San
Juan County Marine Resources Committee 2003
Annual Report to the
Northwest Straits Commission
BENCHMARKS
Marine Stewardship Area -- Benchmark 2
- Recommend
the establishment of a comprehensive MSA designation in San Juan County
to the Board of County Commissioners. Resolution was adopted in early
2004. See Marine Stewardship Proposal.
- Continued to conduct public consultation program to identify specific marine stewardship proposals.
- Considered
zones conferring different levels of voluntary protection and prepared
to develop findings and recommendations as appropriate.
Nearshore Habitat Protection -- Benchmarks 2, 3 & 8
In partnership with Friends of the San Juans in a grant-funded effort:
- Completed forage fish spawning beach sampling and documentation.
- Began identifying conservation and/or restoration priorities.
- Started ongoing effort to host pilot restoration projects in cooperation with property owners.
- Completed surveys and began GIS mapping of eelgrass location and extent.
- Provide
GIS data on forage fish habitat to local, tribal, state and federal
agencies and non-governmental organizations in an ongoing effort.
Interim data delivered by both regular data release and as requested.
- Completed
initial data gathering for project with San Juan Preservation Trust and
San Juan County Land Bank to develop conservation priorities for fee
simple and easement acquisition of privately-owned nearshore habitat
areas.
- Supported community
efforts to restore estuary functions and habitat in Deer Harbor by
facilitating proposals for grant funding.
Bottom Fish Recovery Program -- Benchmark 3
- Continued to seek funding to for monitoring and outreach on the water.
- Successfully
conducted focused evaluation of fishing pressure in selected recovery
zones during ling cod and salmon fishing openings, with assistance from
trained volunteers.
- Completed previously funded acoustic and larval dispersal analyses for evaluation of recovery zone size.
- Completed
an independent examination of bottom fish management approaches to
stock recovery with participation by fisheries biologists; based on the
outcomes, revisit the sizes, number and locations of bottom fish
recovery zones as well as management approaches for them.
- Contracted People for Puget Sound to host a Bottom Fish Symposium at UW-FHL.
Fin-fish Aquaculture
- Continued to foster opportunities for coordination with UW student/faculty teams on marine research related to MRC programs.
- Formulated
findings and recommendations for action by the county on future
development of fish farming operations in county waters. See draft
revised policies and regulations as well as an Atlantic Salmon specific
prohibition.
Student Participation
Continued to foster opportunities for coordination with UW student/faculty teams on marine research related to MRC programs.
Tribal Involvement with MRC
Some committee members instigated personal direct outreach with tribal participants.
MEETINGS
In
addition to MRC regular meetings, MRC members have participated in
numerous special meetings on MRC work items between January and
November 2002.
Laura Arnold attended the International Taskforce meeting, NWSC Chairs and Staff meeting, and NWSC meeting on Lopez.
Peter
Fromm attended the NWSC sponsored MRC Communication forum, the
International Taskforce meeting in Bellingham, a NWSC meeting on Lopez,
and the NWSC Conference at Port Ludlow.
David Loyd attended the MEHP conference and the NWSC conference at Port Ludow.
Kevin
Ranker attended and participated in several meetings of the Olympic
Coast National Marine Sanctuary, the NWSC, MEHP, the Ocean Wilderness
Network Steering Committee, and the Baja to Bering Steering Committee.
Kevin Ranker also attended the SeaWeb Communications Strategy Session,
Marine Funders of the West Coast, Marine Funders Northwest, and the US
Commission on Ocean Policy (Was invited to testify regarding
transboundary issues).
Brian Calvert attended two Washington State public port meetings, where he discussed MRC and NWSC meetings.
Dennis Willows attended and participated in 2 MEHP meetings and 2 NWSC meetings.
Kit
Rawson was at the NWSC, MRC training workshop in Port Ludlow and also
attended at least two of the Puget Sound Action Team's MPA coordination
meetings.
Mary Masters attended
the MEHP symposium, two NWSC meetings, the NWSC/MRC Training
Conference, the Waldron MRC outreach meeting, and a meeting in
Bellingham (with Laura and Peter) that included Canadian agency reps,
USEPA, WDFW, DOE, as well as other agency representatives.
Terrie Klinger attended 2 MEHP meetings, 2 PSAT meetings, and the MEHP science meeting.
Jim
Slocomb attended organizational meetings in the Gulf Islands, attended
data management meetings on the mainland, project specific coordination
meetings, agency outreach meetings on maritime issues, attended some
NWSC meetings (including chairs and staff meetings) and is the sponsor
of the wheelhouse forum.
