MRC Approved Meeting Minutes
June 19, 2002 meeting 4pm - 6 pm
Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland
This meeting was NOT recorded

MRC Members Present: Chair Tom Campbell, Mike Gallion, Sayed El-Sayed, Phyllis Kind, Roger Sherman, Hi Bronson, Jeff Tate, Don Mean; Exec. Director: Gary Wood; Technical Advisory Member Julie Buktenica; Admin. Assist. Kate Poss. Absent: Tom Roehl, Dick Toft, Benye Weber, Marty Behr. Visitors: Joe Burcar, Island Co. Planning; Doug Kelly, Island Co. Health Dept.; Frank Roberts, Bert Pack and Bob Bennett of Lagoon Pt.; John Mott and former State Representative and current Clinton resident Dave Anderson

Call to Order: Chair Campbell called today's meeting to order at 4:05 pm

Agenda approval: Today's agenda was approved with an addition from Kind; she will talk about yesterday's meeting with the Washington State Dept. of Natural Resources.

Approval of June 5, 2002 minutes: The minutes were approved with no changes.

Reports:
· Forage Fish: Gary Wood updated us with Dan Penttila's forage fish spawn survey, ongoing since last summer. Dan is a marine biologist for the Wash. State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife
o Wood has prepared a draft report of the forage fish survey for our grantors: Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB), Northwest Straits Commission (NWSC--MRC's parent group) and the National Fish & Wildlife Foundation.
o 800 sites were sampled so far on Whidbey and Camano islands. Sites were mapped randomly along ¼ mile stretches of beach in random 100-foot increments. Penttila's data on surf smelt--one of three primary fish salmon eat, along with herring and sand lance-is nearly complete.
o For fiscal year 2002-2003, Whatcom, Skagit and Snohomish counties will use SRFB and NWSC funds to map their forage fish sites as well. Wood will oversee managing about $403,000 in grants. His work includes coordinating grants with other counties.
· Geograhical Information Systems Report
o Jeff Tate, Joe Burcar and Doug Kelly gave a talk on Island County's use of Geographical Information Systems (GIS) technology. A summary of their presentation follows the regular minutes.
· New Logo
o Meehan said he is still waiting for results from Phil Williamson, a Coupeville graphic arts designer. One suggestion uses a kelp-inspired logo. The MRC approved $200 May 1 to pay Williamson to create a new logo for our MRC.
· New Administrative Assistant
o Since today is Kate Poss' last meeting with the MRC, Meehan asked MRC members to suggest new candidates. With ads in today's papers and the job description posted on the website, Meehan wants to get a new candidate aboard soon.
o Kate said she prepared a box and instructions on job requirements for her replacement. The box, containing all files since Sept. 2000, the tapes from previous meetings, as well as a binder of press releases and minutes, is in Meehan's office.
· Shoreline Hardening Survey
o Meehan reports that Camano's hardened shorelines should be 100% mapped by the end of the week. Whidbey Island's hardened shorelines will be mapped next. Areas not covered previously by Beach Watchers' survey will be mapped.
· Derelict gear removal
o Wood reports that he'll be aboard a NOAA (Nat'l Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) ship at Stewart Island in the San Juans tomorrow, along with TV stations KIRO and KOMO, to witness removal of a purse seine net, snagged at 60- and 120-foot depths and 200-feet long. Watch the news Friday night.
· Whidbey's Dave Anderson is a candidate for NWSC
o Wood introduced former State Representative Dave Anderson. Anderson needs to be nominated as a Governor's appointee to the Northwest Straits Commission.
o Wood noted that the administrative committee of the NWSC was recommending Anderson. Kathy Fletcher of People for Puget Sound, has also nominated a candidate for the post. A decision on the appointment is expected, as Wood says, "Forthwithly."
· Formal thanks to Kate Poss-Action
o Mike Gallion moved and Sayed El-Sayed seconded the motion to formally thank Kate Poss for her work with the MRC the past two years. The motion was carried.
· Wash. State Dept. of Natural Resources (DNR) update
o Kind and Sherman attended the 6/18 meeting of DNR in Mt. Vernon. DNR has prepared an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) on Aquatic Reserves. Yesterday's meeting was to take public comment. The public comment period is open until July 8.
o DNR has proposed four ways to develop and manage its aquatic reserves (such as marinas) ranging from doing nothing to pinpointing specific areas.
o No specific areas were named yet. This is an early stage in the game.
o Send comments to Gary Wood on the EIS.
· Next meeting is the SECOND Wednesday of July-July 10-at the Heller Road Firehall in Oak Harbor. The next MRC meeting after that is scheduled for the FIRST Wednesday in August-August 7-at Trinity Lutheran Church in Freeland. Our Sept.-Dec. meetings will return to the regular schedule of the first Wednesday-Oak Harbor and the third Wednesday-Freeland. All meetings run from 4 pm to 6 pm.

The meeting was adjourned at 5:55 pm

Report on GIS Technology with Island Co. Employees Jeff Tate, Joe Burcar and Doug Kelly
· GIS Technology is used in the planning department to create interactive, multi-layered maps with links to various data
· Contains Critical Area-such as wetlands and eagle habitat-- links
· Can show topography
· Currently Freeland, the Ebey area in Coupeville and parts of Clinton parcels are mapped.
· Can calculate the amount of impervious surface ratio-rooftops, concrete and asphalt-to the total lot size
· Feederbluffs-can old and new data be combined? Yes. Overlays can show the differences, changes and commonality of old and new data. Purchase of new software could yield time sequence data; such as predicting how a feeder bluff might look in the future, based on its past history.
· Bluff erosion-our current data is based on 1970s technology. Now that the MRC is collecting data on this, Island County's information will be more current.
· The Planning Dept. uses GIS as a tool in its challenge of creating regulations and conditions regarding development and land use.
· Tate said GIS technology could determine trends, see correlations between, for instance, littoral drift, shoreline accretion, spawning cycles, fish migration and life cycles.
· It will take drawing and entering data from 65,000 to 70,000 parcel maps in Island Co. before all of Island County is on the GIS system.
· State shoreline jurisdiction extends from the high water mark back 200 feet toward the land
· Spartina and its proximity to eelgrass beds and other marine plants/animals-Judy Feldman, the county's noxious weed officer, wanted to know if she could give her data to Jeff and Joe. Joe said they'll need that in a compatible format.
· Doug Kelly-Island County's hydrogeologist and data cruncher for MRC's forage fish study
o Doesn't use GIS yet; but his own system that is compatible with GIS; said when the county goes completely to GIS, there could be trouble with its interpretation.
o In his free time, Kelly inputs forage fish data collected by Penttila. Field and lab data have been entered. Sand Lance and surf smelt info. entered. Herring to come. Then he'll map it all. He can custom tailor the results to what the MRC wants to see.
o LiDAR technology-involving fly-overs using laser photos that can "see" through trees creates a high resolution topography. Can map fish spawn, eelgrass, shoreline hardening, high and low tides. Meehan said that Utsalady Bay on Camano Island is mostly hardened bulkheads; yet forage fish spawn there. What is the relationship? Bad? Good? (This is visitor Frank Roberts' long-time quest-to get the science on the effect of hardened bulkheads)
o Outfall data-Meehan said that outfalls-where drainage pipes and rivers/streams flow to the coast-are currently being mapped. That data could be used to see the relationship of outfalls-which are said to carry contaminants-with, for instance, forage fish and eelgrass habitat.
o Shoreline Accretion-For a future grant Wood is designing a study for mapping accretion (the cycles of shoreline erosion and building) and wants to gather info. that is free of judgment. Just the facts, mam. Tate offered that important information might include direction of the drift, where it is waxing/waning, the time of year, how much material is rising or falling, affect on bulkheads. The Coastal Zone Atlas, which the county uses as its reference text for littoral drift and seasons, has some incorrect data. Tate is hopeful that MRC's ongoing coastal analysis might help in correcting this misinformation.
o What about the rise of sea levels and water temperatures? Dave Anderson wants to know if GIS can forecast trends on these issues, as well as monitor water quality. Meehan said LiDAR technology could be used forecast these trends. Meehan added, it is his gut feeling, that since our Beach Watchers have an ongoing program of recording the biological data on the county's marine species, we can see if there is a change in Island County's biodiversity. Wood added that an invasive species could just as easily affect biodiversity as environmental changes can.
o The regular citizen can type in www.mapciti.com and view Island County's GIS results in a read-only, interactive form. Remember that only Freeland, parts of Clinton and Ebey are currently mapped with GIS.
o The future-Meehan said today's presentation helped all to understand the use of GIS technology. He hopes to invite the team back to show us how data relative to MRC's grants is being integrated with the GIS system. Email Don, Gary or Tom Campbell with ideas.

These minutes were prepared by Kate Poss. The past two years were extremely interesting and I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know most of you. I believe in the idea that created our MRC and Northwest Straits and hope it accomplishes the goals it is tasked with. My wish in leaving you all is that the great talent of the MRC members will be tapped and appreciated. Happy Trails and be kind to one another--Kate