Gladden to see that there are efforts to protect the remaining eel
grass and kelp beds which are so vital to the ecology of the coast. Always hate to see the scouring circles of anchor rodes damaging and destroying marine life caused by inconsiderate vessel owners and operators. Protection of the eel grass meadows should improve the pacific herring and Dungeness crab habitats and advance the salmon recovery greatly.
Watershed resilience plan.
https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/...ec_summary.pdf
Of which the Snohomish River Eel Grass Conservation Plan is a part:
https://snohomishcountywa.gov/Archiv...File/Item/2153
This appears to be a near shore extension of the existing Native Growth Protection Area (NGPA), or Critical Area Protection Area (CAPA), is the Snohomish County Code designation for permanently protected property that contains a critical area, a critical area buffer or both. Critical areas include wetlands, lakes, streams, rivers, and geologically hazardous areas. Vegetated buffers aroundSign designating an NGPA critical areas are important in preventing loss of the functions and values that these sensitive areas provide and to protect life and property. Development permitted under the Critical Area Ordinance prior to 2007 are referred to as Native Growth Protection Areas (NGPA), while development permitted under the Critical Area Ordinance after 2007 are Critical Area Protection Areas (CAPA). These apply to both multi-residence developments and single-lot developments.
Published March 21, 2022
Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands Franz Establishes State’s First “Protection Zone” for Kelp and Eelgrass
https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/commissi...homish%20River.
Executive order will preserve 2,300 acres of valuable habitat at mouth of the Snohomish River
Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz today announced a first-of-its-kind Kelp and Eelgrass Protection Zone to conserve 2,300 acres of valuable habitat near the mouth of the Snohomish River. The announcement follows the release of Commissioner Franz’s Watershed Resilience Action Plan, a 10-year plan for landscape-scale “tree to sea”
restoration of salmon habitat in the Snohomish River watershed. The Protection Zone accomplishes one of the plan’s
core initiatives just a month after its release.
Commissioner Franz, leader of the state’s Department of Natural Resources (DNR), signed a Commissioner’s Order that will prevent any development in the zone for the next 50 years. The zone includes a forest of bull kelp at the southern tip of Gedney, or Hat Island, and eelgrass meadows along the Snohomish River
Delta and the shoreline of the Tulalip Indian Reservation.
“Our kelp and eelgrass are the breadbasket of the Salish Sea. They’re critical to the survival of our dwindling salmon and orca populations and act as a vital indicator of the
health of our waterways because they respond so quickly to changes in
water quality,” said Commissioner Franz. “Climate change doesn’t just impact our lands, it impacts our waters. We are witnessing a precipitous decline in kelp and eelgrass throughout
Puget Sound.
“Today, we are taking unprecedented action to protect kelp forests and eelgrass meadows that remain, and restore areas where they can be reintroduced.”
Kelp and eelgrass provide juvenile herring, salmon, rockfish, and abalone the shade and camouflage they need to grow and support the marine
food web for salmon, marine birds, and orcas. They absorb carbon at significantly higher rates than terrestrial forests, maintain shoreline stability, and provide refuge from ocean acidification for juvenile shellfish. Tribes along the Salish Sea have relied upon seagrasses and kelp for generations.
“Salmon are an integral part of Tulalip culture and lifeways,” said Tulalip Tribes Chairwoman Teri Gobin. “Eelgrass and kelp play an important role as habitat for salmon and as a buffer against climate change effects. Working together with our partners at DNR and Snohomish County we continue to find ways to improve quality habitat for these threatened species.”
DNR
research has found bull kelp in South and Central Puget Sound declined by more than 80% in the last 150 years. DNR has also documented severe declines in eelgrass meadows in the
San Juan Islands over the last 20 years.
Zone Complements Ongoing Conservation Efforts
The Protection Zone not only fulfills goals set out in the Watershed Resilience Action Plan, but also meets nearly 25 percent of DNR’s goal to conserve and restore 10,000 acres of kelp and eelgrass, set by Senate Bill 5619. SB 5619, which passed both houses of the Legislature earlier this month, increases
funding for DNR’s programs to proactively assess and prioritize areas for coordinated conservation and
restoration of kelp forests and eelgrass meadows throughout Puget Sound and along the Washington coastline.
“When we preserve kelp and eelgrass forests, we protect marine
animals and endangered species, our climate through carbon sequestration,
fish supply for fisherman, and homes on the shoreline from storms,” said Rep. Sharon Shewmake (D-Bellingham). “I applaud the
work of Commissioner Franz, DNR staff, and community members who are working to preserve our aquatic lands for generations to come.”
The protection zone also builds on goals laid out in the multi-partner 2020 Puget Sound Kelp and Conservation Plan and DNR’s 2015 Eelgrass Recovery Strategy.
“Protecting critical habitat requires partnerships between Snohomish County and our state, local, and tribal partners," said Snohomish County Executive Dave Somers. "Forming a Kelp and Eelgrass Protection Zone is an important step toward protecting these vital resources along the shoreline of Puget Sound, including the eelgrass meadows within the Snohomish River
delta. Kelp and eelgrass both perform a variety of ecological functions that are critically linked to the
health of the Puget Sound and nearshore ecosystem.”
“Healthy eelgrass and kelp beds are essential for our endangered salmon," said Snohomish County Surface Water Director and Co-Chair of the Snohomish/Stillaguamish LIO Executive Committee Gregg Farris. "Eelgrass is used as migratory corridors for juvenile salmon as they travel from our rivers to Puget Sound. Kelp and eelgrass both provide protection from predators and abundant
food for salmon and the prey they depend on. We appreciate the steps DNR is taking to protect this critical habitat.”
“In 2020, the Snohomish Marine Resources Committee worked with Snohomish County Surface Water Management and DNR to
survey and map the presence of marine vegetation within the Snohomish estuary and along the County’s nearshore, including kelp and eelgrass," said Snohomish County Marine Resources Committee Co-Vice Chair and Marine Vegetation
Project Lead Tom Doerge. "We are pleased to see the data that we gathered being used to help inform the protection of these important ecosystems.”