fricke of the Coalition for Coastal Fisheries. Overall no major objections were heard from attendees on any of the three siting locations.With research in the ocean usually relying on research vessels to make direct measurements of the ocean environment, the Ocean Observatories Initiative is helping establish the new technology of remote sensing to advance measurements in our world’s oceans. A primary objective of the Initiative is to eventually create “an interactive, globally distributed and integrated infrastructure, that will be the backbone for the next generation of ocean sensors and resulting complex ocean studies that are presently unachievable.”

Public comments are still being accepted for this project. The Foundation hopes to have a final environmental assessment completed sometime this fall, however placement of the observatories off Grays Harbor won’t be complete until 2014. For more information or to submit your comment or question on this project please contact Jean McGovern OOI Program Director, National Science Foundation, JMCGOVER@nsf.gov.

Updates & Information: Coastal Marine Spatial Planning and the West Coast Governor's Agreement on Ocean Health

2010-11-17T07:47:00.000-08:00

On September 18, 2006 the Governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health. The Agreement launched a new, proactive regional collaboration to protect and manage the ocean and coastal resources along the entire West Coast, as called for in the recommendations of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy and the Pew Oceans Commission.

The Agreement goals include:
-Clean coastal waters and beaches
-Healthy ocean and coastal habitats
-Effective ecosystem-based management
-Reduced impacts of offshore development
-Increased ocean awareness and literacy among the region’s citizens
-Expanded ocean and coastal scientific information, research, and monitoring
-Sustainable economic development of coastal communities

It also underscores the importance of managing activities that affect our oceans on an ecosystem basis. That is, managing human activities and their impact on ocean resources in a way that accounts for the relationships among all ecosystem components, including people and other species and the environment in which we all live.

Since being established it helps direct staff in each state to take certain immediate actions and support the development of more extensive action plans. Early on, each state prepared a discussion paper to guide public input on actions for consideration during development of the action plan and sponsored a series of meetings to obtain public and stakeholder input on the Agreement. This draft Action Plan was released on October 19, 2007 and was finalized in July 2008. For more information you can link to http://westcoastoceans.gov/.

To carry out the Action Plan, the states created Action Coordination Teams (ACTs), charged with ensuring tri-state communication and collaboration while accomplishing specific actions. In May 2009, these teams finished drafting work plans detailing the tasks, timelines, and resources required to fulfill their charge. The work plans were released for public comment and are now available at http://westcoastoceans.gov/teams/ . At the present time, there are ten functioning ACTs.

On July 19, 2010, President Obama signed an Executive Order establishing a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes. That Executive Order adopted the Final Recommendations of the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force to direct federal agencies to take appropriate steps to implement them. Among those steps is supporting Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs) and advancing regional coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) approaches around the United States.

NOAA Federal Funding Opportunity

On September 13, 2010 the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced Federal Register the availability of a competitive federal funding opportunity (FFO) for Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROP). Information regarding the FFO can be found at www.csc.noaa.gov/funding. The ROP for the West Coast is the West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA). The WCGA plans to engage tribal governments and stakeholders in a process to identify regional coastal and marine spatial planning priorities. The WCGA plans to submit a coordinated proposal to NOAA in response to the FFO.

The West Coast Governors' Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA) recently developed a scoping document in preparation for recent workshops that took place earlier this month Washingtin, Oregon, and California to help inform the development of a proposal in response to the Regional Ocean Partnerships Funding Program (ROPFP) notice for Regional Ocean Partnership priorities and coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) initiatives.

The purpose of the scoping document is to provide participants with a common starting point for discussions at these workshops and provide guidance for formulating project ideas that participants may wish to recommend for inclusion in the West Coast proposal.

How to submit ideas

Although the Washington workshop has already taken place there are still ways to get your input heard!

You can provide general comments or ideas via the WCGA website http://www.westcoastoceans.gov up until December 3, 2010 either by:
-Emailing comments@westcoastoceans.gov to share general comments that will be posted online.
-Submitting a general idea that may help shape the proposal in 500 words or less. Just go to http://westcoastoceans.gov/contact/ and fill in the text box per the website instructions.

OR

-Submitting specific detailed project ideas for inclusion in the West Coast proposal by November 19, 2010, via an online application tool at http://www.westcoastoceans.gov; See Appendix B for the information that will be required to submit your idea. All proposals for federal funding are required to be submitted to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) by December 10, 2010.

Please Note: Your comment, name, and date of posting will be available for the general public to read (email addresses or phone number will not be published).

Public Meeting November 17 to Receive Input for Proposed Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI)

2010-11-06T09:52:00.000-07:00

The National Science Foundation (NSF) gives notice of a public meeting to receive input for the micrositing of the Grays Harbor Line of the Endurance Array for the proposed OOI project. Project scientists supported by NSF made an initial determination of candidate sites where the moorings could be placed to meet the science/operational requirements of the Endurance Array. Enclosure (1) lists the science/operational siting requirements and Enclosure (2) is a figure of the proposed micro-siting areas that will be presented at the meeting. The eventual placement, or ‘micro-siting’, of the moorings is being coordinated with the public and marine user stakeholders. NSF is continuing to coordinate a series of public meetings to receive input for the final siting of the Endurance Array.

The details for the next meeting are as follows:

Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: Westport Maritime Museum, 2201 Westhaven Drive Westport, WA

Micro-siting Goal: Determine mooring locations within the siting boxes for the proposed Grays Harbor Line inshore, shelf, and offshore mooring locations that meet OOI science/operational requirements and avoid conflicts with regional fishing interests. Meeting Objectives: 1. Review the candidate mooring locations, their associated siting boxes, and the science and operational siting requirements. 2. Review fishing community requirements. 3. Discussion of options for mooring locations within the siting boxes.

BACKGROUND ON OOI

Oceanographic research has long relied on research vessel cruises (expeditions) as the predominate means to make direct measurements of the ocean environment. Remote sensing (use of satellites and other wireless technologies) has greatly advanced abilities to measure ocean surface characteristics over extended periods of time. A major advancement for oceanographic research methods is the ability to make sustained, long-term, and adaptive measurements from the surface to the ocean bottom. ‘‘Ocean Observatories’’ are now being developed to further this goal. Building upon recent technology advances and lessons learned from prototype ocean observatories, the proposed OOI is an interactive, globally distributed and integrated infrastructure that will be the backbone for the next generation of ocean sensors and resulting complex ocean studies that are presently unachievable. The proposed OOI would include the installation, operation, and maintenance of infrastructure along the coasts of Oregon, Washington, and Massachusetts and global buoys in the Eastern Pacific and Atlantic oceans. In addition, there would be an integration of mobile assets such as autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVS) and/or gliders. This largescale infrastructure would support sensors located at the sea surface, in the water column, and at or beneath the seafloor. The OOI would also support related elements, such as data dissemination and archiving, modeling of oceanographic processes, and education and outreach activities essential to the long-term success of ocean science.

BACKGROUND ON ENDURANCE ARRAY

The proposed Endurance Array would be comprised of 2 lines of moorings, one located off the coast of central Oregon (Newport Line), and a second at a contrasting site off central Washington (Grays Harbor Line). The Grays Harbor Line would consist of a total of 6 moorings, in 3 locations (i.e. paired surface and subsurface moorings), and 6 gliders. The proposed Grays Harbor Line would consist of 3 paired surface and subsurface moorings, running east to west, deployed at approximately 14 fathoms (fm) (25 meters [m]), 44 fm (80 m), and 273 fm (500 m). Moorings would provide locally generated power to seafloor and platform instruments and sensors, and use satellite and other wireless technologies to link to shore and the Internet. Gliders would run missions in the vicinity of the moored array.

NSF prepared a Draft Site-Specific Environmental Assessment (SSEA), which identified three (3) general areas as starting points for locating the proposed placement of the moorings. The environmental impacts associated with moorings being placed anywhere within these general areas have been addressed in the Draft SSEA. Additional information obtained through the micro-siting process and the public meetings will be incorporated into the environmental analysis in NSF’s Final SSEA. This micro-siting process, however, allows the public to continue the dialogue with NSF with regard to the final location of the moorings. NSF recognizes the detailed nature of this information and is coordinating the public meeting on November 17 to provide an opportunity for additional information exchange.

For more information please contact Jean McGovern OOI Program Director, National Science Foundation, JMCGOVER@nsf.gov.

Public Meeting November 17 to Receive Input for Proposed Ocean Observatories Initiative (OOI)

2010-11-02T10:19:00.000-07:00

Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010

Time: 7:00 – 9:00 pm

Location: Westport Maritime Museum, 2201 Westhaven Drive Westport, WA

BACKGROUND ON OOI

BACKGROUND ON ENDURANCE ARRAY

For more information please contact Jean McGovern OOI Program Director, National Science Foundation, JMCGOVER@nsf.gov.

Workshop in Olympia will Discuss NOAA Funding Opportunity for Regional Ocean Partnership

2010-11-02T10:05:00.000-07:00

On September 13, 2010, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) announced the availability of a competitive federal funding opportunity (FFO) (www.csc.noaa.gov/funding) to support Regional Ocean Partnerships (ROPs) and to advance regional marine spatial planning approaches around the United States. The West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health (WCGA) is the federally recognized ROP for the West Coast. The FFO provides the WCGA and other ROPs throughout the nation with special authority to coordinate the development of a proposal or proposals to compete for this funding. The WCGA is engaging tribal governments, state and federal agencies, scientists and technical experts, and stakeholders in a process to identify regional coastal and marine spatial planning (CMSP) priorities and needs that will support a coordinated regional proposal from the WCGA to NOAA in response to the FFO. Please keep in mind that the FFO is a national competition between nine to ten ROPs around the country for a portion of $20 million dollars and that the funding has yet to be appropriated by Congress. To help develop the proposal, the WCGA will host one workshop in each West Coast state in November of 2010. The Washington workshop will be held: Tuesday, November 16, 2010, 10am to 4pm, Heritage Room at Capitol Lake, 604 Water Street Olympia, Washington 98501

Prior to the workshops, the WCGA will prepare a scoping document that will provide the foundation for workshop discussions. The document will include information regarding recommendations of the regional priorities identified in the 2008 West Coast Governors’ Ocean Action Plan and the implementation work plans of the WCGA Action Coordination Teams, established by the Governors to advise them ( http://westcoastoceans.gov/teams/). At the conclusion of the workshops, the WCGA will proceed with the following steps toward the submission of a proposal. The WCGA will:

1. Publish workshop findings for public review (a website will be made available);

2. Develop and release a revised version of the scoping document for public review that incorporates input from the workshops and other sources;

3. Host a public webinar to discuss the draft scoping document and development of the FFO proposal;

4. Provide a brief public comment period on the revised scoping document; and

5. Complete the final proposal and submit it to NOAA by the December 10, 2010, deadline.

Everyone is invited to attend these workshops. However, to ensure we have adequate space and resources at each workshop, please RSVP by emailing our WCGA Coordinator, Lisa DeBruyckere, at lisad@createstrat.com. Please provide your name, organization, specific workshop you are attending, and contact information. The timeline for us to engage with you is very short as the deadline for submission of a regional response is December 10, 2010. However, we are confident that the work that has been achieved to date by regional entities and the vision that exists in our region to address future ocean health challenges will result in the development of a strong West Coast regional response to the FFO.

Wahkiakum County Marine Resources Committee Announces their First Meeting

2010-10-27T09:33:00.000-07:00

Update: Army Corps Completes Groins Revetment Work in Westport

2010-10-25T09:21:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers completed emergency repairs to the rock revetment (Groins) in Westport at about 10:00 p.m. on Saturday, October 23. They placed rock along about 150 linear feet of the revetment in the vicinity of Westport Seafood off Neddie Rose Drive where a section was at risk of failing.

They placed approximately 1,118 tons of 2-6-ton rocks, working primarily during low tide periods. Construction was luckily completed just before peak swells reached the Washington coast early Sunday morning. Monitoring of the repair and other sections continues to ensure no other weak spots develop.

The Corps of Engineers also provided sandbags to local communities over the weekend, including 6,000 sandbags to the Quinault Tribe and 2,500 to the City of Westport.

30' Swell Hits the Washington Coast

2010-10-25T09:12:00.000-07:00

Up to 34-foot swells are battering the Washington coast this morning and Emergency officials are asking people to stay back from the surf and residents are preparing for possible flooding. Westport businesses sandbagged their doorways Sunday night. The storm is the first test for the city's new million dollar drain project to improve marina flood events.

A coastal flood warning is in effect for the central Washington coast until 5:00 am Tuesday. The Weather Service says waves along the coast will peak this morning between 29 and 34 feet. Meanwhile, the Coast Guard has closed the Columbia River bar and most other entrances to coastal ports in Washington and Oregon because of dangerously high waves including crossings at Grays Harbor, Wash., Tillamook, Depoe Bay, Yaquina, Umpqua and Coos Bay.

According to the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washaway Beach, Cape Showalter, has experienced the most rapid erosion on the U.S. Pacific coast. It has been eroding an average of 100 feet per year for a century.

Army Corps Begins Work on Groins Revetment in Westport

2010-10-23T09:08:00.000-07:00

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers began work last week and continued well into Friday night on their rock revetment construction project along Neddie Rose Drive in Westport's Marina District. All in due time considering the approaching 30 foot westerly swell due to hit Westport Sunday night.

The work will repair the revetment by placing approximately 1,735 cubic yards (2,435 tons) of new armor rock along approximately 200 linear feet of revetment and gravel (approximately 30 tons) may also be placed temporarily to protect the asphalt pit run and sidewalk adjacent to the revetment from damage during construction and would be removed at project completion. Work is expected to last up to 30 days, depending on weather and tidal conditions.

During the rock placement work, the Corps will have an inspector from its Aberdeen based survey crew on-site. The Corps’ coastal engineering and environmental staff will conduct periodic inspections of the revetment repairs.

Westport residents and visitors should note that access in the vicinity of the Westport viewing tower will be temporarily restricted during the construction.

The Corps of Engineers maintains the rock structures at Westport as part of its ongoing mission to maintain and protect the federal navigation project at the Westhaven Cove Marina, including the entrance channel and the marina basin, however the City of Westport hopes and many speculates that the repair may also drastically improve the ongoing and rampant storm flooding that has been occurring in the Marina District. The Corps has maintained and improved navigation in Grays Harbor for more than 100 years. For more information please contact Patricia Graesser 206-764-3750, Patricia.garesser@us.army.mil.

Army Corps of Engineers to Place Sand Near Westport South Jetty October 12, 2010

2010-10-04T10:05:00.000-07:00

For Immediate Release:

Contact:
Patricia Graesser 206-764-3750
U.S. ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS – Seattle District
Patricia.garesser@us.army.mil
4735 E. Marginal Way South, Seattle, WA 98134
www.nws.usace.army.mil

Oct. 4, 2010

SEATTLE—The Army Corps of Engineers will respond to continuing erosion adjacent to the Grays Harbor south jetty breach fill in Westport, Wash., by placing about 30,000 cubic yards of sand beginning this month.

The sand placement is intended to protect against the risk of a breach forming and possibly threatening the stability of the south jetty and federal navigation channel.

The Environmental Assessment for this work is on line at: http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/ers/index.cfm

The Corps awarded the contract to Cherokee Construction to re-handle 30,000 cubic yards of sand to the South Jetty breach fill. Construction is expected to start about Oct. 12 and take about three weeks.

The sand is already on site and will be hauled approximately one half mile to nourish the threatened breach fill area. The contractor will avoid areas where the Corps has planted native dune grass. A small area of vegetation will be covered with mats for temporary equipment. No long-term impacts are expected because vegetation is dormant at this time of year

Westport residents and visitors should note that access will be restricted during the construction. Trucks will be running along the north half of the State Park Access Road and the public parking overlook area near the U.S. Coast Guard storm warning flag tower until sand placement is completed.

This action is being undertaken as an intermediate measure pending implementation of the operations and maintenance Long Term Management Strategy that is currently under development.

Drops of Water is Seeking Reader Input

2010-10-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

Local Chehalis Basin and Grays Harbor publication Drops of Water is conducting a readership survey and looking for your input via short online survey. Please visit http://www.surveygizmo.com/s3/365324/Drops-of-Water-Survey. They want to hear reader opinions about this quarterly publication and whether you would be interested in receiving an electronic rather than a printed copy.

The survey will only take a few minutes of your time to complete. As our “thank you” for completing their survey, you can enter to win a $50 GRAND PRIZE drawing!

2010 Washington Coastal Marine Resources Committee Summit Convenes in Westport

2010-10-02T18:29:00.000-07:00

Washington Coastal Marine Resources Committee board members from Grays Harbor, Pacific, Clallam, Jefferson, and Wahkiakum counties were brought together in one place for the very first time on September 29 and 30 week for the 2010 Washington Coastal Marine Resources Committee Summit. The goal of the two-day event was for a board member meet and greet and for each Committee to share ideas, discuss project work and updates, and more importantly see if opportunities could be identified for aligning coast wide projects and funding sources for those projects.

In 2007, the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2049 that authorized coastal Marine Resources Committees in Pacific, Grays Harbor, and Wahkiakum cou nties with additional funding being approved in 2008 for Clallam and Jefferson Counties. The goal of the Coastal Program which is coordinated and currently funded through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is “to understand, steward, and restore the marine and estuarine ecological processes of the Washington coast in support of ecosystem health, sustainable marine resource-based livelihoods, cultural integrity, and coastal communities.“

The Summit agenda consisted of several facilitated board member sessions and a field trip and presentation at Bottle Beach to showcase just one of our region’s most ecologically diverse and impressive marine habitats. Later that evening folks gathered for a board member hosted dinner. Grays Harbor County Commissioner Al Carter was on hand and gave a brief keynote presentation. “In just two short years,” Carter said, “Coastal MRCs are proving an invaluable tool as a citizen driven mechanism to get community concerns heard by local agencies and lawmakers. It’s very apparent that out here on the coast our marine resources are vitally important to the livelihoods of many. Working together locally to get issues addressed and resolved around the health of our resources will ensure and improve the quality of both economic and environmental factors.” Carter went on to encourage everyone to get involved with their local Committee by attending one of their monthly public meetings or signing up to volunteer for any of their many ongoing events or projects.

Marine Resources Committees are meant to help identify local resource priorities through the coordination of a diverse range of partners and volunteers in order to find action-oriented solutions. They also focus on the importance of Washington’s coastal and ocean resources and how they provide vital economic, recreational, transportation, and cultural benefits to coastal residents.

Day two of the Summit kicked off with board members wrapping up their previous day’s discussions and then quickly shifting gears f or the Marine Spatial Planning public session they were hosting along with the State Ocean Caucus at McCausland’s Hall that afternoon.

More than 60 individuals were present for the public meeting, which set out to provide further outreach to the community on the subject of Marine Spatial Planning process in Washington and gather additional feedback on a draft report of recommendations being prepared by the Ocean Caucus due to the legislature this December 15.

The report was a task assigned to the Caucus via this spring’s new marine spatial planning law (Substitute Senate Bill 6350). The new law sets out guidelines for creating a marine spatial plan and a framework for renewable energy in Washington. Additionally it asked for an interagency team (the State Ocean Caucus which is chaired by the Governor’s office and coordinated by Department of Ecology) to gather comments from coastal communities and beyond in regard to that plan.

The public comment session began with a welcome and introduction from Grays Harbor County Commissioners Terry Willis District 1 and Al Carter District 2 with each offering words of encouragement and support on the continued development of coastal Marine Resources Committees in Washington. They also commended those in attendance for taking a vested interest in such an important opportunity to provide their input on their concerns and recommendations for this spatial planning process.

“There’s a lot at stake here,” commented one of the session’s public attendees after the Commissioner welcome. “Marine spatial planning is such a complicated process involving so many ocean users from fisherman to surfers. It’s good that attempts are being made to get local input early before an actual plan is implemented.”

Session facilitator Margen Carlson from Department of Fish and Wildlife then took center stage to explain the afternoon’s agenda. Once a brief overview of marine spatial planning was given by the state’s Ocean Caucus leads Bob Nichols of the Governor’s Office and Jennifer Hennessey of Department of Ecology, folks then split up into six small groups and were assigned the task of considering three questions regarding the current draft recommendations report for marine spatial planning in Washington. The questions each group were asked to address included: what they liked about the report’s current recommendations, what they felt was missing, and/or how they felt they could be improved.

Attendees then reconvened to report the input gathered in each small group. An abundance of comments were recorded and included: provide more emphasis on minimizing pollution entering marine waters from all sources; promote a marine waters stewardship ethic; outline oil prevention measures; ensure that MRCs and local resource users have a continued voice in the spatial planning process; include all existing and developing Shoreline Management Plans during the spatial planning process; and emphasize protection of existing uses ahead of renewable energy planning framework.

The Summit and public session adjourned with many attendees staying after for continued discussions with board members and local and state agency leads. Although the current comment timeline for the draft report closed on October 5 you can learn more about the comments received from this session and review the draft report itself by visiting http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/msp/getinvolved.html.

2010 Washington Coastal Marine Resources Committee Summit Convenes in Westport

2010-10-02T18:14:00.000-07:00

In 2007, the Washington State Legislature passed Substitute House Bill 2049 that authorized coastal Marine Resources Committees in Pacific, Grays Harbor, and Wahkiakum cou nties with additional funding being approved in 2008 for Clallam and Jefferson Counties. The goal of the Coastal Program which is coordinated and currently funded through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife is “to understand, steward, and restore the marine and estuarine ecological processes of the Washington coast in support of ecosystem health, sustainable marine resource-based livelihoods, cultural integrity, and coastal communities.“

The Summit agenda consisted of several facilitated board member sessions and a field trip and presentation at Bottle Beach to showcase just one of our region’s most ecologically diverse and impressive marine habitats. Later that evening folks gathered for a board member hosted dinner. Grays Harbor County Commissioner Al Carter was on hand and gave a brief keynote presentation. “In just two short years,” Carter said, “Coastal MRCs are proving an invaluable tool as a citizen driven mechanism to get community concerns heard by local agencies and lawmakers. It’s very apparent that out here on the coast our marine resources are vitally important to the livelihoods of many. Working together locally to get issues addressed and resolved around the health of our resources will ensure and improve the quality of both economic and environmental factors.” Carter went on to encourage everyone to get involved with their local Committee by attending one of their monthly public meetings or signing up to volunteer for any of their many ongoing events or projects.

Marine Resources Committees are meant to help identify local resource priorities through the coordination of a diverse range of partners and volunteers in order to find action-oriented solutions. They also focus on the importance of Washington’s coastal and ocean resources and how they provide vital economic, recreational, transportation, and cultural benefits to coastal residents.

Day two of the Summit kicked off with board members wrapping up their previous day’s discussions and then quickly shifting gears f or the Marine Spatial Planning public session they were hosting along with the State Ocean C aucus at McCausland’s Hall that afternoon.

More than 60 individuals were present for the public meeting, which set out to provide further outreach to the community on the subject of Marine Spatial Planning process in Washington and gather additional feedback on a draft report of recommendations being prepared by the Ocean Caucus due to the legislature this December 15.

The report was a task assigned to the Caucus via this spring’s new marine spatial planning law (Substitute Senate Bill 6350). The new law sets out guidelines for creating a marine spatial plan and a framework for renewable energy in Washington. Additionally it asked for an interagency team (the State Ocean Caucus which is chaired by the Governor’s office and coordinated by Department of Ecology) to gather comments from coastal communities and beyond in regard to that plan.

The public comment session began with a welcome and introduction from Grays Harbor County Commissioners Terry Willis District 1 and Al Carter District 2 with each offering words of encouragement and support on the continued development of coastal Marine Resources Committees in Washington. They also commended those in attendance for taking a vested interest in such an important opportunity to provide their input on their concerns and recommendations for this spatial planning process.

“There’s a lot at stake here,” commented one of the session’s public attendees after the Commissioner welcome. “Marine spatial planning is such a complicated process involving so many ocean users from fisherman to surfers. It’s good that attempts are being made to get local input early before an actual plan is implemented.”

Session facilitator Margen Carlson from Department of Fish and Wildlife then took center stage to explain the afternoon’s agenda. Once a brief overview of marine spatial planning was given by the state’s Ocean Caucus leads Bob Nichols of the Governor’s Office and Jennifer Hennessey of Department of Ecology, folks then split up into six small groups and were assigned the task of considering three questions regarding the current draft recommendations report for marine spatial planning in Washington. The questions each group were asked to address included: what they liked about the report’s current recommendations, what they felt was missing, and/or how they felt they could be improved.

Attendees then reconvened to report the input gathered in each small group. An abundance of comments were recorded and included: provide more emphasis on minimizing pollution entering marine waters from all sources; promote a marine waters stewardship ethic; outline oil prevention measures; ensure that MRCs and local resource users have a continued voice in the spatial planning process; include all existing and developing Shoreline Management Plans during the spatial planning process; and emphasize protection of existing uses ahead of renewable energy planning framework.

The Summit and public session adjourned with many attendees staying after for continued discussions with board members and local and state agency leads. Although the current comment timeline for the draft report closed on October 5 you can learn more about the comments received from this session and review the draft report itself by visiting http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/msp/getinvolved.html.

Chehalis Watershed Festival This Sunday, September 26 in Aberdeen, WA

2010-09-23T21:51:00.000-07:00

NEWS RELEASE:

Chehalis Watershed Festival on Sunday September 26th!
For Immediate Release: 9/13/10
Contact: Janel Spaulding, 360-538-4212

Click Here for Event Schedule

On Sunday, September 26th, the Chehalis Basin Partnership will bring their popular Chehalis Watershed Festival to Morrison Riverfront Park and Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen, from 10a.m.-4p.m. This family-friendly, free event will stretch your legs and your imagination! There will be lots of parking, music and things to do….

Start out taste tasting the Chehalis’ water – give your opinion on the best! Then enjoy the art of Japanese fish printing “Gyotaku” with local artist Pam Sinclair-Nixon, or a free long boat sailing or tour of the Lady Washington or Hawaiian Chieftain from the Aberdeen landing. The Tall Ships will be doing an adventure sail at 2pm and tickets are available at the Festival or by calling (800) 200-5239. Feel like catching a fish? You’re in luck because the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force will be sponsoring a trout fishing pond.

For lunch, salmon is baking just for you -- it’s free too -- thanks to the Chehalis Tribe. You can sit by the river and eat while listening to old time swing and jazz by Who are these Guys? And later, the Mud Bay Blues Band.

Well-loved “Fin,” the 28’ fiberglass Salmon will be back too!! Plan to join us at the Chehalis Watershed Festival on September 26th and learn about this rich, alive place.
It’s your backyard!!

Exhibitors and activities include:

•Chehalis Basin Education Consortium: Fin, the 28’ Salmon and Salmon     Lifecycle Bracelets
•Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force: Trout Fishing Pond
•Chehalis Basin Partnership: EnviroScape Model, Watershed Pledge,     and Reusable Shopping Bags
•Chehalis River Basin Land Trust: Protecting and Restoring Land in     the Chehalis Basin
•Chehalis River Council: Leaf and Twig I.D., What is a Watershed?
•City of Centralia Stormwater Department: Centralia Stream Team Activities
•Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation: Tribal Projects in the Chehalis Basin
•Grays Harbor Audubon Society: Bird Making and Audubon Information
•Grays Harbor College Natural Resources Program: Carbon Footprint, Careers in Natural Resource Management
•Grays Harbor Conservation District: Different Forests Attract Different Species
•Grays Harbor County Marine Resources Committee: Marine Resource Tools and Oyster Shell Painting
•Grays Harbor County Noxious Weed Control Board: Making Weed Eaters
•Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority: Tours and Longboat Sailings
•Northwest Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society: Chehalis Watershed Fish and Wildlife
•Ocean Shores Interpretive Center: Touch and Feel Bones, Skulls, Antlers and Feathers
•The Nature Conservancy: Knotweed Control in the Chehalis Basin and Riparian Coloring Books
•U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Pathways to Fishing
•Vet Corps: Learn How to Get Involved in Restoration Projects
•Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership: “Salmon Life Cycle” Posters and Information

For more information: Contact Janel Spaulding at jspauldi@ghc.edu or (360) 538-4212.

Click Here for Event Schedule

Chehalis Watershed Festival This Sunday, September 26 in Aberdeen, WA

2010-09-18T21:55:00.000-07:00

Chehalis Watershed Festival on
Sunday September 26th!
For Immediate Release: 9/13/10
Contact: Janel Spaulding, 360-538-4212

Click Here for Event Schedule

On Sunday, September 26th, the Chehalis Basin Partnership will bring their popular Chehalis Watershed Festival to Morrison Riverfront Park and Rotary Log Pavilion in Aberdeen, from 10a.m.-4p.m. This family-friendly, free event will stretch your legs and your imagination! There will be lots of parking, music and things to do….

Start out taste tasting the Chehalis’ water – give your opinion on the best! Then enjoy the art of Japanese fish printing “Gyotaku” with local artist Pam Sinclair-Nixon, or a free long boat sailing or tour of the Lady Washington or Hawaiian Chieftain from the Aberdeen landing. The Tall Ships will be doing an adventure sail at 2pm and tickets are available at the Festival or by calling (800) 200-5239. Feel like catching a fish? You’re in luck because the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force will be sponsoring a trout fishing pond.

For lunch, salmon is baking just for you -- it’s free too -- thanks to the Chehalis Tribe. You can sit by the river and eat while listening to old time swing and jazz by Who are these Guys? And later, the Mud Bay Blues Band.

Well-loved “Fin,” the 28’ fiberglass Salmon will be back too!! Plan to join us at the Chehalis Watershed Festival on September 26th and learn about this rich, alive place.
It’s your backyard!!

Exhibitors and activities include:

•Chehalis Basin Education Consortium: Fin, the 28’ Salmon and Salmon    Lifecycle Bracelets
•Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force: Trout Fishing Pond
•Chehalis Basin Partnership: EnviroScape Model, Watershed Pledge,    and Reusable Shopping Bags
•Chehalis River Basin Land Trust: Protecting and Restoring Land in    the Chehalis Basin
•Chehalis River Council: Leaf and Twig I.D., What is a Watershed?
•City of Centralia Stormwater Department: Centralia Stream Team Activities
•Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation: Tribal Projects in the Chehalis Basin
•Grays Harbor Audubon Society: Bird Making and Audubon Information
•Grays Harbor College Natural Resources Program: Carbon Footprint, Careers in Natural Resource Management
•Grays Harbor Conservation District: Different Forests Attract Different Species
•Grays Harbor County Marine Resources Committee: Marine Resource Tools and Oyster Shell Painting
•Grays Harbor County Noxious Weed Control Board: Making Weed Eaters
•Grays Harbor Historical Seaport Authority: Tours and Longboat Sailings
•Northwest Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society: Chehalis Watershed Fish and Wildlife
•Ocean Shores Interpretive Center: Touch and Feel Bones, Skulls, Antlers and Feathers
•The Nature Conservancy: Knotweed Control in the Chehalis Basin and Riparian Coloring Books
•U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: Pathways to Fishing
•Vet Corps: Learn How to Get Involved in Restoration Projects
•Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership: “Salmon Life Cycle” Posters and Information

For more information: Contact Janel Spaulding at jspauldi@ghc.edu or (360) 538-4212.

Click Here for Event Schedule

Provide Your Input on Marine Spatial Planning in Washington at One of Several Public Sessions Near You

2010-09-14T16:31:00.001-07:00

If you’re interested in marine spatial planning in Washington, you are encouraged to attend any of the five comment sessions being held between September 20-30 and sponsored by a variety of groups. These sessions provide the opportunity to learn more about the draft marine spatial planning report issued by Washington State on September 3. In addition, state agency representatives will be onsite to listen to your opinions. Information on the dates and locations of comment sessions is attached. Please help spread the word about this opportunity by forwarding this message on to others who may be interested. Thank you!

Background

In March 2010, the Washington State Legislature passed a new law on marine spatial planning. Under this law, the legislature requested an interagency team develop a report that summarizes and analyses information and provides recommendations related to advancing marine spatial planning in the state. The final report to the legislature is due December 15, 2010. The governor’s office chairs this interagency team, which is called the State Ocean Caucus, and Ecology staff coordinates the team. The State Ocean Caucus is asking for your input on the draft report before finalizing the report and recommendations to the legislature. More information on marine spatial planning, the new state law, and how to comment, please visit our website at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/msp/getinvolved.html. The public comment period will close on October 5, 2010.

Provide Your Input on Marine Spatial Planning in Washington at One of Several Public Sessions Near You

2010-09-14T10:16:00.000-07:00

click here to view flyer

If you’re interested in marine spatial planning in Washington, you are encouraged to attend any of the five comment sessions being held between September 20-30 and sponsored by a variety of groups. These sessions provide the opportunity to learn more about the draft marine spatial planning report issued by Washington State on September 3. In addition, state agency representatives will be onsite to listen to your opinions. Information on the dates and locations of comment sessions is attached. Please help spread the word about this opportunity by forwarding this message on to others who may be interested. Thank you!

Background
In March 2010, the Washington State Legislature passed a new law on marine spatial planning. Under this law, the legislature requested an interagency team develop a report that summarizes and analyses information and provides recommendations related to advancing marine spatial planning in the state. The final report to the legislature is due December 15, 2010. The governor’s office chairs this interagency team, which is called the State Ocean Caucus, and Ecology staff coordinates the team. The State Ocean Caucus is asking for your input on the draft report before finalizing the report and recommendations to the legislature. More information on marine spatial planning, the new state law, and how to comment, please visit our website at: http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/msp/getinvolved.html. The public comment period will close on October 5, 2010.

Stakeholder Comment Session on Marine Spatial Planning - September 30, 1-4pm in Westport, WA

2010-08-22T09:25:00.001-07:00

click flyer to view

Stakeholder Comment Session on Marine Spatial Planning in Westport, Washington September 30 1-4pm

2010-08-22T09:25:00.000-07:00

click flyer to view

Westport Erosion and Flooding Events May Improve After Army Corps Work This Fall

2010-08-15T09:41:00.001-07:00

Over-topping of rock revetment this winter.

The Seattle District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will proceed this fall with two separate construction projects in Westport. The first will be 2-3 weeks of breach fill work on the southwest portion of Half Moon Bay beginning on or about September 13 and the second will be to make repairs to the Point Chehalis Revetment adjacent to Westport’s Marina. The revetment work will begin on or about September 27 and should take about 2 weeks, however timelines for both projects are subject to weather.

Point Chehalis

The revetment, in combination with the system of six groins that start near the Observation Tower and run out to the end of Pt. Chehalis, stabilizes the Point against erosion and protects the boat basin at Westhaven and its navigation access channel. Different sections of the revetment have been periodically rehabilitated over the years via federally mandated acts associated with the operation and maintenance of Federal navigation channels. The scheduled work on Point Chehalis comes after a Corps survey was completed in December 2009 indicating a large portion of the revetment was 2-3 feet below the authorized and acceptable crest height. Storm and wave action have been chipping away at the smaller core rock of the revetment and according to the Corps, wave energy has increased at this location in the last decade and with that overtopping has increased, as has structural damage to the revetment wall. The repair will entail placing approximately 2,435 tons of new armor rock along approximately 200 linear feet of the revetment to provide more stability and height. Workers will remove the existing large armor rock at the top of the revetment in that section in order to restore the intermediate core rock section that has washed away. The scheduled repairs are intended to prevent further instability.

City of Westport officials are hopeful that this repair work will help decrease the amount of wave over-topping along the revetment during storm events which has been regularly flooding Westhaven Drive and Neddie Rose Drive, but the Corps clearly states that this work is not intended to eliminate wave overtopping and water flow over the structure. The Corps’ mandate for this region is to maintain the Grays Harbor shipping channel and the Westport boat basin and with that is not inclusive of flood prevention. However, in addition to continued research on flood prevention in the marina, the City was successful in carrying out a massive street improvement and upgrade project for Westhaven Drive in late spring, which included a drainage system down the middle of the street with added vaults to channel water into the marina. Bot are expected to help with flooding.

Half Moon Bay

The Corps will stagger work on a second project in Westport to proceed with erosion prevention measures in Halfmoon Bay. Original construction of the Grays Harbor South Jetty took place in the early 1900s and caused the South Beach to grow seaward and with that the slow deterioration of the Jetty began to form a spit at Pt. Chehalis. Over time this created what is now Halfmoon Bay. Beginning in the 1950’s gradual erosion of the South Beach began and years of maintenance and repair measures have failed to halt the erosion taking place and in December 1993 a winter storm caused a massive breach of the South Jetty directly into Half Moon Bay. The Corps repaired the breach in 1994 by filling it with 600,000 cubic yards of dredged material and so began the planning process for a long-term solution for erosion on the South Beach.

Since erosion has continued with waves washing away over 10,000 cubic yards of sand per year. The Corps’ built a diffraction mound in 2000 and beach nourishment has continued to take place in 2002, 2004, 2005 and now this September.

The Management Strategy process began in 2005 with the announcement of multiple project and environmental assessments and public comment and outreach meetings to identify a set of erosion alternatives. In 2006 the Corps began evaluating their original list of 22 alternatives using “threshold criteria” and placing them following five broad categories: 1. Current Practice 2. Beach Nourishment 3. Revised Jetty Extension 4. Deferred Action 5. No Response. All alternatives were analyzed for engineering feasibility and environmental acceptability and then were presented at the first of several public workshops beginning in January 2009 for further analysis and public input. The alternatives must meet all of the following design objectives for long-term maintenance of the South Jetty:

• The plan will allow the Corps of Engineers to continue to maintain and protect the Grays Harbor navigation project features in a cost effective, environmentally acceptable manner.
• The plan will address the long-term erosion rates of the South Beach and Half Moon Bay shorelines, and balance the availability of sand with beach nourishment
requirements.
• The plan will provide ready access to the South Jetty for maintenance purposes.
• The plan will be designed to avoid the possibility of “end cutting.”

Currently the “top” alternatives have been identified and labeled in the Corps’ Strategy Plan as follows:

-Alt 1A: the Corps’ current practice of beach fill, which ensues after an erosion trigger.
-Alt 1B: this combines Alt 1A beach nourishment (current practice) but also includes the additional construction of a 500’ jetty “root” extension at the east end of the South Jetty into Halfmoon Bay.
-Alt 3A/B: the Corps would construct 1800’ extension along Half Moon Bay.
-Alt 4: Deferred action, allowing a breach to form.

A favorable alternative has been Alt 1B which follows all three Corps’ objectives including cost effectiveness, efficiency to address erosion, and conservation. In particular they state this alternative may re-establish the shoreline “equilibrium” to minimize the risk a future breach.

This September’s project work is a continuation of the Corps’ ongoing “short-term” beach nourishment work and will entail placing 30,000 cubic yards of sand at the breach vicinity of Half Moon Bay. Their Long Term Management Strategy alternatives are still undergoing economic and engineering analysis but a completed review is due out in the coming weeks at which time a public comment period will be announced. For more information and updates on this project please visit http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=LTMS&pagename=Grays_Harbor_LTMS.

Westport Erosion and Flooding Events May Improve After Army Corps Work This Fall

2010-08-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Over-topping of rock revetment this winter.

• The plan will allow the Corps of Engineers to continue to maintain and protect the Grays Harbor navigation project features in a cost effective, environmentally acceptable manner.
• The plan will address the long-term erosion rates of the South Beach and Half Moon Bay shorelines, and balance the availability of sand with beach nourishment
requirements.
• The plan will provide ready access to the South Jetty for maintenance purposes.
• The plan will be designed to avoid the possibility of “end cutting.”

Currently the “top” alternatives have been identified and labeled in the Corps’ Strategy Plan as follows:

-Alt 1A: the Corps’ current practice of beach fill, which ensues after an erosion trigger.
-Alt 1B: this combines Alt 1A beach nourishment (current practice) but also includes the additional construction of a 500’ jetty “root” extension at the east end of the South Jetty into Halfmoon Bay.
-Alt 3A/B: the Corps would construct 1800’ extension along Half Moon Bay.
-Alt 4: Deferred action, allowing a breach to form.

A favorable alternative has been Alt 1B which follows all three Corps’ objectives including cost effectiveness, efficiency to address erosion, and conservation. In particular they state this alternative may re-establish the shoreline “equilibrium” to minimize the risk a future breach.

This September’s project work is a continuation of the Corps’ ongoing “short-term” beach nourishment work and will entail placing 30,000 cubic yards of sand at the breach vicinity of Half Moon Bay. Their Long Term Management Strategy alternatives are still undergoing economic and engineering analysis but a completed review is due out in the coming weeks at which time a public comment period will be announced. For more information and updates on this project please visit http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=LTMS&pagename=Grays_Harbor_LTMS.

Army Corps to Repair Section of Revetment in Westport

2010-08-08T07:58:00.001-07:00

The Seattle District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers plans to make repairs to approximately 200 linear feet of deteriorated Point Chehalis revetment sometime in late August or early September. The project is expected to take two to three days to complete. The section that will be rehabilitated is approximately 200 feet in length and lies directly northwest of the Port of Grays Harbor Viewing Tower at the foot of Neddie Rose Drive.

Workers will remove the existing large armor rock at the top of the revetment in that section in order to restore the intermediate core rock section that has washed away. New core rock will be installed to support a reworked armor rock layer. The submerged toe rock layer will be also be restored to provide additional stability to the outboard slope of the structure.

City of Westport officials hope that the work will decrease the amount of wave overtopping along that section of the revetment during storm events pushed by westerly winds and high tides. The excess water regularly floods Westhaven Drive and Neddie Rose Drive. In addition to inundating business buildings along both streets, the excess water has caused extensive erosion damage along the Westport Marina bankline in the Islander Resort RV Park. Recent upgrades to Westhaven Drive include a drainage system down the middle of the street with added vaults to channel water into the marina that are expected to help with flooding.

The Islander Resort RV property was also recently repaired with the addition of an open rock-lined drainage ditch alongside the motel units that is hoped to protect the bankline from further erosion. Despite hopes that the revetment repair will help with the flooding situation, the Corps of Engineers has been very clear in specifically stating that, “The repair is not intended to eliminate wave overtopping and water flow over the structure.” The Corps’ mandate in this area is to maintain the Grays Harbor shipping channel and the Westport boat basin. The revetment wall along Pt. Chehalis supports both those mandates.

The revetment, in combination with the system of six groins that start near the Observation Tower and run out to the end of Pt. Chehalis, stabilizes the Point against erosion and protects the boat basin at Westhaven and its navigation access channel. The River and Harbor Act of August 30, 1935 authorized the Grays Harbor and Chehalis River Project, including associated operation and maintenance of the Federal navigation channel. Additionally, Federal maintenance of the entrance channel to the boat basin at Westhaven was authorized in the River and Harbor Act of 1948. The same Act authorized construction of the Point Chehalis revetment in 1972. Different sections of the revetment have been periodically rehabilitated over the years since. Project Permitting The revetment repairs are being performed under the provision of a Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act because the work is routine repair and rehabilitation.

The project is also exempt from a requirement for a Clean Water Act Water Quality Certification because the repair of the revetment will not alter the character, scope, or size of the initial revetment and constitutes maintenance of a currently serviceable water control structure. According to project documents, the Corps has determined that the proposed project would have no effect on Environmental Species Act listed species or critical habitat. In addition, after construction is completed, the minimal construction footprint would be expected to quickly recolonize with organisms from adjacent areas resulting in formation of a similar community within a year’s time.

The Corps has also determined that the proposed project is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable polices of the Washington Coastal Zone Management Plan, Lands in the vicinity of the project area have accreted since 1870, therefore it is unlikely that buried archaeological resources materials exist within the project site, therefore it is believed that no resources included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places would be affected by the proposed project.

*story courtesy Barb Aue, South Beach Bulletin July 15, 2010

Army Corps to Repair Section of Revetment in Westport

2010-08-08T07:58:00.000-07:00

*story courtesy Barb Aue, South Beach Bulletin July 15, 2010

Army Corps to Repair Section of Revetment in Westport

2010-08-02T08:09:00.000-07:00

A Corps survey completed in December 2009 indicated the structure in that area known as Section A is approximately 2-3 feet below the authorized crest height. According to the study, “Smaller core rock has been dislodged from the structure matrix resulting in a more porous structure. Recent engineering analysis has determined that wave energy has increased in the area over the past ten years due to significant morphology of the channel throat immediately north of Point Chehalis. As a result, the frequency and degree of overtopping has increased resulting in progressive structural damage. The scheduled repairs are intended to prevent further instability to the structure where damages have been observed.”

Workers will remove the existing large armor rock at the top of the revetment in that section in order to restore the intermediate core rock section that has washed away. New core rock will be installed to support a reworked armor rock layer. The submerged toe rock layer will be also be restored to provide additional stability to the outboard slope of the structure.

City of Westport officials hope that the work will decrease the amount of wave overtopping along that section of the revetment during storm events pushed by westerly winds and high tides. The excess water regularly floods Westhaven Drive and Neddie Rose Drive. In addition to inundating business buildings along both streets, the excess water has caused extensive erosion damage along the Westport Marina bankline in the Islander Resort RV Park. Recent upgrades to Westhaven Drive include a drainage system down the middle of the street with added vaults to channel water into the marina that are expected to help with flooding.

The Islander Resort RV property was also recently repaired with the addition of an open rock-lined drainage ditch alongside the motel units that is hoped to protect the bankline from further erosion. Despite hopes that the revetment repair will help with the flooding situation, the Corps of Engineers has been very clear in specifically stating that, “The repair is not intended to eliminate wave overtopping and water flow over the structure.” The Corps’ mandate in this area is to maintain the Grays Harbor shipping channel and the Westport boat basin. The revetment wall along Pt. Chehalis supports both those mandates.

The revetment, in combination with the system of six groins that start near the Observation Tower and run out to the end of Pt. Chehalis, stabilizes the Point against erosion and protects the boat basin at Westhaven and its navigation access channel. The River and Harbor Act of August 30, 1935 authorized the Grays Harbor and Chehalis River Project, including associated operation and maintenance of the Federal navigation channel. Additionally, Federal maintenance of the entrance channel to the boat basin at Westhaven was authorized in the River and Harbor Act of 1948. The same Act authorized construction of the Point Chehalis revetment in 1972. Different sections of the revetment have been periodically rehabilitated over the years since. Project Permitting The revetment repairs are being performed under the provision of a Categorical Exclusion under the National Environmental Policy Act because the work is routine repair and rehabilitation.

The project is also exempt from a requirement for a Clean Water Act Water Quality Certification because the repair of the revetment will not alter the character, scope, or size of the initial revetment and constitutes maintenance of a currently serviceable water control structure. According to project documents, the Corps has determined that the proposed project would have no effect on Environmental Species Act listed species or critical habitat. In addition, after construction is completed, the minimal construction footprint would be expected to quickly recolonize with organisms from adjacent areas resulting in formation of a similar community within a year’s time.

The Corps has also determined that the proposed project is consistent to the maximum extent practicable with the enforceable polices of the Washington Coastal Zone Management Plan, Lands in the vicinity of the project area have accreted since 1870, therefore it is unlikely that buried archaeological resources materials exist within the project site, therefore it is believed that no resources included or eligible for inclusion in the National Register of Historic Places would be affected by the proposed project.

Westport Investor Brings Artificial Reef Proposal to City Council

2010-07-30T14:32:00.001-07:00

Along with the recent proposal of an open air Kiosk Mall in Westport’s Marina District, local investor Adam Perkins of Seattle is also proposing the construction of an artificial underwater reef at the north end of Half Moon Bay adjacent to the blue observation tower. Perkins, who owns and is renovating the two lots at the corner of Westhaven Drive and Cove Avenue, pitched his artificial reef idea to board members and about eight others who were in attendance at last week’s regularly scheduled Council meeting.

Perkins led a twenty minute long presentation, which described the scope of the project, which would be carried out by ASR Marine Consulting & Construction. The reef itself is described as being made up of multiple layers of "geotextile bags" which are said to encourage marine growth. ASR has several offices around the world and has completed numerous reefs in places like Australia, India, and England. Perkins highlighted the benefits this “multi purpose reef” could offer the city of Westport including reduction of shoreline erosion and marina flooding and a possible boost to tourism dollars if it helped form a sandy beach or an impressive surfing wave. Perkins played a short video clip of a reef in Kovolam, India that ASR completed in February of this year showing surfers riding an impressive and powerful wave that has become a world-class surfing spot.

Upon further inspection of artificial reef successes, however, one begins to see that their benefits appear to be extremely dependent on any number of conditions that may or may not produce the desired results they are built for. Surfrider Foundation’s Environmental Director, Chad Nelsen has been studying artificial reefs for the last 15 years and in an interview this spring following a forum he attended on artificial reefs in Raglan, New Zealand, he says “The myth that artificial surf reefs are the panacea is nothing but a myth. It's just a structure out there. It might work in some places, it might not work in others. The Army Corps of Engineers has been building stuff in the ocean for 200 years and every time they build something they still run into problems. The ocean system is so complex and dynamic.

Overall no objections to the proposal were voiced from council members or those in attendance. There were many questions and comments raised however, especially in regard to project costs and funding sources. Mayor Michael Bruce commented “You can't really compare Westport with places like [Australia’s] Gold Coast. I think looking at things like this are a good thing but you really need to get the Government on your side.” This was in response to Perkins saying he had not yet contacted any entities other than the City thus far. “ASR recommended that I start with speaking with the local city council first, and then go from there.” he said. When asked about costs Perkins noted that as of yet he’s not sure where funding would come from. He had pinpointed about $7 million of grant funding so far and overall project estimates would include $100,000 for a feasibility study and then actual construction could be between $2 million to $5 million dollars. Mayor Bruce, who spoke neither for or against Perkins’ proposal inquired if he expected the City to provide funds for such a project. “I didn’t expect you would be writing me a blank check or anything,” Perkins said. “I really just wanted to get the idea out there.”

Councilpersons Rex Anderson and Desiree Dodson both commended Perkins for bringing the proposal to the council and giving the presentation. “We are always talking about investing in our Community,” Dodson said “and I think what you presented here today is doing just that. It shows your dedication to this community.”

Perkins said the length of time it would take to build the reef is site dependent ranging anywhere from a few months to a couple of years and the overall life span of these reefs can be anywhere between 20 and 50 years. For more information about this proposal or Perkins’ Westport Cargo Mall venture email info@gotowestport.com.

Westport Investor Brings Artificial Reef Proposal to City Council

2010-07-30T14:32:00.000-07:00

Obama Administration Officials Announce Final Recommendations of Ocean Policy Task Force

2010-07-20T12:02:00.001-07:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: JULY 19, 2010

VIA EXECUTIVE OFFICE OF THE PRESIDENT
COUNCIL ON ENVIRONMENTAL QUALITY
WASHINGTON, D.C. 20503

WASHINGTON, DC – Obama Administration officials today released the Final Recommendations of the Ocean Policy Task Force, which would establish a National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes (National Policy) and create a National Ocean Council (NOC) to strengthen ocean governance and coordination. The Final Recommendations prioritize actions for the NOC to pursue, and call for a flexible framework for coastal and marine spatial planning to address conservation, economic activity, user conflict, and sustainable use of the ocean, our coasts and the Great Lakes.

The NOC would coordinate across the Federal Government to implement the National Policy. The Final Recommendations also call for the establishment of a Governance Coordinating Committee to formally engage with state, tribal, and local authorities. The Final Recommendations are expected to be adopted into an Executive Order by President Obama.

“President Obama recognized that our uses of the ocean are expanding at a rate that challenges our ability to manage significant and often competing demands,” said Nancy Sutley, Chair of the White House Council on Environmental Quality. “With a growing number of recreational, scientific, energy, and security activities, we need a national policy that sets the United States on a new path for the conservation and sustainable use of these critical natural resources.”

Dr. John P. Holdren, Assistant to the President for Science and Technology and Director of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, lauded the policy as a significant step towards securing the sustained well-being of America’s waters and coastal regions.

“A National Ocean Policy reflects and affirms the invaluable role that science plays in the stewardship of these cherished resources,” said Dr. Holdren. “The work of the National Ocean Council will ensure that future generations of Americans are able to reap the immeasurable and undeniable benefits of healthy ocean, coastal, and Great Lake ecosystems.”

“This first-of-its kind framework will help our nation plan wisely for the future of our oceans and coastlines, so that we can continue to experience their beauty and bounty for generations to come,” said Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar. “With 2 billion acres we help oversee on the Outer Continental Shelf, Interior is a proud partner in this initiative, and we look forward to helping coordinate the science, policies and management of how we use, conserve, and protect these public treasures.”

“Protecting our oceans, coasts and Great Lakes is critical to the health of our communities, vibrancy of our economy and overall security of our nation,” said EPA Administrator Lisa P. Jackson. “The new National Policy provides a clear road map for all federal agencies to work together, with local partners, to protect our vital waters for future generations. EPA is proud to have played a role in the development of this plan and the continued protection of our treasured natural resources.”

“Today, possibly more so than any point in our nation’s history, we appreciate that healthy oceans matter,” said Dr. Jane Lubchenco, Administrator of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Today we extend our nation’s proud conservation ethic beyond our shores and into our coasts, oceans and Great Lakes.”

“The Department of Homeland Security and Coast Guard applaud the Oceans Policy Task Force's efforts to fulfill President Obama's vision for a national approach to maintaining the health and vibrancy of the world's maritime regions,” said Admiral Bob Papp, Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard. “The Task Force's Final Recommendations provide a balance between protecting and preserving the marine environment, and promoting economic progress. The framework protects the interests of all users, improves ocean stewardship, and provides the foundation for improving maritime governance at the international, regional, state, and local levels.”

“The Department of the Navy strongly supports the principles and framework laid out in this new Executive Order,” said Donald Schregardus, Deputy Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Environment. “Strengthening the vital link between our global maritime mission and our responsibility to safeguard the environment is a key component to our environmental strategy. The establishment of the National Ocean Council will be important in advancing this strategic priority.”

In June 2009, President Obama created the Interagency Ocean Policy Task Force and charged it with developing recommendations to enhance national stewardship of the ocean, coasts, and Great Lakes and promote the long term conservation and use of these resources. The Task Force was led by CEQ and included 24 senior-level policy officials from across the Federal Government.

At the President’s direction, the Task Force released an Interim Report in September 2009 and an Interim Framework for Effective Coastal and Marine Spatial Planning in December 2009. Each of these reports was made available online for public comment. The Task Force received and reviewed close to 5,000 written comments from Congress, stakeholders, and the public before finalizing its recommendations. The Task Force’s Final Recommendations combine and update the proposals contained in the two earlier reports.

The National Policy includes a set of guiding principles for management decisions and actions toward stewardship that ensures that the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes are healthy and resilient, safe and productive, and understood and treasured so as to promote the well-being, prosperity, and security of present and future generations. It prioritizes actions, including ecosystem-based management, regional ecosystem protection and restoration, and strengthened and integrated observing systems, that seek to address some of the most pressing challenges facing the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes. These strategies and objectives provide a bridge between the National Policy and action on the ground.

The National Policy identifies coastal and marine spatial planning as a priority. Marine spatial planning offers a comprehensive, integrated approach to planning and managing uses and activities over the long term. Under the National Policy, coastal and marine spatial planning would be regional in scope, developed cooperatively among Federal, state, tribal, and local authorities, and include substantial stakeholder, scientific, and public input. The coastal and marine spatial planning framework:

Establishes a new regional approach to how we use and protect the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes to decrease user conflicts, improve planning and regulatory efficiencies and decrease costs and delays, and preserve critical ecosystem services.

Creates a comprehensive alternative to sector-by-sector and statute-by-statute decision-making.

Establishes regional planning bodies, bringing Federal, state, and tribal partners together in an unprecedented manner to jointly plan for the future of the ocean, our coasts, and the Great Lakes.

Ensures science-based information is at the heart of decision-making.

Emphasizes stakeholder and public participation.

The National Ocean Council would plan to hold its first meeting later this summer to begin the immediate work of implementing the National Policy. The full text of the National Policy for the Stewardship of the Ocean, Coasts, and Great Lakes is available at www.whitehouse.gov/oceans.