DESCRIPTION
Kitsap County used this grant to contribute to the conservation and restoration of an ecoregionally-significant pocket estuary and salmon stream by (1) accomplishing the pre-purchase tasks (landowner willingness, appraisal, survey, etc.) for the County to purchase a 1.1 acre parcel with 133' of healthy Chico Estuary shoreline ("Owen parcel"), and (2) creating an access easement on a 3.23 acre parcel ("Ross parcel") to enable the correction of two major barriers at the mouth of Chico Creek (SR3 and Kitty Hawk Drive). This project contributed to on-going efforts by Kitsap County, WSDOT, WDFW, Recreation and Conservation Office, SRFB, Suquamish Tribe, and others. Funding from ALEA and Suquamish Tribe was used to purchase property in the estuary; coordinated state, federal and tribal funding was pursued to implement the larger restoration efforts.
As a direct result of this project Kitsap County was able to (1) seek funds to purchase the 1.1 acre waterfront parcel to add to the County parks system, and (2) design and permit a new driveway to enable the removal of Kitty Hawk Drive's blocking culvert.