The Hood Canal Coordinating Council is working with several existing entities and programs to develop a robust, coordinated, and effective approach to re-vegetating our marine shorelines, known as The Marine Riparian Initiative (MRI).

The benefits and functions of marine riparian areas are:
soil and slope stability; sediment control; wildlife; microclimate; shade (reducing water temperatures and improving disolved oxygen content); nutrient input for detrital foodwebs; fish prey production; habitat/large woody debris structure; and water quality, human health and safety and our own sense of aesthetics.

The MRI vegetation planting team includes:

* Master Gardeners/Beach Watchers - understand the mechanics of effective planting efforts.
* Noxious Weed Boards - understand how to eradicate invasive, non-native plant species (see the Marine Shoreline Noxious Weed Brochure in the documents section).
* Regional Fish Enhancement Groups - can mobilize motivated volunteers and know how to gather the necessary resources to bring the project to fruition
* Conservation Districts and local restoration-oriented nurseries - can provide native plants and provide the planning for ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and adaptive management.
* WSU Extension Services - can help train volunteers to develop planting plans
* Marine Resource Committees, Shore Stewards, and the HCCC Community Nearshore Restoration Program - can connect shoreline landowners
* Landowners - can provide planting opportunities while meeting their own objectives, and can work with or without volunteers to conduct the plantings.
* The Hood Canal Coordinating Council - can seek funding for implementation, coordinate efforts, monitor effectiveness, and report results to agencies involved in salmon recovery and the low dissolved oxygen implementation committee.


The Marine Riparian Initiative will train Master Gardeners, Water Watchers and other volunteer groups to provide site-specific planting plans for each landowner. The curriculum and training covers:

Marine Riparian Initiative Brochure (see the documents section)

Marine shoreline physical processes and identification in the landscape

Marine shoreline biological processes

Salmon habitat requirements

Introduction to Planting and Implementation Plans

Evaluate sites for revegetation

Plant selection and identification for shoreline revegetation projects for specific geographic locations and shoreforms (barrier beaches, backshore, low banks, high banks, salt marshes, modified and/or bulkheaded properties, etc.), slope stability.

How to plan the proper numbers of plants and spacing requirements for planting under various circumstances