Date: Thursday, December 11, 2025
Time: 9:30 a.m.
Location: Elwha Heritage Center, Port Angeles, Washington
Virtual attendance: A Zoom option was available for this meeting.
Page contents
Meeting agenda
- Introductions
- Fish and flooding reports
- Scope reconsideration recommendation for a riparian protection project
- 2026 grant round and meeting dates
- Project updates and funding challenges
- Projects under consideration for available funding sources:
- Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Large Capital Projects
- Regular Salmon Recovery Funding Board grants
- Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program
- Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board
- 2026 transitions and other business
Attendance
Technical Review Group members
- Dave Allen, Citizen
- Mike Auge, Citizen
- Steve Barclay, Citizen
- Coleman Byrnes, Citizen
- Eric Carlsen, Citizen
- Sean Halberg, Citizen
- Ray Kirk, Citizen
- Rebecca Mahan, Clallam County
- Mike McHenry, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
- Jamie Michel, Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe
- Jay Peterson, Citizen
- Nate Roberts, North Olympic Salmon Coalition (NOSC)
- Latrisha Suggs, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
- Jim Walton, Citizen
Virtual attendance
- Owen French, Technical Review Group member and Washington State Department of Ecology
Others in attendance
- Hilton Turnbull, Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe
- Cheryl Baumann, Lead Entity Coordinator
- Shannon Weaver, Lead Entity Support
Quick recap
The meeting covered fish returns and flooding updates across several rivers, including Chinook and steelhead numbers, habitat access issues, and plans for fish restoration projects. The group also reviewed funding opportunities and project updates involving riparian property acquisitions, road and culvert improvements, and environmental initiatives. The meeting concluded with discussion of upcoming grant rounds, staffing changes, and important project and event deadlines.
Meeting summary
Fish returns and flood management
Jamie Michel and Mike McHenry of the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe (LEKT) reported moderate Chinook returns and significant summer steelhead numbers. The group also noted that, despite dam removal, Chinook have not been accessing the upper river areas because of a rockslide. This led to a decision to move fish upstream in Olympic National Park.
The group discussed plans to address Rica Canyon through a five-year project intended to move 100,000 juvenile fish. Specific adult fish numbers are still to be determined.
Because of drought conditions in the Dungeness, the Washington Water Trust has been working with local partners on long-term flow restoration. The organization received $540,000 during the previous year’s drought for lease agreements with farmers and pulse-flow events. The group also received an update on the Dungeness summer chum broodstock program, which is awaiting federal approval.
Fish returns and river flooding
The group discussed Endangered Species Act-listed summer chum returns at Jimmy Come Lately, noting an average of 2,000 to 3,000 fish over the past 13 years and a strong recent showing of chum.
Flooding conditions were discussed across several rivers. The Elwha River experienced moderate flooding but handled it well because of previous habitat restoration efforts. The group also discussed the fuel spill on Indian Creek and the loss of federal expertise, particularly fish specialists at Olympic National Park.
The group received positive news that federal Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Funding (PCSRF) had come through, although concerns remain about future federal funding.
Dungeness riparian property acquisition
The group considered a scope amendment request to the Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office (RCO) for riparian property acquisition project 25-1082 in the lower Dungeness area.
Hilton Turnbull explained that the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe’s (JSKT) original offer for a riparian property was declined. The Tribe is now focused on acquiring the next upstream property, a 32-acre parcel appraised at $1.213 million. JSKT’s Latricia Suggs is working to consolidate several grant funding sources to cover the new purchase price.
The landowner is considering a life-estate arrangement, which would lower the cost by $200,000. The group supported the proposed acquisition, and the recommendation will be forwarded to the Lead Entity Group.
The discussion concluded with flood photographs from professional photographer John Gussman showing how a newly restored floodplain in the Dungeness weathered the recent flooding.
Lees Creek infrastructure funding challenges
The group discussed a failing culvert on a private road at Lees Creek. The culvert creates a fish-passage barrier and presents a road and safety hazard for two homes.
A $500,000 grant request is being considered by the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board (BAFBRB). Concerns were expressed about using public funds for private infrastructure. The group also considered whether a more comprehensive solution might involve acquiring the parcels and removing the road.
The Lead Entity Coordinator initially expressed concern that the project might not meet the quality-habitat guidelines required by the BAFBRB. She later learned that the concern applied to a different culvert and was therefore not relevant to this project.
The discussion highlighted broader challenges, including the likelihood of additional culvert failures on both private and public lands because of aging infrastructure, more severe storms associated with climate change, and the resulting financial pressures.
The group also discussed a new $150,000 funding opportunity for the Strait Ecosystem Recovery Network to improve permitting processes for nearshore projects, including possible collaboration with Angela Glore.
Environmental funding and project updates
The meeting included funding and project updates for several environmental initiatives. Cheryl discussed upcoming grant rounds, including regular funding and Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration (PSAR) funding, and emphasized the need for project proposals.
Jamie provided updates on ongoing projects, including design work for fish-passage improvements. Owen French shared information about upcoming riparian funding opportunities. The group also discussed challenges involving land acquisitions and project funding.
Cheryl announced plans to transition to part-time work in 2026 and discussed the need to hire a new coordinator. The meeting concluded with a review of upcoming deadlines and events, including site visits and possible adaptive-management meetings.
Next steps
- NOSC, working with LEKT: Expected submittal of the Lees Creek Culvert project to the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board.
- NOSC: Submit projects for the Hoko-Pysht Hydrologic Unit Code 10 watersheds to the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board as focused-watershed projects.
- City of Port Angeles: Expected to submit the Ennis Creek culverts for construction grant funding through the Brian Abbott Fish Barrier Removal Board.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Send key grant-round and project-submission dates to the group.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Add Elwha Adaptive Management meetings, along with similar Dungeness and West End biennial partner meetings, to the group calendar. Target fall for the Elwha meeting.
- Lead Entity Coordinator and team: Continue work on the Dungeness Chapter Update.
- Owen French: Forward the announcement for the new Puget Sound Riparian Systems Lead grant round, formerly C2RSL, for distribution to the group when available.
- LEKT: Continue working to resolve the title or lien issue associated with the Indian Creek property acquisition.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Continue updating the group on transition and overlap plans and the timeline for a new coordinator.
- NOSC: Monitor the Johnson Creek triples project and update the group on its status and any potential new funding from the barrier board.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Check with Chris Burns and Chandra Johnson to determine whether the acoustic-monitoring presentation was recorded and, if so, send the link to the Technical Review Group.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Obtain and share Casey Law’s Jimmy Come Lately summer chum recovery numbers.
- Mike McHenry: Contact the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife or other state biologists about the possible barrier or cascade issue on Salt Creek and consider summer maintenance or repair if feasible.
- Lead Entity Coordinator: Consider adding a summer field trip to the schedule.
Original meeting documents
The original files are available as secondary references: