PWR LIO Meetings 

  • Next Meeting – October 25; 10:00-12:00 PM PST – (Zoom) 
  • Past LIO Meeting Notes/Summary (July 26, 2023) 

  

Events & Engagement Opportunities 

  • NEW! Land Use Planning Workshops – The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead team is scoping a series of workshops and small group meetings this fall on Integrated Land Use & Stormwater Planning and Compliance and Incentives. Registration links for each of the workshop dates will be available soon. They anticipate engagement opportunities will be scheduled in late September and early October. In the meantime, please fill out this simple form to indicate your interest so we can make sure you receive email updates and invitations. 

 

  • NEW! WSC Stormwater Talks: Biophilia – On September 21, 2023 Noon-1 PM, take a peek behind the curtain with Heidi Siegelbaum, Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead.  Biophilia is one of the main drivers for environmental policy, building design, community cohesion, health, and therapeutic approaches. It is used to gird environmental policy, retail design, school and hospital design, open space planning and community planning. Popularized by E.O. Wilson but coined by Eric Frohmm, biophilia means “love of life” and explains our love for pets, water, gardening, flowers, and outdoor recreation. It can be used effectively as a policy lever as we address housing, tree retention, climate resilience, therapy for trauma and design for learning and nurturing, all cornerstones of a functioning society. Zoom meeting information: Zoom meeting information Join Zoom Meeting from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS, or Android: Meeting ID: 965 8732 4162 Passcode: 035885 https://wsu.zoom.us/j/96587324162?pwd=d09BbDR3VG5IZmdOemtUYnpqSlFDUT0.  For any questions contact laurie.larson-pugh@wsu.edu  
  • NEW! Informal/Nonformal Science Educator Workshops – Join the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and partner organizations for field experiences that highlight tribal sovereignty, school gardens, and local ecosystem recovery projects to engage students preK-12 in hands-on, real-world learning, and civic engagement. We support high-quality outdoor learning opportunities aligned with learning standards, best practices in environmental education, and anchored in local, relevant phenomena for student learning. Workshops are free! Participants bring their own brown bag lunch. Sign up, or save the date, for the event nearest you! Registration will close one week prior to each event: 

Save the date!  

  • November 2 – ESD 171, Dry Falls State Park, Coulee City 
  • November 7 – Northwest ESD 189, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, Bellingham 
  • February 20 – ESD 112 (Vancouver area) 
  • February 27 – ESD 121 (Seattle/Tacoma area) 
  • February 29 – Capital Region ESD 113 (Olympia area) 
  • March TBD – Olympic Region ESD 114 (Bremerton area) 

 

  • Orca Recovery Day 2023 – This annual event started in 2018 as a regional initiative to raise awareness about the challenges the Southern Resident Killer Whale pod face. From pollution to habitat loss, their main food supply (Chinook salmon) is endangered. Fortunately, there are things we can do on land to help the Southern Residents flourish. Please visit the official Orca Recovery Day page to learn more. Please fill out this form to let us know if your organization is planning on hosting an event this fall. The official date is October 14, 2023, but we’ll promote events throughout the month of October that support the Southern Residents! 

 

  • PSAR Draft RFP Taking Public Comment – The Puget Sound Partnership is requesting feedback on updates to the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) 2025-2027 Large Capital Request for Proposals (RFP).  The Partnership has identified the PSAR 2025-2027 Large Capital (RFP) grant round as being a significant agency action under the Healthy Environment for All (HEAL) Act.  We are accepting feedback on the proposed changes to the RFP from August 1st, 2023 to September 14th, 2023.  Comments can be submitted here. If you have additional questions, contact Marlies.Wierenga@psp.wa.gov. 

 

  • Visioning the Future of Wastewater in Puget Sound  – The Puget Sound Strategic Initiatives (SI) are seeking input from the community to help develop investment priorities to improve wastewater treatment to positively impact water quality in Puget Sound. Once they understand community recommendations, they will work to fund and implement high priority recommendations.  
  • There are several ways you can provide input on this process, and you are welcome to participate in one or all:  
  • Online Feedback: Visit this page to review the existing list of recommendations, add new recommendations, vote on your top priorities, and leave comments for our team. For more information on how to add your input, visit page 3 of this overview or watch a short video.  
  • Centralized Wastewater Treatment Workshop September 21 1:00-4:00pm PT: In this workshop, they will be seeking input from the community on the most important activities that the Stormwater SIL can fund to help improve wastewater management in Puget Sound across the entire wastewater lifecycle. Click here.  
  • For all of this information and links, visit the Box page. Click here.  

 

  • 2023 Puget Sound Day on the Sound – Mark your calendars: We are delighted to announce that this year’s Puget Sound Day on the Sound event will take place Tuesday, October 10, from 1:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. at the Rhodes Center (950 Broadway) in Tacoma. Join us for a series of panel discussions with members of Congress, Tribal leaders, and state and federal agency leaders on topics related to Puget Sound and salmon recovery, Tribal treaty rights, and relevant happenings in “the other Washington.” Please register for this in-person event here. 

 

  • 2023 Annual Carbon Conference – Washington Conservation Action (formerly Washington Environmental Council & Washington Conservation Voters) is excited to host our Seventh Annual Carbon Friendly Forestry Conference! This year, the conference will be held as 3-half-day virtual events on 3 Wednesdays in November commencing with an in-person evening happy hour every Wednesday Nov 1, 8, and 15. The conference welcomes practitioners, policymakers, state and local government, tribal government staff, landowners, civil society, companies in the wood supply chain, academics, and community members whose work connects to forest management or carbon sequestration. Register now for the seventh annual virtual Carbon Friendly Forestry Conference. 

 

  • Nisqually Community Forest Tour – Join the Nisqually Community Forest board and Northwest Natural Resource Group for a tour of the Nisqually Community Forest on October 5 from 12:30-4:30pm. Maintaining a reliable source of water in a changing climate is critical for the health of both people and ecosystems. At the Nisqually Community Forest near Mount Rainier, Northwest Natural Resource Group (NNRG) has been testing methods of ecological forestry that will increase the resilience of future watershed forests. Nisqually Community Forest is a community-owned and managed working forest at the foothills of Mount Rainier. On this guided driving and walking tour, you’ll learn about the forestry strategies that are being implemented to restore the forest, while also making it more resilient to the predicted future climate in the area. Click HERE to register! 

 

  • Habitat Stewardship Training – The Pierce Conservation District has their next Habitat Stewardship training coming up in September! If you would like to learn more about the program and become a Steward of a site, see below. During the training you will learn about the Habitat Stewardship Program, ecology, volunteer management and site planning. There is a field portion to learn about common invasive/native species, invasive management, planting and tool safety. This is a 3-part series, with 2 online portions and 1 field training on a Saturday: 
  • September 13th online 5:30-7 pm 
  • September 16th field 9 am-12 pm 
  • September 20 online 5:30-7 pm 

You can sign up here: https://zfrmz.com/34irvZeADzveIiNI756P. Or you can email Belinda with any questions: belindap@piercecd.org.  

 

  • Science Career Expo 2024  – The Seaport has decided to host the Science Career Expo on Saturday February 10th, 2024 from 11am-3pm. Due to feedback that we received following the previous expo we changed the date to be in the winter as this seems to align better with organizations looking for spring/summer interns. A few other changes; the Seaport will be providing 2 chairs per organization and we have a small supply of 6ft tables you may borrow on a first come first serve basis. The audience will remain the same; we are going to continue reaching out to high schools, colleges and the general community about the opportunities this event will offer. The 1st Science Career Expo brought in over 150 people from all over the area interested in working for or learning more about your organization. We expect next year’s event to be even bigger and better! If you are interested in registering for next years event please fill out this form: https://forms.gle/YDvicJNYZmZN6SQK7
     
  • Native Trees and Shrubs Plant Class (Virtual)  – Tahoma Audubon is hosting a class, Tuesday, September 19th, 6PM to 7PM via ZOOM, inspired by entomologist and wildlife ecologist Douglas Tallamy’s bestselling book, Nature’s Best Hope. This class teaches you how to do just that by introducing 20 trees and shrubs native to Western Washington. Sally Larson, Habitat Steward and Board member at TAS, will describe each tree’s expected height, watering needs, color and size of blooms, blooming season, food produced (seeds, nuts, berries), what insects and birds they benefit, and any unique tree features. To register click HERE. 

 

News 

  • NEW! FEMA Grants Awarded to Pierce County – Pierce County and City of Orting have been awarded federal grants for two projects in the Puyallup Watershed. Both of the projects are priorities for Pierce County:  
  1. Acquisition of Valley Brook Mobile Home Park and Floodplain Reconnection – totaling $10 million. Pierce County acquires mobile home park to restore land to a natural floodplain. Click HERE for more info. 
  1. Construction of Jones Setback Levee – totaling $15.54 million. A nature-based solution restores floodplain connectivity and mitigates flood risk to schools, homes, emergency services and transportation networks. Click HERE for more info. 

 

  • NEW! NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funding – NOAA Fisheries Recommends $106.1 Million in NOAA Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Funding to Protect and Restore West Coast Salmon and Steelhead. Funding for 16 new and continuing programs and projects will support conservation efforts in California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska. Two of these programs are the following: 
  1. Washington’s Salmon Recovery Funding Board through the Washington Recreation and Conservation Office will continue its efforts to recover federally listed salmon statewide and support the exercise of treaty fishing rights by addressing the state’s highest salmon recovery needs. RCO anticipates funding up to 110 discrete habitat projects with PCSRF and non-federal match funding. In addition to habitat restoration projects, RCO will also fund and support the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Northwest Fisheries Indian Commission hatchery reform efforts, which are a crucial component to salmon recovery and supporting the exercises of tribal treaty fishing rights. Finally, biologists will conduct status and trends monitoring, validation monitoring, and statewide project effectiveness monitoring to track progress and fish response at a watershed scale. ($25,500,000). 
  1. The Northwest Fisheries Indian Commission, as a support organization to 20 Puget Sound and Washington coastal treaty tribes, will administer sub-awards to tribes. The sub-awards will address factors limiting the viability of ESA-listed salmon and steelhead; restore and protect habitats; conduct essential monitoring; and conduct projects that will help fulfill tribal treaty fishing rights and advance the recovery and conservation of salmon and steelhead. ($6,300,000) 

 

  • Integrating Stormwater Solutions into Comprehensive Plans – PSRC has created a guidance document on integrating stormwater solutions into comprehensive plans  has been finalized and is now available on PSRC’s Puget Sound Recovery webpage. The guidance discusses stormwater solutions across comprehensive plan elements. Examples of stormwater solutions include stormwater parks, watershed-based land use plans, roadside natural drainage retrofits, and community benefit public private partnerships. The stormwater solutions listed in the guidance were identified through research and interviews on successful practices from around the region and beyond. The guidance provides model policies, project examples, and resources that can provide the groundwork for implementing these solutions.  
  • PSRC along with other partners is hosting a 1.5 hour webinar on 9/19 from 1-2:30pm to learn more about stormwater planning and other strategies to support Puget Sound recovery during the comprehensive plan update process. To register click HERE.
     
  • Sound Choices Checklist for Comprehensive Plans  – The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL) is excited to share the updated Sound Choices Checklist! The HSIL partnered with Department of Commerce, Department of Fish and Wildlife, Puget Sound Partnership, and the Stormwater Strategic Initiative to update the checklist for the current cycle of comprehensive plan updates. The Sound Choices Checklist is a tool that aligns the Puget Sound recovery strategies and actions with the comprehensive plan elements. Puget Sound jurisdictions and Puget Sound recovery partners can use the checklist to consider if and how local comprehensive plans are setting the stage for Puget Sound recovery. This checklist also highlights best practices to support local planners in their comprehensive plan updates.   

 

Funding Opportunities 

  • PSP’s Bipartisan Infrastructure Law Tracker – This tool tracks funding in the BIL related to Puget Sound recovery priorities, to view the BIL funding tracker please click HERE (updated regularly). PSP also produced an End-of-Session Review for the 117th Congress, to read up on it click HERE. 

 

  • Federal Funding for Nature Based Solutions – The National Wildlife Federation has developed a new searchable database of federal funding sources for nature-based infrastructure solutions. To view the list and see if your project would qualify for over 75 programs please visit HERE. 

 

  • NEW! Washington Opportunity Fund – The Community Foundation of North Central Washington has a revolving loan fund called the Washington Opportunity Fund (WOF) and is built around the needs of conservation practitioners to help support the protection of Washington State’s wildlife and their habitats. Specifically, WOF is structured as a rapid-response revolving loan fund to help bridge the gap between high-priority habitat conservation opportunities and longer-term permanent funding sources. The WOF is structured to provide loans of up to $500,000 with a process that is fast, flexible, and friendly. To learn more and access this resource click HERE. 

 

  • NEW! Stormwater and Shellfish Chapters of 2023 Investment Plan – The Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) are pleased to announce the Stormwater and Shellfish chapters of the joint Strategic Initiatives’ 2023 Investment Plan. The Plan details the investment priorities that the Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams have been working on for the past few months. The Investment Priorities will be the focus of competitive Request for Proposals (RFP) for the next year to award EPA Puget Sound Geographic Program Funds for investments across Puget Sound.  
  • Stormwater SIL RFPs supporting Investment Priorities for reducing Toxics in Fish and Freshwater Quality – Opportunities opening between August and December, 2023. Sign up here to learn more about these upcoming engagement opportunities. 
  • NEW! The Shellfish SIL will award up to $4,500,000 for proposals ranging from $200,000 to $1,000,000, lasting 2 to 3.5 years. This RFP focuses on four investment priorities addressing impacts to shellfish bed classification in Puget Sound. The Shellfish SIL will consider proposals from around Puget Sound and the four investment priorities being solicited for without a predetermined amount that will go to each priority. Click HERE to learn more and apply. More info below: 
  • The Shellfish chapter of the Investment Plan includes $4.5 million in total allocation for the four 2023 Shellfish Investment Priorities. Priorities include: 
  1. Onsite Sewage System (OSS) Management.
  2. Livestock manure management.
  3. Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC).
  4. Enabling municipalities and privately owned wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to prepare for modifications that will lead to shellfish classification upgrades around outfalls.

RFP Solicitation will be open for 8 weeks, applications are due October 20, 2023, by 11:59pm. 

 

  • NEW! Coastal Habitat Restoration and Resilience Grants for Tribes and Underserved Communities – $45 million in funding is available under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act for projects that will advance the coastal habitat restoration and climate resilience priorities of tribes and underserved communities. Through this funding, NOAA will help support community-driven habitat restoration and build the capacity of tribes and underserved communities to more fully participate in restoration activities. For more info and how to apply click HERE. Three webinars will also be held: 

 

  • NEW! Lead Service Line Loan – The Drinking Water State Revolving Fund (DWSRF) Construction Loan and Lead Service Line (LSL) Loan application cycles and opens October 2, 2023 with applications due by 11:59 p.m. PST on November 30, 2023. Currently the Construction Loan Guidelines 331-196 is available for public comment until September 28, 2023. The guidelines cover both application cycles. There is one application for typical construction and emerging contaminant projects. There is a separate application for any LSL inventory or replacement projects. DWSRF adopted an emergency rule (below) for the definition of a disadvantaged community that applies to these funding cycles to determine eligibility for subsidy after loan eligibility is confirmed. They scheduled two separate webinars and a question-and-answer session to explain the available funding. Links to the Microsoft Teams meeting for each session are on our DWSRF webpage (HERE), under the “Construction Loan: October-November” dropdown. 

 

  • Nearly $85 million in funding is available for fish passage and tribal capacity building under the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. This fish passage funding will facilitate tribes and tribal supporting organizations in building capacity and implementing projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for tribally-important species. NOAA will accept proposals between $300,000 and $12 million total over the award period. For more information, view the Restoring Tribal Priority Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. Applications are due by November 8, 2023.  
  • They are also announcing the availability of nearly $175 million to restore fish passage through the removal of dams and other in-stream barriers through the Restoring Fish Passage through Barrier Removal funding opportunity. This funding will support projects that reopen migratory pathways and restore access to healthy habitat for fish. In collaboration with NOAA, selected partners will use these funds to implement locally-led removals of dams and other in-stream barriers to rebuild sustainable fisheries, contribute to the recovery of threatened and endangered species, and enhance watershed health. NOAA will accept proposals between $1 million and $20 million over the award period. Applications are due by October 16, 2023.  

 

  • Transformational Habitat Restoration Funding Opportunity – NOAA is seeking proposals for transformational projects that will restore coastal habitat and strengthen community resilience under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and Inflation Reduction Act. Through this competition, NOAA will prioritize projects that demonstrate a broad base of stakeholder and community support. Projects that were developed with inclusive practices and incorporate meaningful strategies to engage a diverse range of community groups, including tribes and underserved communities, will be prioritized. NOAA will accept proposals between $1 million and $25 million total over the award period. Applications are due by November 17, 2023. For more information, click HERE to view the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants funding opportunity. 

 

Job Announcements 

  • NEW! Watersheds Project Manager – Bonneville Environmental Foundation 

This position will support our efforts to create a new Carbon Credit Regional Operator program to support long-term stewardship of restoration sites, work with us on an exciting new EPA funded Climate Resilient Riparian Systems Lead program, and also be part of our Floodplains by Design team. Currently no due date, but click HERE for more info. 

 

  • NEW! Economics Support for Puget Sound Ecosystem Recovery (RFQQ) – PSP  

The purpose of this Request for Qualifications and Quotations (RFQQ) is to solicit experienced 

bidders that have the skills and expertise needed to support and guide the Puget Sound 

Partnership, leads of Puget Sound Implementation Strategies, and other recovery partners to 

access and make use of relevant and credible economics information, tools, and methodologies 

that allow us to consider economic aspects of Puget Sound recovery. Response due date is September 18. For more info and how to send your proposal, click HERE. 

 

  • NEW! Communication Consultant – PSP  

The Partnership’s Communication Specialist (exempt) will be adding capacity to the communications team and will focus on coordinating with partners across the Puget Sound region to document notable recovery accomplishments within state, local, federal, tribal and NGO efforts. Accomplishments could include items such as significant projects receiving funding, completion of significant projects, research findings released, changes to laws and regulations, and progress on important efforts. Application due date is September 12. For more info and how to apply, click HERE. 

 

  • Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee – WRIA 11 

Pierce County is currently accepting applications for a position on the Nisqually Basin (WRIA 11) Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee. The Advisory Committee makes recommendations on various budget and policy issues and project priorities to the Board of Supervisors. WRIA 11 represents the interests of residents in the Nisqually Basin, both in the county and any cities or communities in the area. APPLY HERE: Flood Control Zone District Advisory Committee Application. Please indicate in the application that you are interested in serving on the WRIA 11 position, the position is open to anyone living in the watershed.