Citizens Advisory Committee--Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan

Nisqually Watershed
Stewardship Plan

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This document is a roadmap to the next 15 years of stewardship and our sustainability vision for the next 50. Since 1987, the Nisqually River Council has been a locally based management partnership of state and local governments, businesses, and individuals working to steward the Nisqually
Stewardship Plan Cover	Watershed. During that time, we have helped to resolve watershed planning issues surrounding salmon restoration and timber harvesting. We have also established education and stewardship programs aimed at raising awareness of its unique qualities, both for the local communities and those who visit. In August, 2005 our Council was honored by the US Department of the Interior, calling our work a “blueprint for cooperative conservation projects” of the future. Listen
Stewardship Plan by Section
Cover and Acknowledgements Table of Contents Executive Summary is a two-page digest of the Stewardship Plan
Background The Nisqually is the only watershed in the United States with its headwaters in a national park and its delta in a national wildlife refuge. It is located within an hour’s drive of three metropolitan areas, yet remains one of the healthiest and least developed of the major Puget Sound rivers. Along its 78-mile course, the river traverses forested, mountainous terrain and rolling farmlands in three counties, several small towns, the Nisqually Indian Reservation and the Fort Lewis Military Reservation before it enters Puget Sound near the site of the region’s first European settlement.
Values describes the mission, vision, guiding principles, processes, and adaptive management used in building and adjusting the Watershed Plan. We introduce the legs of land, water and people in sustaining watershed communities.
Involved Community. We believe communities that function well make decisions that positively affect its watershed’s sustainability. We hope to create a watershed community that transcends the civic boundaries of towns, cities and counties into a single community from the glacier to the sound.
Biological Diversity. Often, the species of economic importance receive the most attention, whether it is the Geoduck or the Douglas fir or the salmon. However, they make up a relatively small portion of the total biota. It is imperative that the full complement of native communities and species also be maintained and restored. It is the diversity of life that reaches up from the sound through the prairies, towns, and forests through to the alpine meadows that makes this such a wonderful place.
Recreation, Public Access and Tourism. The Nisqually watershed has long been a place where people come to recreate. Anchored by Mt. Rainier at the headwaters and the Nisqually National Wildlife Refuge at the mouth, recreational opportunities abound. We want to provide access to a full range of recreational opportunities, from primitive hiking to horse packing, to car and trailer camping. As we move into the future, we recognize that tourism will continue to be a major part of the watershed economy. It will be our opportunity to raise knowledge of and appreciation for the Nisqually watershed.
Sustainable Economy An economy that is built on sustainable industries is critical to the success of this plan and the Nisqually watershed as a whole. We have listed our goals for the areas’ traditional natural resource-based industries separately. We want to encourage other new and sustainable economic opportunities along with the tourism industry that is becoming well established.
Water is the sustainer and purifier of the Nisqually, whether it is supporting fisheries, wildlife, development, or the health of our communities. We must protect and maintain both water quality and quantity. Local use of local water is the best way to handle the future water needs of the basin’s residents. Also important is the presence of three hydropower facilities within the watershed. The hydropower operators have become vital partners in the efforts to maintain and restore the watershed.
Programs. In most cases, the goals of this plan will be reached through the coordinated efforts of partner agencies and organizations. However, the Nisqually River Council is also developing programs that will help us reach specific goals. As the Council gets further into the implementation of the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan, we expect this list of programs will grow.	Low Impact Development Sustainability Certification Watershed Characterization Watershed Report Card Education/Interpretation Nisqually Pledge Nisqually Land Trust Nisqually Stream Stewards Nisqually River Education Nisqually Interpretive Center Shellfish Stewardship Pledge
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Stewardship Plan Summary and Narration	From the Mountain to the Sea Courtesy Nisqually River Interpretive Center Foundation