Coordinating Efforts for Salmon Recovery

In 1998, the Washington State Legislature enacted ESHB 2496 to empower citizens at the community level to engage in salmon recovery through a locally driven habitat protection and restoration program.  The Act created the Lead Entity program to coordinate the local effort by soliciting, developing, prioritizing and submitting salmon habitat and restoration projects at the watershed level.  The program is administered by the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife (WDFW) and funded through grants provided by the Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SFRB).  Thurston Conservation District serves as the Lead Entity for WRIA 13.  

How the Lead Entity Program Works

Under the Washington Administrative Code 173-500-040 and the Water Resources Act of 1971, Revised Code of Washington 90.54, the major watershed basins of Washington State were divided into 62 Water Resource Inventory Areas (WRIAs).  The Lead Entity works at the watershed level to develop a strategic plan to guide the selection and ranking of restoration and protection projects based on the input of a technical committee (made up of local experts that are knowledgeable about the local watershed, habitat and fish conditions) and a citizens committee (made up of local, state, federal and tribal government representatives, community groups, environmenteal and fisheries groups, conservation districts and regional fisheries enhancement groups). 

The Lead Entity serves a critical role as the bridge that combines science based priorities and community priorities to effectively determine projects for proposals that will result in the most balanced soci-economic and technical regarding salmon habitat protection and restoration. 

For more information, please contact Amy Hatch-Winecka at wria13-14leadentity@thurstoncd.com