The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative was formed in 1998 to provide a bottom-up, community-based approach to address declines in the marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits area of Puget Sound, Washington State.
The initiative provides coordination and funding for seven community-based Marine Resources Committees that are appointed by county councils in the Northwest Straits region. The committees are autonomous and independent. They establish their own priorities and conservation projects.
Although the initiative does not have regulatory authority, it has established partnerships and enjoyed broad-based citizen involvement. It has funded restoration and education efforts, and supported the creation of voluntary regulations in sensitive areas.
It struggles to achieve ecosystem-wide coordination of activities and work with state regulatory agencies, but its unique structure provides lessons for marine practitioners.
Mission
The mission of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative is to protect and restore the marine waters, habitats and species of the region to achieve ecosystem health and sustainable resource use.
Objectives
The following objectives have been established:
Lead Organizations
Management
Local Partners
Key Parties
Federal
State
Local
The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative relies on existing governmental authority and community volunteers to implement locally-defined projects. Initiative staff members coordinate regional projects throughout the Northwest Straits.
Northwest Straits Commission
The Northwest Straits Commission manages the Northwest Straits Initiative and acts as a board of directors of the Marine Resources Committees (MRCs). The commission includes 13 members, including one member of each MRC. Five commission members are appointed by the governor of Washington to provide technical advice or stakeholder perspective. One member of the commission is a tribal representative appointed by the Secretary of the Interior. The position of commission chairman rotates annually between the gubernatorial appointees and MRC representatives. Decisions are made by consensus.
Northwest Straits Foundation
The Northwest Straits Foundation is a non-profit organization that seeks funding for education, restoration and scientific projects. It is a separate but complementary body with its own director of development.
Marine Resource Committees
County ordinance established Marine Resource Committees in the seven counties of the Northwest Straits. Each committee is composed of volunteer members appointed by county commissions. The members are scientists, local and tribal government officials, and represent local conservation, economic and recreational interests. Each MRC names its representative to the Northwest Straits Commission. MRCs use a consensus-based process to make decisions.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration proposed a National Marine Sanctuary for the Northwest Straits region in the 1980s, but Congress put a stop to the proposal due to strong local opposition.
A diverse group of residents still wanted to address declines in the ecosystem. Two local officials, a county commissioner and port commissioner in San Juan County, worked together to create the concept of a Marine Resources Committee composed of community stakeholders. The committee received local support because it would provide advice to the San Juan County Council and keep authority over the resource in local hands.
The San Juan MRC quickly became the building block of the Northwest Straits Conservation Initiative. U.S. Rep. Jack Metcalf, R-Wash., and U.S. Senator Patty Murray, D-Wash., created a commission to study the problems of the region and recommend solutions that would be palatable to local residents. After the publication of the report, Congress established the Northwest Straits Conservation Initiative.
The Ecosystem
The Northwest Straits region includes the Strait of Juan de Fuca, the San Juan Islands and Northern Puget Sound. It is home to approximately 220 species of fish, 100 species of sea birds, 26 species of marine mammals, and thousands of species of invertebrates.
The region supports more than seven million residents and is expected to grow by another 1.4 million people by 2025. Within the seven counties that constitute the Northwest Straits region, 15 Native American tribes and dozens of local governments share jurisdiction over activities in the marine ecosystem.
The rich resources supported a thriving Native American population with a culture based largely on marine resources and their extraction. The influx of white settlers brought a booming commercial fishing industry, busy shipping lanes, rapid population increases, and development of tourism industries. As of 2004, 63 species of concern were listed or designated by one or more of the agencies with jurisdiction in the region. Populations of herring, killer whales, rockfish, salmon, scoters, and native oyster and clam have declined notably.
Threats
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has cited three primary reasons for the decline of marine species:
Key strategies include:
Establishing baseline ecosystem data has been a large focus of the Marine Resources Committees and activities of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative. Partnerships with state environmental agencies have mobilized citizens to participate in monitoring activities. Data is used in management decisions.
Accomplishments and impacts of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative include:
The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative has been facilitated by key factors, including:
Several challenges have limited the progress of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative in implementing ecosystem-based management, including:
The experience of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative offers lessons for other projects, including:
Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative: http://www.nwstraits.org/
San Juan County Marine Resources Committee: http://www.sjcmrc.org/
Clallam County Marine Resources Committee: http://www.clallam.net/ccmrc/