Leadership Council maps commitments to Action Agenda; staff propose cross‑board work plan
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Summary
Staff presented an implementation plan tying 20 priority salmon actions to seven Leadership Council commitments—ranging from land‑use statute review and acquisition of in‑stream water rights to improving local permit enforcement—and proposed using existing board meeting spaces for cross‑board coordination through 2027.
Partnership planning staff on March 5 presented an implementation plan that links 20 priority actions from the Salmon Recovery Plan addendum to seven Leadership Council commitments. The plan is intended to create a cross‑board schedule of activities, coordinate with the Ecosystem Coordination Board and Salmon Recovery Council, and prepare policy, legislative, and programmatic actions through 2027.
Key commitments include: (1) reviewing land‑use statutes and the Shoreline Management Act rule changes and informing a scope of work; (2) advocating for policy and funding steps to reduce conversion of important lands; (3) integrating salmon recovery with comprehensive and transportation planning; (4) improving local permit‑code enforcement and monitoring capacity; and (5) pursuing acquisition of water rights to place in trust for instream flows. Staff proposed using existing "all boards chairs" meetings and leadership council sessions to coordinate the work and suggested the leadership council executive committee help shape a scope of work that could be contracted to outside experts.
Council members raised several implementation questions. One concern was sequencing and workload across months to avoid overloading summer meetings; staff said they will space items across the calendar. Members also asked for more specificity on the water‑rights commitment; staff and Ecology staff had already reviewed language and agreed staff can add clarifying asterisks and definitions in the implementation plan to avoid misunderstanding. Members recommended the plan emphasize model ordinances, local government support and capacity building, and clear tie‑ins to the Partnership’s legislative priorities ahead of the 2027 session.
Staff said the action agenda will be finalized in June and that the implementation plan will be updated immediately afterwards with final Action Agenda content and additional commitments. The partnership will survey implementers in May–June to check progress and begin monitoring commitment outcomes.
