Where is the Northwest Straits?
The Northwest Straits region includes the U.S. marine waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and northern Puget Sound reaching from the southern borders of Snohomish and Jefferson counties to the Canadian border. Seven counties, 15 tribes, many cities and other local governments have jurisdiction in the region.
Iconic species such as pacific salmon, Puget Sound southern resident orca, western grebe, and rockfish all depend on a healthy Northwest Straits ecosystem as does our states fishing and wildlife viewing industry. Recreational fishing in Washington State is an $850 million industry, state commercial fisheries generate more than $200 million annually, and wildlife viewing contributes nearly $1 billion a year. Furthermore, the marine resources of the NWS region contribute to high quality of life and in fact, five of the seven NWS counties were among the top-ten highest growth counties in Washington State between 1990 and 2000.
Click here to find various reports from the Northwest Straits and the seven Marine Resources Committees
