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Washington state Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller has tapped Nat Kale to serve as director for the agency’s Office of Chehalis Basin, a recent news release announced.
In his role, Kale will oversee the state’s efforts to reduce flood-related damage and restore aquatic species in the Chehalis River Basin in Southwest Washington.
Kale started at Ecology in 2014 where he worked on municipal stormwater permits before transitioning to Thurston County where he helped set up the county’s automated system of sensors to measure, monitor and improve water quality in the county’s streams and rivers, many of which drain to Puget Sound.
He returned to Ecology in 2021, joining the Office of Chehalis Basin to lead work supporting the science-based aquatic species restoration program designed to improve and restore aquatic habitat in the Chehalis Basin for salmon, steelhead and the largest diversity of amphibian species found anywhere in the state, the news release stated.
Kale also led a comprehensive study examining ways the existing dam on the Skookumchuck River in Thurston County might be improved to reduce flood damage in Bucoda and Centralia as well as improve fish passage in the river.
“Nat is a proven leader, previously serving as interim Office of Chehalis Basin director twice already,” Sixkiller said in the release. “He has demonstrated he knows the basin and how to get things done effectively and successfully in a thoughtful, respectful manner.
“Nat has a strong track record building vital partnerships with elected officials, Tribes, property owners, the agricultural and business community, conservation and environmental organizations and the public,” he said. “I am confident he will be instrumental in helping tackle the long-term flood and habitat challenges facing the Basin.”
As Office of Chehalis Basin director, Kale will work with the seven-member independent Chehalis Basin Board, a diverse group of community leaders representing the Chehalis River Basin Flood Authority, Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation, Quinault Indian Nation and agricultural, economic and environmental interests.
The Washington Legislature established the board and Office of Chehalis Basin in 2016 and tasked both with developing the Chehalis Basin Strategy — a long-term action plan designed to protect basin communities and residents from flood-related damage and restore habitat for salmon and other aquatic life in Washington’s second largest watershed, the release stated.
Since 2017, state and local partners have invested $260 million to fund 241 projects in the basin that benefit both people and fish.
Kale is replacing former Office of the Chehalis Basin Director Jeff Zenk, who stepped down from the position earlier this year. According to Ecology spokesperson Curt Hart, Zenk opted to relinquish his position out of a desire to have a “better work-life balance.” Zenk was originally appointed to the position in 2023.
He has now taken on a new role within the Washington state Department of Ecology as the communications manager for the department's water quality program.
