Organizations pictured: Washington State Department of Natural Resources, Port of Bellingham, Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition, NW Straits Commission, Whatcom MRC, Whatcom County, Washington Department of Ecology, NOAA Marine Debris Program, Landings at Colony Wharf.
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Crushed it! Media Day: Whatcom vessel turn-in

The Whatcom vessel turn-in event kicked off in late July, giving Whatcom County boat owners an opportunity to safely dispose of unwanted vessels and keep them out of landfills and waterways. A total of 29 vessels applied to be a part of the program.

To showcase the work, partners, special guests, and media gathered for a media day event hosted by the Port of Bellingham and held at the Landings at Colony Wharf in Bellingham on August 6th. Despite the rain, the event highlighted the spirit of partnership and support for the WA Department of Natural Resources’  (DNR) Vessel Turn-In Program (VTIP). The event concluded with an exciting demonstration of an excavator breaking down a 32-foot fiberglass vessel (watch a time-lapse video).

Thank you to partners DNR, Port of Bellingham, Whatcom Working Waterfront Coalition, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Northwest Straits Commission, NOAA Marine Debris Program, Whatcom MRC, Whatcom County, WA Department of Ecology, media, and special guests who attended media day! Stay tuned for more details as we gather final numbers from the event. Learn more:  NW Straits Derelict Vessel Removal

The Northwest Straits Commission is a regional coordinating body comprised of people who care about the marine areas where they live, and who work together to protect and restore marine resources.

The Northwest Straits Commission carries out regional conservation projects and supports the work of seven Marine Resources Committees through funding, technical support, training and regional coordination.

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August 2025 NW Straits Commission Meeting

August 29

  • Member Spotlight: Kelly Zupich

  • Summer interns hard at work

    San Juan MRC’s summer interns Sonora Tate and Ava Martin have been hard at work! They are out and about leading dock talks at Roche Harbor to educate boaters on derelict vessel prevention and green boating.

    They also led a Plastic Free July social media campaign with Plastic Free Salish Sea to raise awareness about single-use plastics. 

    Check out the San Juan MRC’s Facebook page SJCMarineResourcesCommittee to learn more.

  • Fidalgo Bay Day 2025

    Join Skagit MRC and partners in Fidalgo Bay Day 2025! This free, family-friendly marine education event takes place Saturday, September 13, 11:00am–3:00pm at Fidalgo Bay Resort (4701 Fidalgo Bay Rd, Anacortes).

    Skagit MRC is seeking volunteers for various roles including setup, craft tables, and more! One volunteer with a valid WA State Food Handler Card is also needed to serve chowder.

    Sign up online or contact Jenn Dumas at fidalgobaydayskagitmrc@gmail.com
    Learn more:     Fidalgo Bay Day 2025

  • Protecting eelgrass at Wildcat Cove

    Whatcom MRC hosted the July in person NW Straits Commission meeting, which included a site visit to the boat launch at Wildcat Cove, Larrabee State Park. Special guest Whatcom County Council and MRC member Kaylee Galloway joined the visit, which highlighted efforts to protect the area’s eelgrass meadows near this popular boat launch.

    The MRC is working with NW Straits Foundation interns to engage boaters and raise awareness about eelgrass protection when launching boats at this location. Interns found the local community more receptive than expected, with many users already familiar with the value of eelgrass and eager to support preservation efforts.

    A good strategy has been placing cones to guide vehicles into a single launch lane, helping reduce  driving and trampling on eelgrass beds. The cones do need to be monitored and adjusted with the tides, but the approach seems promising, and a more permanent solution may be considered in the future.

    Learn more about eelgrass protection in Wildcat Cove.

Member Spotlight: Kelly Zupich

Island MRC

Kelly is passionate about the marine environment and her values and interests align well with the mission of the Island County MRC. For the last 7 years, Kelly has devoted most of her life to volunteering and working for local environmental organizations, such as The Guillemot Research Group and Sound Water Stewards of Island county.

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Upcoming Events

  • Aug

    29

    August 2025 NW Straits Commission Meeting

    Friday
    August 29
    10 AM-12 PM

    This meeting will be virtual over Zoom: Zoom Link

  • Sep

    26

    September 2025 NW Straits Commission Meeting

    Friday
    September 26
    10 AM-3 PM

    This meeting will be held in person in San Juan County. Stay tuned for official location.

  • Nov

    07

    NW Straits Annual Conference

    Friday-Saturday
    November 07-November 08

    Please stay tuned for the agenda and more information on speakers and sessions. We will post the conference website here in 2025.

    Maple Hall 103 Commercial, La Conner, WA 98257