Next PWR Meeting

June 1st; 3:00 – 5:00 p.m. PST – (Zoom)

PWR-LIO Capacity Funds Feedback Form

• Request for feedback for ideas on how to use new LIO Capacity Funds (Link to Form)

Grants and Funding

• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation: America the Beautiful Challenge – The National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) today announced the 2022 Request for Proposals for the America the Beautiful Challenge, a public-private grant program designed to support locally led, voluntary ecosystem restoration projects. Approximately $85 million in grant funding is available. NFWF recently held an Applicant Webinar, to access webinar and other application materials please visit click this link.

Watershed News

• New Washington State Orca Website – This new website hosts information about Southern Resident killer whales and all of the Orca Task Force recommendations and provides progress on each recommendation. To access the press release from the WA State Recreation and Conservation Office about the new website please click this link.

• Washington Sea Grant Strategic Planning Survey – WSG is inviting partners and stakeholders who use, manage, study, or care about coastal and marine resources to provide input on their upcoming 2024-2027 program. The survey to collect feedback will be open until, Wednesday June 15^th. To access the short 15-minute survey click this this link.

• Community science volunteers discover invasive European green crab in Hood Canal – The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has received confirmation that volunteers with Washington Sea Grant have captured a male European green crab in Nick’s Lagoon near Seabeck in Kitsap County. This is the first detection of European green crabs in Hood Canal, and the furthest south that these invasive crabs have been confirmed in the Salish Sea to date. WDFW will be conducting rapid response trapping to understand the scope of green crab presence and attempt to locally eradicate green crabs before they can take hold in the Seabeck area. For more information on this developing news please visit this link. 

• Port of Tacoma selected by EPA for $500,000 Brownfields Assessment Grant – The EPA grant funding is meant to assist in efforts to bring brownfields and other high-priority sites within the Tacoma Tideflats back into productive use with new businesses and family-wage jobs. This funding will allow the Port to complete eight Phase 1 and Phase 2 Environmental Assessments, develop cleanup/reuse plans on five high-priority brownfields, and support community engagement efforts around these projects. For more information please click this link.

Events

• Habitat Strategic Initiative Grant Program Webinar – Please join the Habitat Strategic Initiative for a webinar highlighting the results of one of their grants, a pilot project (fact sheet) on nutrient and phytoplankton sampling in Admiralty Inlet and northern Hood Canal. Neil Harrington with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe will share his findings of a pilot year of nutrient and phytoplankton sampling at two existing zooplankton monitoring stations. In addition, he will share his insights on the feasibility of further monitoring and discuss how these findings can inform our understanding of salmon food web dynamics and the possible impacts of harmful algae on salmonids. The webinar will take place Monday, June 6^th from 11:30-1:00 pm on Zoom, to register please visit this link.

• Floodplains by Design Event: Panel Conversation with WA Tribal leaders – The FbD Culture and Capacity Action Group is hosting an opportunity for a unique conversation with Tribal leaders from across Washington. This two hour virtual panel will provide an opportunity for floodplain professionals to gain a deeper understanding of the multi-dimensionalities of tribal governments, tribal people and communities across Washington to promote cross-cultural learning and sharing. The panel will take place on June 8th from 10am-12pm via Zoom, to register please click this link.

• Cancelled 2022 Nature and Health conference – Nature and Health at Earthlab, University of Washington made an announcement of cancelling the 2022 Nature and Health conference due to the relatively small number of abstracts and proposed sessions that were received. They have many ways to stay connected and are looking forward to offering meaningful in-person and virtual events in 2022-23.

Job Postings

• Farm Resource Specialist – Pierce Conservation District

The position of Farm Resource Specialist exists to assist livestock farm owners in Pierce County in planning and applying natural resource conservation practices. The holder of this position will focus their efforts on sub-basins of the Puyallup Watershed in Pierce County specifically selected as priority areas for improvement.

Applications are open until position is filled. To apply or learn more click here.

• Landscape Design Project Coordinator – Pierce Conservation District

The Landscape Design Project Coordinator position will primarily be designing residential green stormwater projects and managing contractors and/or crews in building projects.

Applications are open until position is filled. To apply or learn more click here.

• Summer Habitat Technician – Pierce Conservation District

This part-time contract position is intended to support the habitat program during the summer of 2022 by assisting with monitoring activities, site maintenance, herbicide applications, and other restoration tasks based on project needs.

Applications are open until position is filled. To apply or learn more click here.