The North Olympic Salmon Coalition recently was awarded a grant of $18,450 from the Benjamin N. Phillips Memorial Fund.
The Benjamin N. Phillips Memorial Fund was established in 2006 by the estate of Joy Phillips to honor her late husband. The goal of the Memorial Fund is to make grants to nonprofit organizations improving the lives of Clallam County residents.
About $250,000 is distributed annually, with grants ranging in size from $1,000-$25,000.
“This funding will allow us to incorporate educational programs and volunteer opportunities into our largest season of tree-planting of our history,” said Sarah Doyle, Salmon Coalition stewardship coordinator.
“We plan to plant 30,000 trees along the streams of the North Peninsula and we want to provide the best possible experiences for our volunteer workers,” she said. “This will make it possible for us to continue to help our neighbors connect with this land where we all live.”
The 24-year-old nonprofit coalition, with headquarters in Port Hadlock and a field office in Port Angeles, focuses on salmon habitat restoration along the North Olympic Peninsula.
It is one of 14 such Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups in the state covering territory from Hood Canal to Neah Bay.
Known for its leadership in the ongoing recovery of Endangered Species Act-listed summer chum salmon on the northeast peninsula, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition balances technical habitat work with community fun, program officials say.
“As a small organization with our headquarters in East Jefferson County, we have had a hard time reaching the western portion of our region,” Andy McGregor, president of the Salmon Coalition board of directors, said.
“A few years ago we made it a priority to increase our presence in Clallam County and we have made significant strides,” he said.
McGregor noted that major habitat improvement projects in the Dungeness watershed include an estuary restoration of the 3 Crabs site in Dungeness and a project under way with the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe to remove invasive species and plant native trees on 75 acres along the Dungeness River.
“This new funding will allow us to bring our education and volunteer programs to Clallam County, connecting community members with these amazing restoration projects,” Reed Aubin, education and volunteer program manager with the Salmon Coalition, said. “This represents the support we need in order to build on the great partnerships we have in the western part of our territory.”
Deborah Moriarty, development director of the Feiro Marine Life Center, said, “We are excited to continue our partnership with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition and with the work proposed to improve habitat and educational experiences at Peabody Creek and throughout our region.”
Feiro and North Olympic Salmon Coalition have worked together informally for years and have plans to incorporate hands-on habitat restoration work into educational programs with K-12 students.
About the coalition
The North Olympic Salmon Coalition is a non-regulatory nonprofit organization that works with willing landowners and government agencies to perform salmon habitat restoration on the North Olympic Peninsula.
Founded in 1990 by a group of dedicated community volunteers, the coalition was formed as one of 14 Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups in Washington. Working in direct collaboration with the state, tribal governments and the communities of the Olympic Peninsula, the organization has worked for 24 years to restore degraded and compromised habitat through both small and large-scale restoration projects.
For more information, see www.nosc.org or call 360-379-8051.
