State DNR and Nature Conservancy Sign First Aquatic Conservation Lease

Conservancy to restore once plentiful Olympia oysters to Woodard Bay

Olympia, WA—October 26, 2005—A first-in-the-nation conservation lease of submerged lands was announced today by The Nature Conservancy of Washington and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, ushering in a promising new tool for marine conservation and setting the stage for important restoration of the marine environment.

Under DNR’s new aquatic conservation leasing program, the Conservancy will lease 10 acres of submerged lands at Woodard Bay in South Puget Sound’s Henderson Inlet, and assume the day-to-day management of the area for the 10-year term. After many months of planning with DNR and marine scientists, the Conservancy is now ready to begin efforts to restore native habitat there for Olympia oysters—a once plentiful, native species that has nearly vanished from the South Sound.

With the restoration of Olympia oysters, an important element of a more complex and healthier aquatic community will be returned to the bay—one that will provide food for species such as diving ducks, and will provide reef habitat for crabs, fish and other animals. Oysters filter water as they capture micro-organisms for food, which also helps keep the aquatic ecosystem clean.

The Conservancy and DNR announced the lease signing at a ceremony on the shores of Woodard Bay, where DNR manages the state Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area.

“The foundation of DNR’s management of the state-owned aquatic lands is the protection of these natural systems—for sustainable stewardship of these resources into the future,” said Doug Sutherland, Commissioner of Public Lands. “And we have found that the best conservation results occur when public agencies and private organizations work together. This is no exception. We commend The Nature Conservancy for stepping up to lease aquatic lands, for planning the comeback of native oysters and for raising funds to restore and manage the site for the next 10 years.”

“With the signing of the lease, we’ve made history in marine conservation,” said David Weekes, the state director of the Conservancy’s Washington chapter. “DNR is the first state agency to establish a program and policy specifically allowing the leasing of marine lands for conservation. This is a powerful new tool, and we believe it will enable conservationists to extend to the marine environment what we work to do on land: the protection and restoration of our state’s astonishing natural diversity.”

The Woodard Bay restoration project is the first lease under DNR’s new policy to allow state-owned aquatic land to be leased for conservation. The Conservancy and DNR’s efforts at Woodard Bay will be a pilot project, showcasing the use of conservation leasing as effective tools in Washington and across the nation.

The Conservancy, relying on surveys and studies of oysters in Henderson Inlet completed this summer, will work with a number of partners to determine the optimal location and methods for restoring Olympia oysters at the site. Restoration efforts will focus on restoring suitable substrate by placing oyster shells (cultch) in strategic locations throughout the site. The oyster studies will also help determine if it is also necessary to bring in live oyster seed or if natural population will be sufficient for colonizing newly restored habitat.

The Conservancy will monitor the project and test different substrate configurations, helping to inform other Olympia oyster conservation efforts throughout Puget Sound.

Building partnerships

Funding for the project comes from several sources: The Russell Family Foundation, the Coastal Protection Fund, administered by the Washington Department of Ecology, and NOAA’s Community Based Restoration Program in partnership with the Conservancy’s Global Marine Initiative.

The Russell Foundation’s early contribution of $90,000 was instrumental in getting the leasing project started, helping to cover the costs of finding the right location for this new conservation lease and crafting a conservation plan.

The Conservancy also received a $50,000 grant from the Coastal Protection Fund, administered by the Washington Department of Ecology, and a $67,500 grant from National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to help pay for the project. The funds were used to complete necessary baseline surveys and conduct preliminary oyster studies and, along with some of the Russell Foundation funds, will cover the restoration efforts scheduled to begin next spring.

Both Sutherland and Weekes praised The Russell Family Foundation, state Department of Ecology, and NOAA for their support of the project. “This joint investment will help ensure the long-term success of this effort and others like it,” Sutherland said.

The ecological significance of the Olympia oyster

The Olympia oyster, Washington’s only native oyster, is both culturally and ecologically important. Olympia oysters were harvested by native people and early settlers and were once abundant in Puget Sound.

Population growth, development and industry along the waters of Puget Sound have taken a toll on oysters and other marine creatures. Olympia oysters, once abundant throughout Puget Sound, have nearly vanished, although scattered, remnant populations still exist in several places, including Henderson Inlet.

Leading shellfish biologists believe Woodard Bay is a good place to attempt such restoration. Olympia oysters have been found in the bay at the outlet of Woodard Creek. What’s more, the new lease site is just off the shores of Woodard Bay Natural Resources Conservation Area, one of the first natural areas in the state system designed to conserve unique ecological features and plant and animal communities across the state. The decision to lease these submerged lands was partly due to the adjacency to the upland conservation area, which will help protect the water quality in the oyster bed.

“Olympia oysters were a fundamental part of the ecology of historic Puget Sound,” said Helen Berry, DNR scientist. “Restoring oysters at Woodard Bay will help us to improve the condition of Puget Sound and to improve habitat for other species that we value.”

Betsy Peabody, executive director of Puget Sound Restoration Fund, agreed, adding, “Today, we have a chance to bring this oyster back—in Henderson Inlet and elsewhere in Puget Sound.”