Honored for his lifetime achievements and career in the environment, Bill Ruckelshaus, who was also master of ceremonies at Saturday’s event, was presented with a surprise Elwha Chinook Award.

Ruckelshaus, who was appointed to direct the EPA in 1970, later served as director of the FBI, deputy attorney, and then at the request of President Ronald Reagan, returned in 1980 as interim director of the EPA. He is credited for his work on a national plan for the oceans as a member of the U.S. Commission on Ocean Policy until 2004.

“We had invited the governor and when she could not attend, we were thrilled that she provided this wonderful speech by video to honor Bill,” said Eileen Sande, business operations manager for the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG), who co-sponsors the event.

A humble Ruckelshaus continued to honor others as he credited attendee Representative Sherry Appleton for her work in the Puget Sound Partnership, which he co-chairs. “Sherry is a tireless advocate who always speaks her mind, and when she does... everybody listens,” he said as applause and laughter erupted from the audience.

A glass sculpture of “The Dance” of the salmon was presented in his honor by Jeff Koenings, Director of the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW). “The Dance” is a bronze sculpture caste from a cedar carving by Wild Salmon enthusiast Al Adams. The sculpture will be the centerpiece of Salmon Hall of Fame and a smaller version of the sculpture is given to the inductees as an appreciation award for their efforts in Wild Salmon recovery.

Jay Nicholas, a biologist with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, was named to receive the award and the latest inductee into the Wild Salmon Hall of Fame in its fourth annual event. Nicholas has dedicated over 30 years professional work supporting the future of wild salmon — from a scientific monograph about every Chinook stock on the Oregon coast, to writing the Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds, a statewide conservation partnership between government, communities, and private landowners.

Nicholas was joined on the stage to receive the award with his seven-year-old son carrying his stuffed raccoon — who also wore an event name tag. A children’s book that Jay wrote and illustrated about salmon has been placed in every fifth-grade classroom in Oregon. He has donated proceeds of the book to the Oregon Youth Conservation Corps.

Tori Dulemba, Administrative Manager for the Pacific Northwest Salmon Center (PNWSC) announced that the PNWSC acquisition project was making headway. The $1.93 million proposal lead by the WDFW passed another hurdle and included in the list for funding through the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP).

The Interagency Committee (IAC) board approved the ranked lists of projects in their meetings held Sept. 21 and 22 and is recommending a $100 million dollar request for this program. The list will be sent to the governor on Nov. 1, that becomes part of the capital budget request. The state legislators, who will decide and approve the budget, will appropriate funds during the next legislative session in 2007.

The grant effort was led by Habitat Biologist and Watershed Steward Doris Small for WDFW, with the assistance of Grant-Solutions’ Kathleen Byrne-Barrantes, PNWSC board member Neil Werner, executive director of the HCSEG, and PNWSC staff. See the May 2006 issue of this Kitsap Business Journal entitled “Pacific Northwest Salmon Center vying for IAC grants to expand vision” for more information.

“I’m very pleased with the results overall, and look forward to more progress as there are still several steps to go through,” added Small.

Appleton said she was confident that the legislature would approve the budget, adding that the state had a $1.9 billion surplus this year. State Senator Phil Rockefeller has also indicated his support and enthusiasm for the project in recent discussions.

The Union River estuary project will acquire 56.7 acres of habitat on the Kitsap Peninsula near Belfair for protection and enhancement of estuarine and riparian habitat. With adjacent land owned by WDFW and land trusts, the project will protect over 280 acres of quality estuarine and upland habitat, nearly the entire lower Union River estuary. Permanently preserving this land will protect the habitat functions for the entire area and facilitate estuarine habitat restoration. Losses of saltmarsh habitat in Puget Sound are estimated at over 70 percent since the 1800’s, making this a high priority for protection and restoration.

The Hood Canal and the Union River support federally protected Hood Canal summer chum and Puget Sound Chinook salmon, as well as many other important marine resources associated with marine shorelines and estuarine waters. The lower Union River supports spawning grounds and juvenile salmon depend upon estuaries and shallow protected nearshore waters for refuge from predators and abundant food sources.

The Johnson property acquisition site is the last major land parcel of the lower Union River estuary acreage and the key parcel for restoration of estuarine natural processes. Existing trails along the dike will remain, allowing the public an opportunity to view a salt marsh habitat restoration project in action.

While the PNWSC will benefit the local economy and be a lasting tribute to wild salmon, the importance of species protection and preservation of the water, forest and trees that support their existence is not lost on these individuals and groups who have contributed so much to recovery and cleanup efforts in the Puget Sound.