Summary: This community steward was contacted by a neighboring landowner who was completing a planting plan. The project established native vegetation landscaping around a newly constructed home and used the cost share program from the Mason Conservation District. The landowner spent 40 hours to implement the plan that provides measures to enhance marine wildlife habitat, improve shoreline stability, and to use native vegetation to help manage storm water runoff on the property within the 65 feet of saltwater shoreline buffer located on Hood Canal. They continue to maintain plants on four sites called the fence line, front of house, rockwall, and bulkhead. The Mason Conservation District provided a Conservation Planting Plan that is designed to provide guidance on the addition of appropriate native plants for the site. To continue to maintain the riparian area, a relationship has been developed between the landowner, Mason Conservation District and Belfair Valley Nursery.

Restoration: Acer circinatum (Vine Maple), Ribes sanguineum (Red-flowering Currant) Philadelphus lewisii (Mock Orange) Arctostaphylos uva ursi ( Kinnikinnick) Blechum spicant (Deer Fern), Vaccinium ovatum (Evergreen Huckleberry), Gaultheria shallon (Salal), Holodiscus discolor (Ocean Spray), Symphoricarpos albus (Common Snowberry), Fragaria chiloensis (Coastal Strawberry), Armeria maritime (Sea Thrift), Rosa nutkana (Nootka Rose), Rubus Parviflorus (Thimbleberry), Amelanchier alnifolia (Serviceberry), Physocarpus capitatus (Pacific Ninebark), Oemlaria cerasiformis (Indian Plum), Rubus parviflorus (Thimbleberry), Tsuga hteroplylia (Western Hemlock), Corylus cornata (Filbert), Mahonia nervosa (Low Oregon Grape), Trillium ovatum (Trillium), Arctotaphylas Columbiana (Hairy Manzanita), Pseudotsuga menziesii (Douglas Fir), Thuja plicata (Western Red Cedar), Symphoricarpus moilis (Creeping Strawberry), Aster subsicatus (Douglas Aster), Deschampsia cespitosa (Tufted Hairgrass), Vaccinium parviflorum (Red Huckleberry).

Project Sponsors: Mason Conservation District/Critical Area Buffer Restoration, Hood Canal Coordinating Council/Marine Riparian Initiative

Funders: National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, Community Salmon Fund and WA Department of Ecology and the Hood Canal Coordinating Council.