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Washington’s coastal and ocean resources provide vital economic, recreation, transportation, and cultural benefits to coastal and state residents. Identifying and implementing realistic, effective, and efficient solutions to the unique conservation and management issues of Washington’s outer coast requires utilizing the available knowledge and creative approaches of coastal citizens and leaders. Citizen-based Marine Resource Committees (MRCs) are an effective mechanism to harness the dedication, creativity, and wisdom of coastal residents to compliment ongoing efforts to restore, protect, and manage coastal marine resources.
The goal of the Coastal MRC Program is to understand, steward, and restore the marine and estuarine ecological processes of the Washington coast in support of ecosystem health, sustainable marine resource-based livelihoods, cultural integrity, and coastal communities.
Great turnout for Pacific MRC’s first official meeting
The Pacific County MRC had its first meeting on November 3, 2009 with its newly appointed committee members. Pacific County Commissioners approved the formation of the Pacific MRC as a sub-committee of the Willapa Bay Water Resources Coordinating Council. Mike Nordin is the coordinator for the Pacific MRC.
Dr. Rich Osborne chosen as North Pacific Coast MRC Coordinator
Clallam and Jefferson County Commissioners appoint Dr. Rich Osborne to be the Coordinator of the newly formed North Pacific Coast MRC. Committee membership has not yet been determined.
Whatcom Creek Photo by Jenna Norman |
NW Straits 11th Annual Conference
Coastal MRC staff attended the NW Straits conference in Bellingham, November 5th – 7th. Conference topics included ocean acidification, climate change, native oyster restoration, rockfish conservation, and change analysis of the Puget Sound shoreline. To learn more about the NW Straits Commission and MRCs, click on the following link: http://www.nwstraits.org/PageID/1/default.aspx
Grays Harbor MRC’s Workshop on Marine Spatial Planning a Huge Success!
Grays Harbor MRC hosted a Marine Spatial Planning workshop on October 20, 2009 in Aberdeen at the Grays Harbor Community College. Over 80 people attended The Nature Conservancy sponsored workshop! Click on attachments below to see presentations from the workshop:
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