MIDDLE SKAGIT INITIATIVE

The Middle Skagit Project Development project is a grant-funded effort within the Council to develop a coordinated restoration and protection plan for the middle Skagit River between Sedro Woolley and Rockport, a priority and target area for restoration. The plan will result in a common understanding of priorities and a direction of efforts toward projects that are critical to the recovery of Skagit salmon and are prioritized and sequenced in a manner consistent with local and regional recovery planning. The project began in January of 2009 and will conclude at the end of 2010. Restoration and protection actions identified will be added to our Habitat Work Schedule.

The Middle Skagit Project Development work involves our local restoration community in developing a set of evaluation criteria for prioritizing projects, assembling and collecting reach and site-level information, identifying and scoping a suite of potential projects to evaluate, prioritizing restoration actions, and developing implementation strategies. As work products and meeting notes are made available, they can be accessed through this site as part of the Project Development Workgroup. »

The direct products of this work will also allow for better identification and timing of future funding needs, an understanding of the roles of the local community in implementation, and capacity planning among the restoration community and will inform the larger local land use planning efforts in progress that will influence the future protection and restoration of the river.