The Port Susan The Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area Update Marine Stewardship Area Update Stillaguamish Clean Water District Stillaguamish Clean Water District Gina Gray & Kathleen M. Herrmann Gina Gray & Kathleen M. Herrmann January 23, 2013 January 23, 2013 A NWSC Benchmark Funds Project A NWSC Benchmark Funds Project
What is a Marine Stewardship Area? • A conservation strategy that works to generate responsibility within the relevant authorities and users of marine environments for the conservation of the conservation of the natural, cultural and scenic values • No regulatory authority • Encourages citizen participation and a common community vision
Team Structure Core Team Core Team (MRCs, (MRCs, Tribes) Tribes) Advisory Team Advisory Team (+TNC, NWSC, (+TNC, NWSC, WSU Extension, WSU Extension, Shore Stewards) Shore Stewards) Shore Stewards) Shore Stewards) Meetings/Working Meetings/Working Groups Groups (+ Key Stakeholders, (+ Key Stakeholders, Experts) Experts) Workshops and Citizen Science Workshops and Citizen Science (+Managers, Scientists, (+Managers, Scientists, Stakeholders, Citizens) Stakeholders, Citizens)
What is Conservation Action Planning (CAP)? • Integrated process for Phase I planning, implementing and Ongoing 2008 – March 2011 measuring conservation success for projects CAP Planning • Guides team to develop Process Process effective strategies effective strategies March 2011 – • Reviews intended actions vs. December 2011 2012 - actual outcomes Phase II • Provides adaptive management tool http://www.mdibl.org/documents/CAP-2- pager.pdf
Port Susan MSA Scope and Targets What biodiversity are we trying to conserve or restore? What species and habitat, if fully recovered, would represent ecosystem recovery? Focal Targets Selected: 1. Shorebirds 1. Shorebirds 2. Embedded Invertebrates 3. Crustaceans 4. Chinook Salmon 5. Forage Fish 6. River Delta 7. Beaches
Data Incorporated/Viability Data Source Rating Conservation Targets Shore Birds Rough Guess Chinook Salmon Expert Knowledge/Onsite Research Forage Fish Expert Knowledge/Onsite Research Embedded Invertebrates Viability not complete Dungeness Crab Expert Knowledge River Delta Both Expert Knowledge & Rough Guess Beaches Both Expert Knowledge & Rough Guess
Port Susan Target Health Current Rating Conservation Targets Shore Birds Good Chinook Salmon Fair Forage Fish Good Embedded Invertebrates Good Dungeness Crab Good River Delta Poor Beaches Fair Fair Overall Biodiversity Health
Top 10* Threats for Port Susan Overall Threats Across Shore Chinook Forage Embedded Dungeness River Beaches Threat Targets Birds Salmon Fish Invertebrates Crab Delta Rank Project-specific threats 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 Very 1 Bank Hardening Medium High Medium Very High Very High High Very 2 Levee Maintenance Low High High High Very 3 Agriculture Runoff Medium Medium High High Loss of Vegetated 4 Medium High Medium High High Buffer Increased Flooding 5 (due to Climate High High High Change and Dev.) 6 Acidification Medium High Medium 7 Spills High Medium Medium 8 Derelict Gear High Medium 9 Illegal Harvest High Medium Increased Storm 10 Events (due to Climate High Medium Change) Threat Status for Very High High Medium High High High Very High Targets High *Of the 26 Identified
Conservation Strategy Development • 10 Objectives – what outcomes do we want to see that either abate threats or improve target health • 30+ Strategic actions – the “how” we achieve objectives in the next 10 years achieve objectives in the next 10 years • Strategic actions all consider: – Feasibility – Benefit – Cost
Plans, Plans, and More Plans! So what makes this different?
Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area Public Workshops Over 70 community members participated in two January workshops. The workshops gathered feedback and local area knowledge.
2012 Progress – Measures Development Strengthen Island Number of Method: Percent of instances where County’s SMP to reduce actions taken on complaints have follow-up hard armoring and illegal armoring enforcement per Paladin increase Snohomish report (Island County County’s and Island Planning Department County’s enforcement by database query) 2020 Who: Island County Who: Island County When: Annually Cost: Low What triggers decision- making: Increase in enforcement above certain baselines.
Recent Achievements • TNC Dike Breach • Western Hemisphere Reserved of International Importance Importance • Two grants funded strategies • Keep Port Susan Healthy Campaign Created
2012 Puget Sound Champion Award
Lessons Learned • Importance of Scale and regional identification – Port Susan is geographically distinct and therefore a natural planning area. Residents identify themselves more closely with Port Susan than either of the counties they live in. • Cooperation among the agencies, tribes, and stakeholders. – “Co-Management”- Willingness of partners – Trust Building – Frequent Communication – Defined Roles- Function as a Team
Use of Data • CAP can use both great scientific data and citizen input to come up with a set of threats and strategies that are ecosystem based • Discomfort that citizens weren’t experts • Discomfort with scientists not lumping things • Discomfort with scientists not lumping things into bins of very good, good, fair, and poor • The equal discomfort on all parties involved led to a product that can be communicated and understood by our citizens and therefore enhance stewardship
Next Steps • Work Plan and Measures to be completed in December 2012. DRAFTS WILL BE CIRCULATED TOMORROW • Implementation tracking to begin in 2013 • For more information visit: www.snocomrc.org
Port Susan MSA Advisory Team • Abby Hook, Tulalip Tribes • Kathleen Herrmann, Snohomish County MRC • Brett DeVries, Snohomish Conservation District • Caroline Gibson, NWSC • Gina Gray, Stillaguamish Tribes • Jess Toro, Native Habitat Restoration • Kat Morgan, TNC • Kat Morgan, TNC • Kate Litle, WA Sea Grant • Kit Rawson, Tulalip Tribes • Scott Chase, Island County Shore Stewards • Tom Hoban, Snohomish MRC Chair • Audrey Kuklok, UW Student Coordinator
Thanks to all our partners! Questions?
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