Clallam County commissioners voted Jan. 7 to approve a memorandum of understanding with the North Olympic Salmon Coalition to replace culvert infrastructure under a county-owned road to improve fish passage in a local watershed.

The MOU formalizes a partnership between the county and the North Olympic Salmon Coalition to replace culverts on a county road and support fish-passage improvements, county staff said during the meeting.

The matter drew multiple public comments during the meeting’s public-comment period. John Worthington, a Sequim resident, criticized how federal and state agencies have described fish-spawning locations and said scientific judgment on the projects has become political. “NOAA’s become basically, political,” Worthington said, adding that he had compiled “at least 21 different policy positions” from experts that he said went unanswered.

Ed Bowen, a Clallam Bay resident, also urged commissioners to require more public engagement and to hold outside organizations accountable. Bowen said the county is “relinquishing its authority and its accountability to an NGO” and asked the board to adopt a formal policy governing how outside nonprofits participate in county projects.

During the meeting the motion to approve the MOU was moved and seconded and then approved by the board. The meeting record does not show a roll-call vote by individual commissioner name; the chair called for verbal approval and the document was adopted.

Public commenters asked the board to include specific public-engagement and transparency provisions in any follow-up agreement with the coalition, including making the coalition subject to public-records requests on the project. Commissioners did not specify additional public‑engagement conditions during the vote.

Why this matters: the work affects county roads, private landowners with access concerns, and habitat for salmon species that local groups and tribes have prioritized for restoration. Several residents told commissioners they want clearer, ongoing public access to project records and more formal engagement in planning and implementation.

The county did not announce a detailed public-engagement plan or release a draft follow-up agreement during the meeting. The MOU takes effect with the board’s approval and county staff will proceed with next administrative steps for implementation.