S C C E Protection Island O R U Aquatic Reserve Management Plan November 2010 E E S R A L A U U R A T T A N Acknowledgements Aquatic Reserves Technical Advisory Committee, 2009 Brie Van Cleve, Nearshore and Ocean Washington State Department of Policy Analyst, Washington State Natural Resources Department of Fish and Wildlife Peter Goldmark, Commissioner of Dr. Alison Styring, Professor of Public Lands Biological Sciences, The Evergreen Bridget Moran, Deputy Supervisory, State College Aquatic Lands Dr. Joanna Smith, Marine Ecologist, The Nature Conservancy Orca Straits District John Floberg, Vice President of David Roberts, Assistant Division Stewardship and Conservation Manager Planning, Cascade Land Conservancy Brady Scott, District Manager Phil Bloch, Biologist, Washington State Department of Transportation Aquatic Resources Division Kristin Swenddal, Aquatic Resources Protection Island Aquatic Reserve Division Manager Planning Advisory Committee, 2010 Michal Rechner, Assistant Division Betty Bookheim, Natural Resource Manager, Policy and Planning Scientist Kyle Murphy, Aquatic Reserves Bob Boekelheide, Dungeness River Program Manager Audubon Center Betty Bookheim, Environmental Darcy McNamara, Jefferson County Specialist, Beach Watchers Michael Grilliot, Marc Hershman Marine Dave Peeler, People for Puget Sound Policy Fellow, Aquatic Reserves David Freed, Clallam County Program Associate MRC/Beach Watchers David Gluckman, Admiralty Audubon GIS and Mapping Jeromy Sullivan, Port Gamble S’Klallam Michael Grilliot, Marc Hershman Marine Tribe Policy Fellow, Aquatic Reserves Jill Silver, 10,000 Years Institute Program Associate Jim Gift, Olympic Peninsula Audubon Society Communications John Cambalik, Puget Sound Abbey Corzine, DNR Communications Partnership John Miller, Clallam County Department of Community Development Principal Authors John Woolley, Friends of Miller Kyle Murphy, Aquatic Reserves Peninsula State Park Program Manager Kelly Toy, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Michael Grilliot, Marc Hershman Marine Policy Fellow, Aquatic Reserves Kevin Ryan, USFWS Program Associate Kyle Murphy, Washington State Betty Bookheim, Natural Resource Department of Natural Resources Scientist Lorenz Sollmann, USFWS Marty Bluewater, Protection Island In- holder Megan Black, Diamond Point Property Torben Blichfeld, Sequim Yacht Club Owners Michael Grilliot, Washington State Copies of this report may be obtained Department of Natural Resources from the Washington State Department Peter Downey, Shellfish Industry of Natural Resources Aquatic Reserves Robert Elofson, Lower Elwha Klallam Program or copied from the web page. Tribe Ross Anderson, Cape George Colony Contact Information Club Aquatic Reserves Program Manager Simeon Baldwin, U.S. Coast Guard Phone: 360-902-1100 Auxiliary E-mail: [email protected] Soren Prip, Sequim Yacht Club www.dnr.wa.gov Tony Petrillo, Jefferson County MRC E S E Protection Island Environmental, Scientific, & Educational Aquatic Reserve Management Plan U R C C R U E E S O R A L A U U R A T T A N Table of Contents FIGURES ...................................................................................................................................... IV ACRONYMS ................................................................................................................................ IV 1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ......................................................................................................... 1 2. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................... 2 I. WASHINGTON’S DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES ..................................................... 2 II. AQUATIC RESERVES PROGRAM ............................................................................................. 2 Legal Authorities for Establishing State Aquatic Reserves ............................................... 4 III. PROTECTION ISLAND AQUATIC RESERVE BOUNDARY ........................................................... 4 Legal Boundaries .............................................................................................................. 4 IV. PURPOSE OF THE PROTECTION ISLAND AQUATIC RESERVE MANAGEMENT PLAN ................. 5 Adaptive Management ...................................................................................................... 5 V. PROTECTION ISLAND AREA OWNERSHIP ............................................................................... 6 VI. RELATIONSHIP TO FEDERAL, STATE, LOCAL, AND TRIBAL MANAGEMENT ........................... 8 Protection Island Aquatic Reserve .................................................................................... 8 Tribal Interests at Protection Island ................................................................................. 8 The National Wildlife Refuge System ................................................................................ 8 Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission .................................................... 10 Navy Region Northwest ................................................................................................... 10 Local Land Use Designations ....................................................................................... 100 3. PROTECTION ISLAND AQUATIC RESERVE .................................................................. 13 I. SITE CHARACTERIZATION ................................................................................................... 13 A. Geographic Description ............................................................................................ 13 B. Ecosystem Description .............................................................................................. 13 Physical Processes ........................................................................................................... 13 Habitat Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 17 Fish and Wildlife Resources ............................................................................................ 18 Conservation Targets ....................................................................................................... 23 II. CURRENT CONDITIONS ........................................................................................................ 25 III. POTENTIAL FUTURE IMPACTS .............................................................................................. 26 Future Land Use Scenarios ............................................................................................. 27 Commercial and Recreational Shellfish Harvest and Aquaculture ................................ 27 Water and Sediment Quality and Hydraulic Modifications ............................................ 28 Energy Pipeline or Transmission Line Rights of Ways ................................................... 28 Wind Energy Facilities ................................................................................................... 29 Oil Spill Scenarios .......................................................................................................... 29 Naval Activity .................................................................................................................. 29 Recreational Use and Mooring Buoys ............................................................................ 29 Climate Change Scenarios .............................................................................................. 29 IV. ARCHEOLOGICAL, CULTURAL AND HISTORIC RESOURCES .................................................. 30 4. MANAGEMENT GOALS & OBJECTIVES ......................................................................... 31 DESIRED FUTURE CONDITIONS ................................................................................................... 31 5. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS ................................................................................................... 34 I. RESOURCE PROTECTION, ENHANCEMENT, AND RESTORATION ........................................... 34 A. Protection .................................................................................................................. 35 B. Enhancement ............................................................................................................. 35 C. Restoration ................................................................................................................ 36 II. RESEARCH AND MONITORING ............................................................................................. 36 A. Data Gap Identification and Baseline Inventory ....................................................... 37 Protection Island Aquatic Reserve Management Plan Page ii B. Trend Monitoring ...................................................................................................... 38 C. Research .................................................................................................................... 39 III. ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION ............................................................................................ 39 IV. ALLOWABLE USES .............................................................................................................. 40 A. Adjacent Aquatic lands and Uplands ......................................................................... 40 B. Resource Protection, Enhancement, and Restoration ..............................................