In this issue:

News Items

EPA Ocean Acidification

The Environmental Protection Agency issued a notice in the April 15 Federal Register to provide information on ocean acidification, solicit additional pertinent data and let the public know that it is reviewing current policies to determine if a revision to the Clean Water Act is needed to address concerns with ocean acidification. Comments are due June 15, 2009. Click here to download a copy of the Federal Register Notice. 

Puget Sound Partnership needs MRCs and Beach Watchers, Dicks tells crowd

By Dan Pedersen

David Dicks sees important roles for the Northwest Straits Commission, county MRCs and WSU Beach Watchers in the hard work ahead to save Puget Sound.

He outlined the Puget Sound Partnership’s vision May 5 when he delivered the wrap-up speech in the six-week 2009 Whidbey Lyceum lecture series in Freeland. The event is co-sponsored by Island County MRC. All six speakers this year focused on the economic value of a sound environment.

Under the old, failed model for Puget Sound recovery, Dicks said organizations with concerns about Puget Sound carried out what Kathy Fletcher calls “random acts of kindness” unconnected to any overall strategy or priorities.

Under the new model of the PSP and its Action Agenda, Dicks said organizations will adopt pieces of the PSP strategy they are well suited to carry out. He lavished praise on the frontline volunteers in local organizations such as the MRCs and WSU Beach Watchers, pointing out that public engagement is critical to the PSP’s mission. A majority of the state’s citizens still do not grasp the gravity of Puget Sound’s problems, he said.

Dicks said Sound Waters University, at which he spoke to a fired-up crowd of more than 500 people in Coupeville in 2008, remains the coolest experience he’s had as PSP director. Sound Waters is produced by WSU Beach Watchers and co-sponsored by Island County MRC.

MRC Membership

San Juan MRC

The County Council appointed Steve Revella to serve a four year term on the San Juan Marine Resources Committee. Steve and his wife moved to San Juan Island in 2002 and have owned property in the islands for ten years. Steve has retired from a decades-long career in international management consulting where he specialized in aligning global management teams as they built and carried out strategic plans and helped people with differing perspectives achieve their goals.

Clallam MRC

The Clallam MRC will say farewell to Dave Croonquist, Roy Morris, Walt Blendermann and Ron Thom in April. They will all be greatly missed. Ron Thom will continue to be involved in the Northwest Straits Initiative through his participation on the Science Team.

New Member Orientation Online

Welcome to new MRC members out there! If you’re just getting up to speed on the MRC and the Northwest Straits Initiative, take a look at the online member orientation page on our web site. You’ll find a lot of good background information, and useful reference material related to the work of the Commission, MRCs and the Foundation.

Member Spotlight: Erica Pickett, Skagit MRC

Skagit MRC member Erica Pickett is very good at many things, but sitting still is not one of them. When she retired from the business of running an Anacortes lumber yard specializing in boat-building supplies, she immediately joined the MRC.

Erica is a locally-born Puget Sounder. She grew up in Seattle, and moved to Anacortes in the early 1970s. Anacortes was small-town at the time, but development pressures were mounting. Erica joined the city planning commission and served on the forest land board at a time when it was critical to come up with creative solutions to ensure that forest land could be preserved while still providing revenue to the city. Erica worked with partners to establish an endowment fund for conservation easements on city forest land, which over time has grown to over $1.5 million and provides protection of 40% of the city’s land.

A dedicated volunteer, Erica completed training as a Beach Watcher and consistently contributes an impressive number of hours to this work. A highlight for her has been getting out on the beach as a beach naturalist to teach kids about nearshore areas, and developing protocols to allow for them to explore while minimizing the impact of so many visitors.

Erica is an enthusiastic learner, and finds the MRC an excellent setting to find out about marine issues in Puget Sound. She’s impressed by the work that MRCs do with limited funds, particularly on projects where members contribute valuable support through data gathering and project planning, reducing the need for expensive professional assistance.

The combination of Erica’s energy for on-the-beach projects, tolerance for planning activities and long-term vision makes her a vital contributor to the work of the Skagit MRC. She has also served as an alternate to the Northwest Straits Commission for the MRC, and is a member of the Anacortes city council.

MRC Happenings

2007-2009 MRC Grant Closeout

The end of next month is the closeout of the current two-year grant agreements with each MRC. All projects and reporting are due by late June and final progress reports and invoicing due by mid-July. This is the end of the biennium, so there is no possibility for time or budget extensions on this grant. Please contact Sasha Horst right away if your MRC is concerned about this deadline for any reason, or if you anticipate having unspent funds. MRC members should be sure to check with your MRC staff to find out the deadline for submitting any project or travel expenses that need to be included in the final invoice.

2009-2011 MRC Grants

As we close out the current two-year MRC grants, we are simultaneously preparing agreements for the 2009-2011 grant cycle. Proposed projects are currently out for review, and each MRC will receive feedback shortly on proposed projects. Draft agreements are expected to be sent to MRCs by late May in order to allow for a start date of July 1. Questions? Contact Sasha Horst.

Click here to see April MRC reports.

Commission Highlights

MRC Project Proposals

The April 24 Northwest Straits Commission meeting provided a great opportunity for each of the MRCs to highlight a few of their projects for the Commission and fellow MRCs. This year, our newly-formed Science Team was also present to hear about MRC projects for the next two-year cycle and provide expert input. Thanks to everyone who participated and congratulations to all the MRCs and presenters for making this event such a success. The collective work of this dedicated group of citizens is impressive, and we look forward to seeing the results over the next two years.

Benchmark Account Proposals

Commission staff are working with MRCs to solicit proposals for the Benchmark Account. Proposals will be accepted June 1 – June 15 and will be reviewed competitively by a committee comprised of one person from each MRC and at least two non-MRC Commissioners. If your MRC is submitting a proposal for the Benchmark Account, please limit your proposal to no more than five pages. Proposals should be sent to Connie Price.

Link to Commission meeting minutes.

Foundation News

Exploring the Spectrum of Citizen Science Workshop

Joan Drinkwin recently participated in the Exploring the Spectrum of Citizen Science Workshop held at Fort Worden. The workshop explored the many ways citizens can participate in the collection, analyses, and dissemination of scientific data that are so important to wise management of Puget Sound. The workshop included a full day of interactive sessions featuring marine and ocean-related citizen science panels focusing on topics such as the elements of starting a new program, training and working with volunteers, citizen science data driving action and change, funding issues, data successes and challenges, scientist and citizen partnerships, publishing and more. Posters of regional citizen science programs and current ocean science research were highlighted during the workshop. The workshop was sponsored by COSEE-Ocean Learning Communities, Washington Sea Grant, the Pt. Townsend Marine Science Center, and the Puget Sound Partnership. Joan sat on a panel exploring funding options for citizen science programs. For more information about the workshop topics, call Joan at 360-820-3323, or visit the COSEE website.

Recreation and Conservation Office’s Salmon Habitat Conference

Joan Drinkwin recently attended the Recreation and Conservation Office’s Salmon Habitat Conference. The conference focused on lessons learned from the past ten years of salmon habitat restoration in Washington state and was attended by more than 400 people. The conference sessions were focused on six subject tracks: Marine Habitat Restoration, Fish Passage and Screening, In-stream Habitat, Riparian and Upland Restoration, Floodplain Reconnection, and Habitat Protection. Sessions included opportunities to learn from not only the experiences of the project presenters, but from the experiences of all participants in the room. Especially valuable was the staff available during the whole conference to answer questions about permitting restoration projects. A lot of valuable information was shared about on-the-ground implementation of nearshore restoration projects. For more information, call Joan at 360-820-3323.

Events and Workshops

Coastal Training Program of Washington Classes

The Coastal Training Program is offering classes on “Puget Sound Coastal Processes and Shoreline Stabilization Measures” (two days, June 4 and 10). The Northwest Straits Commission will cover registration costs for MRC members and staff to attend these trainings. Please check space availability and contact Sasha Horst if you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity.

Upcoming ECO Net Coordination Days

The Puget Sound Partnership is holding ECO Net Coordination Days around Puget Sound to establish ongoing local education, communication and outreach networks in twelve areas around the Sound. Coordination Days in Snohomish/Camano, Whatcom and Clallam/Jefferson are coming up in May and June. MRCs members and staff are encouraged to participate in these events to connect with other local organizations, establish ongoing partnerships and work on making our education and outreach efforts more efficient and effective. Click here for more information.

Outer Coast MRC Community Workshop and Forum

The Grays Harbor Marine Resources Committee is officially started and they are holding their first community workshop June 20 in Aberdeen. Everyone is welcome to attend and members of Northwest Straits MRCs are especially invited to share this celebration. Click here for details.

SeaDoc’s 2nd Annual Underwater Photo Contest

The SeaDoc Society is sponsoring an amateur underwater photography contest for the Salish Sea. The contest will be coupled with the Reef Environmental Education Foundation’s (REEF) Great Annual Fish Count and entry is free. Click here for more information.

Calendar

May 21, 2009 - Planning for Protection and Restoration of Eelgrass Habitats. Coastal training program Washington. Click here for more information.

June 1 & 2, 2009 - A Sea Change at the Seattle International Arts Festival. Click here for more information.

June 4 & 10 - Puget Sound Coastal Processes and Shoreline Stabilization Measures. Coastal Training Program Washington. Click here for more information.

June 6, 2009 - Volunteers needed for the Whatcom MRC Clam Survey. 8:00am - 1:00pm at Point Whitehorn in Bellingham. For more information please contact Sylvia Graham at 360-676-6876.

June 20, 2009 - Outer Coast MRC Community Forum and Workshop. 10:00am-2:00pm in Aberdeen. Contact Garrett Dalan or call (360) 249-4413 for more information.