Skokomish River Delta, Union, WA at sunset with a backdrop of the Olympic National Mountains. Photo by Anna Porter Artist (Instagram: @annaporterartist ). The Skokomish River is a river in Mason County, Washington, United States. It is the largest river flowing into Hood Canal, a western arm of Puget Sound.[1] From its source at the confluence of the North and South Forks the main stem Skokomish River is approximately 9 miles (14 km) long. The longer South Fork Skokomish River is 40 miles (64 km), making the length of the whole river via its longest tributary about 49 miles (79 km). The North Fork Skokomish River is approximately 34 miles (55 km) long.[2] A significant part of the Skokomish River's watershed is within Olympic National Forest and Olympic National Park. Source: Wikipedia. #skokomishriver #skokomishrivervalley #hoodcanal #unionwa #washingtonstate #olympicnationalmountains #sunset #cloudscapes #clouds_of_our_world #mountainscapes #mtwashington #sunsetlover #sunset_madness #sunset_brilliance #sunset_masters #sunset_perfection #beautifulworldparadise #pnw #loves_sunset #loves_mountains #rebels_united #rebel_scapes #rebel_sky #mafia_naturelover #naturehippys #ig_captures_landscape #splendid_horizon #harmonyoflight #royalsnappingartists #rsa_sky (at Skokomish River) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxFs1ldgjDs/?igshid=1w5yvzgahjpkn
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North Fork Skokomish River Trail - Olympic National Park, Hoodsport, WA
This was a wonderful, easy 14 mile hike along the Skokomish River in Olympic National Park. The trail was a bit crowded at the start, but the crowds quickly thinned out as we made our way out to Camp Pleasant. Very little elevation gain on this hike, which made it perfect!
Very few rocks along this trail, easy on the feet and the legs.
A few river crossings required, but all had bridges.
Great signage to keep us on the right trail.
.....I thought we were hiking along the Skokomish???
Not sure where we are, but the scenery is beautiful!
Not bad, not bad at all!
We made it all the way to Camp Pleasant, which had been washed out by spring flooding. We had a hard time staying on the trail, but we managed to stay close enough and find our way back. On the way back, we crossed over the river and finished our hike along the other side of the Skokomish. Another perfect day exploring one our national parks!
North Fork of the Skokomish River.
Our last view of the river before returning to our truck, that color!
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Pacific Region Tribes to Receive Nearly $1 Million To Protect Species and Restore Habitat
Native Americans have a unique relationship to and understanding of the land and its wildlife. They have a controlling interest in more than 52 million acres of tribal trust lands as well as an additional 40 million acres held by Alaska native corporations. Tribal Natural Resource programs rely on science as well as traditional ecological knowledge to protect species, conserve resources and restore habitat. Through the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s Tribal Wildlife Grant Program (TWG), funding is provided to strengthen our partnership with the tribes and to assist in the conservation of tribal land and the recovery of wildlife, especially those species that are in decline. Funding for this competitive grant program has successfully addressed tribal needs for the protection, restoration, and management of habitat to benefit fish, wildlife, and their habitat including non-game species for more than 14 years.
Today, the U.S. Deputy Secretary of the Interior, David Bernhardt, announced funding that gives support for a diverse array of species and habitats across the country. Nearly $1 million has been awarded to support six projects in the Pacific Northwest, ranging from elk monitoring efforts to in-stream habitat restoration to protect native fish species. For a complete list of awarded project go to https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG_Funding.htm
This successful grant program, established in 2003, has assisted Native Americans and Alaska Natives with conservation goals that encompass a wide range of wildlife and habitats, including species of Native American cultural or traditional importance and species that are not hunted or fished. The TWG program has included technical and financial assistance for the development and implementation of projects (including non-game species) that benefit fish, wildlife, cultural and natural resources. The grants have enabled tribes to develop increased management capacity, improve and enhance relationships with partners including state agencies, address cultural and environmental priorities, and heighten interest of tribal students in fisheries, wildlife and related fields of study.
More than $951,000 in Tribal Wildlife Grants is awarded to tribes in the Pacific Northwest:
The Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation will receive $123,609 for habitat restoration on Fox Creek. This sub-watershed of the North Fork of the John Day River is a critical spawning and rearing tributary for listed threatened Mid-Columbia River steelhead. This project will increase complex instream aquatic habitat along 4 miles of Fox Creek with the removal of fish passage barriers, reconnection of historic channel meanders and enhanced floodplain connections. The Tribe will plant native riparian vegetation along the project length of Fox Creek, including all wetland/wet meadow areas that will provide increased cover, shading, bank stability, and habitat complexity. This project demonstrates the collaborative conservation effort by the Tribe and their partnership with numerous state, Federal, and non-governmental entities.
The Cow Creek Band of Umpqua Tribe of Indians has been awarded $189,887 for their Dole Road Elk Population Study. This project reflects a Tribal priority acknowledging the historical importance of elk on Tribal subsistence, cultural practices, and traditional lifeways. During this two year project, the Tribe will collaborate with the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife and the USDA Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service to undertake research and monitoring studies to document elk populations, their health, herd size and where the Dole Road elk herd likes to hang out. This will be undertaken by capturing and fitting a few elk with GPS collars and eartags. Data collected from monitoring elk location will allow the Tribe to develop an Elk Management Strategy specific to the Dole Road site, and establish elk population targets for next 50 years.
The Kalispel Tribe of Indians will receive $96,081 for the South Selkirk Mountain Caribou Maternal Penning Project. Declining populations of this extremely rare subspecies of caribou in the Selkirk Mountains have caused concern among Federal and state wildlife agencies. By working with partners like the Selkirk Caribou International Technical Working Group, of which the Tribe is a part, this project will collect essential data and provide land managers guidance on how best to recover this subspecies. The project will require capturing females in late winter and placing them in a small predator exclosures, allowing them to calve and provide time for the calf to grow in the absence of predators. Biologists will also use location data from the collared animals to help determine areas that the herd shows fidelity to and to monitor and secure the areas with fences and patrolling rangers.
In northern Washington, the Puyallup Tribe of Indians was awarded $199,592 to continue elk management activities for the South Rainier Elk Herd. Funding for this project will allow the tribe to conduct specific habitat improvement projects in the critical winter and summer habitat range of the South Rainier Elk Herd. This project will lay the foundation for maintaining sustainable elk populations for years to come by conducting spring and fall elk surveys and continue to collect and analyze data on previously radio-collared elk to gather valuable information on annual cow elk survival and to stabilize and increase the elk herd size.
The Skokomish Indian Tribe of Western Washington will receive $142,524 to evaluate the role predators have on the decline of the elk populations in the area. Previously, there have been no studies on the cougar population living within the Tribe’s Usual and Accustomed Areas. This study will provide baseline information on the predator/prey interactions and will allow for the monitoring of these populations over time to determine if they are stable, increasing or decreasing. Partnering with other tribes, the Skokomish Tribe will share information resulting from the study the cougar and elk populations, which will help develop a broader understanding of these species within the Olympic Peninsula.
Lake Sammamish native kokanee will benefit from the $200,000 awarded to the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe for their ‘Priority Habitat Restoration Actions for Lake Sammamish Native Kokanee’ project. As part of a multi-stakeholder collaborative conservation effort, the Tribe will enhance critical spawning habitat along two important tributaries to Lake Sammamish. The Tribe’s the project is essential to boost and preserve the imperiled late run native kokanee salmon population, which is an important cultural resource and historical year round food source for the Tribe.
TWG funds are provided exclusively to fund wildlife conservation by federally recognized Native American tribal governments, and are made possible under the Related Agencies Appropriations Act of 2002 through the State and Tribal Wildlife Grants Program. Proposals for the 2018 grant cycle are due Sept. 1, 2017.
For a complete list of the 2017 Tribal Wildlife Grant awards, click here : https://wsfrprograms.fws.gov/Subpages/GrantPrograms/SWG/SWG_Funding.htm
For additional information about Native American conservation projects and the Tribal Wildlife Grants application process, visit http://www.fws.gov/nativeamerican/grants.html or http://www.grants.gov/.
Written by Jane Chorazy, Public Affairs Office
Photos credited to the USFWS
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Photo from @phomusrec || North Fork Skokomish River || This image was the second most popular feature on @washingtonexplored this week - #WashingtonExplored is a member of the #ExploredCo family || #Washington #NorthForkSkokomishRiver — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2AwfFhg
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|| Photo from @phomusrec || North Fork Skokomish River || Image selected by @ericmuhr || Join us in exploring #Washington, wherever you are, and tag your finds to #Washingtonexplored || part of the @exploredco family, online at exploredco.com — view on Instagram http://ift.tt/2lYbKaJ
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