By LORI CLARK
I knew I would fall in love with Whidbey Island as soon as I crossed the fern-lined banks of Deception Pass Bridge. Cresting the hill leading into Oak Harbor with that amazing viewscape of the snow-capped mountains of the Olympic Peninsula in the background, a seed of wonder and adventure was planted inside me that still grows, even after having lived here for more than a decade.
My employment with Island County Public Health these past six years has afforded me the opportunity to straddle many diverse programs. In 2011, I took on the role of working with the Puget Sound Partnership to develop a model for today’s local integrating organizations (or LIOs). This model integrated city, tribal and county governments as well as local watershed groups to collaborate on ecosystem recovery efforts in a watershed. The Island Local Integrating Organization was established to include stakeholders in the Water Resource Inventory Area 6 (or WRIA 6), which is also the geographic boundary of our county. The goal of coordinating and prioritizing ecosystem recovery efforts was intriguing to me; finding ways of operating at the highest level of efficiency to get the best outcome possible aligned well with my core values. I dove into the challenge of implementing the LIO model in Island County and have been committed to maintaining the courage and persistence needed to lean in even when challenging, and often contentious, situations arise to ensure that our watershed recovery resources are wisely invested.
Our watershed has found great success through the LIO process. Just over $2 million in competitive grant funding was awarded to priority projects in 2014 with more than $300,000 local dollars leveraged as matching funds for recovery efforts, including: assessing fish passage barriers in culverts located in high-priority geographical areas; developing a science-based strategy for achieving compliance with the newly adopted Island County Shoreline Master Plan, including making the permit process more simple and ensuring the permits themselves are consistent with protection and recovery targets; restoring tidal flow to valuable salmon rearing habitat; removing shoreline bulkheads to improve habitat for salmon and forage fish; water quality improvements; and managing invasive species.
A great example of how we work to focus funding where community needs overlap is the implementation of the final stage of restoration at Ala Spit County Park. Not only was the park in need of modifications to protect access for park patrons, it was also a priority to the salmon recovery efforts in Island County, and it was a priority to the Island LIO for removing shoreline armoring to protect natural shoreline processes (to find out more about these priorities www.islandcountyeh.org/Page/237). By balancing improvements to habitat conditions for juvenile salmon and natural ecosystem processes with local enjoyment of this beautiful park, we all win.
I feel lucky to be in a position that is aimed at protecting and restoring this unique environment that we live in and have found it to be very rewarding. I look forward to continuing this work toward Puget Sound recovery and a healthier and more resilient watershed.
For more information on Island County LIO, contact: Lori Clark 360-679-7352 or visit www.islandcountyeh.org/Page/237
Editor’s note: Lori Clark is manager of the Island County Department of Natural Resources.
