March 2009

In this issue:

News Items

Northwest Straits Initiative Reauthorization Bill

What will a passed Reauthorization Bill mean? The Northwest Straits Initiative is working with Congressional staff and members of Congress to re-introduce the Reauthorization Bill that was introduced July 2008 in the 110th Congress. The Bill recognizes the work of the Northwest Straits Initiative and provides formal Congressional authorization of the program. The bill increases the number of Commissioners from 13 to 14 through the appointment of an additional tribal seat and creates a liaison position with National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). This liaison would allow for increased coordination and communications with NOAA. The bill does not guarantee an annual federal budget appropriation or put the Northwest Straits Initiative in an agency budget. 

We expect the bill to be re-introduced in the 111th Congress within the next couple weeks. If you have questions about the bill please call Ginny Broadhurst or attend our March meeting to get an update on what’s happening. 

Northwest Straits Initiative 2009 Budget

The federal 2009 budget passed March 10 with $1.6 million in funding for the Initiative. This is great news for all of us and is a testament to all the hard work and accomplishments in past years. This funding will allow Marine Resources Committees and the Commission to operate at essentially the same levels as 2008. Commissioners tentatively approved a $1.5 million ‘09 budget in January and will discuss any refinements to it at the March 27 meeting. Many thanks to Senators Murray and Cantwell for championing this funding. 

2008 Annual Report

Hard copies of the 2008 Annual Report will be available at our March 27 NWSC meeting. In the meantime you can download an electronic version. Click here to see the Initiative 2008 annual report.

Native Oyster Session

There will be a special session on native oyster restoration during the Pacific Estuarine Research Society meeting in Bellingham in early April (see conference details below in Calendar section). MRC members working on Olympia Oyster restoration are strongly encouraged to participate. Let us know ASAP if you need financial assistance to attend. 

Marine Resources Committee Happenings

Clallam County Revisiting Marine Ecosystem Analysis Study

Click here to download the final draft of Clallam MRC’s report on their update of the Marine Ecosystem Analysis Study (MESA). The MRC is working with beach watcher, MRC, and Peninsula College volunteers to sample and analyze the intertidal benthic infauna at sites originally sample during the MESA project in the late 1970’s. The MRC is hoping to revisit the study to assess how the ecosystem has changed over the last 30 years and to establish a new baseline. This year’s pilot project was a proof of concept that volunteers can be involved in updated MESA sampling activities.

Opportunity to Provide Suggestions for Ecosystem Project

The Technical Committee will be releasing a request for ecosystem project ideas for all MRC members and Commissioners to provide ideas for the Commission to consider.  

February MRC Reports

Click here to see MRC reports for February.

Northwest Straits Commission Highlights

Recent Presentations to the Northwest Straits Commission:

Chemical Contaminants in the Northwest Straits and the Snohomish County MRC Mussel Watch Experience

Alan Mearns from NOAA (and a Snohomish MRC member) presented findings from Snohomish MRCs water quality sampling program, “Mussel Watch.” Mussel Watch is a national NOAA program that the MRC has expanded at the local scale. Click here to see presentation on Mussel Watch and click here to see a copy of handout.

Tidal Energy Exploration in Puget Sound

Snohomish County PUD’s Craig Collar updated the Commission on recent work to test and scope the feasibility of tidal power generation in Admiralty Inlet. Click here to see a copy of the Tidal Energy Presentation.

San Juan County’s Voluntary Bottomfish Recovery Zones

Joe Gaydos presented findings from his recent work with the Sea Doc society to evaluate the effectiveness of voluntary rockfish recovery zones in San Juan County. Lessons learned from this report are providing important data to the policy discussion of rockfish protection in county waters. Click here to see the Bottomfish Voluntary Recovery Zones Presentation.

Northwest Straits Foundation News

Natural Resource Damage Assessment of the Scott Paper Mill in Anacortes

The Northwest Straits Foundation is positioned to receive $500,000 over four years from the Kimberly-Clark Company through the Department of Ecology. These funds are part of a natural resource damage assessment for impacts to the marine environment from the Scott Paper Mill site, in Anacortes. Payments are spelled out in Draft Cleanup Action Plan for the former Scott Paper mill site. If the Plan is adopted as written, the Foundation funding will be used for restoration projects in Fidalgo Bay and Padilla Bay. The Skagit Marine Resources Committee will play a key role in identifying and implementing projects with this funding. Thanks to Connie Thoman and Bob Elsner, of the Port of Anacortes, for recommending the work of the Skagit Marine Resources Committee and the Foundation during the development of the Draft Cleanup Action Plan.      
Ecology is seeking public comments on proposed cleanup documents: a Draft Cleanup Action Plan, which describes recommended cleanup, restoration, and follow-up actions; and the Consent Decree, the legal agreement that guides the cleanup effort. The public comment period started Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2009. On March 17th Ecology will hold two public meetings/hearings on the proposed cleanup.
For more information about the cleanup and the payments to the Foundation, visit http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/tcp/sites/scott_paper/scott_hp.html. 

Marine Habitat Recovery of Five Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Sites

A study focusing on how marine habitats are affected by derelict fishing gear and how they recover after derelict fishing gear removal was completed in January and the final report is available here.

Results show that marine habitat service functions are negatively affected by derelict fishing gear. They show that natural ocean processes succeed in restoring these service functions within a single growing season after derelict fishing gear removal for areas dominated by kelp. Eelgrass beds take longer to recover, but can improve by 30% in less than a year.

Five derelict fishing gear removal sites were studied: four net sites and one crab pot site. The sites were monitored before and immediately after derelict fishing gear was removed, and again after approximately six months. The four net sites were monitored again about a year after removal.
Relative abundance was measured at each net removal site and each adjacent control site for four species groups: kelp/seaweed/hydroid, sessile invertebrates, mobile invertebrates, and fish. After one year, there was a 6% difference in relative abundance between the removal sites and control areas. This indicates that abundance of marine species using the habitat can be restored to 94% in about one year after derelict fishing net removal, or one growing season in the case of the kelp/seaweed/hydroid group. Four months after pot removal, divers noted a 30% recovery of eelgrass in the area affected by the pot. 

Natural Resources Consultants conducted the research, which was funded by grants to the Northwest Straits Foundation from the Puget Sound Conservation Fund, the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, and the United States Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal and Recovery Programs.

On the Horizon

The March Northwest Straits Commission meeting will include a comprehensive discussion of the 2009 budget. The Commission approved a 2009 budget at our January business meeting based on our best guess of 2009 budget levels. That budget will be amended as necessary on March 27. We will also hold a Northwest Straits Foundation meeting on the 27th and provide an overview of Foundation budget issues.

Bulletin Board

Farewell to Simon

We are sorry to say good bye to Simon Geerlofs, our Marine Program Coordination who joined us in August 2008. Simon accepted a position with Pacific Northwest National Laboratories in Seattle. Simon accomplished much in his short time with us (including great assistance with the strategic planning process, leadership on the Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area and the writing of the 2007 and 2008 Annual Reports). We’ll greatly miss his tremendous abilities and positive attitude. 

 " Simon, you are a very sharp knife in the drawer of the world" -Kay Reinhardt

1,250 Shore Stewards and Counting

Over 1,250 residents around Puget Sound have enrolled as Stewards of Puget Sound. Shore Stewards is a local program for homeowners, renters, businesses, and residents who live or work along the shoreline or in communities with shared access to the beach. Participants voluntarily integrate up to ten nature-friendly guidelines in their property management decisions for beaches, bluffs, gardens, and homes. This free program, supported by the Northwest Straits Foundation and several MRCs, provides useful information and resources to shoreline residents because those actions preserve attractive, healthy, and safe shorelines for people, fish, and wildlife.

Puget Sound shorelines have long been a magnet for people who want to enjoy their natural beauty, serenity, and bounty. Unfortunately, we are on the brink of loving Puget Sound to death. Every year there are increasing indications that Puget Sound is in decline despite its surface beauty. However, there are things that each of us can do to lessen our impacts. Because it will take the concerted efforts of government, business, community groups and individuals to make sure our children and grandchildren can enjoy the same bounties that we do, more than 1,250 residents, cities, port districts, businesses and parks in eight Puget Sound counties have registered as Shore Stewards.
 
Shore Stewards receive a free reference book, Guide for Shoreline Living, which explains best care practices for our shorelines, a DVD, Shoreline Living: Protecting Our Shorelines and Puget Sound, plus monthly informational newsletters and invitations to a wide variety of marine and coastal-oriented workshops. To learn more about the program or how to join, visit: www.shorestewards.wsu.edu.

Events Calendar

March 14, 2009 - Shoreline Landowner Workshops in Snohomish County. For more information contact Jacqui Styrna at (425) 357-6028 or sno.shorestewards@wsu.edu.

March 29, 2009 - Volunteers needed for the Whatcom MRC clam surveys from 12:00pm to 3:30pm at Bellingham's Marine Park, for more information call (360) 676-6876, or at mroberts@co.whatcom.wa.us.

April 2 - 5, 2009 - the Pacific Estuarine Research Society will be holding its annual meeting, at the Lakeway Inn, Bellingham, WA. Conference information, including the call for abstracts can be found at: http://www.pers-erf.org/pers2009.html. PERS is the regional affiliate of the Coastal and Estuarine Research Federation, and this is always an excellent regional scientific conference. 

April 2, 2009 - Whatcom MRC will be will be hosting a public speaker. Bob Mitchell, a geology professor at Western Washington University, will be speaking on the geologic hazards of Bellingham's waterfront. The presentation will start at 7. Meeting location is 322 N. Commercial St, 2nd floor conference room, Bellingham. Info: (360) 676-6876.

April 10-11, 2009 - Exploring the Spectrum of Citizen Science at the Fort Worden Conference Center in Port Townsend. For more information susan@aquariumsociety.org.

April 17-19, 2009 - Sustainable San Juans 2009 Conservation Summit. Friday Harbor, WA. For further information and event registration, please see www.stewardshipsjc.org.

April 25, 2009 – The 2009 Swinomish Earth Enhancement Celebration. Snohomish Community Center in Anacortes. Click here for more information.