CHAPTER 4 DESIRED OUTCOMES: VISION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES

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1 CHAPTER 4 DESIRED OUTCOMES: VISION, GOALS, AND OBJECTIVES Vision One of the first steps in developing this Plan was articulating a vision - a clear statement of what the Plan strives to achieve and what we want the Washington Coast Region to look like in the future. The Planning Committee wrote the original vision statement and presented it as a draft to the first workshop participants in December, Since then, this statement with one or two refinements has been a focal point at planning meetings and workshops: All watersheds in the Washington Coast Region contain healthy, diverse and selfsustaining populations of salmonids, maintained by healthy habitats and ecosystems, which also support the ecological, cultural, social, and economic needs of human communities. Goals In order to achieve this vision, several key goals have to be met along the way. The first goal was articulated by the original regional planning group in 2007 as a reason to form the Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Partnership: Avoid additional ESA listings and further diminished [salmon] populations in the Washington Coast Region through sustainability instead of ESA recovery planning. (Triangle, 2007) Over the course of this planning process, the following additional goals have been formulated and agreed upon by scientists, tribal leaders, policy makers, and concerned citizens. It is through achieving each of these that our vision will be realized. April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 72

2 All of the region s salmon habitats and offshore waters are in a condition that will sustain healthy salmonid populations. DRAFT Regional land use decisions will support salmon-friendly habitat goals and objectives, or at a minimum will not diminish a habitat s ability to sustain salmonid populations; this includes ensuring that regional land use decisions are benign in regards to salmon habitat and/or that any damage from those decisions is effectively mitigated. Regional hatchery practices will not impair wild fish populations and, where appropriate, will help to protect them. Harvest of salmon both commercial and recreational will help to support vibrant economies without negatively impacting the sustainability of salmonid populations. These goals are as much about people as they are about salmon. Only through changes in people s behavior can we achieve our vision of biologically diverse and productive ecosystems, resilient to disturbances and climate change, for the benefit of the Washington Coast Region s salmon and people. It is through encouraging changes in behavior that we seek to protect our watersheds so that within them there are strong and sustainable wild salmon populations far into the future. Ultimately, though, it will be through the strength and diversity of the salmon populations themsves that we will measure our success. Species Objectives Many of the Washington Coast s salmon populations are in decline while some, particularly coho, appear to be doing well in recent years. Rather than focusing on only those populations in decline, this Plan s approach is to look at entire watersheds and to help create the conditions that support fully functioning, biologically diverse, natural ecosystems. Following this model, the planning team settled on an objective to maintain populations of all Coast Region salmon populations at sustainable and harvestable levels. By 2030, salmonid populations which comprise all or portions of the seven Evolutionarily Significant Units of sockeye, coho, chum and chinook salmon and two Distinct Population Segments of steelhead within the Washington Coast Region consistently exceed escapement goals. The twenty-year time frame is, admittedly, ambitious, but we are starting from a position of relative strength; we are seeking to protect and enhance salmonid populations that have not reached the threshold of ESA listing, and effort will be directed at protecting healthy functioning habitat. In addition, a broad coalition of partners is already working toward many of these goals. This Plan seeks to bring coherence and focus to the efforts of many by building broader and more inclusive partnerships, and by increasing coordination and cooperation. April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 73

3 Habitat Objectives The habitats in which salmon spend their lives are as varied as they can be from small streams and wetlands where coho rear, to the open ocean where they all grow to adulthood. Different life stages of the different species depend upon specific habitats and specific conditions within those habitats. After the first planning workshop identified eight habitats critical to salmonid life history (see Chapter 1), technical experts identified which life stages are dependent upon each habitat, which species needs are most inclusive of all other salmon species needs, and what conditions meet those needs. From these specific conditions we can extrapolate the specific objectives we must achieve in each of the eight identified habitats. For the purposes of the Plan, we had to define each salmon habitat more as it is used by salmon than as a classic water body definition. These definitions are at the beginning of each habitat heading below. The specific indicators of each of the habitat objectives how they are measured and assessed are outlined in detail in the Habitat Viability Charts in Appendix 7. The objectives below come directly from the Viability Chart work. For complete details and explanations of specific metrics, see Appendix 7. HEADWATERS/UPLANDS For the purposes of this Plan, Headwaters and Uplands were defined as all those parts of the landscape in any watershed above which salmon are not found. This includes streams above fish access, generally a 20% gradient, and all uplands, whether forest, farm or town. Headwaters/Uplands OBJECTIVE: By 2030, an ecologically significant and representative extent of headwater landscape areas across the Washington Coast Region will have functional processes that support healthy downstream conditions for salmon, including: Conditions that support sufficient water quantity for salmon spawning and rearing; Sufficient buffer widths on streams and wetlands, and intact natural habitat to provide adequate large woody material (LWM), shade, channel diversity/connectivity, spawning gravel, and refugia; and General conditions that provide appropriate amounts of clean gravel of suitable sizes for spawning. April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 74

4 WETLANDS, SMALL LAKES, AND PONDS For the purposes of this Plan, Wetlands, Small Lakes, and Ponds became somewhat of a catch-all habitat. In other words, these are the places that are important as fish habitat but that do not fit any of the definitions of the other habitats. Wetlands, Small Lakes, and Ponds OBJECTIVE: By 2030, critical wetland habitat that is part of the anadromous fish network across the Washington Coast Region will exist, be accessible and provide increased capacity and healthy conditions for salmonid populations, including: Sufficient buffer widths and intact natural habitat to provide adequate LWM, refugia, and shade; Sufficient nutrient forage (native in-water vegetation) to support abundant juvenile salmon populations; High connectivity with sufficient access to refugia and migration routes to support abundant salmon populations; and General conditions that provide appropriate amounts of clean gravel of suitable sizes for spawning. TRIBUTARIES For the purposes of this Plan, Tributaries were defined as fish bearing streams with a mean annual flow less than 1,000 cubic feet per second (CFS) in recognition that flow is a critical factor in salmon use. This definition was derived from the Washington State definitions of Waters of Statewide Significance ( Tributaries OBJECTIVE: By 2030, Washington Coast Region tributary streams that provide critical salmonid habitat will have: Conditions that support sufficient water quantity for salmon spawning and rearing; Sufficient buffer widths and intact natural habitat to provide adequate LWM, shade, channel diversity/connectivity, spawning gravel, macroinvertebrate habitat and refugia; Sufficient macroinvertebrates and nutrient forage (native in-water vegetation) to support abundant juvenile salmon populations; April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 75

5 Connected key habitats, including floodplains, pools and off-channel; and DRAFT General conditions that provide appropriate amounts of clean gravel of suitable sizes for spawning. LAKES For the purposes of this Plan, Lakes were defined, specifically, as the three lakes within the region that support sockeye populations: Ozette, Pleasant, and Quinault. Other lakes are few and relatively small and are categorized as Wetlands in this plan. Sockeye Lakes OBJECTIVE: By 2030, the Washington Coast Region sockeye lakes (Ozette, Pleasant, and Quinault) will have: Natural riparian conditions, with adequate buffer widths, to provide adequate LWM, refugia, and shade; Sufficient zooplankton and nutrient forage (native vegetation) to support abundant juvenile salmon populations; Connectivity with streams for migration and, in the case of Lake Quinault (and sometimes Lake Ozette) for spawning; (For channel-spawning sockeye, see Tributaries for desirable conditions regarding buffers, LWM, etc.) Conditions that provide appropriate amounts of clean gravel of suitable sizes for lake spawners (Lake Pleasant and Lake Ozette). MAINSTEMS Similar to the flow rationale defining Tributaries, for the purposes of this Plan, Mainstems are defined as rivers and streams with a mean annual flow of 1,000 CFS or greater, also known as shorelines of statewide significance west of the Cascades. ( Mainstems OBJECTIVE: By 2030, an ecologically significant and representative extent of critical mainstem rivers in the Washington Coast Region will have: April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 76

6 Sufficient buffer widths and intact natural habitat to provide adequate LWM, shade, channel diversity/connectivity, and spawning gravel; Connected key habitats, including floodplains and off-channel; and General conditions that provide appropriate amounts of clean gravel of suitable sizes for spawning. ESTUARIES For the purposes of this Plan, Estuaries are defined as the area from the head of tide to the outermost headlands separating the estuary from the ocean. This necessarily includes sections of rivers that would generally be considered mainstems, but their categorization as a part of the estuary is in recognition of how they are most used by salmon. Estuaries OBJECTIVE: By 2030, estuaries of importance for salmon populations in the Washington Coast Region will have increased quantity of functioning salmon habitat, improved connectivity, and conditions that support salmon abundance, including: Water quality conditions including, but not limited to, temperature, dissolved oxygen, and turbidity levels that are necessary for salmon health at estuarine life stages; Sufficient buffer widths and intact natural habitat to provide adequate LWM, refugia, and shade; Increased extent of eelgrass and other native aquatic plants to provide refugia; Sufficient forage prey to support abundant salmon populations; and More than 80% of historic extent of estuary area in natural state. NEARSHORE For the purposes of this Plan, the Nearshore habitat is that part of the ocean from the ordinary high water line of the shore out to a depth of 60 feet, otherwise known as the photic zone. Nearshore OBJECTIVE: By 2030, nearshore habitats of the Washington Coast Region will be functional and in good ecological condition, with: Maintained or improved nearshore water quality, eelgrass and kelp to support salmon at relevant life stages (smolt, juvenile, migrating adults). OCEAN April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 77

7 For the purposes of this Plan, the Ocean is defined as everything waterward of a depth of sixty feet. Although we have no role or capacity to participate in management of the oceans, and the Coast Region s salmon migrate far outside what could be considered Washington State waters, it is in this habitat where salmon spend the majority of their lives. This critical habitat is included in the Plan to emphasize its importance to all salmon. Ocean OBJECTIVE: In 2030 the ocean environment will continue to support and/or have improved conditions necessary for the production of a sufficient prey base to sustain abundant juvenile and adult salmon populations. DRAFT April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 78

8 References for Chapter 4 Triangle Associates Report on consideration of forming a coastal regional governance unit for salmon sustainability ( ROC ). Prepared for the Coast Lead Entities Planning Group. Triangle Associates, Seattle, WA. Online at: April 27, 2012 DRAFT Washington Coast Sustainable Salmon Plan Page 79