Happy Holidays, Everyone!

This is our last newsletter of the year, and we’re already working on training our fingers to type the year “2010”. We wish each of you a wonderful holiday season, and hope that 2010 rings in a new year of happiness and good health for you, your families and the marine waters of the Northwest Straits. Thanks to all of you for making 2009 a great year for the Northwest Straits Initiative. We’re looking forward to some exciting projects in 2010, so stay tuned!

Photo: Derelict Fishing Gear Project Accomplishments up to December 2009. Click on photo to enlarge.

Featured Project/Program

US House of Representatives Passes Northwest Straits Reauthorization Bill

The House of Representatives passed the Northwest Straits Initiative Reauthorization Act (HR 1672), legislation sponsored by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, by voice vote December 7. “This is a wonderful vote of confidence for the Northwest Straits Commission and our seven Marine Resources Committees. We appreciate the leadership of Representative Larsen and Senator Murray to garner support for our work.” said Ginny Broadhurst, Director of the Northwest Straits Commission. Click here to read the full press release.

Skagit MRC Restoration Initiative Annual Workplan Approved

March’s Point in Skagit County will be the site of two projects included in the recently approved Skagit MRC Restoration Initiative annual workplan. The first project involves removing a groin associated with an old boat ramp on east March’s Point. Removing this groin will help restore sediment transport processes in this drift cell and improve conditions for forage fish spawning. The second project is a partnership with the Skagit River System Cooperative (SRSC) that will enhance beach nourishment activities SRSC has already been planning for beaches along west March’s Point. Both these projects are part of larger plans to restore sediment transport processes and forage fish habitat along all of March’s Point.

The workplan, approved by both the MRC and the Foundation board, outlines how a Natural Resources Damage Assessment payment related to the cleanup of the old Scott Paper Mill site on Fidalgo Island will be used to help restore nearshore and marine habitat in Fidalgo and Padilla Bays. The funding, $500,000 over four years, will be paid to the Foundation, with annual workplans developed, approved, and implemented by the Skagit MRC.

 Photo: Bob Pickett and Dynamite standing in front of the boat ramp groin that will be removed as part of the Skagit MRC Restoration Initiative

News Items

Job Announcement: Forage Fish Research Assistant

Applications are invited for a full-time, temporary (four month) position to support an ecosystem research project on Pacific sand lance. Responsibilities include: gathering historical beach seine and surface trawl datasets from around the Puget Sound region; extracting and assessing relevant information pertaining to Pacific sand lance; comprehensively analyzing this information; and preparing a report detailing the analysis and results. The position is based at the Commission offices at the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve. Off-site work may be negotiable. The deadline is January 4, 2010. For more information, visit http://www.nwstraits.org/

MARINe update

Long-term rocky intertidal monitoring sites were recently established at new sites in five of the seven counties involved in the Northwest Straits Initiative through the Multi-Agency Rocky Intertidal Network (MARINe). In the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, three sites were established this past August on Saddlebag Island and Hat Island. MARINe also established a site at Post Point in Bellingham, with support from Western Washington University. Melissa Miner of MARINe wrote a summary of their work for us, click here for the full report.

Derelict Fishing Gear Removal Project Update

For the entire American Recovery and Reinvestment Act project, through December 6, a total of 217.5 days of removal and 30 net survey days have been completed. We expect to be less productive for the next few weeks because of sketchy weather, but we will take advantage of any windows of good weather to continue removals.

Our teams have removed 708 derelict nets, restoring approximately 65 acres of marine habitat. More than 45,000 animals were found in the removed gear, including two marine mammals, 26 birds, and 179 fish. These impacts represent only the last 7-10 days of species impacts of these nets.

The project was represented at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle in November by Project Manager, Tom Cowan, and NRC biologist Shane Martin.

Photo: A harbor seal found drowned in a derelict net by the crew on the Twila Dawn. Thanks to Pete Anderson for posting this photo on our Facebook page.

Marine Resources Committee Happenings

 MRCs Say Farewell to Longstanding Members

Benye Weber, of Coupeville, represented the Port of Coupeville on the Island MRC and was instrumental in all the major initiatives of the MRC in recent years. She helped launch the MRC's interpretive signage program by paving the way for installation of the MRC's first three signs on the Port's Coupeville Wharf, and also was a strong advocate for creation of the Saratoga Passage and Admiralty Inlet Marine Stewardship Areas.
 
Phyllis Kind, of Greenbank, contributed the discipline of a scientific mind and strong links to the resources of the WSU Beach Watchers program and Whidbey Audubon Society to the Island MRC. She was instrumental in launching the MRC's multi-year partnership with Whidbey Audubon to study the breeding success of the Pigeon Guillemot, a key indicator species of the health of marine habitat in Island County and Puget Sound. She rose through the ranks to become chair of the MRC and later chair of the Northwest Straits Commission.

Jerry Larson has been a steadfast voice for northern Whatcom County on the MRC for eight years. Jerry doesn’t just support projects, he engages as an active volunteer in numerous projects. He is the grandfather of the MRC’s annual clam surveys, which have gathered information on abundance and distribution of clams up and down the Whatcom County coast. Similarly, Jerry has initiated numerous seeding projects, with both oysters and littlenecks. He has been a committed water quality volunteer, collecting samples even in the middle of winter. Considering the amount of energy he’s put into keeping shellfish beds accessible and safe for community members, it’s amazing that he doesn’t even like to eat them!

Buck Meloy has been a Whatcom MRC member since its inception, and due to term limits, will always be the longest serving member. The MRC has in Buck a voice of reason representing the fishing industry. Buck has been a reminder to everyone that numerous interests depend on the marine environment. Among other accomplishments, Buck was the driving force behind a ban on salmon net-pen farming in Whatcom County marine waters, which was adopted by the County Council in 2002. He was also the NWSC representative for numerous years, keeping the MRC up to date on the commission’s activities. To ensure the MRC has consistent representation of commercial fishing interests, Buck has actively (and successfully) recruited another fisherman to represent the industry—and keep the MRC fishy!

MRCs Report on Progress

Congratulations! December marks the end of the first six months of the current grants from the Northwest Straits Commission to MRCs. The work accomplished throughout the region is always inspiring to hear about, and we’re looking forward to receiving progress reports from all seven MRCs in mid-January, when the first reports are due. Progress reports on all MRC tasks are required, as well as some project reports. Check with your MRC staff for details about what your MRC will be submitting.

These reports will be used to help Commission staff write the 2009 Annual Report for the Northwest Straits Initiative. If you have pictures from your MRC projects, please submit them to your lead staff or to Sasha at horst@nwstraits.org.

Northwest Straits Commission Highlights

Bringing Back the Abalone

An effort to boost the recovery of native pinto abalone populations is underway, and was the subject of a presentation to the Commission this month by Betsy Peabody, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Restoration Fund (PSRF). In collaboration with state and federal agencies, universities, shellfish growers and the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, PSRF is rearing abalone spawned from local broodstock, and outplanting them in the wild. A brief film on the project, online at http://www.restorationfund.org/projects-abalone.php, showcases the surprisingly fast-moving gastropods, and the conservation genetics studies and rearing techniques being used by local researchers. In 2009, more than 2,000 little abalone were tagged and released by divers on reefs near Anacortes and Port Angeles. Their status will be monitored as additional abalone are raised for outplanting in 2011.

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s Draft Rockfish Conservation Plan

The Northwest Straits Commission discussed Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife’s draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Puget Sound Rockfish Conservation Plan at its December 4 meeting. Northwest Straits Commissioners expressed concern regarding the use of hatcheries and artificial reefs to enhance natural populations. Commissioners prefer a stronger focus on protecting existing populations and their natural habitats. “Rockfish tend to be long-lived and need to grow larger and reproduce at a high success rate if we expect to recover their populations. Puget Sound has the habitat for rockfish species to thrive, but we need to do a better job of protecting the fish and their habitat” according to Ginny Broadhurst, Director of the Commission. Click here to see a copy of the Northwest Straits Commission's comment letter.

Photo Credit: Janna Nichols

Northwest Straits Commission Working Towards Paperless Meetings

In an effort to reduce paper waste, the Commission approved sending meeting handouts via email in advance for those who can view them electronically at the meetings. The staff plans to use the projector screen for the agenda and other handouts as necessary. 

Northwest Straits Foundation News

Remember the Foundation in Your Annual Giving!

It’s that time of year again, where each of us decides which worthy organizations will benefit from our end-of-year generosity. Please give generously to the organizations of your choice, and  consider the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation as one of your beneficiaries. Private donations make up an important part of our budget and are used judiciously to pay for activities and services that are crucial for effective management of our Foundation. Thanks in advance for your support. Click here to donate online.

Foundation Office Open House

Mark your calendars for the Foundation’s first office open house on January 8, 2010, from 3:00PM -7:00PM. We’re at 1155 N. State Street in Bellingham in the Herald Building, Suite 322.

Committee Happenings

Update from the Education Committee

This was a banner year for the Northwest Straits Initiative, particularly with regard to media attention. We are heartened that there continues to be a great deal of interest by MRC members in strengthening education and outreach efforts in our communities. We plan to take advantage of some great ideas and timely opportunities to capitalize on the momentum built in 2009. In response to the enthusiasm generated by several recent screenings of the documentary ‘A Sea Change’, the Commission will partner with People For Puget Sound to cosponsor environmental films around the Northwest Straits. We are also exploring partnerships with communications experts specializing in marine issues, to hold workshops tailored to the needs of interested MRCs.

Bulletin Board

Coastal Training Program of Washington Climate Change Class

The Coastal Training Program is offering a class on “Planning for Climate Change” on March 25, 2010 at the Padilla Bay Research Reserve. We encourage MRC members and staff to attend and the Northwest Straits Commission will cover the registration cost. Please check space availability and contact Connie before registering if you’d like to take advantage of this opportunity.

SeaDoc Society E-Course on Designing Healthy Ecosystems

Attention Environmental Educators! Wondering what cutting edge science has to say about building healthy ecosystems for humans and wildlife? Take the SeaDoc Society's free month-long e-course on designing healthy coastal ecosystems. You'll get an informative email every three days, each covering one of the ten ecological principles that provide a big picture view of how to create and safeguard a healthy ecosystem. You’ll also be able to use on-line forums to discuss with other educators how to most effectively teach these principles. For more information or to sign up, visit http://www.seadocsociety.org/courses/topten

2010 Commission Meeting Dates

The new year is almost here. Click here to get Commission meeting dates for 2010. Dates and locations may change, so please check the web site for updates as the meeting dates approach.

Events and Workshops

December 19, 2009 – Burke Museum, Seattle. 'Cruisin' the Fossil Freeway', an extraordinary exhibit of marine and terrestrial fossils and fossil-inspired artwork by Alaskan artist Ray Troll, opens to the public from 10:30 AM – 2:30 PM. Meet Ray and co-curators Drs. Elizabeth Nesbitt, Burke Museum; and Kirk Johnson, Denver Museum of Nature and Science.

2010 - HAZWOPER training outreach program eight hour refresher course by the Northwest Spill Response Community. Click here for dates, locations and more information.

February 6, 2010 - 15th Annual Sound Waters, Coupeville. Click here for more information.

February 6, 2010 - Evening showing of the film A Sea Change at the Coupeville Recreation Hall.