Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Blog

LCFEG Announces New Project Manager for Grays-Elochoman & Cowlitz River Watersheds

2006-07-20T11:30:00.000-07:00

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) announces the hiring of its new west-end Project Manager, Mr. Mark Taylor.

A Habitat Restoration Project Manager, Mark was previously employed as the Watershed Restoration Coordinator for Morro Bay National Estuary Program (MBNEP), one of only 28 national estuary programs in the U.S.

As Project Manager Mark will be responsible for identifying, managing, monitoring, and maintaining new salmon and steelhead habitat restoration projects. Mark will specifically focus on geographic areas within LCFEG’s western watersheds and communities including those of Cowlitz County westward to the western Washington Coast, thus expanding LCFEG partnerships in Water Resource Inventory Areas 25 & 26 (Grays-Elochoman & Cowlitz Rivers).

Mark has several years of experience in managing state & federal grants, design, permitting and field management of multiple restoration projects throughout the Morro Bay watershed and also in eastern Washington’s Walla Walla sub-basin.

He enjoys working with diverse groups of stakeholders and teaching cooperating partners that well designed habitat restoration projects can protect both fish and stream banks. In his new position, Mark looks forward to developing relationships with landowners, fish management agencies/tribes, potential partners, and schools/community groups to identify potential projects, conduct on-site evaluations, provide design recommendations, and/or develop contracts with various landowners, partner agencies, and contractors.

Although he worked along the scenic coast of central California, this SW WA (Vancouver) native grew homesick for his local streams and rivers. With family in both Longview and Castle Rock, WA, Mark applied for the position in May 2006, interviewed with LCFEG and subsequently accepted the position offer last month (June).

When asked why he’d ever leave sunny California to return to Washington State, Mark simply smiles and replies, “I guess I’m just like the fish I’ve been hired to protect … I traveled hundreds of miles from home, but found my way back to my native waters. Working for LCFEG offers me the opportunity to protect fish runs for future generations and meet others who want to protect the valuable resources of this great state.”

Welcome aboard, Mark!!!

Mark Taylor
Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group
12404 SE Evergreen Hwy
Vancouver, WA 98683
Tel (360) 882-6671
Email: mark@lcfeg.org
www.lcfeg.org

LCFEG Announces New Operations Director

2006-07-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) announces the hiring of Nello Picinich, its new Operations Director. Mr. Picinich, who originally learned about LCFEG’s latest job opportunity through his involvement with Gary Bock/Washington State University Cooperative Extension’s Watershed Stewards Program, is valued for his strong business sense and ample organizational skills. Nello has spent the past decade enhancing operational efficiencies for local business owners, developing budgets, overseeing federal/state agency compliance, and engaging volunteers in multiple activities. In his new position with LCFEG, Nello will be primarily responsible for overseeing LCFEG’s administrative, financial, marketing, and outreach activities.
Nello’s professionalism, energy, and heartfelt commitment to restoring local salmon runs will assist LCFEG as the community-based salmon and steelhead recovery organization continues to grow with Salmon Recovery Plan implementation in future years.

In Nello’s own words, “LCFEG’s mission and commitment to positively impact the sustainability of salmon populations is one that I share wholeheartedly. As an avid fisherman, outdoorsman and native of the Northwest I am very excited about the possibility of working with LCFEG. This position creates a perfect mix that utilizes my business strengths in conjunction with my desire to protect our fisheries. I am truly passionate about the principles for which LCFEG stands.”

Welcome aboard, Nello!!!

Nello Picinich
Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group
12404 SE Evergreen Hwy
Vancouver, WA 98683
Tel (360) 882-6671
Email: nello@lcfeg.org
http://www.lcfeg.org/

July 9 Beacon Rock State Park Salmon Restoration Hike (LCFEG & Sierra Club)

2006-06-29T11:38:00.000-07:00

Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group/Sierra Club Partnership Event

Woodard Creek (Beacon Rock) Hike & Restoration Project Info Session

Sunday, July 9, 2006 (10:00 A.M. – 2:00 P.M.)

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (a local non-profit organization dedicated to community-based salmon and steelhead habitat restoration) will lead a hike discussing this summer's intense feasibility study for on-site salmon restoration at Woodard Creek (located at Beacon Rock State Park about 35 miles east of Vancouver along Hwy 14 East).

This habitat includes some of the last remaining chum spawning habit in the Columbia River Basin. Sites targeted by this project will include: reconnection and creation of off-channel rearing habitats; placement of in-stream rock and wood structures; construction of groundwater-fed spawning and rearing habitat; restoration of riparian and floodplain habitats; removal and/or modification of hydrological modifications; and channel realignment.

The hike is about 1 mile of easy terrain (with additional more difficult hikes available post-event) and begins at 10:00 a.m. in the Park’s Day Use Area. The event will also feature a presentation by Erik Plunkett, Beacon Rock State Park Manager, on the area's natural and tribal history. This outing is open to the public. Please bring water and a picnic lunch. For more information or to register for this event, please contact Sheila North (360 882 6671, info@lcfeg.org) or John McConnaughey (360 258 7154, loowit-conservation@cascade.sierraclub.org).

Additional information on Beacon Rock State Park (including camping, fishing/boating, hiking, and historical information): http://www.parks.wa.gov/parkpage.asp?selectedpark=Beacon%20Rock.

LCFEG Opens Two New Positions (Habitat Restoration Project Manager & Program Manager); Applications Accepted Through May 26, 2006

2006-05-12T17:07:00.000-07:00

Overview
The Habitat Restoration Project Manager will identify new salmon and steelhead habitat restoration projects, manage these projects, and monitor and maintain existing projects to ensure that LCFEG’s organizational and salmon restoration goals are met. This position focuses geographically within western watersheds and communities covered by LCFEG’s five-county region , including those of Cowlitz County westward to the western Washington Coast (Region 11 map available online at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/volunter/index.htm). The PM will also coordinate with other LCFEG staff on additional projects and/or programs as needed. Funding for this position is subject to the availability of future grants or contracts. LCFEG currently has two years of salary set aside for this position, with future salary dependent on this PM’s ability to develop and obtain outside funding for restoration projects.

Salary and benefits allocated to this position will be based on the successful applicant’s ability to clearly demonstrate their competency to both manage existing funded projects and to develop and fund new projects based on the regions salmon recovery plan. Writing and verbal communication skills, including rural landowner outreach, are a necessity as the applicant will be working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop community-based support for local salmon recovery (habitat restoration) projects.

This position may supervise other employees, interns, volunteers, temporary employees and/ or work crews; receives guidance from, and is directly responsible to, the Executive Director.

Duties

The primary duties of the Project Manager are to:

Identify, prioritize and develop restoration projects for grant funding.

Actively pursue potential funding sources for high priority projects. Write and submit applications for funding.

Prepare and publish final reports and recommendations. Provide assessment data and recommendations to local partners (tribes, state and federal agencies, conservation districts, local governments, etc.).

Coordinate implementation of funded projects. Develop and manage project timeline and budget in cooperation with the Executive Director, Program Manager and Board. Ensure the project is on schedule and within budget.

Coordinate and attend technical or coordination meetings for projects as needed, including design team meetings, “Lead Entity” meetings, and others that relate specifically to funded projects or project development.

Conduct competitive bid processes, hire, and supervise subcontractors (project engineer, construction contractor, etc.) under the direction of the Executive Director & Program Manager.

Acquire all necessary permits, landowner agreements, and utility access for projects under the guidance of the Executive Director. Coordinate with landowners to obtain possible donations.

Ensure conservation measures identified per 10(a) 1(A) and other permit required compliance with state and federal laws.

Manage or coordinate management of project construction.

Develop and maintain databases to track assessment work or other research.
Obtain (if necessary) and maintain equipment & gear (e.g. digital camera, laser level, rain gear, etc.) consistently with LCFEG, RFEG and/or project grant procurement policies.

Identify opportunities for volunteer involvement, coordinate with LCFEG Volunteer Coordinator, local volunteer groups (e.g. Stream Teams, Stream Stewards, conservation districts, etc.), and supervise volunteers as needed.

Maintain updated contact lists and regularly communicate progress to partners, funding agencies, the Board, and Executive Director.

Track and report to administrative staff project costs, invoices, and match.

Coordinate or conduct post-implementation monitoring to ensure projects meet the goals and objectives of LCFEG, granting agencies, and the resource co-managers.

Other duties as assigned.

Administrative Duties

1. Track billable hours, phone calls, miles traveled, purchases and other items as needed and report regularly to administrative staff and management. Ensure compliance with WDFW and other governmental fiscal policies and procedures manuals.
2. Maintain project files for each project (e.g. transcripts of all communication, budget, etc.) consistent with internal policies.
3. Regularly report progress to the Executive Director
4. Assist Program Manager with regular grant reporting to funding agencies
5. Attend regularly scheduled Board/Staff, Staff, and General Membership, and Annual Meetings as well as Strategic Planning retreats and occasional quarterly WDFW/RFEG Advisory Board meetings. Assist with set-up, take-down, and other tasks as requested.
6. Assist in preparation and delivery of presentations and newsletters.
7. Assist with recruitment, hiring and training of new LCFEG staff and board members.
8. Other duties as assigned.

Supervision
The Project Manager (PM) may supervise employees, interns, volunteers, temporary employees, corrections or WCC crews as assigned by the Executive Director. PMs are responsible for day-to-day supervision of contractors and vendors performing work related to specific projects.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities

Knowledge of salmon recovery process (Lead Entity, SRFB, sub-basin planning etc.)

Knowledge of salmon biology and habitat restoration techniques, including but not limited to in-stream restoration, fish passage, riparian restoration, salmon recovery strategies, and education & outreach.

Knowledge of field research and analysis methods including but not limited to culvert inventories, watershed assessments and fish population monitoring.

Proficiency in written and oral communication for diverse audiences. Ability to prepare informational articles and summary work reports, and give presentations in various venues using a variety of formats.

Proficiency in using Excel and performing simple mathematical calculations for the purposes of budget management.

Proficiency in using computers to record field data, communicate via email, write grant proposals and reports, track work progress, prepare educational and informational materials, and gather information from the internet.

Ability to organize and plan work schedules and tasks related to goals and policies set by the Executive Director and LCFEG Board.

Ability to develop and track project budgets and schedules.

Ability to work productively and cohesively both alone and in teams.

Ability to organize and plan own schedule of activities related to goals and objectives set by the Executive Director and Board of Directors.

Ability to manage personal workload, contracts, and other project elements to complete projects on time and within budget.

Ability to keep organized files and document communications to a standard suitable for an audit and other employees.

Local understanding of watershed history and cultural attitudes towards salmon recovery is desirable

Education/Experience

A Bachelor’s degree in fisheries OR related field and two years of pertinent work experience required (five years recommended). Experience includes both providing services to landowners or citizens and working in a team environment.

Special Requirements

This position will travel extensively around the region from Pacific to Skamania County. A reliable vehicle is mandatory along with valid Washington State driver’s license.

Working Conditions

While immediate relocation is not required, an office location and/or long-term residence in the Kelso/Longview area is desirable. The Project Manager maintains regular communication with LCFEG’s Vancouver Office Staff and LCFEG’s Board of Directors. Field work requires sufficient mobility to navigate uneven terrain, steep slopes, streams/creeks, marshy areas, and other field conditions. Flexibility is required for attendance at breakfast, evening, and weekend meetings or events and at various locations and field sites around the region.

LCFEG Preferences

Knowledge of construction practices related to restoration projects

Grant writing experience

Knowledge of local watersheds and fish populations

Enthusiasm, energy and commitment to our mission

Visit LCFRB’s website to view our regions’ Salmon Recovery Plan and Six-Year Habitat Project www.lcfrb.gen.wa.us.

WAGES
The position is a salaried position, the salary ranges from $42,000 to 58,000 per year DOE.

#2: Program Manager

Overview
The Program Manager (Operations Mgr.) is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination and management of the administrative, financial and key outreach services for the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) program. Under the general direction of the Executive Director, primary responsibilities include financial functions, budget development, grant and contract administration, and staff support for LCFEG activities. Position regularly exercises substantial discretion, independent judgment, and decision-making. The work is relatively unsupervised. Responsibilities include developing and implementing internal policies and procedures, providing advice and direction about the administrative operations and program activities, and otherwise performing work that is original or creative in nature.

Duties

Financial Responsibilities

Plan, organize, direct, monitor and coordinate the financial resources for the Board including financial planning, budgeting and accounting functions.

Establish and maintain account management procedures including preparation and/or approval of budget reports and reconciliation of expenditure documents with State and Federal accounting reports and relevant grant requirements.

Coordinate the preparation of grants and contract proposals. Initiate development of budgets for grants and contracts and assist in the preparation of work scopes.

Assist with grant and contract amendments and anticipate expiration dates.

Develop and administer intergovernmental agreements, private services contracts and consultants/ contractors agreements.

Coordinate the review of draft contracts with the Director and Treasurer.

Coordinate grant reimbursements and general monthly and quarterly reports to granting agencies.

Review and approve income/expenses, prepare and/or supervise statistical and budget reports, analyze financial data, make recommendations or take appropriate corrective action.

Ensure understanding of and compliance with the policies and procedures of federal and state funding agencies. Design, implement and update procedures and documentation that assure fiscal compliance with State and Federal guidelines and laws involving personnel/payroll, purchasing and travel.

Audit and approve expenditures, payroll and travel changes for accuracy and compliance with the State Auditor’s policies and procedures.

Prepare and maintain administrative business reports and records.

Maintain Quickbooks accounting software, interface with bookkeeper.

Policy and Procedures
• Assist in formulating and implementing general administrative policies.

• Develop and implement procedures to effect new grant and contract activities in conformance with the granting agency’s policies.

Personnel Management
• Assist the Director in developing and administrating the Board’s personnel policies and requirements including processing new staff, promotions, salary actions and terminations.
• Provide training and counsel to staff members as requested.
• Assist the Director in personnel searches.
• Maintain personnel files including vacation/sick leave records and related supporting documents.
• Assist the Director in coordinating and supervising the work schedule of the staff. Supervise other staff as needed.

Facilities Administration
· Inventory and oversee upgrades of office equipment and computers. Conduct annual inventory of tools and equipment used in the field.
· Maintain office working environment
· Maintain vehicle lease agreements

Public Outreach
· Prepare & submit organizational capacity building grants to various Foundations
· Recruit, hire and manage volunteer coordinator; assist volunteer coordinator to recruit and manage office interns and Ameri-Corps placements.
· Develop public outreach materials such as program reports, brochures and PowerPoint presentation for various audiences such as public officials, volunteers, and the general public.
· Monitor, update and maintain the LCFEG website.
· Assist in the development and implementation of a public outreach work plan for showcasing LCFEG’s program and accomplishments.
· Assist in the development of requests for proposals and request for qualifications as needed for outside consulting services.
· Coordinate new Board member orientation.
· Represent LCFEG at quarterly RFEG CAB/ Coalition meetings
· Manage and/ or Perform facility cost-share duties (on-site student education)

Other
· Utilize computer applications for resource management.
· Perform other job related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, environmental education, or closely related field and two years of professional experience in public administration, and/or education involving responsibility for planning, organizing and coordinating administrative and environmental education outreach activities.

Experience with non-profit organizational development is especially valued!

A Master’s degree or Ph.D. in one of the above fields will substitute for two years of the required experience. Demonstrated financial management skills, excellent interpersonal skills; excellent written and oral communications skills; good problem solving skills, and excellent skills in spreadsheet and database applications utilizing a personal computer.
Must have a valid driver’s license.
Working Conditions
Work is performed approximately 70% in an office environment and 30% attending meetings or project sites. Office environment is very small and requires ability to navigate stairway, field work requires ability to navigate over uneven surfaces. Attendance at evening and weekend meetings may be required.

APPLICATION SUBMITTALS

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, resume, references, and writing samples (if/as available) for both positions by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2006 via hard copy or email to:Tony MeyerLower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group12404 SE Evergreen HighwayVancouver, WA. 98683E-mail: tony@lcfeg.org

Organizational Info
The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) is a non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c) (3) non-profit salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies. Find us online at: www.lcfeg.org.

Anti-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group to not discriminate against any person with regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, or physical/mental disability.

2006 Clark County Sammy Award Announced for Ed McMillan (LCFEG Board Member)

2006-05-11T12:52:00.000-07:00

Please join the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) in congratulating its Board Member, Mr. Ed McMillan, for his 2006 Lifetime Achievement Award to be presented at this year's Clark County Sammy Presentions. Ed was nominated by LCFEG (with a support letter by WDFW) for his outstanding achievements in community-based salmon and steelhead habitat restoration.

The Sammy Awards Ceremony will be held on Thursday, June 15 at the Water Resources Center from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. Doug Sutherland, WA State Commissioner of Public Lands will join the Clark County Board of Commissioners in presenting the awards. (Note: LCFEG Board & Staff are also invited.) For more information on the Sammys please contact Joni McAnally at (360) 397-2022 or visit their website at: www.saveoursalmon.com.

Ed's original nomination request by LCFEG is included below:

Strange things are seen
On the Alaska scene
But the strangest
Yet to find,
Is an Engineer
Dressed in aqua gear
With all the tools of his trade
Its true that we
are trained to design
all things refined
but don't ignore
that we also abhor
those that would
ruin our environment
Cause its natures scene
that keeps us serene
and lets us live content
- Edmund K McMillan, 2006

This poem exemplifies the unbridled passion, wit, and sense of environmental stewardship that characterize its author, Edmund K. (or “Ed”) McMillan, the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group’s Special or Lifetime Achievement Category Sammy Award Nominee for 2006.

Ed’s passion for salmon restoration through both his earlier professional life and post-retirement volunteerism is unprecedented in Clark County. In his “former life” as the County’s Development Review Engineer, Ed was in charge of reviewing storm drainage, road, grading, erosion control, and flood plain permits, while also chairing the Committee that rewrote and updated the County’s Stormwater Code to comply with the (then new) State Department of Ecology Stormwater Management Manual.

After graduating from Sacramento State College with a B.S. in Civil Engineering in 1964, this avid fisherman began his career as an engineer in Alaska (where he currently holds both engineering & surveying licenses as well as Washington State) and went on to spend over 46 years in the engineering and surveying field, including working under structural design aspects of industrial class buildings, foundations, and maritime docks; design and construction management of airports, roads, bridges; design and construction management of water distribution and sewage collection systems; land subdivision surveys, retracement surveys, and construction layout surveys. Other appointments included Partner and Manager of an Anchorage, AK surveying and engineering consulting firm (15 yrs); Branch Manager of Engineering Consulting firm in Bellingham Washington (2 yrs); the City Engineer and Public Works Director for Anchorage Alaska (4 yrs); City Engineer and Public Works Director for Arlington Washington (2 yrs); and Supervisor of Engineering Development Review for Clark County (4 yrs).

Concurrent with his professional achievements, Ed maintained his lifelong passion for Pacific NW salmon and steelhead recovery through volunteer and extra-curricular involvements in both Washington and Alaska. In the early 1990s he was a Volunteer and Board Member for the Nooksack Region Salmon Enhancement Group (NSEA) in Bellingham (Whatcom County’s Regional Fish Enhancement Group). In this capacity Ed was able to use his background to design and construct numerous stream enhancement projects in Washington State, including: one on Carpenter Creek (near Whatcom Lake) utilizing Boy Scout labor to open this tributary to Kokanee spawning; another designing and supervising placement of a prefabricated concrete fish ladder to enable Chum passage over a previous fish barrier (with help in this case by the local Rotary Club); and coordinating and supervising various stream enhancement activities on three portions of Portage Creek in Arlington, Washington ( in conjunction with a developer, the City of Arlington, and community volunteers).

However, as life moved forward and with family close by, Ed and his wife Bette knew that Clark County was to be the place they’d call home, and so relocated to take the Clark County Engineer position during the mid-1990s. While thoroughly enjoying retirement now, Ed remains as busy as ever. Previously involved with the Neighborhood Associations reviewing both planning codes & critical habitat area ordinances in various locales, Ed now maintains active, almost daily volunteer roles as a highly-appointed member of the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board’s Technical Advisory Committee (TAC) and as Board Member and primary (volunteer) Engineer for the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group.

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group’s Staff and Directors are constantly amazed and impressed by Ed’s energy, experience, and determination to develop SW Washington’s Salmon Recovery Forum in the most efficient and community-integrated way possible. Past and present LCFEG restoration projects in Clark County which could not have occurred without Ed’s active involvement include engineering design and construction management of the following projects:

• Little Washougal River large woody debris collectors at the Stauffer and Marks family properties where he helped design and build debris collectors as fish friendly bank stabilization.

• Larson Creek Fish Passage Project where Evergreen High School students fabricated and installed two fishways Ed designed. LCFEG is monitoring fish usage of the beaver ponds and have documented over 1,500 juvenile coho, cutthroat and steelhead over-wintering in this system in 2004/05 and 2005/ 06.

• Lockwood Creek Project where Ed provided input regarding proper placement of 60 pieces of LWD in the lower 1,600’ of Lockwood creek in conjunction with the planting of 25,000 new trees by Clark Public Utilities.

• Lower Washougal restoration project involved extensive pre-design and design analysis to determine elevations and structural stability of a mainstem riffle, a mainstem logjam and restoration of over ten acres of former gravel pits as off-channel rearing habitat.

Ed is also actively involved with other projects outside of Clark County, including LCFEG’s Indian Mary Creek Fish Passage project in Skamania County last year where he designed and built a bridge to replace impassable culverts and the Upper Washougal logjam project where he fell off a bridge while helping to test the bedrock anchors used to hold the wood in place!

Along with his active involvement in designing and building salmon restoration projects, Ed has joined the LCFRB as a “citizen at-large” member of the Technical Advisory Committee. This committee is responsible for implementing the regions salmon recovery and sub-basin plans approved by NOAA Fisheries. Ed’s understanding of engineering and how fish habitat is created has become an invaluable addition to the regions ability to select cost-effective restoration projects.

As hopefully demonstrated herein (but not nearly as well as if you’d worked with him!), Clark County fish populations have benefited tremendously by Ed’s passion as a volunteer, and his and ongoing facilitation of agency, NGO, & Community Partnerships that make both Ed and Clark County so special (to residents, both salmon and people). Ed is determined to form innovative partnerships at every opportunity within the salmon realm (matching engineers with biologists, agencies with NGOs, school groups with professionals, etc), and his lifetime of achievements have allowed development and implementation of many worthwhile habitat restoration projects within Clark County and elsewhere (including many of the communities he has lived in to-date). These achievements make Ed a most worthwhile candidate for this year’s Sammy Award, and LCFEG sincerely looks forward to serious consideration of his lifetime achievements towards local salmon stewardship and habitat restoration.

Upper Washougal River Willow Planting

2006-05-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

LOWER COLUMBIA FISH ENHANCEMENT GROUP
VOLUNTEER HELP REQUEST

May 1, 2006
Contact: Sheila North, LCFEG, (360) 882-6671

Upper Washougal River Willow Planting
Saturday, May 13, 2006 (9:00 a.m. – 2:00 p.m.)

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) requests volunteers to assist with a day of native willow plantings at its Upper Washougal River Restoration Site on Saturday, May13, 2006 from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. LCFEG staff and other technical experts will be on-site to coordinate and train all volunteer work parties, and no experience is necessary. Snacks and refreshments will be provided.

Volunteers should meet at the LCFEG office next door to (immediately east of) Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center at 12404 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683. From here volunteers will carpool to the project site, approximately 15 miles upriver along Washougal River Road. Please dress appropriately for the field and weather conditions (boots and outdoor clothing).

Upper Washougal River Restoration Activities conducted by LCFEG include data collection, material stockpiling, and placement of at least five (5) pre-designed and bedrock-secured logjams into three tributary reaches (Stebbins & Reeder Creeks) last summer (along the upper five miles of the Washougal River, beginning at the Washougal Salmon Hatchery in Skamania County). The project has demonstrated excellent results thus far despite this past winter’s two full months of continuous bank full discharge!!! This project addresses habitat impacts resulting from forest fires, timber practices, and management decisions which historically removed large wood from the active stream channel. Project activities have thus far restored stream bed substrate, reduced water temperatures, and increased channel diversity for fish as well as restoring access to nearby tributaries, increasing long-term aquatic productivity, and creating suitable spawning and rearing habitat for local salmon/steelhead runs.

LCFEG is non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c) (3) salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, the LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies. LCFEG restoration techniques are often used as design templates by other restoration practitioners and its expertise is commonly sought by both private and governmental entities.

RSVP by May 10 by contacting Sheila North, Outreach Coordinator by email at: info@lcfeg.org. To learn more about LCFEG’s mission, projects, and activities, please find us online at: www.lcfeg.org.

3/31 & 4/1 Chipper/Carcass Demo Days

2006-03-16T18:04:00.000-08:00

LCFEG Chipper and Carcass Demo Days or “Fish Flings”
Friday, March 31 & Saturday, April 1
Meeting Times/Locations:
9:00 am (Vancouver Office) or 10:00 am (Washougal Fish Hatchery)

Witness and compare two innovative in-stream nutrient enhancement techniques
currently utilized by the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, including: 1) in-stream frozen carcass “flings”; and 2) use of our new chipper for in-stream carcass piecemeal placement on Friday March 31st (for agency staff and/or weekday media/schools/volunteer participants) and April 1 (for citizens and/or weekend media/schools/volunteer participants).

A partnership between LCFEG, WDFW, and Fish First, the Southwest Washington Carcass Placement Program places excess approximately 25,000 salmon carcasses per year from the Washougal, Kalama, and North Fork Lewis hatcheries into local streams and rivers to enhance aquatic productivity for native salmon runs. Last year along LCFEG placed over 9,000 carcasses into rivers and streams throughout the Washougal River watershed. Recent scientific evidence, including LCFEG’s current USGS-managed Nutrient Study (http://www.lcfeg.org/projects.htm) strongly supports the idea that aquatic environments, like terrestrial environments, need annual inputs of two key nutrients- Nitrogen and Phosphorous.

Both days’ events are identical and will take place on-site at the WDFW Washougal Salmon Hatchery (approximately 16 miles upriver from Highway 14’s 15th Ave exit on Washougal River Rd). As an added bonus, each demonstration will be followed by an LCFEG-led tour of our recently-completed Upper Washougal River In-stream Restoration Project (http://www.lcfeg.org/projects05.htm) very close to the hatchery demonstration site. Here you may view adult spawning steelhead (!) utilizing gravels recently captured by the boulder/Large Woody Debris structures placed here by LCFEG last summer, and doing quite well in its first year despite two full months of bank full flow!!!

The chipper/carcass demonstration and site tour will take about two hours to complete and will begin at 10:00 a.m. at the hatchery adult holding pond next to the bridge on both days. Interested participants should plan to carpool from LCFEG’s Vancouver Office Location (12404 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683) at 9:00 a.m. with return to the Vancouver Office later that day, or meet directly on-site at the hatchery no later than 10:00 a.m.

RSVP by Wednesday, March 29, 2006 if you wish to participate. For questions or concerns on this event, please contact Sheila North, Outreach Coordinator, or Tony Meyer, Executive Director, at: info@lcfeg.org (email) or (360) 882-6671 (phone).

LCFEG Opens Two New Positions (Habitat Restoration Project Manager & Program Manager); Applications Accepted Through May 26, 2006

2006-02-27T12:53:00.000-08:00

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) is seeking to hire full-time staff for two new positions: 1) Habitat Restoration Project Manager; and 2) Organizational Program Manager.

Applications for both positions will close at 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26.

Start dates are anticipated for early June (Project Manager) and early July (Program Manager).

Position descriptions below:

#1: Habitat Restoration Project Manager

Overview
The Habitat Restoration Project Manager will identify new salmon and steelhead habitat restoration projects, manage these projects, and monitor and maintain existing projects to ensure that LCFEG’s organizational and salmon restoration goals are met. This position focuses geographically within western watersheds and communities covered by LCFEG’s five-county region , including those of Cowlitz County westward to the western Washington Coast (Region 11 map available online at: http://wdfw.wa.gov/volunter/index.htm). The PM will also coordinate with other LCFEG staff on additional projects and/or programs as needed. Funding for this position is subject to the availability of future grants or contracts. LCFEG currently has two years of salary set aside for this position, with future salary dependent on this PM’s ability to develop and obtain outside funding for restoration projects.

The success of this individual will ultimately be based on his/her ability to successfully manage existing funded projects as well as developing and acquiring funding for new projects based on the region's Salmon Recovery Plan. Writing and verbal communication skills, including rural landowner outreach, are a necessity as the applicant will be working with a wide range of stakeholders to develop community-based support for local salmon recovery (habitat restoration) projects.

This position may supervise other employees, interns, volunteers, temporary employees and/ or work crews; receives guidance from, and is directly responsible to, the Executive Director.

Duties
The primary duties of the Project Manager are to:

1. Identify, prioritize and develop restoration projects for grant funding.
2. Actively pursue potential funding sources for high priority projects. Write and submit applications for funding.
3. Prepare and publish final reports and recommendations. Provide assessment data and recommendations to local partners (tribes, state and federal agencies, conservation districts, local governments, etc.).
4. Coordinate implementation of funded projects. Develop and manage project timeline and budget in cooperation with the Executive Director, Program Manager and Board. Ensure the project is on schedule and within budget.
5. Coordinate and attend technical or coordination meetings for projects as needed, including design team meetings, “Lead Entity” meetings, and others that relate specifically to funded projects or project development.
6. Conduct competitive bid processes, hire, and supervise subcontractors (project engineer, construction contractor, etc.) under the direction of the Executive Director & Program Manager.
7. Acquire all necessary permits, landowner agreements, and utility access for projects under the guidance of the Executive Director. Coordinate with landowners to obtain possible donations.
8. Ensure conservation measures identified per 10(a) 1(A) and other permit required compliance with state and federal laws.
9. Manage or coordinate management of project construction.
10. Develop and maintain databases to track assessment work or other research.
11. Obtain (if necessary) and maintain equipment & gear (e.g. digital camera, laser level, rain gear, etc.) consistently with LCFEG, RFEG and/or project grant procurement policies.
12. Identify opportunities for volunteer involvement, coordinate with LCFEG Volunteer Coordinator, local volunteer groups (e.g. Stream Teams, Stream Stewards, conservation districts, etc.), and supervise volunteers as needed.
13. Maintain updated contact lists and regularly communicate progress to partners, funding agencies, the Board, and Executive Director.
14. Track and report to administrative staff project costs, invoices, and match.
15. Coordinate or conduct post-implementation monitoring to ensure projects meet the goals and objectives of LCFEG, granting agencies, and the resource co-managers.
16. Other duties as assigned.

Administrative Duties
1. Track billable hours, phone calls, miles traveled, purchases and other items as needed and report regularly to administrative staff and management. Ensure compliance with WDFW and other governmental fiscal policies and procedures manuals.
2. Maintain project files for each project (e.g. transcripts of all communication, budget, etc.) consistent with internal policies.
3. Regularly report progress to the Executive Director
4. Assist Program Manager with regular grant reporting to funding agencies
5. Attend regularly scheduled Board/Staff, Staff, and General Membership, and Annual Meetings as well as Strategic Planning retreats and occasional quarterly WDFW/RFEG Advisory Board meetings. Assist with set-up, take-down, and other tasks as requested.
6. Assist in preparation and delivery of presentations and newsletters.
7. Assist with recruitment, hiring and training of new LCFEG staff and board members.
8. Other duties as assigned.

Supervision
The Project Manager (PM) may supervise employees, interns, volunteers, temporary employees, corrections or WCC crews as assigned by the Executive Director. PMs are responsible for day-to-day supervision of contractors and vendors performing work related to specific projects.

Knowledge/Skills/Abilities
• Knowledge of salmon recovery process (Lead Entity, SRFB, sub-basin planning etc.)
• Knowledge of salmon biology and habitat restoration techniques, including but not limited to in-stream restoration, fish passage, riparian restoration, salmon recovery strategies, and education & outreach.
• Knowledge of field research and analysis methods including but not limited to culvert inventories, watershed assessments and fish population monitoring.
• Proficiency in written and oral communication for diverse audiences. Ability to prepare informational articles and summary work reports, and give presentations in various venues using a variety of formats.
• Proficiency in using Excel and performing simple mathematical calculations for the purposes of budget management.
• Proficiency in using computers to record field data, communicate via email, write grant proposals and reports, track work progress, prepare educational and informational materials, and gather information from the internet.
• Ability to organize and plan work schedules and tasks related to goals and policies set by the Executive Director and LCFEG Board.
• Ability to develop and track project budgets and schedules.
• Ability to work productively and cohesively both alone and in teams.
• Ability to organize and plan own schedule of activities related to goals and objectives set by the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
• Ability to manage personal workload, contracts, and other project elements to complete projects on time and within budget.
• Ability to keep organized files and document communications to a standard suitable for an audit and other employees.
• Local understanding of watershed history and cultural attitudes towards salmon recovery is desirable

Education/Experience
A Bachelor’s degree in fisheries OR related field and two years of pertinent work experience required (five years recommended). Experience includes both providing services to landowners or citizens and working in a team environment.

Special Requirements
This position will travel extensively around the region from Pacific to Skamania County. A reliable vehicle is mandatory along with valid Washington State driver’s license.

Working Conditions
While immediate relocation is not required, an office location and/or long-term residence in the Kelso/Longview area is desirable. The Project Manager maintains regular communication with LCFEG’s Vancouver Office Staff and LCFEG’s Board of Directors. Field work requires sufficient mobility to navigate uneven terrain, steep slopes, streams/creeks, marshy areas, and other field conditions. Flexibility is required for attendance at breakfast, evening, and weekend meetings or events and at various locations and field sites around the region.

LCFEG Preferences
• Knowledge of construction practices related to restoration projects
• Grant writing experience
• Knowledge of local watersheds and fish populations
• Enthusiasm, energy and commitment to our mission

Visit LCFRB’s website to view our regions’ Salmon Recovery Plan and Six-Year Habitat Project www.lcfrb.gen.wa.us.

WAGES
The position is a salaried position, the salary ranges from $42,000 to 58,000 per year DOE.

#2: Program Manager

Purpose: The Program Manager (Operations Mgr.) is responsible for the development, implementation, coordination and management of the administrative, financial and key outreach services for the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) program. Under the general direction of the Executive Director, primary responsibilities include financial functions, budget development, grant and contract administration, and staff support for LCFEG activities. Position regularly exercises substantial discretion, independent judgment, and decision-making. The work is relatively unsupervised. Responsibilities include developing and implementing internal policies and procedures, providing advice and direction about the administrative operations and program activities, and otherwise performing work that is original or creative in nature.

Duties include the following:

Financial Responsibilities
• Plan, organize, direct, monitor and coordinate the financial resources for the Board including financial planning, budgeting and accounting functions.
• Establish and maintain account management procedures including preparation and/or approval of budget reports and reconciliation of expenditure documents with State and Federal accounting reports and relevant grant requirements.
• Coordinate the preparation of grants and contract proposals. Initiate development of budgets for grants and contracts and assist in the preparation of work scopes.
• Assist with grant and contract amendments and anticipate expiration dates.
• Develop and administer intergovernmental agreements, private services contracts and consultants/ contractors agreements.
• Coordinate the review of draft contracts with the Director and Treasurer.
• Coordinate grant reimbursements and general monthly and quarterly reports to granting agencies.
• Review and approve income/expenses, prepare and/or supervise statistical and budget reports, analyze financial data, make recommendations or take appropriate corrective action.
• Ensure understanding of and compliance with the policies and procedures of federal and state funding agencies. Design, implement and update procedures and documentation that assure fiscal compliance with State and Federal guidelines and laws involving personnel/payroll, purchasing and travel.
• Audit and approve expenditures, payroll and travel changes for accuracy and compliance with the State Auditor’s policies and procedures.
• Prepare and maintain administrative business reports and records.
• Maintain Quickbooks accounting software, interface with bookkeeper.

Policy and Procedures
• Assist in formulating and implementing general administrative policies.
• Develop and implement procedures to effect new grant and contract activities in conformance with the granting agency’s policies.

Personnel Management
• Assist the Director in developing and administrating the Board’s personnel policies and requirements including processing new staff, promotions, salary actions and terminations.
• Provide training and counsel to staff members as requested.
• Assist the Director in personnel searches.
• Maintain personnel files including vacation/sick leave records and related supporting documents.
• Assist the Director in coordinating and supervising the work schedule of the staff. Supervise other staff as needed.

Facilities Administration
• Inventory and oversee upgrades of office equipment and computers. Conduct annual inventory of tools and equipment used in the field.
• Maintain office working environment
• Maintain vehicle lease agreements

Public Outreach
• Prepare & submit organizational capacity building grants to various Foundations
• Recruit, hire and manage volunteer coordinator; assist volunteer coordinator to recruit and manage office interns and Ameri-Corps placements.
• Develop public outreach materials such as program reports, brochures and PowerPoint presentation for various audiences such as public officials, volunteers, and the general public.
• Monitor, update and maintain the LCFEG website.
• Assist in the development and implementation of a public outreach work plan for showcasing LCFEG’s program and accomplishments.
• Assist in the development of requests for proposals and request for qualifications as needed for outside consulting services.
• Coordinate new Board member orientation.
• Represent LCFEG at quarterly RFEG CAB/ Coalition meetings
• Manage and/ or Perform facility cost-share duties (on-site student education)

Other
• Utilize computer applications for resource management.
• Perform other job related duties as required.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor’s degree in business, public administration, environmental education, or closely related field and two years of professional experience in public administration, and/or education involving responsibility for planning, organizing and coordinating administrative and environmental education outreach activities.

Experience with non-profit organizational development is especially valued!

A Master’s degree or Ph.D. in one of the above fields will substitute for two years of the required experience. Demonstrated financial management skills, excellent interpersonal skills; excellent written and oral communications skills; good problem solving skills, and excellent skills in spreadsheet and database applications utilizing a personal computer
.
Must have a valid driver’s license.

Working Conditions
Work is performed approximately 70% in an office environment and 30% attending meetings or project sites. Office environment is very small and requires ability to navigate stairway, field work requires ability to navigate over uneven surfaces. Attendance at evening and weekend meetings may be required.

APPLICATION SUBMITTALS

Applicants must submit a letter of interest, resume, references, and writing samples (if/as available) for both positions by 5:00 p.m. on Friday, May 26, 2006 via hard copy or email to:

Tony Meyer
Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group
12404 SE Evergreen Highway
Vancouver, WA. 98683
E-mail: tony@lcfeg.org

Organizational Info
The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) is a non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c) (3) non-profit salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies. Find us online at: www.lcfeg.org.

Anti-Discrimination Policy
It is the policy of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group to not discriminate against any person with regard to race, color, religion, sex, age, national origin, marital status, or physical/mental disability.

Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group Announces 2006 Project Schedule

2006-02-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) recently announced its 2006 Project Schedule. LCFEG is a non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c) (3) non-profit salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies.

Funding sources identified below include the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (LCFRB), National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF), Gifford Pinchot National Forest Resource Advisory Committee (RAC), U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia River Research Laboratory, and WA State Parks (WSP).

Lower Cowlitz Project Development (LCFRB/SRFB)

This proposal will address high-priority data gaps identified by the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board’s Salmon Recovery and Fish and Wildlife Sub Basin Plans. (http://www.lcfrb.gen.wa.us/default1.htm) The results from this project development assessment will facilitate the implementation of biologically and technically sound habitat restoration projects. Within the Lower Cowlitz River Basin, habitat restoration projects will be evaluated and assessed to identify restoration sites and develop project designs that address specific habitat limiting factors identified for this subbasin.
Potential project types targeted by this assessment will include: reconnection and creation of off-channel rearing habitats; placement of in-stream rock and wood structures; construction of groundwater-fed spawning and rearing habitat; restoration of riparian and floodplain habitats; and removal and/or modification of hydrological modifications.

A ranked list of projects for the project area will be produced as well as preliminary designs and budgets for the highest priority projects within the subbasin. The priority list will be developed together with our partners to include landowner interest and biological/logistical factors. Habitat data derived from this project will be used to address the data gaps identified within the Lower Columbia Plan and to identify the 6-Year Habitat Work Schedule. The final product will enable the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (our Lead Entity) to target future restoration projects while more effectively benefiting fish.

Cispus River/Yellow Jacket Creek & Columbia Springs Channel Assessments (SRFB/RAC)

This project will acquire site-specific data needed to design two off-channel spawning and rearing habitat restoration projects located in the Upper Cowlitz and Salmon-Washougal watersheds, both of which contain multiple, high-priority ESA-listed salmon and steelhead populations. Project partners for the Cispus River/Yellow Jacket Creek assessment include the USFS & North Gifford Pinchot Resource Advisory Committee. Project partners for the Columbia Springs Spawning Channel include Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center, Evergreen School District, Clark Public Utilities, WDFW, and landowner Donna Eagan. Project partners for the Washougal River project will include WDFW & Skamania County.
Each of these project locations and types were selected for implementation based on the known physical site conditions at each location, the presence of a high priority donor stock, existing ownership and the long-term value of providing a public outreach forum where local citizens can visit and interact in close proximity with adult spawning salmon.

Carcass Analog Study Level II (SRFB/USGS)

This project increasingly illustrates the importance of food in the freshwater aquatic ecosystem that ultimately determines the rearing density of wild juvenile salmon. Level II of this project, beginning next summer, places carcass analogs in stream sections within the Lewis and Wind River watersheds previously identified by USGS in Level I (2003-5) as nutrient-deficient. The analogs are pasteurized, nutrient-rich, low-cost, easy to handle and transport, and are formulated to mimic the rate of decay of actual salmon carcasses. After placement of carcass analogs, USGS will monitor the responses of algae, aquatic insects, anadromous fish, and water chemistry over the growing season and compare these responses to those from nearby streams that receive no nutrient enhancement.

Successful completion of this project will allow the region to reach its salmon recovery goals in a timely and cost-effective manner by providing scientific support to the concept of programmatic carcass analog distribution throughout the Lower Columbia River basins using existing non-native biomass (shad) and local hatchery (non-native) salmon carcasses as protein for carcass analog production. The results of this project will be shared with the tribes, NOAA Fisheries, USFS, USFWS, WDFW, BPA and the local Lead Entities responsible for salmon recovery. Project partners include USGS, USFS, WDFW, Dr. Ken Ashley of British Columbia, and several local conservation groups.

Lockwood Creek Restoration (LCFRB/NFWF)

This project will restore habitat complexity and 2,000 lineal feet (LF) of degraded floodplain habitat through placement of in-stream large woody debris (LWD) and native riparian plantings at Lockwood Creek, a Lewis River tributary supporting cutthroat, steelhead, chum, Chinook, and coho salmon. This project, occurring at the creek’s confluence with the East Fork Lewis River, supplements 2004 on-site restoration activities (funded by Clark Public Utilities’ Centennial Clean Water Grant), cumulatively restoring 26 acres of riparian habitat, 5,000 LF of stream channel with Large Woody Debris placements, construction an off-channel rearing pond, and re-connection of the stream to its adjacent floodplain and wetlands through removal of a 2,500 foot long dike. LCFEG project partners include Clark County Public Utilities, Clark Conservation District, Washington Department of Ecology, and a private landowner (the Monahan family).

Road Decommissioning - North Fork Lewis/Muddy River (SRFB/RAC)

This project will decommission 1.8 miles of road along the Muddy River, resulting in a removal or replacement of eighteen (18) failing or at-risk culverts (for both fish passage and sediment delivery) along the mainstem Muddy River and its associated tributaries, opening over one-half mile of blocked fish habitat for ESA-listed fish species including bull trout, spring Chinook, coho salmon, and steelhead species. This project is in conjunction with the scheduled reintroduction of anadromous species following new license agreements with Tacoma Power anticipated for the three Lewis River dams. The multiple tributaries crossing this road form one tributary below the road and run parallel to the Muddy River for one mile before joining the Muddy River. This tributary runs cool (12oC or less) during the entire summer and therefore is considered potential bull trout habitat. This tributary and one other tributary just north are two drainages to the Muddy River believed to be hydraulically connected to the source of cold waters from Mt. St. Helens. The partnership between LCFEG and USFS was formed to make this project cost-effective and competitive in order to complete in a timely manner.

Woodard Creek Project Development (SRFB/WSP)

This proposal will address the high priority data gaps within the Woodward Creek basin necessary to identify restoration sites and to develop designs that address specific habitat limiting factors identified for this subbasin. Potential project sites targeted by this assessment will include; reconnection and creation of off-channel rearing habitats; placement of in stream rock and wood structures; construction of groundwater-fed spawning and rearing habitat; restoration of riparian and floodplain habitats; removal and/or modification of hydrological modifications; and channel realignment.
A ranked list of projects for the project area will be produced as well as preliminary designs and budgets for the highest priority projects within the subbasin. The priority list will be developed together with our partners to include; landowner interest and biological/logistical factors. The final product will enable the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (our Lead Entity) to target future restoration projects that will more effectively benefit fish.

Alder Creek Fish Passage Project (NFWF/SRFB)

This fish passage and off-channel rearing project will restore access to at least one mile of tributary spawning habitat as well as restore access to an existing six acre pond for off-channel rearing use by steelhead, coho and cutthroat trout. Due to the remote location of the project on private timberlands, project partners are few. Campbell Group (landowner) and WDFW are the principal partners and brought this project to us as it doesn’t fit within the required actions of the new forest & fish rules.

The low cost relative to the amount of habitat made available for salmon is made possible by the presence of existing infrastructure originally built to support acclimation of hatchery reared coho salmon. The program was abandoned a few years ago and WDFW has requested that we remove the intake structure on Alder Creek and restore volitional access to the large earthen pond for use by salmon as off-channel rearing habitat. The pond is roughly six acres in area and is connected to the Grays River mainstem and Alder creek. The inlet from Grays River will be left intact but the inlet from Alder creek will be removed to restore access for spawning salmon.

There are two outlets from the pond, one of which connects to Alder creek and the other that connects to Grays River. Both outlets are in the form of an L-shaped culvert forming a “glory hole” structure that maintains the pond water level but blocks migration into the pond. The project will replace the culverts with a roughened channel that consists of boulder grade controls filled with gravel to form a natural stream bed. Habitat complexity in the pond itself will be increased by adding forty full size trees with root wads attached.

The long-term benefits of this project are assured by the off-channel location of the pond, the intake structure providing the inflow of water from the Grays River and the presence of Campbell Groups picnic area at the site. Long-term maintenance will be conducted by Campbell Group.

Nutrient Enhancement (NFWF/SRFB)

The WRIA 27/ 28 Nutrient Enhancement Project is a joint effort between LCFEG, Fish First & WDFW to maximize the nutrient enhancement efforts in these two basins. This project addresses the logistical needs of our on-going project by providing funds for labor and equipment needed to effectively store, transport and place the tens of thousands of salmon carcasses put into these watersheds each year.

The goal of this project is to maximize the availability of marine derived nutrients in the Kalama, lower Lewis, East Fork Lewis and Washougal River sub-basins. The need for nutrient enhancement using salmon carcasses has been established by numerous scientific studies that highlight the importance of nutrients to the aquatic ecosystem. Salmon carcasses are the ideal delivery system for MDN as they decay slowly and provide a direct carbon transfer to juvenile salmon rearing in the streams where the carcasses are placed. Studies have shown fish density increases of up to 800% as a result of the addition of nutrients (Ken Ashley, pers. communication).

Fish First and LCFEG place over 25,000 salmon carcasses per year into the Lewis and Washougal watersheds and are seeking to expand this program to the Kalama River. This proposal is requesting funds needed as cost-share to acquire the equipment and labor. We will leverage these funds by seeking donations from a local truck dealer who will be asked to provide a 1-ton truck to haul the trailer, chipper and other materials needed for this project. We will seek Pacifi-Corps’ help to fund an industrial grade, custom built chipper that will be used to mulch the carcasses as well as woody debris for our riparian projects.

Lower Goble Creek LWD/Gravel Retention Project (NFWF/SRFB)

Located in Kelso (Water Resource Inventory Area 26/Cowlitz), this project includes the construction and installation of boulder and log weirs in lower Goble creek upstream of its entry point to the Coweeman River. The goal of this project is to capture gravels for use by spawning adult salmon/ steelhead and to create habitat complexity for juvenile salmon in a high priority tributary of the Coweeman River. Partnerships with local landowners will be established along with Cowlitz County and private timber owners in the watershed. Community involvement includes outreach to and education by nearby private landowners, members of local angling organizations, and students from a local college who will assist with project design, implementation, and monitoring.

Wildhorse/Gobar Creeks LWD/Gravel Retention Project (NFWF/SRFB)

Located in Kalama (WRIA 27/Lewis-Kalama), this project will construct and install boulder and log weirs in Wildhorse and Gobar creeks where they enter the Kalama River. Goals of this project include the capture of gravels for use by spawning adult salmon/ steelhead, creation of habitat complexity for juvenile salmon, educating landowners and the community about local restoration efforts, and involving students and volunteers in LCFEG activities in these two high priority tributaries of the Kalama River. Members of local angling organizations and local college students will assist with project design, implementation, and monitoring. Additional partners include Weyerhaeuser and Cowlitz County.

Little Washougal Riparian Restoration (NFWF/SRFB)

The Little Washougal River riparian restoration project is a continuation of efforts begun last year to restore salmon habitat in the lower river near Stauffers dairy. LCFEG will continue to restore and maintain approximately 1,000 Linear Feet (LF) of stream channel and five acres of floodplain habitat along the Little Washougal River. These areas, currently devoid of trees and shrubs due to many decades of grazing by dairy cows and/or infested with Himalayan blackberry, reed canary grass, and Japanese knotweed., will undergo intensive community-based restoration through the installation of over 5,000 native riparian plants, fencing , and herbicide application. Benefits to salmon include increased shade, inputs of organic materials and reduced water temperatures. Partnerships with the local landowners, WADNR, schools and interest groups are already in place as a result of previous efforts in this watershed.

LCFEG Announces Volunteer Opportunities March/April 2006

2006-02-16T15:31:00.000-08:00

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) requests volunteer assistance for its upcoming Riparian Planting and Carcass Placement Program Activities in the Washougal Watershed during March and April of 2006. Participants must meet at the LCFEG office (12404 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683) for carpooling to the project site (unless alternative arrangements have been made) and should dress appropriately for seasonal fieldwork conditions (boots, warm clothing, etc). Refreshments are provided, and no experience is necessary.

Riparian Plantings:
Saturday, March 11 & Saturday, March 25 (9am-2pm)

Fish Fling (Chipper and/or Carcass Placement):
Saturday, April 1 (9am-2pm)

Riparian Planting Program: A partnership between LCFEG and multiple landowners, LCFEG hopes to remove non-native blackberry and to plant approximately 5,000 native trees throughout the Little Washougal River watershed by early 2006. Riparian restoration benefits salmon by increasing in-stream shade, inputs of organic material, and reduction of water temperatures.

Carcass Placement Program: A partnership with WDFW and Fish First, LCFEG places excess salmon carcasses from the Washougal, Kalama, and North Fork Lewis hatcheries into local streams and rivers to enhance aquatic productivity for native salmon runs. Recent scientific evidence strongly supports the idea that aquatic environments, like terrestrial environments, need annual inputs of two key nutrients- Nitrogen and Phosphorous.

LCFEG is non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c)(3) salmon recovery organization in SW WA founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds, LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies.

RSVP by March 8 by contacting LCFEG by e-mail at: info@lcfeg.org. To learn more about the LCFEG Program, find us online at: www.lcfeg.org.

LCFEG Requests Volunteers for Washougal River Riparian Plantings

2006-01-31T11:59:00.000-08:00

Little Washougal River Riparian Plantings
January 28 & February 4, 2006

Clark County, WA — The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) is requesting volunteer assistance for native tree & riparian plantings along its Little Washougal River Restoration Project sites on Saturday, January 28, 2006 and Saturday, February 4, 2006, both from 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. LCFEG staff and other technical experts will be on-site to coordinate and train all volunteer work parties, and no experience is necessary. Volunteers should meet at the LCFEG office (12404 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683 on-site at the Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center) for carpooling to the project site and dress appropriately for seasonal fieldwork conditions (boots, warm clothing, etc). Snacks and refreshments (hot beverages) will be provided.

A partnership between LCFEG and three local landowners (the Stauffers, Marks, & Shinn families), the Little Washougal River Restoration Project created and enhanced two off-channel rearing sites and included installation of multiple LWD collectors on a working dairy farm. These innovative, low cost treatments benefit multiple ESA listed species as well as the residents living along the stream. The most recent phase of the project (completed summer 2005) built upon a series of previous projects (including several fish passage, off-channel rearing and LWD placement projects) in this important tributary to the Washougal River.
LCFEG hopes to plant approximately 5,000 native trees by mid-February at these sites, utilizing our local citizen support to restore riparian conditions in these fish-bearing waters.

The LCFEG is non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c)(3) salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, the LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies.

Please RSVP by January 25 by contacting Sheila North, Outreach Coordinator, at (360) 601-1462 (phone) or info@lcfeg.org (email). To learn more about LCFEG’s mission, projects and activities, find us online at: www.lcfeg.org.

LCFEG Offers Dec. 3 Upper Washougal Project Tour

2005-11-29T14:24:00.000-08:00

Upper Washougal Project Tour
Saturday December 3, 2005
9:30 a.m. to 2 p.m.

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) will present a free tour of its Upper Washougal River Restoration Project as a follow-up to its recent Stream Restoration Workshop and Lower Washougal Restoration Project Tour (hosted in conjunction with the WSU Extension Watershed Stewards Program) on Saturday, December 3, at 9:30 a.m. This project tour will include a stop and tour at the WDFW Washougal River Fish Hatchery, followed by transportation upriver to the Upper Washougal Restoration Site, where attendees will walk a forested trail to witness the impressive (gigantic!) log and rock structures now lining the upper five miles of the mainstem river, as well as walking along the nearby (tributary) Stebbins and Reeder Creeks. Willing volunteers will also have the opportunity to participate in an on-site “Fish Fling” (throwing hatchery Chinook carcasses down chutes into the upper river) as part of LCFEG’s ongoing Nutrient Enrichment Program (see www.lcfeg.org for details).

The Upper Washougal River Restoration Project was completed this Summer (2005) and is an attempt by LCFEG to restore fish habitat historically lost due to forest fires, timber practices, and previous management decisions calling for the removal of large wood from the active stream channel. Please dress appropriately for field and weather conditions, including field or hiking boots and raingear/hats/gloves as weather permits. Refreshments and on-site educational materials will be provided.

Participants should plan to meet on Saturday, December 3, at 9:30 a.m. in the Parking Lot at Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center. Columbia Springs is located just under the I-205 Bridge at: 12208 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683. Attendees will then travel by vans or carpool to the project sites, returning to Columbia Springs Parking Lot no later than 1:30 p.m. Light refreshments will be provided through the tour, but please bring a lunch if necessary or desired.

There is no charge for the project tour, but Pre-Registration by November 30 is required. To Pre-Register for this event, please email LCFEG at: info@lcfeg.org or register by phone at: (360) 882 6671. LCFEG programs are available to all without discrimination.

LCFEG & WSU Offer Nov. 19 Stream Restoration Workshop

2005-11-07T13:20:00.000-08:00

Stream Restoration Workshop and Tour
Saturday November 19, 9:30 a.m.

The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) will team up with the Washington State University (WSU) Extension Watershed Stewards, a partnership of WSU Extension and the Clark County Clean Water Program, to present a free workshop on stream and shoreline restoration techniques. Participants will learn how stream sites are chosen and determine how best to restore stream and shoreline habitat. The workshop will include a classroom session and a tour of two recent LCFEG projects.

Tony Meyer, the Executive Director of LCFEG, will describe historic changes on the lower Washougal River and talk about restoration strategies and the importance of riparian areas in minimizing polluted stormwater runoff and erosion. The workshop begins Saturday, November 19, at 9:30 a.m., at the Camas Police Station (2100 NE Third Avenue in Camas). The group will carpool to the restoration sites and return to the police station by 12:30 p.m. Refreshments will be provided.

“Many people ask how and why we restore stream habitat in Clark County,” says Gary Bock, WSU Extension Watershed Stewards Coordinator. “We wanted to offer a first-hand look at actual on-the-ground restoration, so we teamed up with the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group”.

There is no charge for the workshop, but please pre-register by calling the WSU Extension at (360) 397-6060 ext. 0. WSU Extension programs are available to all without discrimination.

LCFEG Announces 2005-6 Volunteer Opportunities (Fall/Winter/Spring)

2005-10-10T10:26:00.000-07:00

REGION — The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) is currently requesting volunteer assistance with its 2005-6 community-based salmon & steelhead restoration projects throughout SW Washington State. No experience is necessary, and all training/materials will be provided. Students, teachers, and/or volunteers are all welcome to participate. Activities occurring through the fall, winter, & spring of 2005-6 include the following:

Biology/Fisheries Activities:

Baseline Habitat Assessments (Water Quality/Temperature, Stream Surveys, Spawning Surveys, Macroinvertebrate/Bug &/or Pebble Counts);
Smolt Trap Operation for pre- & post-project monitoring on local streams/rivers; and
“Fish Flings”– Nutrifying local streams and rivers via in-stream carcass placements, with an optional Washougal Hatchery Tour&/or Salmon Dissection also provided. (Tues/Wed in Oct & Dec only)

Engineering Activities:

Scoping/Planning;
Preliminary Design;
Final Design/Permitting;
Landowner Commitments/Bids;&
Construction/Post-Project Technique Reviews

Outreach/Education Activities:

Staffing or assisting with LCFEG Display Booths &/or Activities at various festivals & outreach events;
LCFEG Newsletter Article Production and/or Design;
Event Planning;
Artistic and/or multi-media (video/TV/etc) production of LCFEG Program, Outreach Materials, Informational/Interpretive Signs, etc;
Classroom Presentations, Dissections, and/or Volunteer Technical Training Assistance

Get involved….volunteer today!!! Please call Sheila North at (360) 882-6671 (Office) or (360) 601-1462 (Cell) or by email at: info@lcfeg.org to sign up for an individual or group volunteer work party or to request a free, educational LCFEG presentation on salmon and/or local community-based restoration activities.

August 18 "Salmon At The Springs" Invitation

2005-07-08T09:00:00.000-07:00

Join LCFEG for "Salmon At The Springs: A Community Celebration of Columbia River Salmon, Art, & Music" on Thursday, Aug. 18 from 1:00 p.m. until 9 p.m. or dusk...activities are FREE* and open to the public, including local project tours, keynote speakers, salmon bbq & pig roast, refreshments, silent auction/fundraiser, kids' activities, and live music until dark...please do join us to celebrate the new Salmon Recovery Plan for SW WA with NOAA & the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, our 2005 Projects & Activities, and the unique environmental partnerships that make this community so special...(* $10-15 suggested donation to cover food/drink/ music expenditures) Event will be held on-site at Columbia Springs Environmental Education Center (Vancouver, WA), 12404 SE Evergreen Hwy, Vancouver, WA 98683.

Schedule includes:1 to 3 p.m. Project Tours 3 to 5 p.m. Keynote Presentations 5 to 6 p.m. Raffle & Silent Auction 6 to 8 p.m. Salmon & Pork BBQ Dinner (w/side dish potluck) 6 to 9 p.m. Live music and activitiesPlease join us for food, lectures, announcements, live music, networking, the ever-alluring silent auction, & lots of fun.

Contact Sheila North, Outreach Coordinator, at (360) 601-1462 or by email at: info@lcfeg.org to volunteer or RSVP for this event (Aug. 5 deadline), & feel free to distribute/spread the word throughout your circles as partnerships continue to flourish throughout our region...hope to see you then!!!

LCFEG Board of Directors & Staff

Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group Announces Summer 2005 Project Schedule

2005-07-01T10:59:00.000-07:00

REGION — The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) recently announced its 2005 Project Schedule. These projects occur throughout Southwest Washington and are the first to utilize the organization’s recently acquired “10a1a Survival of Enhancement” five year permit authorized by NOAA Fisheries. LCFEG is non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c) (3) salmon recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmon recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies.

Projects scheduled for construction this summer (July through October) include the following:

Lower Washougal River Restoration Project

Located along the lower end of the Washougal River (RM 0-1) within the Salmon-Washougal Watershed (WRIA 28), this tidally-influenced reach exhibits a severe lack of habitat complexity (boulders, woody debris, & native plants) and high summer water temperatures resulting from past and present human impacts. On-site construction activities scheduled for this summer include: 1) the connection of isolated habitats by increasing access to side channels, oxbows, and other channels necessary for salmon spawning and rearing; 2) installing two large riffles for restoration of the pre-1935 river channel; and 3) rehabilitating three abandoned gravel quarries to provide functional fish habitat and to increase sediment transport functions, water storage capacity, and historic spawning gravel supply. LCFEG also hopes to return a healthy riparian canopy to this site by acquiring funds to schedule volunteer riparian plantings this winter. Plantings would reduce water temperatures and increase both shelter and food supply for fish. Project partners include the City of Camas, Georgia-Pacific (GP), Burlington Northern-Santa Fe Railroad (BNSF) and WADNR.

Upper Washougal River Restoration Project

The first phase of this three-year project includes data collection, material stockpiling, and placement of at least five (5) pre-designed and bedrock-secured logjams into three tributary reaches (Stebbins & Reeder Creeks) along the upper five miles of the Washougal River (beginning at the Washougal Salmon Hatchery in Skamania County). The project addresses habitat impacts resulting from historic forest fires, timber practices, and management decisions resulting in the removal of large wood from the active stream channel. Project activities will restore stream bed substrate, reduce water temperatures, and increase channel diversity for fish. Activities will also restore access to nearby tributaries, increase long-term aquatic productivity, and create suitable spawning and rearing habitat for Washougal River salmon and steelhead runs.

Indian Mary Creek Restoration
LCFEG will replace two 48” culverts impassable to fish on Indian Mary Creek, 150 feet upstream from Franz Lake along the Columbia River Gorge. These culverts will be replaced with either a single 12’ diameter arch pipe or a rail road car bridge on a private driveway at the east end of Franz Lake in Skamania County. Indian Mary Creek is one of the few remaining Gorge tributaries with high year-round flows and spawning or rearing utilization by multiple fish species including chum, coho, Chinook, steelhead, and cutthroat trout. Restoration will restore access to 3,500 feet of stream channel and over 15 acres of highly productive spring-fed wetland currently occupied by resident cutthroat trout only. Project partners include the private landowner and USFWS.

USGS Nutrient Assessment Study Phase III

The final phase (III) of LCFEG’s three-year Nutrient Assessment Study is occurring this summer in conjunction with it’s primary partner, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Columbia River Research Laboratory in Cook, WA. LCFEG hopes to demonstrate the effectiveness of stream nutrient enhancement to restore juvenile salmonid production in watersheds previously identified as nutrient deficient. This summer’s activities follow Phases I (low-level water chemistry assessment of the Washougal, Lewis, and Wind River watersheds conducted in 2003) & II (documentation of in-stream biological productivity via assessments of periphyton (algae), macroinvertebrate (bug), and fish production (e.g., species composition, biomass, and growth) last year). Phase III involves the continued collection of baseline data as well as placing nutrient media (e.g. inorganic fertilizers or carcass analogs) in some of these same sites. Addition of the analogs, processed from Chinook salmon carcasses and directly consumable by both aquatic and terrestrial species, to nutrient-deprived streams is expected to increase juvenile salmon rearing densities in local streams.

For information, please visit our website at www.lcfeg.org or contact Sheila North, LCFEG Outreach Coordinator, at (360) 601-1462 or by e-mail at: info@lcfeg.org.

Washougal River Restoration (Columbian Article 6 20 05)

2005-06-20T13:42:00.000-07:00

Monday, June 20, 2005By ERIK ROBINSON, Columbian staff writer
CAMAS - Tony Meyer steadied himself along a steep slope running from a railroad bridge abutment down to the Washougal River and pointed to an imagined landform in the middle of the water.
"This point of land extended half way out," he said.
That was more than 25 years ago. In those days, Meyer was a young teenager casting a fishing line from a shore that was 30 yards farther out from the Burlington Northern bridge abutment than it is today.
The river has steadily carved away the century-old fill material that supports the railroad and a parallel bridge for state Highway 500.
Meyer, now executive director of the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, intends to divert the main flow of the river away from the receding riverside while benefiting salmon and steelhead in the lower Washougal.
Using a $200,000 grant from the state's Salmon Recovery Funding Board, Meyer's group plans to have excavators begin placing boulders across the river at a spot just upstream from the railroad abutment. Meyer expects the riffle will stabilize the eroding bank while beginning to restore some of the natural function lost in a river now showing the effects of a century of filling, gravel mining, log drives and wildfires.
Combined with $50,000 in matching contributions from Georgia-Pacific Corp. and BNSF Railway, the nonprofit organization will build a pair of riffles through the lower river while creating off-channel rearing habitat at three nearby abandoned gravel mining ponds.
Once the project gets the final go-ahead from the National Marine Fisheries Service, workers will begin reconstructing an old gravel mining road from the yard of Concrete Products Co. Dump trucks and excavators, using the road, will then begin placing boulders into the Washougal.
The riffle will raise the river elevation by 3 inches near the railroad abutment, just enough to tweak the river's hydrology.
The main flow of the river will divert from the south, where it's eating away the artificial fill below the bridge abutment, to its old channel flowing past the outfall of Lacamas Creek on the north side of a 5-acre island. Salmon then will be able to take advantage of remnant gravel on the north side to spawn near Lacamas Creek. The riffle also will create a back-channel area to the south, allowing gravel and sediment to settle over time in a slack-water pool. An added benefit will be to shore up the bridge abutment, which is getting perilously close to the river's edge.
"The river's trying to cut this corner off," Meyer said.
After a century of man-made manipulations, the river may be exacting its own revenge.
Beginning a century ago, loggers in the upper part of the river basin constructed splash dams to propel their harvest down to the Columbia River and the sawmills beyond. The dams, combined with a series of forest fires beginning with the Yacolt Burn of 1902, robbed the river of naturally occurring log jams that normally capture sediment and gravel.
In the lower river, a braided network of river channels and floodplains was converted into a slow-moving slough due to diking and filling to accommodate the railroad, roadways and state Highway 14. At the same time, extensive gravel mining in the lower river continued until the supply was nearly exhausted in the mid-1970s. Because the river is starved of sediment upstream, the massive gouges scooped out of the river a half-century ago have never filled in with the gravel that salmon need to spawn successfully.
This summer's project is envisioned as a first step in a comprehensive river restoration plan.
The dry land atop the riffle will provide year-round access to the island, which contains Georgia-Pacific water wells now accessible only when the north channel runs dry in the summer.
"The fish wins, Georgia-Pacific wins, Burlington Northern wins," said Wilson Cady, union environmental representative for Georgia-Pacific.
The project will rehabilitate 10 acres of old gravel mining pits for use as off-channel habitat for salmon. Georgia-Pacific will contribute 80,000 cubic yards of clean fill material dredged from the slough near its paper mill, trucking it to three abandoned mining ponds just off the main channel upstream of the railroad bridge. The project will reconnect the ponds to the Washougal, allowing juvenile salmon to use the ponds as off-channel rearing habitat over the winter. A National Marine Fisheries Service biologist in Lacey is reviewing the project to make sure it fits within a universal permit acquired by the organization for habitat enhancement work under the Endangered Species Act.

Feds Accept Local Salmon Recovery Plan (Columbian Article 4 19 05)

2005-04-19T13:46:00.000-07:00

ERIK ROBINSON, Columbian staff writer April 19, 2005; Page a1
WASHOUGAL -- Ty Fugate carefully scooped out a squirming net full of finger-size salmon smolts on Monday, displaying the catch to the group of onlookers wearing business suits.
Fugate, a college student working for the Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, showed off the immediate benefits of a stream restoration project on a small creek draining into the Little Washougal River. In one month, Fugate has scooped 250 of the tiny coho salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout at the base of a new fish-friendly culvert running beneath Stauffer Road. The culvert, along with a nearby fish ladder and berm, allows salmon to spawn and rear in an area that had been totally cut off.
This is the future of salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest, according the federal government's top salmon administrator.
"It's the small pieces adding up to a big success," said Bob Lohn, regional administrator of the National Marine Fisheries Service. "This is the cure with a thousand healings. That's what's really going on here."
Earlier in the day, Lohn accepted a locally generated recovery plan as the federal government's official blueprint to recover salmon and steelhead listed under the Endangered Species Act. The five-county Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, established by the state Legislature in 1998, devised the plan and had then-Gov. Gary Locke hand it over to Lohn during a ceremony in Vancouver on Dec. 15.
On Monday, Lohn officially signed off on it.
The plan lays out a series of more than 600 actions that, collectively, are supposed to reverse the proverbial death by a thousand cuts.
Three years and $2.5 million in the making, the plan identifies specific threats to listed steelhead, chum and chinook salmon in each of the 18 watersheds from Bonneville Dam to the ocean on the Washington side of the Columbia River. It prioritizes every population in every stream, and for the first time establishes numerical recovery goals.
"It is not a piece of shelf art," said Jeff Breckel, executive director of the fish recovery board.
Hundreds of millions of dollars in fish-recovery funds now will be doled out based on this blueprint, replacing the current scattershot nature of stream-restoration projects.
"That changes everything," said Tony Meyer, director of the nonprofit enhancement group. "We can now plan projects far out into the future, whereas before we couldn't do it."
The plan will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days, followed by a 60-day public comment period before it's officially adopted. It marks the first time the fisheries service has adopted a salmon recovery plan primarily authored by local people. Lohn said he expects it to be a model for other imperiled West Coast salmon stocks.
It makes sense to merge local people's willingness to improve salmon habitat with federal resources, Lohn said.
"Salmon recovery ultimately cannot happen top-down," he said. "And, bottom-up, the resources may not be there."
The plan lays out a six-year schedule for re-evaluating targets for fish abundance in each stream, interspersed every two years by checks to make sure actions are being carried out.
The plan's authors say it also will provide a powerful tool in shaping development, especially where it identifies critical habitat areas. Breckel cited fast-growing Clark County as an example of a local government updating its land-use rules to better protect salmon habitat, a move he anticipates will be followed by local officials wary of the threat of lawsuits challenging local ordinances that don't measure up.
Update
Previously: Then-Gov. Gary Locke in December handed over to the federal government a salmon and steelhead recovery plan devised by the five-county Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board.
What's new: The National Marine Fisheries Service announced Monday it will adopt the plan as the blueprint for recovering imperiled chum and chinook salmon and steelhead on the Washington side of the lower Columbia River. It's the first locally generated recovery plan adopted by the federal government under the Endangered Species Act.
What's next: The plan will be published in the Federal Register in the coming days, followed by a 60-day public comment period before it's officially adopted.
Cutline: Ty Fugate scoops a net full of salmon smolts from a trap near a new culvert running under Stauffer Road, allowing fish to spawn in this small tributary of the Little Washougal River. * Hundreds of fish, such as this one, are using stream habitat that had been inaccessible before the nonprofit Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group began working here in 1999. * Manmade log jams on the Little Washougal River are designed to enhance salmon habitat. The structures were engineered by Tony Meyer, director of the nonprofit Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, with the agreement of landowner Gary Stauffer, a local dairyman.
Articles appear as they were originally printed in The Columbian and may not include subsequent corrections.All materials appearing in The Columbian are protected by copyright as a collective work or compilation under U.S. copyright and other laws and are the property of The Columbian Publishing Company or the party credited as the provider of the content.

LCFEG Announces New Outreach Program & 2004 Project Schedule

2004-06-25T13:37:00.000-07:00

REGION — The Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group (LCFEG) recently announced its Summer 2004 Project Schedule as well as the hiring of Sheila North, new Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator for the LCFEG program.

The LCFEG is non-regulatory, non-partisan 501(c)(3) salmonid recovery organization founded by the state legislature in 1990. Working within specific watersheds throughout Clark, Skamania, Lewis, Wahkiakum, and Cowlitz Counties, the LCFEG successfully leverages state and federal salmonid recovery funding through partnerships and collaborations with individuals, groups, corporations, tribes, foundations and agencies.

Projects scheduled for construction this summer (June through October) include the following:

Baz Road Fish Passage
The Baz road fish passage project (East Fork of Jones Creek) is a joint partnership between DNR and LCRFEG that uses an innovative approach to fish passage barriers to provide consistent upstream access to over one mile of high quality stream channel and several acres of ideal beaver pond rearing habitat. Species that will directly benefit from this project include coho, cutthroat and ESA-listed steelhead. Extensive high quality rearing and spawning habitat is located above the culverts but adult salmonids have not had consistent upstream access for many years due to beaver blockages in the culvert. LCFEG staff and volunteers worked with DNR engineers to find a solution that works for all parties involved (including the beavers!).

USGS Nutrient Assessment Study
LCFEG is helping to fund a Nutrient Assessment Study led by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) to demonstrate the effectiveness of stream nutrient enhancement (via carcass analogs and/or inorganic fertilizers) to restore juvenile salmonid production in watersheds previously identified as nutrient deficient. It is a follow-up to a low-level water chemistry assessment of the Washougal, Lewis, and Wind River watersheds conducted last year (Phase I). Phase II of the study occurs this summer and involves studying and documenting the biological productivity of certain stream sections. This includes an assessment of periphyton (algae), macroinvertebrate (bug), and fish production (e.g., species composition, biomass, and growth). USGS will also collect information on low level water chemistry and physical characteristics of these sites to produce the baseline information needed prior to starting Phase III next summer, which involves placement of nutrient media (e.g. inorganic fertilizers or carcass analogs) in some of these same sites.

Larson Creek Fish Passage
Phase III of the project occurs this summer and is expected to increase both fish access and smolt production for coho and steelhead. The project is a partnership between the LCFEG, Clark County, the Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), and two private local landowners (George Chinakos and Carl Larson). Activities this summer will include: 1) construction of an innovative by-pass channel around three large beaver dams so adult salmon can swim upstream to spawn, and 2) potential placement of several large fir trees into the Little Washougal River for fish habitat.

Little Washougal River Restoration Project
A partnership with three local landowners (the Stauffers, Marks, & Shinn families), the project will create and enhance two off-channel rearing sites and create a minimum of two LWD collectors on a working dairy farm. This innovative, low cost treatment will benefit multiple ESA listed species as well as the residents living along the stream. The project is a continuance of a series of projects (including several fish passage, off-channel rearing and LWD placement projects) in this important tributary to the Washougal River.

Wildboy/Texas Creek Project
This project includes placement of large woody debris into several tributaries of the upper Washougal River. The project is a joint partnership between landowner Longview Fiber, WDFW, DNR and the LCRFEG. On-site fish presence includes summer/ winter steelhead, cutthroat trout and possibly coho salmon. Anticipated benefits to fish are expected as a result of increased spawning and rearing habitat, increased refuge from predators and increased biological productivity.

Riparian Plantings (Scheduled for Winter 2004)
The LCFEG will plant approximately 9,000 native trees this winter throughout the Washougal and East Fork Lewis watersheds, primarily utilizing free labor provided by both the DNR Larch Mountain corrections facility and local volunteers to restore riparian conditions in local watersheds.

Funding sources include: 1) the Salmon Recovery Funding Board and the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation through the Lower Columbia Community-Based Salmon Recovery Grant administered by the Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board (regional lead entity), and 2) Title II Funds distributed by the U.S. Forest Service South Gifford Pinchot Resource Advisory Committee (RAC).

The LCFEG also recently hired a new Volunteer/Outreach Coordinator, Sheila North, to increase volunteer support, media/corporate relations, and local legislative awareness of the LCFEG program. Ms. North has been actively involved with the statewide Regional Fisheries Enhancement Group program for over 5 years, and was previously a member of the LCFEG Board of Directors. Ms. North can be contacted by e-mail at sheilanorth@yahoo.com or by telephone at (360) 601-1462. For other information, please contact Tony Meyer, Executive Director of the LCFEG, at (360) 817-9044 or by e-mail at cwfish@comcast.net.