Eelgrass: Challenges, Solutions, and Actions by https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC Over the course of 4 work sessions in 2021 participants in EPIC provided input to identify the challenges and barriers associated with eelgrass conservation in San Juan County, as well as potential solutions, and actions that could be taken in the short-term (1-5 years) and long-term (5+ years) to address these challenges. This Padlet summarizes those. en-us 2021-11-09 22:25:02 UTC 2023-02-20 17:11:06 UTC hello@padlet.com https://padlet-uploads.storage.googleapis.com/1103765343/8c5ed6c5dc2cdba8eb85191b5b4905ba/1.png Direct Human Behavior francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879611283 2021-11-09 22:25:38 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879611283 Regulatory francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879701854
  • Jurisdictional challenges
  • Coordinating local enforcement with state agencies 
  • Enforcement

    • ]]>     2021-11-09 23:37:06 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879701854     Planning francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879751661
  • Septic system capacity.
  • Increase in desalination for freshwater as both population increases and saltwater intrusion increases.
  • In channel constructed ponds preventing fresh water input to eelgrass beds. 
  • Upland development contributing added nutrients into nearshore systems.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 00:10:20 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879751661     Infrastructure francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879755363
  • Less support for allowing marinas to expand resulting in more private docks installed. 
  • Increase in recreational boating throughout county waters leading to more boats anchoring in sensitive areas. 
  • Challenges in permitting buoys (including protection buoys). 
  • Pump-out use and access.
  • Oil spills and other spills.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 00:12:38 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879755363     Jurisdictional francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879758586
  • Regulatory status
  • Coordinating local enforcement with state agencies
  • Local enforcement of unpermitted shoreline and overwater construction (docks and buoys).
  • Enforcement of anchor out zones.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 00:14:27 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879758586     Indirect Human Behavior francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879763158
  • Impacts of climate change on eelgrass habitat
  • impacts of invasive species to eelgrass beds including impacts of foraging and seed predation
  • impacts of sedimentation consolidation -impacts of changes to bathymetry over time, especially in quiet bays. 
  • Transboundary challenges related to the freshwater influence from the Fraser River, especially regarding sedimentation.
  • Water quality-related to runoff, vessel presence, toxins etc. 
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 00:16:49 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879763158     Ecological challenges francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879765084
  • Limited restoration and monitoring funding, particularly to allow for long-term monitoring.
  • Data gaps
  • Comprehensive mapping of eelgrass. 
  • Impacts of predators, e.g. Canada Geese
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 00:17:51 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1879765084     Local and Regional Planning francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880533044
  • Shoreline Master Program and Critical Areas
  • Protect sites at shoreline parks, public lands.
  • Alter projects in the nearshore so that there is no loss of eelgrass. 
  • Offer incentives for good behavior. e.g for shoreline development that restores or maintains shoreline processes.
  • Testing stormwater runoff locations through expanded  Clean Water Utility water quality monitoring.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 06:55:43 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880533044     Jurisdictions & Regulatory francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880558018
  • Establish jurisdictions to allow enforcement of protection zones. e.g. DNR provide State Parks with a bedlands withdrawal to allow enforcement of anchor out zones. 
  • Streamline permitting for protection zones. 
  • Enforce local and state regulations.
  • Cull meadows with high levels of wasting disease infection.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 07:11:56 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880558018     Infrastructure francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880575253
  • Provide more pump-out facilities
  • Install more protection (Anchor-out) zones
  • Increase ability to and resources to allow maintenance of protection buoys
  • Providing and maintaining mooring buoys to alleviate pressure from anchoring. 
  • Determine placement, availability, and added capacity for public mooring buoys.
  • Support local oil spill response (IOSA)

    • ]]>     2021-11-10 07:22:25 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880575253     Community Engagement francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880589694
  • Offer incentives for good boating behavior.
  • Add eelgrass maps to boater GPS/navigation such as Garmin, Navionics.
  • produce anchorage-specific maps with eelgrass presence and depth (see tool created by FSJ)
  • Incorporate ecological importance of eelgrass into outreach messaging. 
  • Incorporate historic importance of eelgrass to Indigenous lifeways into messaging.
  • Increase public signage with eelgrass and anchor out zone information. 
  • Engage boaters in collecting water quality and temperature samples in areas they visit.
  • Tell stories that provide hope in outreach efforts. e.g. highlight the good things and achievements. 
    • Anchor out zones
    • mapping
    • restoration
    • prioritization of sites of sites for protection.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 07:31:18 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880589694     Research francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880598320
  • Re-map deep water edge of eelgrass to see if there has been change over last 20 years.
  • Monitor vessel presence and density at popular anchorages as well as throughout county waters. 
  • Conduct assessment of ecological value of eelgrass to human health and quantify ecosystem services provided by eelgrass.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 07:36:00 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880598320     Ecological francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880611222
  • understanding causes of declines and what kills eelgrass.
  • What drivers of e.g. temperature change, can be managed/controlled at the local level?
  • Do long-term declines mirror human population density in an area? Is there a correlation? 
  • What environmental drivers (e.g. temperature change) can be managed/controlled at the local level? and how? 
  • Could heat-resistant strains be used for restoration efforts in areas where temperature has been linked to declines? 
  • how do invasive species (e.g. European green crab, sargassum etc.) impact eelgrass habitats? 
  • Does growth of Ulva impact eelgrass and if so how? 

    • ]]>     2021-11-10 07:43:04 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1880611222     Socio-economic francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882521711
  • How is the importance of eelgrass to the public best communicated? more challenging than with more charismatic species or species viewed as having greater economic importance. 
  • What is the worth of eelgrass (quantify ecosystem services). 

    • ]]>     2021-11-10 21:56:58 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882521711     Recommendations francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882531830
  • Create a database of reports and publications
  • Create a place for shared data including the driver data
  • Create working groups:
    • Regulatory
    • Outreach and education and messaging
    • Monitoring for effectiveness
  • Share grant opportunities for research and protection measures. 
    • Padilla Bay annual grant program
    • Rose Foundation Puget Sound stewardship and mitigation fund. 
  • Consider research on heat resistant strains for restoration efforts. 
  • Make outreach efforts more appealing to the public. Find a way to make eelgrass just as fun and exciting as orcas or other charismatic species. 
  • Unify outreach messaging throughout the transboundary region and consider incorporating social marketing methods.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 22:05:02 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882531830     Resources francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882544751 Videos:
    • Jefferson County MRC:  https://vimeo.com/454454469 
    • Friends of the San Juans: https://sanjuans.org/greenboating/ 

    Storymaps:
    • DNR's seagrass restoration: https://wadnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/MapSeries/index.html?appid=e3d224351fa84d0cacf6785f83af4d72

    Data viewers:
    • DNR: https://wadnr.maps.arcgis.com/apps/webappviewer/index.html?id=83b8389234454abc8725827b49272a31 
    • Friends of the San Juans depth map: https://sanjuans.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FSJ_AnchorOutMap_Newley.pdf

    Eelgrass recovery strategy:
    https://www.dnr.wa.gov/publications/aqr_nrsh_goehring_eelgrass_strategy_2015.pdf 
    ]]>     2021-11-10 22:14:45 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882544751     Regulations francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882547695 Local regulations
    • SJC SMP: sections  18.50.060, 18.50.130-160 & 18.50.240-320  https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/SanJuanCounty/#!/html/SanJuanCounty18/SanJuanCounty1850.html
    • SJC CC: sections 18.35.115-130 https://www.codepublishing.com/WA/SanJuanCounty/#!/html/SanJuanCounty18/SanJuanCounty1835.html

    State regulations
    [Info needed here]
    ]]>     2021-11-10 22:17:06 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882547695     Infrastructure francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882597562
  • Improve placement and availability of marine infrastructure such as public mooring buoys and community dock space over single owner dock space.
  • Provide and maintain mooring buoys to alleviate pressure from anchoring at popular anchorage sites and or sites with sensitive eelgrass habitat. 
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 22:57:16 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882597562     Planning francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882601194
  • Update SJC SMP
  • Determine locations of failing septic systems
  • Better permitting around use of desalination plants
  • Remove and replace creosote pilings at county marine facilities.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 23:00:15 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882601194     Regulatory francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882607921 Assess the effectiveness of regulatory actions:
    • permits
    • anchor out zones
    • pump-outs

    Protect coastal areas: 30 by 30 where 30% of coastal areas protected by 2030. Not clear how this could be implemented in San Juan County but the County is planning to undertake an Ecological Value Assessment effort in 2023 and this will help to inform both the current areas protected and the areas that would benefit from additional protection.
    ]]>     2021-11-10 23:05:39 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882607921     Ecological and Research francesr https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882610457
  • Develop plants resistant to wasting disease
  • Create a plant vaccine for eelgrass wasting disease
  • Restoration of eelgrass beds
  • Quantifying ecosystem services
  • Establish a transboundary monitoring program to allow identification of long-term trends in coverage.
    • ]]>     2021-11-10 23:07:49 UTC https://padlet.com/francesr/EPIC/wish/1882610457