WATER RESOURCE INVENTORY AREA 14 FRESHWATER STRATEGY: REQUEST FOR PROPOSALS
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The primary goal of this project is to assist the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 14 Lead Entity with updating its existing freshwater habitat strategy. The strategy will be used to help identify and prioritize salmon habitat restoration and conservation work throughout the WRIA. The geography of WRIA 14 includes many relatively small freshwater systems. This makes project prioritization challenging without a strong and comprehensive strategy.
The strategy update process should involve compilation and analysis of existing technical information, collection of additional data as needed to assess the freshwater habitat factors limiting salmonid recovery, and facilitation of meetings to gather input from the Lead Entity Committee.
The Lead Entity Citizens Committee consists of representatives from counties, Tribes, environmental community, citizens, landowners, state and federal agencies, agriculture, and other interested entities in the WRIA. The Committee will be the decision-making body directing development of the updated strategy. The Committee currently meets monthly for two hours in Shelton, but anticipates the need for a limited number of longer meetings to support the strategy update.
We anticipate a phased approach due to funding limitations, but are requesting that proposals outline a holistic approach to performing a strategy update.
Project Objectives include:
The primary goal of this project is to assist the Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 14 Lead Entity with updating its existing freshwater habitat strategy. The strategy will be used to help identify and prioritize salmon habitat restoration and conservation work throughout the WRIA. The geography of WRIA 14 includes many relatively small freshwater systems. This makes project prioritization challenging without a strong and comprehensive strategy.
The strategy update process should involve compilation and analysis of existing technical information, collection of additional data as needed to assess the freshwater habitat factors limiting salmonid recovery, and facilitation of meetings to gather input from the Lead Entity Committee.
The Lead Entity Citizens Committee consists of representatives from counties, Tribes, environmental community, citizens, landowners, state and federal agencies, agriculture, and other interested entities in the WRIA. The Committee will be the decision-making body directing development of the updated strategy. The Committee currently meets monthly for two hours in Shelton, but anticipates the need for a limited number of longer meetings to support the strategy update.
We anticipate a phased approach due to funding limitations, but are requesting that proposals outline a holistic approach to performing a strategy update.
Project Objectives include:
- Organize and plan work-group meetings to discuss progress and gather work group input on the strategy update;
- Synthesize existing habitat and fish population data to be incorporated into the strategy update (see Attachment A for a list of some existing studies/data to be considered);
- Identify data gaps that are critical to having an effective and reliable strategy;
- Provide a cost estimate, timeline, and process for acquiring and incorporating critical data collected;
- Lead development of an updated habitat strategy that includes a watershed prioritization discussion and relative framework for selecting projects in WRIA 14 (Example: should we be prioritizing restoration and conservation efforts in certain watersheds over others?). The strategy should identify the highest priority areas for habitat restoration and highest priority areas with intact habitat where conservation tools are most appropriate.
- Compile the information into a final updated strategy document (see Attachment B for a copy of the existing strategy document).
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Contact the WRIA 14 Lead Entity Coordinator Jacob Murray | [email protected] | (360) 358-0999