The Nisqually River Foundation works on behalf of the Nisqually River Council to implement the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan. The plan is very broad with 11 major categories under the three parts of sustainability, Environmental, Community, and Economic. The Nisqually River Foundation helps coordinate the actions of the member agencies in implementing the plan and also works directly to implement the plan through a variety of programs. The current programs of the Nisqually River Foundation are as follows:
Nisqually River Council – First and foremost we provide staffing for the Council. We are responsible for setting up the council meetings, setting the agendas and locations. The council meets throughout the watershed on the third Friday of every month. Some of the smaller projects of the Council also fit in the setting including the Nisqually Water Trail and working on implementing the Nisqually Climate Change Adaptation plan.
Nisqually River Education Project – The NREP is the oldest program of the Council. It works with the schools of the watershed to provide field based science education through a variety of programs including water quality monitoring, tree planting and other habitat improvement projects, salmon carcass tossing, nature mapping, and beach investigations.
Nisqually Community Forest – This is an effort to purchase the commercial forests of the watershed so that they can be managed in a different way to better protect salmon habitat while also providing jobs and recreation to the local community.
Ecosystem Services – Ecosystem Services are the things that nature provides without input from people. Things like cool, clean water, carbon sequestration and other climate regulating benefits, nutrient cycling and cultural benefits. These benefits are provided by natural lands at no cost to people and if we had to provide them through infrastructure (i.e. a water treatment plant) would be incredibly expensive. We are trying to figure out how to compensate the landowners who are providing the benefits in an effort to make it less financially appealing to convert land to other uses.
Contract Employees – The Foundation also provides employees for Council members that for a variety of reason may not be able to hire them directly. Currently we have employees working as biologists and educational specialists. If you are a representative of a member agency on the Nisqually River Council, and have a potential need for extra staffing and the funding for the work, please get in contact with us.
The Foundation is always on the look out for new projects to take on that help us help the Nisqually River Council meet the goals of the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan. If you have an idea please start a conversation with us!
