Skokomish Watershed Action Team

Principles and Goals

*The group will recognize and support projects throughout the basin.

*We will concentrate our action on Forest Service lands above the floodplain while ensuring collaboration throughout the basin.

*Forest Service employees participate in the group in an ex-officio, informational role.

*The group recognizes and respects the sovereign rights of the Skokomish Tribe.

*The group further recognizes and respects the land management rights and responsibilities of the US

*Forest Service and other basin landowners; our job is to work within tribal sovereignty and other landowner responsibilities to accomplish common goals.

*We will work to enhance the economic and environmental sustainability of the Skokomish watershed recognizing best available science, technology, community values and other means as appropriate.

*The group will seek, coordinate and disseminate information about ongoing restorations projects in the basin.

*The group will examine all appropriate funding mechanisms to accomplish restoration projects.
*We will maintain a broad perspective as to how Skokomish basin projects affect Hood Canal and the Olympic Peninsula, and vice-versa.

*The group will be inclusive of all interested parties; we will identify common ground, using a consensus-based process.

*The group at all times will respect individuals and the interests they represent. No interest group will be penalized if they don’t agree on any given decision; no one interest group may veto a project.

*The collaborative group will work with the US Forest Service and other landowners to identify, review, fund and accomplish appropriate restoration projects.

*The group will work with basin landowners to identify appropriate monitoring methods and funding.

Participant List  ( * indicates Steering Committee Members)  Jayni Kamin, local landowner * Emmett Dobey, Mason County Rick Hirschberg, Mason County Public Works Charles Toal, Washington Department of Ecology Lydia Wagner, Washington Department of Ecology Sara Crumb, Congressman Norm Dicks Lief Horwitz, United States Geological Survey Barry Berejikian, National Marine Fisheries Service Jeffrey Chan, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Keith Dublanica, Mason Conservation District * Rich Geiger, Mason Conservation District John Bolender, Mason Conservation District * Patti Case, Green Diamond Resource Company Rick Schmelling, Green Diamond Resource Company * Bob Dick, American Forest Resource Council * Shelley Spalding, Olympic Forest Coalition Bonnie Phillips, Olympic Forest Coalition Brent Davis, Ecotrust Dave Werntz, Conservation Northwest Michael Marsh, Washington Native Plant Society * Richard Brocksmith, Hood Canal Coordinating Council Wayne Marion, Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation Joe La Tourrette, Pacific Coast Joint Venture * Mike Anderson, The Wilderness Society Jennifer Stephens, The Wilderness Society Neil Werner, Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group Dusty Watz, JX Construction, LLC Nicole Hill, Cascade Land Conservancy Mark Wicke, Tacoma Power Paul Hickey, Tacoma Power Martin Best, Mason County Emergency Management Jason Ragan, Taylor Shellfish Farms and local landowner Mike English, Senator Maria Cantwell Larry Scudder, US Army Corps of Engineers Bob Simmons, Washington State University Ross Gallagher, Mason County Commissioner Tim Sheldon, Mason County Commissioner Alann and Mali Krivor, Skokomish Farms Jeff Chapman, Backcountry Horsemen of Washington

Ex-Officio Participants: * Dave Herrera, Skokomish Tribe Alex Gouley, Skokomish Tribe Joseph Pavel, Skokomish Tribe Ron Figler-Barnes, Skokomish Tribe * Robin Stoddard, Olympic National Forest, U.S. Forest Service * Kathy O’Halloran, Olympic National Forest, U.S. Forest Service Dean Yoshina, Hood Canal Ranger District, U.S. Forest Service Allen Gibbs, Pacific Northwest Region, U.S. Forest Service

World Forestry Congress

The Skokomish watershed is one of three restoration case studies that will be featured in the United States’ exhibit at the World Forestry Congress, which will be held October 18-25, 2009, in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Held every six years, the World Forestry Congress is expected to draw 6,000 participants from 160 countries. Representing the Skokomish Watershed Action Team will be Robin Stoddard from the Olympic National Forest and Keith Dublanica from Mason Conservation District. The Skokomish was selected for its local partnership efforts.

For more information about the World Forestry Congress, see http://www.fs.fed.us/global/wfc_us/welcome.htm

Relevant Documents and Links: Three Year Work Plan SWAT 3 Year Plan Executive Summary SWAT 3 Year Plan General Meeting Notes May 29, 2009 December 4, 2009 Media Skokomish Watershed; Red Lodge Clearinghouse Taking (Out) the High Roads to Save the Skokomish; Kitsap Sun, 8/2/2008 Special 4-Part Report: Taming the Skokomish; Kitsap Sun, 2/14/2009 Opinion:  Solutions in Skokomish; Kitsap Sun Skokomish Watershed Work Helps Fish; The Olympian, 9/18/2009 Green Jobs; Wilderness Magazine, 2009