The bottom Pure Sources Administration Program helps the Navy’s dedication to environmental stewardship, compliance, and safety. Environmental workers worth engagement with companions reminiscent of state and federal entities and federally-recognized tribes. Their direct suggestions and approval was a part of creating and finalizing the plan.
“I respect the superb suggestions on the draft INRMP that we obtained from our companions,” mentioned base Pure Sources Supervisor Alicia Higgs. “Their participation in reviewing the doc actually contributed to the standard of the plan and the worth to the Navy and our pure atmosphere.”
These partnerships are important for continued help of homeported Navy ships and Coast Guard vessels, in addition to planning for potential help of future ships assigned to Everett.
“I’m deeply grateful to Naval Station Everett’s Pure Sources Supervisor, Alicia Higgs, for all of her laborious work and care to draft and finalize the 2023 replace of the Naval Station Everett INRMP, and for working so carefully with the Navy’s Sikes Act companions whereas she did so,” mentioned Donald Hubner, Fish Biologist at Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. “Her efforts resulted in what is well probably the most complete and really built-in INRMP I’ve seen in additional than 15 years of reviewing INRMPs for NOAA’s Nationwide Marine Fisheries Service, each within the Pacific Island Area and the West Coast Area.”
Over the previous a number of years, the bottom has cooperated on initiatives that profit the atmosphere with Washington State Division of Fish and Wildlife, Nationwide Marine Fisheries Service, and the Stillaguamish Tribe.
District Wildlife Biologist at Washington State Division of Fish and Wildlife Kurt Licence mentioned, “The Washington State Division of Fish and Wildlife values the chance to companion with the Navy on their nicely laid roadmap to fish and wildlife conservation by way of the INRMP. Methods and collaborations like these are important to protect, defend and perpetuate fish, wildlife, and ecosystems in Washington.”
The up to date INRMP builds on work from the final interval, incorporating information from Navy-funded research and initiatives with companions. Outcomes from initiatives, such because the East Waterway Fish Examine that started in 2020, present information on water high quality parameters and different info that helps to plan environmental allowing and timing scheduled work within the East Waterway.
The subsequent 5 years will give attention to managing six main parts: fish and wildlife; water sources in marine, wetland, and riparian habitats; pest administration; noxious weed and invasive species; and local weather adaptation planning.
Additions to the bottom stormwater program will contribute to enhancing water high quality and aquatic habitat for species reminiscent of salmon, forage fish, marbled murrelets, and southern resident killer whales.
The brand new plan will proceed survey and monitoring packages of fish and wildlife. Initiatives embrace marbled murrelet winter density surveys performed by Washington State Division of Fish and Wildlife, weekly marine mammal counts by Navy workers, a harbor seal tagging examine in collaboration with the Washington State Division of Fish and Wildlife and Stillaguamish Tribe, and concluding the two-year East Waterway fish examine performed by the Nationwide Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
New proposed initiatives embrace elimination of invasive species to enhance wetlands and buffer zones close to Navy Household Help Advanced Smokey Level and a survey to find bat roosts at Smokey Level and decide whether or not white-nose syndrome could also be a risk to them.
Wanting additional, the plan enhances local weather resilience and adaptation knowledgeable by the newest projections affecting the naval station and the Salish Sea. Improvement of a 10-year plan will tackle information wants, a baseline to measure modifications resulting from local weather, measures of success for future adaptation actions, and measures or actions that help ecosystem-based administration within the face of adjusting local weather circumstances.
The general purpose of Navy environmental packages is to assist defend pure and cultural sources, whereas enabling our navy to coach and carry out nationwide safety missions.
Naval Station Everett’s new INRMP lays out plans although 2028 that meets authorized necessities to be a accountable steward of public lands and targets methods to advertise a wholesome ecosystem for people and wildlife.
View the up to date 2023 INRMP doc at https://cnrnw.cnic.navy.mil/Installations/NS-Everett/Operations-and-Administration/Environmental-Help-and-Compliance/.
