A 6-acre parcel of land near the mouth of Snow Creek on the Discovery Bay estuary is one of “18 strategic land conservation projects that would protect fish, wildlife and public access to the great outdoors” and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife is seeking public comment on a potential purchase through Jan. 3.
Fish and Wildlife does not use budget funds for these land acquisition projects, so the next steps include seeking funding sources from state Recreation and Conservation Office grants and federal grants from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
The Discovery Bay land is adjacent to the Discovery Bay Unit of the North Olympic Wildlife Area and near the junction of U.S. Highway 101 and state Highway 20.
The Department said a potential transfer of the land “continues long-term habitat stewardship and increase[s] public access to the estuary with its addition to WDFW’s ownership at Discovery Bay.”
This property will help re-connect tidal channels and restore upland areas. Public access here will allow recreational shellfish harvest and waterfowl hunting areas.
That last bit, waterfowl hunting areas, is a little concerning considering the site’s proximity to those highways.
To view each proposed land conservation project, visit tinyurl.com/PDN-Parcels19.
To submit comments, email lands@dfw.wa.gov or mail them to: Real Estate Services, PO Box 43158, Olympia, WA 98504.
No hoko steelies
The roster of West End rivers open to hatchery steelhead retention was reduced by one this week when the state Department of Fish and Wildlife released a rule change requiring the release of all steelhead in the Hoko River.
This impacts the Hoko from its mouth along the Strait of Juan de Fuca up to the Ellis Creek Bridge at river mile 18.5.
State biologists made this move because preseason expectations of hatchery-origin steelhead are low, requiring the release of hatchery steelhead to meet hatchery broodstock goals.
If broodstock goals are met, the river may re-open to hatchery steelhead retention.
Octopus vs. bald eagle
Fish farm employees off the northwest coast of Vancouver Island captured video of a bald eagle slowly being taken under the surface by a giant Pacific octopus.
If the employees hadn’t intervened and used a pike pole to free the octopus from the death grip it had on the eagle, it would have been bye, bye birdie.
The fish farmers didn’t know how the bird and octopus came into contact with each other, but speculated the eagle tried to swoop and scoop a meal and got much more than it bargained for.
The video shows the eagle recovering from the ordeal on shore nearby and the octopus eventually heading below the surface.
Wild.
To view the video, visit facebook.com/MowiCanadaWest.
Anglers meeting
Coastal Watershed Institute executive director and lead marine biologist Anne Shaffer will discuss the nearshore ecosystem response to the removal of dams on the Elwha River and lessons learned from the Elwha restoration project at Thursday’s meeting of the North Olympic Chapter of Puget Sound Anglers.
The group will meet at Sequim’s Trinity United Methodist Church, 100 S. Blake Ave., with viewing of raffle prizes and the swapping of fish tales beginning at 6:30 p.m.
Shaffer will speak at 7 p.m. followed by a short break. A club business meeting and raffles will follow after the break.
Refreshments will be served, a $75 membership drawing for those in attendance will be held and the public is invited to attend.
