Other federally recognized Tribes with access to the resources of the Strait of Juan de Fuca may include the Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe, Skokomish Indian Tribe, Suquamish Tribe, Lummi Nation, Muckleshoot Tribe, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Sauk Suiattle Indian Tribe, Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Tulalip Tribes, and Upper Skagit Tribe. Several Canadian First Nations also access the shared waters of the Strait.

Tribes can fill many roles during an oil spill response including full participation in Unified Command, providing resource specialists in the Environmental Unit, monitoring on-scene operations, and more. Information regarding tribal participation in a response is available on the Northwest Area Committee/Region 10 Regional Response Team website. Contact information for the tribes in this planning area can be found in the Resources at Risk section and on the Spill Response Contact Sheet of this GRP.
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There are also glacial erratics, massive boulders that were dropped here during glacial melt, some of which may be seen just offshore as small islands. During the ice age and periods of high water, the Peninsula was an island. Several endemic species evolved in isolation until the lowlands were uncovered to reconnect the Olympics to the mainland. The most recent ice sheet in the area was the Cordilleran ice sheet spreading south from Canada, which split into the Strait of Juan de Fuca lobe, which moved west; and the Puget Sound lobe, which moved south. The advance and retreat of these two sections carved out the troughs for these waterbodies about 14,000 years ago; portions of this sheet remain in the glaciers present in Olympic National Park. Glaciers also carved out Lake Crescent, Lake Sutherland, and several alpine lakes, and melting ice and glacial retreat created the steep ravines of rivers and creeks draining to the Strait. (NPS)

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In 2003, the Washington State Department of Transportation began the construction of a dry dock on the Port Angeles waterfront and unearthed the S’Klallam village of Tse-whit-zen, along with hundreds of burials. Several other village sites have been identified throughout the Port Angeles area and in Sequim and Discovery Bays and are continuously being studied or monitored by Tribal archaeologists (Jamestown Tribe).

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Razor clams support tens of millions of dollars annually in coastal tourism in Oregon and Washington and are essential to Olympic coast tribal nations as a culturally and nutritionally significant food source, a means of income, and a valuable commercial commodity. Razor clams are also a key prey item for Dungeness crab. The commercial Dungeness crab fishery is the most valuable single-species fishery in the state of Washington (worth roughly $84 million annually) and the top fisheries employer in Oregon (NOAA).

The Port of Port Angeles is a working port with five terminals, two marinas, two airports, 70 acres of industrial land and 60 commercial tenants (Port of PA). Although timber and forest products are still a major economic source, it is a fraction of the activity prior to the 1960s and 1970s when environmental concerns and treaty rights reduced the pace of resource extraction in the Olympic Peninsula. Commercial and sport fishing, aquaculture, public agencies, Tribal governments, tourism, and Peninsula College now provide significant employment. Also, the federal Department of Energy operates the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Sequim. (ESD)
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The waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca are partially mixed and weakly stratified. The primary freshwater source (approximately 75%) is the Fraser River in British Columbia (Herlinveaux and Tully, 1961). The Fraser River flow has a strong seasonal cycle, with a maximum flow rate in early June at the peak of the high-altitude snowmelt. The remaining fresh water enters the Strait through Puget Sound (Washington rivers), along the Olympic Peninsula, and along Vancouver Island. Rivers on Vancouver Island are a freshwater source an order of magnitude smaller than the Fraser River, with a peak in the winter during heavy rains (Masson and Cummins, 1999).

Vigorous mixing occurs at entrances/exits to the Strait–in Rosario Strait, Boundary Pass (linking the Straits of Georgia and Juan de Fuca) and Admiralty Inlet (connecting the Strait of Juan de Fuca with Puget Sound). This vigorous mixing, caused primarily by high currents flowing over sills, serves to mix salty and fresh water, decreasing overall salinity gradients of the Strait of Juan de Fuca waters.” (NOAA)

The planning area resides within Water Resource Inventory Areas Quilcene-Snow (17), Dungeness-Elwha (18), and Lyre-Hoko (19).

Quilcene-Snow Watershed (WRIA 17): The Quilcene-Snow Watershed is situated in the eastern edge of the planning area. It comprises the eastern portion of Clallam County and a portion of Jefferson County. It includes Sequim Bay and its feeder creeks, including Dean Creek, Jimmycomelately Creek, and Johnson Creek; and Discovery Bay, with its feeder creeks including Snow Creek, Salmon Creek, Eagle Creek, Contractors Creek, and Andrews Creek that drains Crocker Lake. Protection Island is also included in this area. Stream flow in WRIA 17 depends on almost entirely on winter precipitation and groundwater, leading to low summer flows (Ecology).

Dungeness-Elwha Watershed (WRIA 18): The Dungeness-Elwha Watershed is located towards the eastern side of the planning area, from the Elwha River to the entrance of Sequim Bay. It lies largely within Clallam County, with the southern portion extending into the Olympic Mountain Range in Jefferson County. It includes the Elwha River and its tributaries, the Dungeness River and its tributaries, Port Angeles Harbor, and Dungeness Bay. It also includes a number of creeks draining directly into the Strait, including: Dry Creek, Tumwater Creek, Valley Creek, Peabody Creek, Ennis Creek, Lee Creek, Morse Creek, Bagley Creek, Siebert Creek, McDonald Creek, Cassalery Creek, Gieren Creek, and Bell Creek. Lake Sutherland drains to the Elwha River. Stream flows in WRIA 18 vary considerably depending on area. The Dungeness River basin lies in the Olympic Mountains’ rain shadow, and receives only 15 inches of rain annually, while the Port Angeles area receives more than double that. Small creeks run highest in winter with precipitation. The Dungeness and Elwha Rivers are fed by snowmelt from the Olympic mountains in spring and early summer, but levels drop in late summer and fall. (Ecology)

Lyre-Hoko Watershed (WRIA 19): The Lyre-Hoko Watershed stretches across the remainder of the planning area, from Tatoosh Island and Cape Flattery on the Pacific Coast to the Elwha River, largely within Clallam County, with portions in northern Jefferson County. It includes Neah Bay and its creeks Scow, Village, Halfway and Agency; Clallam Bay with the Clallam River, its tributaries, and Falls Creek; Crescent Bay and Salt Creek; and Freshwater Bay with Coville Creek. Several rivers empty directly into the Strait, including the Sail River, Hoko River, Pysht River, Sekiu River, West and East Twin Rivers, Lyre River, and their tributaries, along with creeks including Snow, Bullman, Rasmussen, Jansen, Olsen, Butler, Jim, Joe, Deep, Field, and Whiskey. Lake Crescent drains to the Lyre River. This watershed is largely rainfall dependent, with flows highest from fall through spring, and low flows in the summer. (Ecology)

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Average maximum winter temperatures range from 45 to 50 degrees F and average minimum temperatures range from 34 to 38 degrees F. Summer temperatures range from an average maximum of 67 degrees F to a minimum average of 50 degrees F, with an overall drop of 10 degrees on the coast (Western Regional Climate Center, narrative).

Wind speeds average between 4-6 mph in the Port Angeles area (Western Regional Center, wind speeds summary tables), while a buoy in Neah Bay shows averages of 11 mph, with gusts over 60 mph (NOAA National Data Buoy Center).

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“Tides account for 83%-86% of the current variability in the Strait of Juan de Fuca (Holbrook et al., 1980b). Tidal currents are superimposed on a mean estuarine circulation with fresher, warmer water exiting the Strait overlying cooler, more saline water flowing into the Strait. Tidal currents become more complicated in the eastern part of the Strait, where there can be significant asymmetries between flood and ebb tides (Ebbesmeyer et. al., 1991; Frisch and Holbrook, 1980). There are numerous eddies in the eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca.

Tidal eddies spin off the tips of both Dungeness Spit and Ediz Hook. Residual tidal currents between Port Angeles and Dungeness Spit result in a mean eastward surface current near the coast, with a convergence zone near the northern end of Dungeness Spit.” (NOAA)

Neah Bay

Tidal Range: -3.16 ft, 10.58 ft

Currents: -2.5 knots, 1.3 knots

Port Angeles

Tidal Range: -3.66 ft, 9.16 ft

Currents: -4.5 knots, 3.3 knots

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Non-Floating Oils: Both refined petroleum products and crude oils are transported in bulk within this planning area. Crude oil contains a mix of hydrocarbons with a wide range of properties, while a refined product is a single type of oil, such as diesel or gasoline. Depending on the oil and the characteristics of the water the oil is spilled into, some of the oil transported in this planning area may not float.

Different oils will behave differently when spilled to water. Some heavy oils will sink immediately, some oil suspends in the water column, and lighter oils may remain on the surface and evaporate within hours. Over time, oil that initially floats can weather and mix with sediment, causing it to submerge or sink. Non-floating oils pose a specific risk to the environment because they can harm underwater or bottom-dwelling species that would otherwise be unaffected during an oil spill that remained floating on the water’s surface.

Traditional response strategies, including the booming strategies in this GRP, are designed for floating oil. However, there are steps we can take to plan for and respond to a non-floating oil spill. Non-Floating Oil Response Options and Considerations provides an overview of areas where non-floating oil might accumulate if spilled within this planning area, along with information on specific tactics that may be effective during a response. More response options recommended for finding and recovering oil below the water’s surface can be found in the Non-Floating Oil Spill Response Tool (NWACP Section 9412).

Facilities: The planning area contains one Class 1 regulated bulk petroleum facility, which transfers large volumes of oil over water. It is also a storage terminal, housing millions of gallons of refined or crude oil in clusters of storage tanks. Several smaller facilities that transfer oil over water in lesser volumes, known as Class 3 and Class 4, also operate throughout the Strait. These include fueling the fishing fleets based out of Port Angeles, as well as pleasure craft at marinas. These regulated petroleum facilities, and the products they handle, can be viewed on the Ecology Spills Map.

Large Commercial Vessel Traffic:  Bulk vessels transport crude and refined oil throughout Strait, each carrying millions of gallons as cargo plus hundreds of thousands of gallons of engine fuel for ocean crossings. Bulk oil is also moved by tug and barge, including crude and other potentially non-floating oils. Vessels passing through the Strait may be transiting directly to Canadian ports in Vancouver but are moving through US waters as part of the international traffic separation scheme. Additionally, the Andeavor Port Angeles terminal has marine docks for tank vessels to unload and load petroleum products.

Port Angeles is the largest commercial port within the planning area and is frequently a point of refuge or refueling stop for incoming ocean traffic. Large commercial vessels typically carry significant amounts of heavy fuel oils and other refined products.

Private ferry and tour companies, international cruise ships, and offshore fishing fleets also fuel and berth in Port Angeles, including the Black Ball Ferry Line that makes daily trips to and from Victoria, BC, Canada.

Road Systems: Vehicle traffic on roadways pose an oil spill risk in areas where they run adjacent to the shoreline, or cross over lakes, rivers, creeks, and ditches that drain into the Strait of Juan de Fuca. US Highway 101 and State Highway 112 run parallel to the Strait throughout the planning area, with several bridges over tributaries.  A vehicle spill onto one of these bridges or roadways can cause fuel or oil to flow from hardened surfaces into the Strait or its tributaries.  Commercial trucks can contain hundreds to thousands of gallons of fuel and oil, especially fully loaded tank trucks, and may carry almost any kind of cargo, including hazardous waste or other materials that might injure sensitive resources if spilled.  Smaller vehicle accidents pose a risk as well, a risk commensurate to the volume of fuel and oil they carry.

Aircraft: Several airports are located within the Strait including the: Fairchild International Airport, Jefferson County International Airport, Port Angeles Seaplane Base, Sekiu Airport, Sequim Valley Airport, and many private airports and heliports. Landing strips at these airports are used for recreational, commercial, and transit purposes. With airports in the area, the potential exists for aircraft failures during inbound or outbound flights that could result in a spill with a release of jet fuel to the Strait of Juan de Fuca or its tributaries.

Recreational Boating: Accidents involving recreational watercraft on the Strait of Juan de Fuca have the potential to result in spills of anywhere from a few gallons of gasoline, up to hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel. Examples of such accidents include: collisions, a vessel grounding, catching on fire, sinking, or exploding. These types of accidents, as well as problems with bilge discharges and refueling operations, the most typical types of spills to occur, have a negative impact on sensitive river resources.

Other Spill Risks: Other potential oil spill risks in the area include spills from off-shore vessels or Canadian spills that travel into the Strait, road run-off during rain events, on-shore or near shore construction activities where heavy equipment is being operated, and the migration of spilled oil through soil on lands adjacent to the river or along creek or stream banks.
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This chapter is purposely broad in scope and should not be considered comprehensive.  Some of the sensitive resources described in this chapter cannot be addressed in Chapter 4 (Response Strategies and Priorities) because it is not possible to conduct effective response activities in these locations.  Additional information from private organizations or federal, state, tribal, and local government agencies should also be sought during spills.

This material is presented with enough detail to give general information about the area during the first phase of a spill response.  During an actual incident, more information about resources at risk will be available from the Environmental Unit within the Planning Section.

Note: specific resource concerns related to areas that already have designated protection strategies may be found in the “Resources Protected” column of the matrix describing the individual strategies.

The information provided in this chapter can be used in:

• Assisting the Environmental Unit (EU) and Operations Sections in developing additional (ad hoc) response strategies beyond those already in the plan.
• Providing resource at risk “context” to responders, clean-up workers, and others during the initial phase of a spill response in the GRP area.
• Briefing responders and incident command staff that may be unfamiliar with sensitive resource concerns in the GRP area.
• Providing background information for personnel involved in media presentations and public outreach during a spill incident.
• Providing information on benthic and water column species or cultural resources present to assist in planning for oils with the potential to sink or submerge.

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A number of the species found in this area are classified as threatened or endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act or Washington State guidelines.

Classification types are:

• Federal Endangered (FE)
• Federal Threatened (FT)
• Federal Candidate (FC)
• State Endangered (SE)
• State Threatened (ST)
• State Sensitive (SS)

Federal and State Threatened and Endangered species that may occur within this area, at some time of year, include:

Birds:

• common loon [SS]
• marbled murrelet [FT/SE]
• northern spotted owl [FT/SE]
• Oregon vesper sparrow [SE]
• sandhill crane [SE]
• short-tailed albatross [FE]
• tufted puffin [SE]

Mammals:

• blue whale [FE/SE]
• fin whale [FE/SE]
• fisher [SE]
• gray whale (western North Pacific) [FE/SS]
• humpback whale (Central America) [FE/SE]
• humpback whale (Mexico) [FT/SE]
• killer whale (southern resident) [FE/SE]
• right whale (north Pacific) [FE/SE]
• sea otter [ST]
• sei whale [FE/SE]
• sperm whale [FE/SE]

Fish:

• bocaccio rockfish [FE]
• bull trout [FT]
• chum salmon (Hood Canal, summer) [FT]
• chinook salmon (Puget Sound) [FT]
• eulachon [FT]
• green sturgeon [FT]
• steelhead (Puget Sound) [FT]
• yelloweye rockfish [FT]

Shellfish:

• pinto abalone [SE]

Insects:

• monarch butterfly [FC], Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly [FE/SE]

Critical Habitats

Critical habitats are the specific areas occupied by an endangered or threatened species that contain the physical or biological features that are essential to the conservation of that species – and that may need special management or protection. Critical habitat may also include areas that were not occupied by the species at the time of listing but are essential to its conservation.

Critical Habitats for the following species have been federally designated within this area:

• bocaccio rockfish
• bull trout
• Chinook salmon (Puget Sound)
• chum salmon (Hood Canal, summer)
• green sturgeon
• humpback whale (Central American population)
• humpback whale (Mexican population)
• killer whale (southern resident)
• marbled murrelet
• northern spotted owl
• steelhead (Puget Sound)
• Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly
• yelloweye rockfish

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• Intertidal and shallow subtidal mud/sand flats occur in bays throughout the region and at the mouth of the Pysht River. These habitats are rich in benthic and epibenthic organisms, creating important foraging areas for salmon, crabs, fishes, and shorebirds.
• Sandy/Rocky shorelines can be found throughout the region. These areas support marine mammal haulout and pupping, nesting for gulls, guillemots, and oystercatchers, and spawning habitat for forage fish.
• Extensive areas of eelgrass in Dungeness, Sequim and Discovery Bays serve as important nursery and foraging areas for crab, salmonids, other fishes, and waterfowl.
• The kelp beds present in nearshore areas along much of this region’s shoreline serve as important fish rearing areas. These habitats provide critical nursery areas for juvenile rockfish and other fish and shellfish as well as important spawning habitat for herring and feeding areas for waterfowl.
• Salt marsh habitat areas scattered throughout this region support a diverse array of birds, insect and fish and wildlife species. Channels through salt marsh serve as nursery areas for salmonids and crabs, and as roosting areas and foraging habitat for shorebirds and waterfowl.
• Most rivers and streams flowing into the strait provide spawning and rearing habitat for a diverse array of salmonid species and amphibians. The associated riparian scrub and woodlands play a crucial role in supporting a large diversity and abundance of songbird species as breeding, migrating, and overwintering habitat.
• The open waters of the strait are important migration corridors for many species of fish, birds and marine mammals.
• Offshore rocks and islands support several of Washington’s largest seabird colonies and serve as important as marine mammal haulout areas.
• A variety of subtidal habitats exists within this area, each of which supports a different assemblage of wildlife species as generally described below:
  • Soft sediments, such as clay, mud, sand, and gravel. These areas are broad flat and relatively level. Animals that tend to live on the surface of these habitats may include sea cucumber, sea stars, crustaceans (such as crab and shrimp), and bottom fish such as skate, cod, and the flat fishes.
    These soft sediment habitats also support shellfish and other invertebrates including copepods (a major food source for salmonids, forage fish and shorebirds), bivalves, worms, brittle stars, and shrimplike crustaceans. The burrowing or foraging activities of these animals may penetrate up to one meter below the subsurface bottom.

• • Rock reefs serve as important habitat for a wide range of species including mobile invertebrates (e.g. snails, sea slugs, sea cucumbers, sea stars, etc.) and immobile species (e.g. anemones, barnacles, shellfish, sponges, tubeworms, etc.). Macro algae and kelps also widely utilize the structure that this type of habitat provides. The crevices and overhangs associated with these reefs serve as valuable habitat for a wide variety of other species such as crabs, shrimp, octopus, wolf eel, rockfish, and lingcod. If located within their capabilities to dive, these areas may also serve as important foraging areas for birds and marine mammals.
  • Non-hard rock walls are composed of steep consolidated glacial deposits. These structures function much like rock reefs but with a more permeable surface due to animal activity and geological processes that erode out small boulders leaving temporary pockets in the surface of the structure. The plant and animal life in these habitats is similar to that described for rock reefs except that long-lived immobile life forms (i.e. sea anemones) may be less abundant due to the sloughing of the wall surfaces.
  • Boulder and cobble fields. Larger, relatively stable boulders provide many of the same ecological functions described for rock reefs while the interstitial spaces under the sides and between boulders offer enhanced spaces for refuge of bottom dwelling invertebrates and fish. The relative instability of the smaller cobbles makes them less valuable to immobile marine life, although many marine organisms may still live on, or between, the cobblestones. These areas may also serve as important foraging areas for other species of fish and crustaceans. As with the rocky reefs, these habitats may also serve as important foraging areas for birds and marine mammals as well, if these areas are located within these species capacity to dive. Depending on the typical pattern of currents in the area, the spaces between the rocks may fill with soft sediments that can also support bottom dwelling life forms.
  • Water column. Due to light penetration and nutrient availability, much of the primary marine productivity in this region occurs in the upper 30 meters of the water column. In addition to the presence of planktonic algae, this part of the water column is populated with the larval phases of fish and a wide range of invertebrates – particularly during the spring plankton blooms. The water column serves as habitat for wide-ranging fish such as salmon, forage fish (herring, smelt, sandlance), sharks, etc., as well as a wide variety of birds and marine mammals.

Fish and Shellfish:

• Adult salmonids of all species are seasonally present during their migrations to spawning grounds in the strait or elsewhere in Washington waters. Major salmon runs occur in the Lyre, Elwha, and Dungeness Rivers, with additional spawning in up to 50 other smaller streams and rivers. The Elwha and Dungeness Rivers and Morse Creek also support runs of bull trout.
• Other anadromous fish, including eulachon and Pacific lamprey, utilize regional rivers for spawning, including the Lyre, Elwha, and Dungeness.
• Forage fish spawning occurs throughout the region. Herring spawning is associated with eelgrass habitats in Kilisut Harbor, Dungeness, Sequim and Discovery Bays. Sandlance and surf smelt spawning is associated with sand and gravel beaches throughout the strait.
• The intertidal and shallow subtidal areas in Dungeness, Sequim and Discovery Bays and off the south shore of Protection Island provide critical habitat for Dungeness crabs.
• Hardshell clams are found throughout the eastern half of the strait, primarily in the large, shallow bays from Port Angeles, eastward.
• Shrimp, abalone, mussels, geoducks and sea urchins are found throughout the region, with some locations supporting commercial or tribal fisheries.

Wildlife:

• Protection, Tatoosh, Smith, and Minor Islands are among the state’s most important seabird nesting colonies. Other, smaller, seabird breeding sites are scattered throughout the strait.
• Nearly the entire breeding population of common murres in coastal Washington and northern Oregon moves through the strait in late summer, following the nesting season. Many of these birds remain to overwinter in the strait until the spring.
• Black oystercatchers are residents throughout the area with increasing abundance during the winter months due to an influx of birds from Alaska and British Columbia. Large groups of nonbreeding oystercatchers can regularly be found at Smith and Minor islands, and Tongue Point.
• Large numbers of waterfowl and shorebirds use the eastern bays of the strait for migratory staging or wintering areas.
• Numerous bald eagles nest along shorelines throughout the strait.
• Harbor seal haulouts and pupping areas occur throughout the entire strait, with major concentrations occurring at Dungeness Spit, Protection Island, and Smith and Minor Islands. Elephant seals haulout and pup on Protection, Smith and Minor islands. The single Steller sea lion haulout at Tatoosh Island supports relatively low numbers of non-breeding animals, however individuals or small groups of Steller sea lions haul out throughout the area in winter.
• A few sea otters may be found year-round near Tatoosh Island, and small numbers occasionally winter in the strait as far east as Pillar Point.
• The nearshore waters of this region support small numbers of gray whales, both spring migrants and summer “residents”, with the latter occurring predominantly in the western half of the strait. Humpback whales (including Mexican and Central American populations) are also becoming more common throughout the area.
• While rare, deep-water species of whale such as the blue, fin, and sperm whales may potentially be present with the straits.
• Killer whales (southern resident, transient and/or offshore populations) are potentially present in the area at any time of the year.
• Dall’s porpoise and harbor porpoise are common throughout the strait.

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1. Smith and Minor Islands: Offshore rocks and islands, kelp, and sandy/rocky shoreline habitats. Federally threatened Puget Sound chinook critical habitat. Seabird, waterfowl, and shorebird concentration area. Second largest seabird nesting colony in Washington’s interior waters and supports eagle and oystercatcher nesting. Marine mammal haulout and pupping area. USFWS National Wildlife Refuge.
2. Crockett Lake/Keystone Harbor (Whidbey Island): Wetland and eelgrass habitats. Forage fish spawning. Federally threatened Puget Sound chinook critical habitat. Waterfowl and shorebird concentration area. Federally threatened golden paintbrush and federally endangered Taylor’s checkerspot butterfly at Ebey’s Landing. State Park. Public ferry.
3. Discovery Bay: Wetlands, eelgrass, and floating kelp (mouth of bay) habitats. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Federally threatened bull trout, Hood Canal summer-run chum, and Puget Sound chinook, along with designated critical habitats. Forage fish spawning habitat. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Waterfowl and shorebird concentrations (fall-spring). Heron and raptor nesting. Harbor seal haul outs. State Park.
4. Protection Island: Offshore rocks and islands, eelgrass, and floating kelp. Federally threatened golden paintbrush. Shellfish and shrimp. Puget Sound chinook and Hood Canal summer-run chum designated critical habitat. Waterfowl, shorebird, and seabird concentrations. Largest seabird nesting colony in Washington’s interior waters. Oystercatcher and eagle nesting. Elephant and harbor seal haulout and pupping area. USFWS National Wildlife Refuge and WDFW Seabird Sanctuary.
5. Sequim Bay: Wetlands, eelgrass, and floating kelp (outside of spit) habitats. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Forage fish spawning. Federally threatened bull trout, Puget Sound steelhead, Hood Canal summer-run chum, and Puget Sound chinook, with designated critical habitats. Shellfish and shrimp. Waterfowl and shorebird concentrations. Raptor nesting. Marbled murrelet presence and designated critical habitat.
6. Dungeness Spit/Jamestown area: Intertidal and shallow subtidal mud/sand flats, salt marsh, eelgrass, floating kelp and riverine habitats. Dungeness River mouth and associated salt marsh habitat. Federally listed bull trout, Hood Canal summer-run chum, and Puget Sound chinook, with designated critical habitats. Waterfowl, shorebird, seabird, and raptor concentration area. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Forage fish spawning. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Steller sea lion, elephant and harbor seal haulout; harbor seal pupping area. Federally endangered Taylor’s checker spot butterfly presence. USFWS National Wildlife Refuge.

Figure 1 – Eastern Part of GRP

Central Section (see Figure 2)

7. Port Angeles: Wetland, eelgrass, and floating kelp (outside of spit) habitats. Concentrations of waterfowl, shorebirds, seabirds, and common loons. Small numbers of nesting seabirds. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Forage fish spawning habitat. Federally threatened bull trout, Puget Sound steelhead and Puget Sound chinook, with designated critical habitats. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Small harbor seal haulouts on log booms/rafts. Numerous public parks and beaches.
8. Freshwater Bay: Wetlands, eelgrass, floating kelp and riverine habitats. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Forage fish spawning. Federally threatened bull trout, Puget Sound steelhead, and Puget Sound chinook, with designated critical habitat. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Waterfowl and common loon concentrations. Marbled murrelet presence. Raptor nesting. Tribal lands and resources.
9. Crescent Bay: Marine wetlands, salt marsh, eelgrass, and floating kelp habitats. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Federally threatened bull trout and designated critical habitat. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Common loon concentration. Marine mammal haul outs. Gray whale presence. Salt Creek Recreation Area.

Figure 2 – Central Part of GRP

Western Section (see Figure 3)

10. Pysht River Estuary: Wetlands, saltmarsh, intertidal mudflats, and floating kelp. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Forage fish spawning. Federally threatened bull trout and designated critical habitat. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Waterfowl and shorebird concentrations (fall-spring). Marbled murrelet breeding.
11. Clallam Bay: Wetlands and floating kelp. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitat. Forage fish spawning. Dungeness crab and shellfish. Marine mammal haul out.
12. Hoko River: Wetlands and intertidal habitats. Floating kelp. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Urchin and shellfish. Intermittent sea otter presence. Tribal lands and resources.
13. Neah Bay and vicinity (including Seal and Sail Rocks): Wetlands and intertidal habitats. Floating kelp. Seabird concentration and nesting colony. Salmonid spawning and rearing habitats. Dungeness crab, urchins, and shellfish. Marine mammal haul out. Intermittent sea otter presence. Tribal lands and resources.
14. Tatoosh Island: Marine wetlands. Floating kelp. Seabird concentration and nesting colonies (3^rd largest in WA). Shorebird concentration. Marine mammal haulout. Intermittent sea otter presence. Tribal lands and resources.

Figure 3 – Western Part of GRP

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During a spill response, after the Unified Command is established, information related to specific archeological concerns will be coordinated through the Environmental Unit.  In order to ensure that tactical response strategies do not inadvertently harm culturally sensitive sites, WDAHP should be consulted before disturbing any soil or sediment during a response action, including submerged soils or sediments.  WDAHP and/or the Tribal governments may assign a person, or provide a list of professional archeologists that can be contracted, to monitor response activities and cleanup operations for the protection of cultural resources at risk.  Due to the sensitive nature of such information, details regarding the location and type of cultural resources present are not included in this document.

In addition to the listed Tribes and Nations, there may be additional Tribes with “Usual and Accustomed” fishing and hunting rights, including Canadian First Nations. Please consult the Tribal Coordinator or Liaison Officer within Unified Command for more information. WDAHP’s tribal consultation tools, including an area of interest map, may help identify additional tribal (US) government contacts during a spill (https://dahp.wa.gov/archaeology/tribal-consultation-information).

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Aquatic Invasive Species

The waters of this region may contain aquatic invasive species (AIS) – species of plants and/or animals that are not native to an area and that can be harmful to an area’s ecosystem. If so, preventative actions may be required to prevent the spread of these species as a result of spill response activities and the Environmental Unit is able to recommend operational techniques and strategies to assist with this issue.

Flight restriction zones

The Environmental Unit (Planning Section) may recommend Flight Restriction Zones to minimize disturbance or injury to wildlife during an oil spill. Pilots or operators can decrease the risk of aircraft to bird collisions, prevent the accidental driving of wildlife into oiled areas, and minimize abandonment of nests by keeping a safe distance and altitude from these identified sensitive areas.

The Air Operations Branch (Operations Section) will manage all aircraft operations related to a response and will coordinate the establishment of any Flight Restriction Zones as appropriate. Environmental Unit staff will work with the Air Operations Branch Director to resolve any conflicts that arise between flight activities and sensitive resources.

In addition to restrictions associated with wildlife, Tribal authorities may also request notification when overflights are likely to affect culturally sensitive areas within reservations.  See Oil Spill Best Management Practices (NWACP Section 9301) for more information on the use of aircraft and helicopters in open water and shoreline responses.

Wildlife Deterrence

The Wildlife Deterrence Unit within the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section) manages wildlife deterrence operations. These are actions intended to minimize injuries to wildlife by keeping animals away from the oil and cleanup operations.  Deterrence activities may include acoustic or visual deterrent devices, boats, aircraft or other tools.  The Wildlife Branch works with state and federal agencies, and the Environmental Unit (Planning Section), to develop deterrence plans as appropriate.

For more information see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWACP Section 9310) and Northwest Area Wildlife Deterrence Resources (NWACP Section 9311).

Oiled Wildlife

Capturing oiled wildlife may be hazardous to both personnel and the affected animals.  Incident personnel should not try to approach or capture oiled wildlife but should report any observations of oiled wildlife to the Wildlife Branch (Operations Section).  For more information see the Northwest Wildlife Response Plan (NWACP Section 9310).