Planning & Community Development
Libby Hudson, Planning Manager
Shoreline Management Master Program, Salmon Recovery and Conservation Strategy
The Bainbridge Island Nearshore Assessment project is one of a few similar projects in the Puget Sound region that attempts to assess the status of the nearshore ecosystem and could become a model for other such assessments elsewhere in the region. The “nearshore” includes both the land and marine areas that lie adjacent to the shoreline, including shallow subtidal, intertidal, backshore/bluff, and marine riparian areas. The project is intended to provide an informed basis for nearshore restoration and conservation as well as inform the City's Shoreline Management Update and Salmon Recovery Planning. Local scientific peer review for this project is provided by the City's
Environmental Technical Advisory Committee. The project will:
- Review and summarize the best available science related to the nearshore ecosystem;
- Inventory nearshore resources and human modifications;
- Characterize and assess the nearshore around the Island;
- Develop a framework for ranking and prioritizing restoration and preservation projects;
- Develop an initial list of potential restoration and preservation projects; and
- Design a nearshore monitoring framework.
Documents produced as part of the project are provided below and include a summary of best available nearshore science, a characterization and assessment of nearshore habitat, a process for prioritizing restoration and conservation projects, as well as a framework for long-term nearshore monitoring. City staff and Battelle scientists have also made several presentations on the project to various scientific conferences and regional nearshore restoration efforts, including the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference, 2004 Pacific Estuarine Research Society Meeting, 2004 Restore Americas Estuaries Conference, and the Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project, some of these papers and presentations are linked below. The City has also contributed to regional technical publications, including an article on delineating and using "Shoreline Management Areas" in the September 2003 issue of Puget Sound Notes published by the Puget Sound Action Team (now operating as the Puget Sound Partnership). The City has also been conducting a beach seining research project in partnership with the Suquamish Tribe and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife to study the presence and distribution of nearshore species.
Associated Ordinances/Resolutions:
Resolution 2000-31 (Salmon Recovery and Conservation Strategy)
Shoreline Management Update
Related Documents:
Williams, G.D., R.M. Thom, M.C. Miller, D.L. Woodruff, N.R. Evans, and P.N. Best. 2003. Bainbridge Island Nearshore Assessment: Summary of Best Available Science. PNWD-3233. Prepared for the City of Bainbridge Island: Bainbridge Island, WA; by Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory: Sequim, WA.
Best, P.N. 2003. Shoreline Management Areas. Puget Sound Notes. No 47, pgs 8-11 (September 2003). D. Myers and T. Droscher (eds). Puget Sound Action Team: Olympia, WA (now operating as the Puget Sound Partnership).
Best, P.N. 2004. Bainbridge Island Nearshore Structure Inventory. In T.W. Droscher and D.A. Fraser (eds). Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference. Puget Sound Action Team: Olympia, WA (now operating as the Puget Sound Partnership).
Thom, R.M. 2004. Conceptual Models as a Tool for Assessing, Restoring, and Managing Puget Sound Habitats and Resources. In T.W. Droscher and D.A. Fraser (eds). Proceedings of the 2003 Georgia Basin/Puget Sound Research Conference. Puget Sound Action Team: Olympia, WA (now operating as the Puget Sound Partnership).
Williams, G.D, R.M. Thom, and N.R. Evans. 2004. Bainbridge Island Nearshore Habitat Characterization and Assessment, Management Strategy Prioritization, and Monitoring Recommendations. PNWD-3391. Prepared for the City of Bainbridge Island: Bainbridge Island, WA; by Battelle Marine Sciences Laboratory: Sequim, WA.
Related Links:
Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project
Puget Sound Partnership
This project is funded through the Washington State Salmon Recovery Funding Board by the US Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Grant CFDA #11,438, Award #NA06FP0201.
