County seeks consultants to support $600K in salmon‑recovery grants and an integrated water initiative
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Summary
County staff said it received roughly $600,000 in Puget Sound salmon recovery grant awards and requested RFQs to create a consultant pool (roughly $350,000 available for consultant support) to facilitate grant work and support a phased Integrated Water Initiative.
Staff from Community Planning, Economic & Development (CPED) told the Board of County Commissioners that Thurston County has been awarded two Puget Sound salmon recovery grants (combined roughly $600,000) and needs consultant support to implement parts of the work.
CPED staff (identified in the packet as Ashley) said the county requested RFQs to establish an on‑call roster of consultants to provide facilitation, background research and technical support for grant tasks; roughly $350,000 of the award is planned for consultant support while the remainder covers staff time and direct project costs.
The grants will support locally driven salmon recovery initiatives tied to the county’s comprehensive plan, including work on the Critical Areas Ordinance update and continuation of an Integrated Water Initiative. Ashley described Phase 1 of the Integrated Water Initiative as an internal audit and gaps analysis of county water‑resource responsibilities across departments; Phase 2 will involve broader community outreach and partnership development, potentially including a public symposium to share findings.
Commissioners asked how the public will be informed; staff said the county communications team can coordinate outreach and emphasized that the grant funds are non‑general‑fund sources secured to support this work.
No formal vote was recorded at the work session; staff requested authority to proceed with the RFQ so consultants can be engaged to meet grant requirements.
