September 2008

In this issue:

Featured News Item
Other News
Marine Resources Committee Happenings
Northwest Straits Commission Highlights
Member Spotlight
Northwest Straits Foundation News
On the Horizon
Bulletin Board

Featured News Item

Northwest Straits Ecosystem Project Drawing on In-House Expertise

In May, the Northwest Straits Commission approved funding for a regional GIS project to build on the Initiative’s previous forage fish research. The Northwest Straits Commission is co-located with the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, which is part of the Washington State Department of Ecology. The Commission benefits from this relationship in many ways, including our ability to easily work with experts like Suzanne Shull who is Padilla Bay’s GIS specialist.

Suzanne is working closely with Marine Program Coordinator Simon Geerlofs to analyze and display existing forage fish data. She is combining data from a 2002 Commission habitat characterization project with MRC spawning data and running scenarios for predicted sea level rise. When Suzanne is finished, we will have maps for each county in the Northwest Straits region that identify areas that warrant further forage fish protection.

Suzanne will host a session at the fall MRC conference and will discuss new tools for MRCs to share and use their own GIS data.

News Items

Army Diving Deep for Derelict Gear

As we reported in last month’s newsletter, the Northwest Straits Commission is hosting a training event for the US Army. The Army dive team is benefiting from the opportunity to do training dives at depths generally unavailable to them and along the way, they are removing some derelict fishing gear that our own dive team can’t reach.

After removing old tires from Salt Water state park in Des Moines, the Army moved north. They spent several days on pulling multiple nets hung up on an underwater seamount west of Lummi Island. The site, known as “the pinnacle,” is popular with local dive charter operators, but derelict nets have made diving there too risky. Losing popular dive sites to derelict gear hits the dive industry in the wallet, so ridding the pinnacle of nets will have both economic and ecological benefits.

The team is based out of Fort Eustis, Virginia. A Navy reserve unit from Tacoma is providing vessel support for the operation.

Many participants in this exercise have recently served in Iraq, or will be serving there soon. The Northwest Straits Commission is proud to serve as a civilian host for the Army, and hopes the training divers receive while removing nets will help keep them safe in the future.

Marine Resources Committee Happenings

Skagit County Completes Drift Cell Analysis for Fidalgo Bay

Click here to download Skagit MRC's recent report that details opportunities to restore shoreline processes in Fidalgo Bay. Skagit County MRC has also completed a similar analysis for March Point. Skagit MRC has emphasized using science to prioritize shoreline restoration opportunities in county waters.

Snohomish and Island MRCs Picnic

The Snohomish and Island MRCs had a wonderful picnic together on August 19 at the Clinton Beach Park. Dick Toft, chair of the Island MRC and host for the evening welcomed everyone to the picnic. Simon Geerlofs provided an overview of the Port Susan marine stewardship area project, and both MRCs used the picnic as an opportunity for thanks and recognition to important people moving on. Alan Mearns and Heather McCartney, both long-time Snohomish MRC members whose terms had just expired, were presented with certificates and thanked for their years of dedication to the MRC. Island MRC thanked Don Meehan for his hard work and leadership by presenting him with a photo montage. Don is retiring from WSU Extension and leaving the MRC. Ginny Broadhurst also thanked Don for all of his accomplishments with the MRC and presented him with a carved, yellow cedar paddle from the Commission.

Welcoming Judy Feldman to the Island County Marine Resources Committee

Effective September 1, Judy Feldman is the new county lead for the Island County MRC, replacing Don Meehan. Judy is currently serving as interim director of WSU Extension in Island County.

Northwest Straits Commission Meeting Highlights

Governor's Hiring, Travel, and Contracting Freeze

The Governor requested that all state agencies freeze personal services contracts, hiring, out of state travel, and all but essential spending. The existing Marine Resources Committees grants will not be affected. Commission staff have curtailed travel and canceled out-of-state trips. New projects may face limitations on how they are implemented. Please contact Ginny Broadhurst if you have questions.

Introducing the Northwest Straits Reauthorization Bill

Congressmen Rick Larsen stopped by the August Commission meeting with district director Jill McKinnie and legislative assistant Mark Middaugh to share the news that the Northwest Straits Initiative Reauthorization Bill was introduced in the US House of Representatives on July 31. Katrina Lassiter from US Senator Murray’s staff also attended the meeting and reported that the Northwest Straits Initiative Reauthorization Bill was also introduced the US Senate.

WA Supreme Court Decision on Critical Areas Ordinances

Jonathan White reported on the Washington Supreme Court decision on Critical Areas Ordinances. Jonathan said the case Futurewise v. Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board determined that shoreline regulations should be managed by Shoreline Master Programs and not by Critical Areas Ordinances. Washington Community Trade and Economic Development along with the Department of Ecology have filed a motion and put out interim guidance for local governments. This decision poses particular concerns for current protection of shoreline areas in counties where Shoreline Master Programs have not been updated.

Member Spotlight: Buck Meloy

In our previous “member spotlights” Northwest Straits staff has written about MRC members, but this month long-time Whatcom MRC member Buck Meloy speaks for himself. After more than eight years involvement in the MRC, we think you’ll appreciate hearing it from his perspective.

As a commercial fisherman, I had always been active politically to assure that measures designed to promote fishing's long-term sustainability would actually do that. But when the Whatcom County Executive contacted me nearly a decade ago about a new organization that was forming to protect the waters of northern Puget Sound, I told him I wasn't interested. I had spent too many years attending meetings that did little but sap my time and energy.

He didn't give up. This was different, he said. Ordinary citizens with an interest in the health and use of their marine resources would work together to develop proposals WE believed would help solve problems as WE understood them. Read more...

Northwest Straits Foundation News

New funding for Derelict Gear Surveys and Removal

The Northwest Straits Foundation recently received funding for derelict fishing gear surveys and removals from the Tulalip Tribes Charitable Fund and the Washington Department of Natural Resources. These funds will be used to move the Initiative closer to its goal of ridding Puget Sound of derelict fishing gear. Additional funding has also been received from the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program and Recovery Program.

On the Horizon

Puget Sound/Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference

The Ecosystem Conference steering committee is gearing up for a February 2009 conference. A call for papers has been issued and abstracts are due by October 10, 2008. This year there is a strong interest in having presenters coordinate ahead of time and pre-organize sessions rather than send abstracts in individually. Any MRC wishing to submit an abstract for an oral presentation is encouraged to contact Simon Geerlofs so that he can help identify companion projects and potential moderators. The Commission’s Science Committee also volunteered to provide feedback on abstracts if given some lead time.

Bulletin Board

Puget Sound Partnership’s Action Agenda

The Puget Sound Partnership expects to release their Action Agenda for a comment period in mid-October and some pieces of it may be released earlier than that. At our last Commission meeting, Northwest Straits Commissioners expressed a strong interest in developing a coordinated Commission response letter to the Partnership once we’ve had time to look at the Action Agenda. We invited the Partnership to host an Action Agenda discussion at our fall conference so that we can have an informed discussion and form our response. More discussion on this will occur at our September Commission meeting.

Events and or Articles

MRC Conference Registration

MRC members please send your registration for the November 7-8 conference to Connie at price@nwstraits.org before the deadline of September 15. Once your registration information is received we will send you the hotel registration information. Registration fees only apply to MRC members’ guests who plan on attending sessions or meals on Saturday. Click here to see the draft agenda. Please contact Connie with questions.