| DONATE ALONG WITH US | Website: https://n-sea.org |
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DONATE ALONG WITH US
Website: https://n-sea.org
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The Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association (NSEA) is a 501 c(3) community-based, non-profit organization focused on reversing the trend of declining salmon runs in Whatcom County. We enhance river, creek, and riparian habitat while educating people of all ages to provide Pacific salmon & Steelhead the best chance at survival. Our tax identification number is 94-3140165.
Projects We Support
Nooksack River Stewards
The Nooksack River Stewards Program provides watershed education, and hands-on stewardship opportunities to residents, visitors, and recreational users of the Nooksack River in the Northwest corner of Washington state. Partnered with the US Forest Service and first implemented in 2005, the River Stewards Program has provided a critical connection between local impacts affecting the river and stewardship efforts through on-the-ground programming during the summer months when river use is at its peak. Program events include outreach booths, guided river walks, campfire storytimes, river cleanups, tree plantings, rafting talks, and festivals focused on water. A schedule of events is developed and shared in late spring, including extensive advertising in local publications, printed flyers, and social media campaigns. Historically the River Stewards Program has been focused and implemented on the North Fork of the Nooksack River in Glacier Washington. With funding from the Tomberg Family Philanthropies, NSEA will expand the Nooksack River Stewards program in the high-priority area of the South Fork of the Nooksack River in Acme Washington. Through a partnership with the Nooksack Tribe, NSEA will provide a much- needed presence in the field at river access sites during the busy summer recreation season. NSEA staff will apply program components from the existing program to deliver targeted outreach and education to address specific issues to the South Fork needs, which are very different than the North Fork.
An educational information booth will be hosted every Friday – Sunday, strategically placed at the Acme bridge in the town of Acme, as it is the main entry point for river access. Due to this central location on the South Fork Nooksack, NSEA staff is able to connect with visitors as they start their river exploration via tubes, kayaks, and canoes. The information booth has engaging displays on watershed science, educational trivia, maps/tips for viewing salmon and identifying egg nests, program event flyers to get involved, and current fishing regulation information. In addition to the outreach booth, educational and stewardship signage will be displayed in key access areas along the river and its tributary streams to encourage positive behavior and Leave No Trace ethics. Programming will further build on fostering environmental stewardship by hosting a series of diverse events, open to all ages of community members and visitors. Community events will be promoted and offered at no cost and incorporate citizen science projects in riverside parks, and several river clean-up and restoration work parties. Additionally, NSEA personnel will host informal presentations at Acme area community halls, and informational tours to view spawning salmon and investigate the importance of healthy habitat and water quality through citizen science opportunities. NSEA staff and partners will connect watershed health studies to community impacts and solutions.
Support Dates: March, 2023 – – March, 2024
