Coastal America's Northwest region consists of the Pacific coastal watersheds from the northern California border to the U.S. - Canada border with Washington. Like the California coast, this region is characterized by uniformly uplifted, resistant rock, except for coastal flats and islands along parts of the Washington coast. Puget Sound experienced additional deepening and elongation during the glacial activity that influenced the geology of this region. Forest land is the major land use in the region's drainage area. The coastal watersheds in the region are dominated by Puget Sound and the Columbia River. Puget Sound contains a large amount of wetlands, almost half of which are tidal flats. The Columbia River estuary is comprised mostly of forested wetlands and marshlands. These areas provide stream and lake spawning habitats for many species of anadromous fish.
The Coastal America partnership in the Northwest currently has thirteen federal agency participants. Each participating federal agency appoints one individual to represent that agency on the RIT. The primary responsibilities of the Northwest RIT members are: to represent their agency at RIT meetings; to nominate and endorse potential coastal projects for inclusion under the Coastal America umbrella; to develop strategies to fund approved Coastal America projects; and disseminate information to, and develop partnerships with, state and local governments and nongovernmental organizations.
Federal agency representatives to the Northwest RIT serve open-ended terms to be determined by their respective agencies. Co-chairpersons are elected by a majority vote of the membership of the entire Northwest RIT. The terms for the co-chairpersons are open-ended but will last not less than one year. Election of a new co-chairperson will occur upon either of the incumbent's resignation, or upon a request by any member of the Northwest RIT after a period of one year following the last vote. The Northwest RIT will hold a minimum of two meetings per year. The meeting will be called by the co-chairpersons with at least three weeks notice to Northwest RIT members. Meetings may be held more frequently, as needed.
Proposals surface to the Northwest RIT through a lead federal agency. The members from the lead federal agencies ensure that the proposals meet applicable Coastal America criteria. The Northwest RIT Co-chairpersons coordinates the proposals with RIT members for comment. A minimum of three Northwest RIT members must endorse each proposal without significant dissent before its inclusion on the RIT's working list. The working list is updated following selection of new projects. The lead agencies' representative on the Northwest RIT and endorsing RIT members pursue funding with their agencies and with other partners.
In order for a project to be endorsed as a Coastal America project, one of two main criteria must be met: (1) the RIT process must add value to the original proposal, or (2) The NIT supports and actively assists in the initiation of a proposal that might not have been accomplished outside of the Coastal America process. The proposal must also be consistent with the three strategies listed below. On occasion a proposal may originate from a non-federal partner outside the RIT. In that event, the co-chairpersons of the RIT take the lead in coordinating proposal review, endorsement, and funding with other RIT members. The Northwest RIT also uses a set of regional criteria, patterned after the national criteria, as a framework for identifying Coastal America projects. Also, a project must benefit anadromous fish, migratory birds, threatened, endangered or candidate species, or marine mammals and must include a long range monitoring plan. Future habitat restoration and sediment remediation projects should be conducted in the context that both efforts include relatively new sciences, and knowledge must continue to be refined so that future projects are successful and cost-effective. Projects should be clearly noncompensatory in nature. Compensatory actions such as mitigation for a development project or Superfund cleanup, or those resulting from a Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) process should not be funded with federal agency money identified through the Coastal America program. Those costs should be borne by the developer or the responsible party in a Superfund or NRDA action.
The Northwest RIT monitors progress of approved projects and prepares status reports as requested by the NIT and the Coastal America Office. The lead agency representative is responsible for providing information to the co-chairpersons for transmission to the NIT. The Northwest RIT also coordinates public outreach efforts and media events associated with Coastal America projects with assistance from the Coastal America Office and the NIT.
Currently, the Northwest region is struggling with a multitude of complex environmental issues covering a broad geographical area that encompasses very large and ecologically diverse watersheds extending from the crests of high mountains to the sea, and, in particular, for the Columbia River Basin, far inland. The focus of these issues is primarily driven by the listing of several species under the Endangered Species Act, in particular, the spotted owl and various salmon stocks. In attempting to address these issues, numerous interagency efforts and forums have been established which are not specifically associated with the Coastal America Partnership. Many of these forums involve state and federal agencies and tribal governments. It is the desire of the Northwest RIT to assess how it might fit within these other forums or to determine the special niche it might carve out in addressing other environmental issues. The Northwest RIT will, as a general strategy, utilize existing interagency communication networks to integrate Coastal America's efforts with other interagency regional programs.
The primary strategy identified which will provide future direction for the Northwest RIT is to focus efforts on protecting and restoring living resources within watersheds. In light of the RIT's emphasis on ecosystem recovery, the Northwest RIT intends, eventually, to expand the projects generated by the Coastal America partnership beyond the immediate coastal area. An approach that is limited to the lower coastal areas of watersheds cannot adequately address the inputs to the system that continue to degrade habitat, impact species diversity and population, and diminish the benefits accomplished by the Northwest RIT's projects. Given this perspective, the Northwest RIT's geographic focus is identified as watersheds of importance to anadromous fish and other sensitive and critical species of the region.
As a fundamental part of its strategy, the following eight issues have been identified by the Northwest RIT as needing the highest priority effort for project action over the next five years: (1) management of nonpoint sources of pollution to improve water quality in anadromous fish habitat; (2) forest management, including nonfederal lands, to improve watersheds and water quality; (3) restoration of anadromous fish spawning habitat; (4) maintenance and restoration of biodiversity in estuaries; (5) minimization, avoidance, and/or restoration of wetlands degradation and loss; (6) restoration of riparian zone habitat to improve instream temperature and sediment conditions for anadromous fish rearing; (7) continuation of analysis of river flows related to hydropower generation and effects on anadromous fish; and (8) emphasis on watershed planning with restoration activities prioritized within the context of watersheds, and considering the needs of anadromous fish, migratory birds, and other species critical to the region.
Presently, the Northwest RIT has operated in a short-term, opportunistic mode, concentrating primarily in coastal areas. However, its activities have taken on more of a systems approach. For example, to enhance future coho salmon returns, the Northwest RIT participated in the construction of fish hatchery for trout and salmon on Jim Creek, Oregon, and the creation of a fish ladder to stimulate recovery of native steelhead salmon runs. The Northwest RIT has also focused efforts on intertidal habitat restoration at sites on the Duwamish River, which is an important spawning stream for anadromous fish.