Puget Sound Partnership-NWIFC

Information Related to Puget Sound Partnership and Federally Recognized Puget Sound Tribes and Tribal Consortia
Entries (RSS)
       

Tribal Project Updates

       

Nisqually Indian Tribe

FY21 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Mashel River Wood and Habitat Assessment

Project Summary
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will continue their partnership with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) as the lead to 1. develop and implement study plans to test solutions to support salmon and steelhead recovery in the Nisqually basin. 2. maintain regional support in response to the findings of Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. This year of funding is part of the addressing critical gaps and testing solutions phase of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project.

The Nisqually Indian Tribe will partner with the South Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSEG) to conduct an assessment of in-stream wood loading levels and their contribution to stream functions and associated salmon and steelhead habitat. This assessment will fill key data gaps and will result in the development of stream restoration projects for the next several years in the Mashel River watershed. The cost for this proposal is $110,000 which will be used for data collection, field surveys, developing a GIS database and maps, and a summary report with recommendations.

Project Reports

FY20 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Community Forest Advanced Planning and Modelling

Project Summary
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will continue their partnership with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) as the lead to 1. develop and implement study plans to test solutions to support salmon and steelhead recovery in the Nisqually basin. 2. maintain regional support in response to the findings of Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. This year of funding is part of the addressing critical gaps and testing solutions phase of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project.

The Nisqually Community Forest project will update its current management plan to incorporate new sections including an expanded hydrology section, climate change, non-timber forest products, and a build out of the fish habitat section. This will build on work done under NTA 2018-0819: Nisqually Community Forest – Acquisition and Stewardship. They will also develop the capacity for modelling timber growth and hydrology through VELMA and FVS. They will begin establishing a Continuous Forest Inventory plot network.

Project Reports

FY19 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & PBDE Study

Project Summary
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will continue their partnership with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) as the lead to 1. Develop specific strategies for the Nisqually basin and South Puget Sound in response to the findings of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project. 2. Leverage findings in the Nisqually to affect regional approaches to addressing impacts to salmon survival. 3. Communicate the outcome of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project results and our work with the Nisqually Tribe to implement solutions. This continuation is part of the addressing critical gaps and testing solutions phase (2019-2021) of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project.

The purpose of PBDE study is to conduct a source assessment to identify and prioritize potential sources of PBDEs impacting juvenile steelhead inhabiting major tributaries of the Nisqually River.  Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s (WDFW’s) contaminant monitoring team, in collaboration with the Department of Ecology (ECY), will use biofilm and invertebrate samples to collect three types of data, 1) PBDE concentrations, 2) PBDE patterns and 3) stable isotopes, across three major tributaries the Nisqually River watershed.  Specific objectives are to 1) conduct a synoptic survey to assess the spatial distribution of PBDEs in the Mashel River, Ohop Creek and Muck Creek, and 2) to identify and characterize potential sources of PBDEs to the Nisqually River system, based on the results of the synoptic survey and using patterns of PBDE congeners in the samples and alterations of stable isotope signatures.

Project Reports

FY18 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project 

Project Summary
The Nisqually Indian Tribe will continue their partnership with Long Live the Kings (LLTK) as the lead to coordinate the transition of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project from research to implementation of results, including solutions testing. This will include communicating project progress to managers and the general public, and incorporating findings in regional and local, Nisqually salmon and steelhead management. This project will support the end of the primary research implementation phase (2014-2018) and transition to management and solutions testing (2019-2020) of this project.

Project Reports

 

FY17 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Nisqually Community Forest New Purchase Evaluation

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe is funding two ongoing projects: (1) continuing to partner with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), the lead in coordinating the development and implementation of research activities within Puget Sound that are part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a U.S.-Canada research effort to identify the most significant factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea marine environment. LLTK will communicate project progress to managers and the general public; and (2) support the Nisqually Indian Tribe Native Plant Restoration Program, which has restored riparian vegetation to over 350 acres at several high priority sites. Several of the sites are over 5 years old and in need of maintenance in order to maximize riparian function. The Nisqually Salmon Recovery Program will utilize $122,250 conduct site visits, develop maintenance plans, and conduct riparian enhancement on up to 25 acres at high priority riparian restoration areas.

Project Reports

FY16 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Nisqually Community Forest New Purchase Evaluation

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe is funding two ongoing projects: (1) continuing to partner with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), the lead in coordinating the development and implementation of research activities within Puget Sound that are part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a U.S.-Canada research effort to identify the most significant factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea marine environment. LLTK will communicate project progress to managers and the general public; and (2) provide an in depth analysis of the newly acquired section of land in the Nisqually Community Forest.  Analysis will include a stream and upland habitat survey using the TFW protocol, and road and culvert survey and action plan for problem culvert replacement and potential road abandonment. This project will set the template for analysis of all future community forest purchases.

Project Reports

FY15 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Nisqually Community Forest Planning

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe is funding two ongoing projects: (1) continuing to partner with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), the lead in coordinating the development and implementation of research activities within Puget Sound that are part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a U.S.-Canada research effort to identify the most significant factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea marine environment. LLTK will communicate project progress to managers and the general public; and (2) building on the evaluation the Mashel subbasin for prioritization of future purchases by the Nisqually Community Forest.  Best Management Practices for forestry in the Nisqually will be developed.  These practices will be created for implementation on Nisqually Community Forest lands and will be also communicated to other forest landowners in the Mashel subbasin.

Project Reports

FY14 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Nisqually Community Forest Planning

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe will fund two projects: (1) continuing to partner with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), the lead in coordinating the development and implementation of research activities within Puget Sound that are part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a U.S.-Canada research effort to identify the most significant factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea marine environment. LLTK will provide facilitation support for coordinating, technical, and research teams; maintain links between the project and other Puget Sound-region initiatives; and maintain a public website and create other materials for project communications; and (2) evaluating the Mashel subbasin for prioritization of future purchases by the Nisqually Community Forest. Parcels will be analyzed to determine the opportunity for the greatest conservation benefit for listed salmon species. Initial management recommendations for the parcels will also be created.

Project Reports

FY13 Project
Salish Sea Marine Survival Project & Nisqually Usual and Accustomed Area Derelict Gear Removal

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe will fund two ongoing projects: (1) partnering with Long Live the Kings (LLTK), the lead in coordinating the development and implementation of research activities within Puget Sound that are part of the Salish Sea Marine Survival Project, a U.S.-Canada research effort to identify the most significant factors affecting juvenile salmon and steelhead survival in the Salish Sea marine environment. LLTK will provide facilitation support for coordinating, technical, and research teams; maintain links between the project and other Puget Sound-region initiatives; and conduct a zooplankton retrospective study to inform the development of a Puget Sound-wide zooplankton monitoring program; and (2) identifying and removing derelict fishing gear in prioritized areas in South Puget Sound utilizing methods prescribed by National Marine Fisheries Division of NOAA and WA State Department of Fish and Wildlife . Derelict gear continues to cause mortalities of all marine life in South Sound, from salmon and rockfish to marine birds and mammals, and its removal is critical to the health and recovery of the regions ecosystem.

Project Reports

FY12 Project
Nisqually Salmon Recovery Monitoring and Evaluation Field Assistance & Nisqually Usual and Accustomed Area Derelict Gear Removal

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe will conduct two projects: (1) implementing the 2011 Nisqually Chinook Stock Management Plan by conducting mainstem weir efficiency rate based on mark recapture; hatchery and natural Chinook composition on spawning grounds; hatchery and natural composition in fishery; hatchery and natural composition in hatchery; and adult and juvenile Chinook life history diversity, age, and growth through otolith analysis. Successful implementation of the Plan, which integrates habitat, harvest, and hatchery actions in order to move towards developing a locally adapted natural population of Chinook salmon, depends on robust hatchery and natural stock monitoring information; and (2) identifying and removing derelict fishing gear in prioritized areas in South Puget Sound. Derelict gear continues to cause mortalities of all marine life in South Sound, from salmon and rockfish to marine birds and mammals, and its removal is critical to the health and recovery of the regions ecosystem.

Project Reports

FY11 Project
Funding Mechanisms to Restore the Nisqually River Basin; Engaging the Eatonville Community in Saving Salmon through Managing Stormwater; Marine Survival of Salmon and Steelhead in the Salish Sea

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe will conduct three projects: (1) identifying one or more funding mechanisms that will provide a robust, sustainable and sufficient funding base for the successful implementation of the Nisqually Chinook Recovery Plan; (2) partnering with the Nisqually River Foundation to conduct demonstration low impact development retrofit projects in Eatonville, while organizing a focused public outreach and involvement campaign to engage and educate local community members about the importance of managing Eatonville’s stormwater – a critical part of salmon habitat restoration and protection in both the Mashel River and Ohop Creek; and (3) partnering with Long Live the Kings as the lead to facilitate the development of a joint US/Canada research plan and associated research program to identify the most significant factors affecting salmon survival and productivity in the Salish Sea marine environment, including the estuary and near-shore; and make this information available to inform resource agencies and improve salmon management.

Project Reports

FY10 Project
Managing Eatonville’s Stormwater to Protect Salmon; Nisqually Sustainable

Project Summary
Nisqually Indian Tribe will conduct two projects: (1) partnering with the Town of Eatonville to update its plan for managing stormwater in Eatonville, focusing on identifying ways to incorporate retrofits and low impact development to infiltrate and treat a greater portion of stormwater; and (2) extending Nisqually Sustainable, a project that provides an economic incentive for watershed businesses to conserve water, reduce wastewater, reduce pollution, and manage stormwater sustainably.

Project Reports

FY09 Project
Monitoring and Adaptive Management of the Nisqually Delta Tidal Marsh Restoration: Restoring Ecosystem Function for Salmon

Project Information
This project was directly administered by the EPA; the project description, funding amount, and information for all FY09 Tribal Implementation Assistance Grants can be found on the EPA website.

 

FY08 Project
Nisqually Indian Tribe Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda Implementation Project

Project Summary
The Nisqually Tribe project support the Nisqually Indian Tribes role in the implementation of the Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda and the ongoing development and assessment of actions necessary to achieve success. More specifically the project will provide tribal representation on the Ecosystem Coordination Board, the South Puget Sound Action Area, and the Regional Salmon Recovery Council. Representative will communicate tribal positions, organize and facilitate ongoing communication among tribes on issues of importance, and present tribal concerns and priorities to the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Council, Ecosystem Coordination Board and Leadership Council.

Project Reports

More project info at NW Treaty Tribes