Family Forest Fish Passage Program Accomplishments

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Family Forest Fish Passage Program
Accomplishments and Future December 22, 2008
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What will be covered

• Program Overview
• Accomplishments and Future
• Questions

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History

• House Bill 1095 passed in May 2003
• Simplified reporting for small forest landowners
  regarding Road Maintenance and Abandonment Plans
  (RMAP)
• Created Family Forest
  Fish Passage Program
  to provide financial
  assistance for barrier
  correction

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Goals

• Increase habitat accessible to fish
• Compliance with Forest Practices rules
• Fulfilling obligation with forest and fish rules
• Increase capacity to correct more barriers each
  year

Jim Creek, Touchet River,
Columbia County
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Partnership

• Department of Natural Resources
• Eligibility, outreach, and additional funding
• Department of Fish and Wildlife
• Evaluation and ranking
• Recreation Conservation Office
• Funding grant management
• Washington Farm Forestry Association
• Joins agencies on a steering committee

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Program Basics
Assists small forest landowners in addressing
fish barriers and complying with Forest Practices
Rules

• Eligibility
• Small forest landowner
• Fish bearing stream
• Human-made fish passage barrier associated with
  forest road

Salzer Creek, Lewis County
Aim to fix barriers that will benefit fish the
most
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Prioritizing Corrections

• Fish Passage Team prioritizes projects
• Miles and quality of habitat made accessible
• Number of fish species present
• Does the project fit local priorities in watershed

Nelson Creek, Yakima River, Kittitas County
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Example of Process
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Dry Creek
Washougal River, Skamania County
12 foot wide stream 4.5 foot diameter
culvert Small overflow culvert 1.3 foot outfall
drop
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Upstream Habitat Gain
1.9 miles for steelhead, cutthroat, and rainbow
trout
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Upstream Habitat Quality
Forested and Well Shaded
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After Construction
44 foot steel bridge
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Local Sponsor

• Conservation group
• Sign project agreement with RCO/SRFB
• Accountable for the project
• Permitting
• Construction contracting
• Billing

Mid-Sound Fish Enhancement Group, Cool Creek,
Puget Sound, Kitsap County
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Program Sponsors

• Conservation Districts
• Clallam Conservation District
• Clark Conservation District
• Cowlitz Conservation District
• Ferry Conservation District
• Jefferson Conservation District
• Lewis County Conservation District
• Mason Conservation District
• Kitsap Conservation District
• Pacific Conservation District
• Pend Oreille Conservation District
• Spokane Conservation District
• Stevens County Conservation District
• Thurston Conservation District
• Underwood Conservation District
• Wahkiakum Conservation District

• Fish Enhancement Groups
• Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force
• Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
• Mid-Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group
• Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Assoc.
• Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group
• South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group
• Stilly-Snohomish Fisheries Enhancement Task
  Force
• Tri-State Steelheaders, Inc
• Willapa Bay Fisheries Enhancement Group

• Tribes
• Colville Confederated Tribes
• Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
• Nooksack Indian Tribe
• Tulalip Tribe
• Kalispel Tribe of Indians

• Others
• Wild Fish Conservancy
• Pacific Forest Management
• Stewardship Partners
• Kittitas Conservation Trust
• Landowners

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FFFPP Projects Statewide
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Completed Project
All parties involved in this project were
excellent to work with. We have a quality bridge
that will last forever -Ronald Roberts
EF Dragoon Creek, Little Spokane River, Spokane
County Rainbow, cutthroat, and brook
trout Correction opens 5.0 miles of habitat
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34 concrete bridge
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Completed Project
It was great working with the Chehalis Basin
Fisheries Task Force. The whole project was
well organized -William and Dorothy Huber
Pants Creek, Chehalis River, Thurston
County Coho, searun cutthroat, and resident
cutthroat trout Correction opens 1.29 miles of
spawning and rearing habitat
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50 steel bridge
After December Storm
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December Storm
Upstream on Pants Creek
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Program Summary
Miles opened
Completed Projects
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FFFPP Successes

• Short and simple application
• About 500 applications received
• Hundreds of landowners are in compliance
• Removed some of the worst barriers in many
  watersheds
• Enthusiasm amongst sponsors and local groups
• Partnerships working well

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FFFPP in the future

• Funding to continue corrections
• Comprehensive statewide inventory

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Questions
Chum return upstream of barrier correction