Shoreline planting project completed on Herron Island. Photo Credit: Provided by landowner
On a chilly Saturday in March, a small group of friends gathered on the shoreline of Herron Island to install native plants
and extend a drain line on Rebecca Adamson’s waterfront property. This project was the first to receive funds from Pierce
Conservation District’s new Shore Friendly Mini-Grant program.
With a drizzly view of Case Inlet, the crew installed bare-root native plants from Conservation District plant sales with careful
planting tubes to protect them from browsing deer. The plants were a mix of trees, shrubs, and groundcover that will help to
restore the shoreline, help manage stormwater, and stabilize sediments on this natural shoreline.
With funding from the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program, the Shore Friendly Mini-Grant program incentivizes stewardship
and restoration on Puget Sound shorelines. Providing incentives to encourage landowners to protect or enhance natural
resources on their property isn’t new for Pierce Conservation District. We have a long history of providing cost-share on
agricultural properties, where the cost of the project is shared by the landowner and grant or district funding.
As part of a technical assistance package, landowners receive a site visit and land management recommendations from
conservation district staff. The mini-grants help empower landowners to implement the recommendations, which usually include
shoreline restoration, armor removal, lawn conversion, invasive plant removal, native plantings, and drainage improvements
that will help protect residential property and protect Puget Sound. These stewardship actions (also known as shoreline best
management practices) improve natural processes and habitat quality on the shoreline, with direct impacts to species like forage
fish and salmon in the nearshore.
You can learn more about our services for marine shoreline landowners on our
Shore Friendly Pierce website or contact our
Shorelines Program Manager, Mary at
maryk@piercecd.org.


