Roots of the Northwest Straits Initiative
Despite its rich ecological heritage, the marine resources of the Northwest Straits have shown indications of serious decline over the last 20 years. Recognizing the national and international environmental significance of the area and the environmental degradation that was occurring, Congress authorized a study of the Northwest Straits region in the mid-1980s for potential inclusion in the National Marine Sanctuary system.
From the beginning, the sanctuary proposal was met with mixed regional support and strong resistance in many local areas. During public meetings, citizens voiced their concerns that a sanctuary would be administered in a top-down fashion, with staff in Washington D.C. making decisions without local input. In 1994, all seven of the county legislative authorities voiced formal, strong opposition to the sanctuary proposal, and the process was officially terminated in 1996. Resistance to the proposal was clearly linked to fears that as a federally administered program, a sanctuary program would not meaningfully engage the community or respond to local needs.
The Murray-Metcalf Commission
In the aftermath of the proposal's demise, there remained a commitment among many diverse leaders to create a new and different program that could help restore and protect the marine resources of the Northwest Straits. While protection of Northwest Straits resources clearly had a strong existing federal and state regulatory framework, what was missing was a way to harness the energy and expertise of local citizens and provide them with opportunities to actively protect and restore the marine resources.
In 1997, U.S. Senator Patty Murray and U.S. Representative Jack Metcalf established a blue-ribbon committee (known as the Murray-Metcalf Commission) to explore alternative models for protecting and restoring marine resources in the Northwest Straits. The Murray-Metcalf Commission unanimously agreed that the Northwest Straits marine ecosystem and its marine resources were in serious trouble, citing declining populations of bottomfish, sea birds, invertebrates, salmon and some populations of marine mammals as prime examples. After a year of research and discussion, The Murray-Metcalf Commission published a report, known as the Report to the Convenors, which laid the groundwork for what was to become the Northwest Straits Initiative. The report concluded that a coordinated effort, blending well-founded science with grassroots consensus building, would be the best approach. The result is the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative, authorized by Congress in 1998.