Lease: Washington Oyster Restoration
Location
Woodard Bay, Washington State, USA
Description
This case study provides an example of leasing subtidal lands from the state for a native oyster restoration project.
In 2005, The Nature Conservancy (TNC) of Washington and the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) entered into a 10-yr conservation lease for 10 acres of submerged lands in Woodard Bay in South Puget Sound. As the first lease under WDNR’s Conservation Leasing Program, it was designed both to test the new leasing program and to allow for restoration of native oyster habitat in the area.
The site was selected to meet conservation objectives of both TNC and WDNR and to avoid direct competition with tribes or existing shellfish leases. The lease allows proprietary control over 10 acres of submerged lands in Woodard Bay, although it does not provide for control of access over the site (i.e., boat traffic).
Woodard Bay, WA. Photo: Natalie Fobes
A portion of the bay was once used a log dump by a timber company. The state acquired the parcel from the timber company in 1988. Much of the bay bottom around the lease area is now clogged with sunken logs and wood debris. A small remnant population of native oysters exists in the area, although the site has a low diversity and abundance of shellfish. The restoration of Olympia oysters at the lease site should increase benthic diversity and abundance. If successful, benefits to water quality may be seen as oysters and other shellfish provide an important filtering function to the bay ecosystem.
Finalizing the lease required extensive upfront planning and survey work. WDNR required that TNC complete a legal boundary survey and in-depth ecological assessment, pre- and post restoration survey work, and submit a detailed restoration and management plan. Phase I (baseline physical and biological characterization) was completed in 2005 along with experiments on oyster recruitment and survival. In 2006, a Phase II pilot enhancement project was done to test restoration methodology and to identify the best locations for expanded restoration. The final phase of habitat enhancement was planned for June 2007. Approximately 2.5-3 acres of habitat will be enhanced with oyster cultch. Monitoring of oyster recruitment, survival and predation is on-going.
Transaction Summary
| Lease | 1 conservation lease |
| Area | 10 acres (4.05 hectares) |
| Resource | Bay bottom (subtidal) |
| Dates/duration | 10 yrs 2005-2010 |
| Fee/price | $100/yr |
| Location | Woodard Bay in South Puget Sound’s Henderson Inlet, WA |
| Use | Oyster restoration |
| Grantor(s) | Washington State Department of Natural Resources |
| Grantee(s) | The Nature Conservancy |
Lessons Learned
- Surveying and up-front permitting requirements were extensive, costly, and lengthy.
- Existing liability language puts the burden on leaseholder for actions they cannot reasonably control (e.g., illegal dumping within lease site).
- The required conservation plan and approval process needs to be modified to more easily allow for adaptive management and phased implementation of restoration plans. As currently designed, projects are expected to be completely designed and permitted for the life of the project/lease.
Cost Summary
| Activity | Cost | Notes |
| Personnel/benefits | $53,500 | Staff time includes all start-up time for scoping and planning. Covers lease negotiation, conservation plan development, and implementation of the pilot restoration actions. |
| Contractual | $72,000 | |
| Physical baseline survey* | $39,000 | Survey work was needed to meet leasing requirements and for informing the restoration work. |
| Biological baseline survey* | $4,500 | |
| Boundary survey* | $5,500 | |
| Oyster restoration | $23,000 | |
| Travel | $4,000 | Includes national conference trip. |
| Lease Payment | $100 | Per year |
| Bond Insurance | ? | Nominal fee |
| Total Costs To-Date (as of January '07) | $201,600 | |
| Remaining Budget (as of January '07) | $51,000 |
Funding Sources
- The Russell Family Foundation
- The Coastal Protection Fund (administered by the Washington Dept. of Ecology)
- NOAA's Community-Based Restoration Program
Lead Organization
The Nature Conservancy - Washington Chapter
Woodard Bay Aquatic Conservation Lease
Betsy Lyons, Marine Conservation Project Mgr.
1917 1st Avenue
Seattle, WA 98101
Tel: 206-343-4345
Partner
Puget Sound Restoration Fund
590 Madison Avenue North
Bainbridge Island, WA 98110
Tel: 206-780-6947
Email: betsy@restorationfund.org
Authorizing Agency
Washington Dept. of Natural Resources, Aquatic Resources Program
Conservation Leasing Program
P.O. Box 47001
Olympia, WA 98504-7001
Tel: 360-902-1004
Fax: 360-902-1775
Email: ARD@dnr.wa.gov
Documents
- Conservation Lease (download .pdf, 1,105k)
- Restoration Plan (download .pdf, 93k)
- Property Inspection Sheet (download .pdf, 134k)
- Real Estate Project Abstract (download .pdf, 141k)
- Coastal Protection Fund Proposal (download .pdf, 136k)
- Community Restoration Program Proposal (download .pdf, 176)
- Russell Family Foundation Proposal (download .pdf, 57k)
Publications
- Crevar, A., 2005. Getting to the bottom of marine conservation. Nature Conservancy, Spring 2005: pgs 20-29. (Web version)
- Dodge, J. 2006. Shells lure oysters home in Woodard Bay. The Olympian, June 2006. (download pdf, 96k)
- Goss, H. 2005. Protecting the bottom line: Leasing Washington’s submerged lands for conservation. Coastal Services 8(6): 4-6, 9. NOAA/CSC/20506-PUB. (download pdf, 1,660k)
- Lyons, B. 2006. Advancing Oyster Restoration in Puget Sound. TNC Shellfish Restoration Clamor, October 2006. (download pdf, 222k)
- Udelhoven, J., J. White, & B. Lyons. 2005. Conservation Leasing in Washington State—Partnerships for Improving and Protecting State-owned Aquatic Lands. Proceedings of the 2005 Puget Sound Georgia Basin Research Conference. (download pdf, 140k)
