HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015 West End Natural Resources NewsIssue No. 8 July 2015
A publication of the North Pacific Coast Marine Resources Committee
(NPC MRC) and NPC Lead Entity for Salmon Recovery.
Inside: WA Coast Cleanup ......3
Earthquake/Tsunami ....4
River & Ocean Films....6
Mentorships to Jobs .........6
Coastal Recreation... .....7
Students Study Debris ..8
Sea Star Wasting ...............9
Marine Planning ............10
MRC Summit................11
Continued on page 2
Mike Hagen (left) discusses a recent fish passage project with Deb
Kucipeck, Nicole Rasmussen and Rich Osborne.
In 2002, the Western Rivers Conservancy
and the Wild Salmon Center began purchasing
property for a landscape-scale habitat resto-
ration project in one of the best remaining
places for salmon in the U.S. – the Hoh River.
The project now encompasses 7,000 acres of
timberland and river bottom. At 29 miles long
and often more than a half-mile wide, the
conservation site creates a nearly contiguous
corridor of undeveloped land connecting the
interior portion of Olympic National Park to
the Pacific Coast.
The Hoh River Trust (HRT), a nonprofit
organization, was formed in 2005 to act as the
local land owner and manager with the goal
of developing a species-rich and age-diverse
natural forest that would provide a healthy
riparian habitat to benefit salmon and wildlife.
HRT lands function primarily as a wildlife
refuge and a place for compatible human
recreation. Our mission complements DNR’s
Olympic Experimental Forest and the Federal
Northwest Forest Plan. The property acquisi-
tions were financed by Section 6 Endangered
Species Act funds and many private donations.
HRT operates under a DNR conservation
easement to ensure the protection of these
lands in perpetuity. HRT utilizes donations
and public grants for projects primarily; most
of our operating expenses come from timber
income.
To date, HRT has pre-commercially
thinned about 3,300 acres and is now com-
mercially thinning overcrowded older stands
that need diversification under more protec-
tive rules than the DNR uses. We work under
an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife
Service that allows us to manage stands to
Ten Years of Achievements by the Hoh River Trust
By Mike Hagen
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The Hoh River Trust boundary sign has
become a familiar site north of the river.
Photos: Tami Pokorny
2 — NPC MRC
the age of 60 after which we may intervene to make sure
there are enough snags to provide cavity nesting habitat and
enough downed wood for prey species and soil protection.
HRT thins from below (i.e. harvesting the smaller trees while
leaving the largest) to optimize tree growth. After the last
thinning, stands will be variable and patchy, appearing to
have had natural blowdown. Openings are planted with tree
species missing from the original forest mix.
After thinning, sunlight will reach the forest floor once
again. New trees and brush will grow and provide a healthy
understory within the older forest. We’ve finished working
through our overstocked 65-67 year old hemlock and spruce
stands and have transitioned to a much longer period of thin-
ning younger forest stands. Since we don’t clear cut, harvest
expenses are relatively high; often more than 50% of the
stand value. We are required to do forest restoration, even
when it is expensive.
HRT achieved one of its original goals in autumn 2014.
Every blocked fish bearing stream under its control was
reopened for juvenile salmon passage. This not only benefits
the forest ecology but also benefits both sport and tribal
fisheries. Many of these streams have not had salmon in
them since the 1940s. As a result of our forest management
practices, HRT has also achieved notable height growth in
thinned plantations, and huckleberry and sword fern are
developing in a healthy understory that was formerly choked
by dark stands.
We continue to implement restoration projects with the
ultimate aim of restoring industrial plantations to near “old
growth” characteristics. How does one accomplish this in a
human timeframe? The western Olympic Peninsula’s tre-
mendous productivity, its nearly intact species baseline, and
a minimum of unrepairable human disruption offer many
advantages. Our plan is to accelerate tree growth in both
wild and plantation stands using normal silvicultural meth-
ods. Sitka spruce, western red cedar, Douglas fir, and black
cottonwood – the most common tree species on the coastal
peninsula – are all capable of fast growth when given opti-
mal light, water, and nutrients. Coastal Olympic Peninsula
may become the refuge for both wild salmon and listed birds
while restoration elsewhere in the state catches up.
Big game projects include producing small openings (½
to 1.5 acres) in thinned conifer plantations for elk pasture
and edge dependent species. All HRT lands are open for
walk-in hunting and most gates are opened in-season.
As a forest landowner, we are required by DNR to
maintain good drainage on our system roads and to close and
restore old obsolete roads. We’ve decommissioned over ten
miles of unneeded road and removed our 22 worst culverts.
The plan also identified roads needed for recreational access.
These are kept open and are in frequent use. We constructed
a major bridge on a forest haul road and were partners in
replacing four other bridges on county roads. Depending on
funds, there are several more to go.
Our protection and restoration efforts wouldn’t be pos-
sible without partnerships across a wide range of people,
businesses, and organizations. HRT looks forward to excep-
tional working relationships with the community and tour-
ists to care for the lands and ensure they continue to benefit
fish, wildlife, and human recreation.
While HRT is not an advocacy organization, it is actively
involved in Washington Coast Region and WRIA 20 salmon
recovery planning. We have several Olympic Peninsula Board
members and employees in both Forks and Port Angeles. It is
our intention to recruit most of our board on the peninsula
in the future. For more information about HRT, visit www.
hohrivertrust.org. We welcome inquiries and volunteers.
Pole Creek Bridge (Completed in 2010 in through a partnership with
PCSC, Jefferson County, and others). Photo: Mike Hagen
Larson Timber Management creating an opening at the Black Forest
near MP 10.5 on the Upper Hoh Road (2010). Photo: Mike Hagen
NPC MRC — 3
Washington Coast Cleanup 2015 –
Success by Any Measure
By Tami Pokorny and Jon Schmidt
Almost 1,600 volunteers from as far away as Ellensburg
made April 25, 2015 one of the biggest coast cleanup efforts
ever by hauling away more than 19 tons of plastic and other
debris for proper disposal and recycling.
Neah Bay saw 146 volunteers alone, including members
of The Mountaineers and staff from the US Coast Guard.
Makah tribal members greeted volunteers, provided logistics
and passes for free admission to the museum. Over 3,000
Campers’ crew. Photo: Karlyn K. Langjahr
pounds of debris were hauled off at that location. Volunteers
paid particular attention to separating out and processing 15
bags of recyclables.
The Ozette cleanup overwhelmed the capacity of the
dumpster. Several volunteers made multiple six-mile round
trips to the beach to collect debris. For the first time, Friends
of Olympic National Park provided the barbeque there.
Boy Scout Troup 1498, from Sequim cleaned beaches
south of the Hoh River in partnership with the Tribe. They
hauled four pickup loads of material away – a record amount.
Kalaloch area beaches were combed by 246 volunteers. A
Student Conservation Association group from Centralia
brought in about 50 people. They found and removed several
large items including part of a skiff.
NPC MRC member Roy Morris and Nancy Messmer
from Lions Club International coordinated a professional
video crew to report on the cleanup and build awareness of
the marine debris issue around the Pacific Rim.
Jon Schmidt of Washington Coast Savers noted, “The
weather should be given some credit for the record turnout
but really it was the volunteers who made the choice that
weekend to spend their time cleaning their favorite beach, we
love our volunteers!”
Fall’s International Coast Cleanup is coming up on
September 19! Watch the CoastSavers website, http://www.
coastsavers.org, for more information.
Save the Date
International
Coastal Cleanup
September 19, 2015
More info:
www.coastsavers.org
4 — NPC MRC
Local Educators Strive for Preparedness Ahead of Earthquakes and Tsunamis
By Tami Pokorny
As soon as the shaking stops, follow the signs. Head for high ground
or inland and stay there until you receive the official “all clear” from
authorities. Carry a NOAA weather radio for broadcast alerts. Andrew
Winck, emergency manager for the Makah Tribe, points to an evacua-
tion route sign in Neah Bay. Photo: Tami Pokorny
A mega-earthquake rocked the coast of the Pacific
Northwest on January 26, 1700 at about 9 p.m. Since then,
the ground has lain silent. Or, has it?
That question and many others were answered last fall
when K-12 teachers, park interpretors, MRC members, and
emergency managers from up and down the Washington
Coast participated in Oregon State University’s “Cascadia
Earthscope Earthquake and Tsunami Education Program
(CEETEP)” at the ONRC in Forks.
The 4-day training was exceptional. It launched a wave
of enthusiasm and creativity of its own. Participants acted
through schools, communities, agencies, and organizations to
improve our understanding of earthquake-related risks and to
consider how we may become better prepared. At Forks High
School, for example, science students constructed models
of evacuation towers that they then shared with the public.
CEETEP workshops were held in six locations as far south
as Arcata, California with support from a grant from the
National Science Foundation.
Another “full rip” earthquake along the Cascadia Sub-
duction Zone – like the one that occurred 315 years ago
– would release colossal amounts of pent-up energy as the
rocky margins of two of Earth’s crustal plates rupture and
grind past each other. The plates are currently locked together
by friction. This friction will eventually be overcome by the
regional geological forces driving the two plates together.
While standing at the Quillayute Airport with CEETEP
instructor Dr. Beth Pratt-Sitaula of Central Washington
University, the participants learned about a network of GPS
receivers being used to track ground movements over time.
Each year at the Quillayute location, the receiver moves
three-quarters of an inch to the northeast. That rate equates
to nearly 18 feet of accumulated movement since the year
1700. In the next big earthquake, geologists expect the
rocks will essentially bounce back to the southwest a similar
distance in only a few minutes. The process will also warp the
coast’s landscape downward by three feet or more. Mean-
while, the profile of the seafloor could also change rapidly
triggering undersea landslides and tsunami waves at the
ocean’s surface.
Previous intervals between major quakes on the coast
have been 250 years or longer. What can be said about the
timing of the next big quake is that the probability of such an
event increases with each passing year. A major earthquake is
inevitable. The four largest earthquakes ever recorded – Chile
(1960 Magnitude 9.5), Alaska (1964 Mag. 9.2), Sumatra
(2004, Mag. 9.1) and Japan (2011 Mag. 9.0) all lie in geo-
logical settings similar to our own.
Preparedness begins with greater awareness of the risks
and then doing what you can ahead of time to protect your-
Every October, the Great Washington Shake Out is held. Millions of
people worldwide practice Drop, Cover and Hold and other earthquake
drills. Learn more about preparing for earthquakes by visiting http://
shakeout.org/washington and click on “Resources”.
NPC MRC — 5
CEETEP participants at the Olympic Natural Resources Center in Forks.
Photo: Tami Pokorny
self and your family during the event, and to manage your
needs in its aftermath.
Dr. Pratt-Sitaula shared this personal preparedness story
with CEETEP participants a few short months after the
training. Her husband’s family is from Nepal:
“…Nepal has
now experienced two
major earthquakes in
the last three weeks
(Mag 7.8 April 25
and Mag 7.3 May
12). I cannot tell you
how grateful I am
that I stuck to my
guns and did the best
I could to make sure
that both my family
and worksite were
properly prepared.
Our family houses
were undamaged by
either quake. The
family reported that
the training and
knowledge they had
about what to do
was hugely helpful in
getting through the
events without panic.
Everyone found
each other within an
hour of the Mag 7.8
earthquake because
they all knew where to meet. They had supplies. They knew
to expect aftershocks and, while the aftershocks were still very
stressful, the family has been able to recover more quickly
Beth Pratt-Situala describes how the EarthScope GPS receiver at the
Quillayute Airport is moving along with earth’s crust in response to
geological forces. Photo: Tami Pokorny
emotionally because the whole thing was
not a great unknown.
I know there are times that all of you
probably feel like voices in the dark as you
try to move your communities towards
greater earthquake and tsunami resilience.
I just wanted to share my story of how
very, very glad I am that I kept plugging
away at earthquake resilience in the little
pocket of Nepal that I was able to affect.
I know that the seeds you all are planting
now will be part of the flower of a more
resilient future for Cascadia.”
There are many great sources of infor-
mation on earthquake and tsunami preparedness. One is the
Washington State Emergency Management Division website
at http://mil.wa.gov/emergency-management-division. Click
on “Preparedness” at the top.
6 — NPC MRC
2nd Annual
River & Ocean
Film Festival
By Ian Miller
The River & Ocean Film Festival, held on April 25 after
the Washington Coast Cleanup, was a really outstanding
event that, true to its goal, highlighted the many facets of
rivers and oceans on the west end of the Olympic Peninsu-
la. The response to this year’s event was outstanding. On the
film-maker side of things we far exceeded our expectations
and ended up with more films than we could show. On top
of that, many of the submissions were uninvited, suggest-
ing word about this film festival is starting to spread among
Pacific Northwest film-makers. On the audience side, we
increased attendance by 50% over last year.
In total, there were 12 films screened during the festival
and several included images from the West End. The festival
highlight was the world premier of Discover Your Olympic
Coast which was shot here by renown underwater cinematog-
rapher Florian Graner. This film is being made available in
high definition format to K-12 teachers on the coast. Contact
tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us for more information.
There were also films about extreme kayaking on Graves
Creek, the challenges faced by oyster farmers in Willapa Bay,
the simple joys of Pacific Northwest rivers (as seen through
the eyes of a child), and the annual Surfing and Traditions
surf contest held in La Push. The films truly do provide a
glimpse into a wide range of activities, environments, and
perspectives on the Olympic Peninsula that many of us don’t
get in our daily lives. This is why we hold the event, to use the
power of film as a tool for better understanding where we live.
A few other “new” things about this year’s event also
helped to make it bigger and better. First, we were able to
hold it in the brand new Rainforest Arts Center in downtown
Forks. Not only did the central location provide the event
with increased exposure, but also the venue was fantastic –
spacious but with great audio-visual equipment and a really
nice atmosphere. And, we partnered with the Forks High
School Senior Parents, who provided a dinner and dessert to
accompany the films. That was a really nice touch that also
benefited the students of Forks High School.
Missed this year’s event? Do two things - first check
out the web page (http://wsg.washington.edu/community-
outreach/outreach-detail-pages/river-and-ocean-film-festival/)
where most of the films from this year are posted. Then keep
an eye out for announcements about next year’s film festival.Emcee Ian Miller welcomes the audience to the second annual River &
Ocean Film Festival. Photo: Tami Pokorny Natural Resources Options Program Mentorships to Jobs
By Dan Lieberman
Employability on the West End of the Olympic Penin-
sula will always involve skill sets linked to natural resources.
The North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center’s (NOPSC)
Natural Resources Option Program provides high school-
aged students with experiences that may lead towards locally-
relevant natural resource jobs.
Natural Resources Options is essentially a service-learn-
ing class. Students from Forks and La Push who enroll in the
program choose among sponsoring organizations, such as
Olympic National Park and Washington Sea Grant, and par-
ticipate in real projects alongside natural resource profession-
als. Successful students from this first year course can enroll
in ‘Natural Resources 2’ internships which involve greater
responsibility as well as the possibility of earning a small
stipend. Both program levels are provided free to participants
and sponsor organizations.
There were six NPC MRC student interns during first
semester of the 2014-15 school year and five of them com-
pleted internships. Amoung the student interns are:
Cole Johnson conducted beach surveys with Olympic
National Park and he’s designing another set of natural
resources thank you cards for use by the NPC MRC and
others. Cole interviewed Trashion Show and Coastal Cleanup
participants for blog posts and an article. Cole is considered a
reliable and detail-oriented physical and intellectual worker.
Skyla Dawkins supported both the Trashion Show and
Coast Cleanup in April in many roles. For example, she
designed and built an entry for the Trashion Show for her
sister Bella to wear. Skyla regularly conducted field surveys
for COASST and marine debris. In her mentoring work with
NPC MRC — 7
Recreational Uses of the Washington Coast
Source: Washington
Coast and Ocean
Recreation Study.
• 6,500 Surveys
completed
• 17,500 Data
Points Collected
• See Recreational
Use Maps Here:
www.msp.wa.gov/
explore
three other students, Skyla showed great
maturity.
Taylor Graham was a crew member
for the Pacific Coast Salmon Coalition
(PCSC) and participated in Forks Food
for Thought “Dig In” school garden
club. He’s creating a poster focused on
salmon habitat restoration projects for
natural resources organizations to use.
Taylor has become increasingly excited
to help others learn and accomplish
their projects with PCSC.
Scott Archibald began first semester
as an intern but due to other school-
related commitments, “did not follow
through with my original plan.” His
second semester internship product is a
poster depicting how he and his co-
workers at the PCSC built the wood
mural at the new Rainforest Art Center.
Scott has a new appreciation for how informative and persua-
sive art can be.
Romario Bello with his original salmon life
cycle carving. Photo: Dan Lieberman
Despite student successes and the
continued growth of the Natural Resources
program on the West End and across the
North Olympic Peninsula, the program was
almost eliminated in the spring of 2015.
Vocal public support rescued the program’s
future.
NPC MRC member Roy Morris
regularly volunteers his expertise and guid-
ance, which has been invaluable.“ As I have
observed the development of this important
program for our communities over the years,
I have seen continuous improvement. The
student presentations at NPC MRC meet-
ings demonstrate that,” he commented.
To learn more about the Natural
Resources Options and see student work
samples, please visit www.nopsc.org/natu-
ralresources. For questions about the pro-
gram and enrollment, please contact teacher Dan Lieberman
(dlieberman@portangelesschools.org: 360/565-1892).
The Surfrider Foundation, in partnership with Point 97
and Washington State, recently completed a study of the non-
consumptive recreational uses of Washington’s coastal areas.
Using a survey approach, it found that the state’s residents
make an estimated 4.1 million visits to the coast and spend an
average of $117.14 per trip on things such as food, lodging,
transportation, and shopping each year. At that rate, coastal
recreation contributes more than $481 million dollars to the
state’s economy in trip-related expenditures annually. The
most popular activities include going to the beach, enjoying
the scenery, viewing wildlife, taking photographs, and hiking
or biking. Learn more at http://msp.wa.gov/connect/news.
8 — NPC MRC
Students Study Beaches and Debris
By Helle Andersen
Forty-five sophomore science students from Forks High
School and teachers John
Hunter, Margo Peterson, and
Megan Rains hiked to Second
Beach on a foggy day in May to
study the beach and to survey it
for logs and marine debris. The
field trip was supported in part
by the NPC MRC.
Dr. Ian Miller, coastal haz-
ards specialist for Washington
Sea Grant, and Helle Ander-
sen, marine scientist for Feiro
Marine Life Center (FMLC),
led the activities. On the North
Coast, the shape and function
of beaches are influenced by the
presence of large logs that have
washed up above high tide. The
beach survey gave students the
opportunity to get a sense of the
volume and positions of these
logs as they measured their
lengths and diameters. Students
also gained insight into the
beach profile and why the logs
accumulate where they do.
Other students armed with flags, ropes, frames and sieves
sampled the beach along a randomly selected line, or tran-
sect. They followed specific instructions that have been devel-
oped by COASST to specifically gauge the types and volume
of marine debris, in addition to its potential to harm wildlife.
Students were instructed to measure each individual piece of
plastic debris and to determine whether it would crumple or
whether it was sharp, shiny, or poisonous.
In a separate but related MRC-funded project, Peninsula
College student and FMLC intern Alisha Mate is working
with Helle to assess the presence of the “micro” debris on
four beaches between Kalaloch and Norwegian Memorial.
Micro debris is defined as five millimeters or smaller. The
small size increases the likelihood of exposing animals near
the base of the marine food chain to negative physical and
chemical effects.
The class arrives at Second Beach. Photo: Ian Miller
Peninsula College student Alisha Mate scoops material from a wrack
line on Second Beach for Feiro’s Marine Debris Suvey.
Photo: Helle Andersen
Alisha has been actively surveying the beaches, identify-
ing the debris in the laboratory, helping with data analysis,
and presenting results. She feels that, “this kind of work is
very important if we ever want to understand the actual
scope of the waste problem in our oceans. Hopefully this
project and projects like it will help provide a sense of ur-
gency towards combatting the problem.”
NPC MRC — 9
The class arrives at Second Beach. Photo: Ian Miller
Sea Star Wasting Syndrome and the
Fate of Sea Stars in ONP
By Tami Pokorny and Dr. Steven Fradkin
Sea stars (commonly referred to as starfish) are colorful,
iconic, long-lived predators that inhabit the rocky shoreline
of the North Olympic Coast. Populations of ochre sea stars
(Pisaster ochraceus) and over 21 other sea star species have
been afflicted by a disease since 2013. In June of that year,
Olympic National Park Coastal Ecologist Steven Fradkin
first noticed something awry at Starfish Point (Beach Trail
4) on the park’s south coast. Ochre sea stars there had visible
white lesions and many had lost arms that wandered about by
themselves.
This discovery was the
first documented occurrence
of what has become a broader
sea star mortality event that
has swept over the entire
west coast of North America,
including the Salish Sea. Mil-
lions of sea stars have been
killed from Baja California to
southern Alaska. Between 20
to 75 percent of the ochre sea
star population has been lost
at several locations along
the North Olympic Coast.
Although diseased sea stars continue to be observed in many
areas of Olympic National Park, signs that populations may
have a shot at recovery are visible. While high levels of disease
were observed during the winter, disease levels have been
decreasing markedly as summer has approached. Addition-
ally, many sea stars that lost arms show signs of regrowth, and
individuals with healed lesions have also been observed.
In some coastal areas, there appears to be an increase in
the number of baby ochre sea stars. The question remains
whether baby stars will continue to grow or eventually fall
victim to the syndrome. Ochre sea stars, for example, don’t
reach sexual maturity until five years of age so long-term re-
covery of populations may hinge on if, or how long, the stars
can remain healthy.
Now known as Sea Star Wasting Syndrome (SSWS), the
disease frequently causes the stars’ arms to separate from their
bodies, their internal organs to fall out from holes caused by
limb loss, and eventually the animals are rendered to goo. As
a result, these vital members of the coast’s rocky intertidal
zone, cherished for their beauty and their role as keystone
predators responsible for shaping the community structure,
are increasingly absent or scarce.
Sea stars are top predators with a large role to play in
maintaining biological diversity along rocky shores. For exam-
ple, stars influence the lower extent of sea mussel colonies by
attacking them from below as the tide ascends and withdraw-
ing into the sea to digest their meals as the tide goes out. This
results in areas dominated by mussels in the higher zones and
algae in lower ones – with a wide diversity of creatures mak-
ing up each of the two distinct types of communities.
A densovirus (a kind of parvovirus) is at least partly to
blame according to a recent study by scientists from Cornell
and Western Washington University. In addition to sea stars,
the virus was also found in sea water, plankton, sediments and
water filters from public aquariums, sea urchins and brittle
stars. In the last few months
urchin disease symptoms have
been reported in southern Cali-
fornia and Baja California. Co-
author Drew Harvell comment-
ed in a press release, “It’s the
experiment of the century for
marine ecologists. It is happen-
ing at such a large scale to the
most important predators of the
tidal and subtidal zones. Their
disappearance is an experiment
in ecological upheaval the likes
of which we’ve never seen.”
The distribution of afflicted
stars coast-wide is being tracked and international group of
professional and citizen scientists through a database created
by the Pacific Rocky Intertidal Monitoring Program at UC
Santa Cruz pacificrockyintertidal.org. More recently, an effort
to also track the location of clusters of juvenile sea stars was
initiated (http://gordon.science.oregonstate.edu/marine1/ju-
venilesmap.html). In Washington, juvenile stars are seen near
Bellingham, Everett and in southern Hood Canal, but none
have been reported along Washington’s Pacific Coast yet.
A wonderful “Juvenile Sea Star Identification Guide” is avail-
able to anyone willing to help search for them. To view the
guide, enter its title into an Internet search engine. Scientists
are interested in specific observations on the health of juvenile
sea stars that are less than one inch in diameter or smaller
than a quarter.
Five species of sea stars once commonly seen along the
coast have experienced high mortality from sea star wasting
disease (SSWS):
Morning sun star (Solaster dawsoni)
Mottled star (Evesterias troschelii)
Giant pink star (Pisaster brevispinus)
Ochre or purple star (Pisaster ochraceus)
ONP crew conducting sea star monitoring at Sokol Point. Photo: Steven Fradkin
10 — NPC MRC
Marine Spatial
Planning Update
Through a public process, a new plan for Washington’s
coastal and marine environments is under development
which will determine the most appropriate locations for new
human uses: our first Marine Spatial Plan.
Efforts to collect data in support of the plan are now
essentially complete. The Washington Coast Marine Advisory
Council (WCMAC) has begun its work with state agencies
to develop policy recommendations through the summer and
fall. This winter, they’ll produce specific map-based recom-
mendations and identify possible mitigation measures.
A first draft of the plan is anticipated next summer. The
plan will begin with a section to describe current conditions,
existing uses of the coast, and trends. Economic, recreational,
Our coast is a busy place. Vessel traffic is just one category of information available for viewing through the Washington Marine Spatial Planning
mapping application (http://www.msp.wa.gov) . Others include marine life, habitat, physical oceanography, and additional human uses.
and wildlife uses of the coast will then be discussed as well
as new information about the seafloor, ocean conditions,
and areas potentially suitable for energy-related facilities. A
GIS-based section will analyze how new uses, existing uses,
and the environment will interface. It will assess which areas
experience more or less conflict between existing and poten-
tial new uses.
A recommendations section will provide background on
the regulatory framework as well as the Marine Spatial Plan’s
recommendation themselves. These will include designations
for specific areas as well as general policy recommendations
to meet the requirements and goals of the plan. This section
of the plan will also provide instruction on how the recom-
mendations should be implemented.
To participate in the planning process, attend WCMAC
or MRC meetings (www.msp.wa.gov/events/month) or con-
tact planners through the MSP website.
NPC MRC — 11
2014 Coast MRC
Summit at Pacific Beach
Thanks to the generosity and hard work of the Surfrider
Foundation, The Nature Conservancy and Grays Harbor
MRC, the four coast marine resources committees held their
annual summit on October 23-25, 2014 at Pacific Beach
Resort and Conference Center. Presentations spanned topics
ranging from oil transport, razor clams, shoreline master
programs, fishing reserves, ocean acidification, and effective
communications with elected officials. It was exciting to hear
about a new initiative, the Washington Coast Works Sustain-
able Business Competition (http://wacoastworks.org), from
Mike Skinner of Pinchot University. The program will pro-
vide seed money to selected entrepreneurs to develop sustain-
able businesses through a local, competitive process that has
been used successfully in Southeast Alaska.
The next Coast MRC Summit will take place at La Push
on October 15-17, 2015. Dan Ayres, biologist for WDFW, discusses razor clam management in
Washington State. Photo: Tami Pokorny
Many of the participants in the 2014 Coast MRC Summit visited
Point Grenville with Quinault Indian Nation Marine Resources Scien-
tist Joe Schumacker. The group discusses encounterng a deceased Dahl’s
porpoise. Photo: Tami Pokorny
12 — NPC MRC
Emma Grayce Fleck in French Recycle-ution. Emcee Sarah Tucker
provides the details of the costume made from plastic garbage bags and
materials purchased years ago from the Boeing surplus store.
Photo: Tami Pokorny
Dana Wu in her Tarp-tastic suit.
Photo: Tami Pokorny
Bella Dawkin models Skyla Dawkin’s ensemble, “Trashy Dress”.
Photo: David Schmidt
Beauty and the Beach Debris –
Forks’ First Trashion Show
By Cole Johnson and Dana Wu
This year, Rain-
Fest River & Ocean
Days hosted an event
never before seen at
the festival: a Trashion
Show. The spectacle
was held on April
24th in celebration of
our beautiful beaches
and to honor the vol-
unteers who planned
to participate in the
coast cleanup that very
next day.
Trashion art com-
bines environmental-
ism with creativity
and has been around
for years. In the
1990s, people began
crafting wearable arts
out of plastic waste
to celebrate Earth
Day, and, long before
that, people utilized
salvaged materials to
create clothing. Trashion blends fashion with beach trash and
surplus items – hence the portmanteau, “trashion”.
Fork’s inaugural Trashion Show exceeded all expecations.
It began with entertainment from musical guests Slim Howly
and Sandy Summers of Port Angeles and a slideshow present-
ed by Washington CoastSavers. ONP Marine Ambassador
Skyla Dawkins, who entered trashion designs in the show,
said that the evening was, “awesome and really fun. Everyone
looked amazing!”
Models walked a circular runway created by Master of
Ceremonies Sarah Tucker of Port Angeles (dressed as a glam-
orous housefly) to show off their trashion creations to the
delight of the audience. Examples of costumes included an
English bulldog dressed as Star Wars’ Darth Vader adorned
with plastic picnic forks and lead by his human, Hank
Walker, dressed as a Sith Lord with a sign that read: “The
Empire Strikes Back ... against beach litter!” and, “Don’t join
the Dark Side, clean up your trash!”
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Prizes in various categories were awarded by judges Wendy
Bennett, Forks High School art teacher, Rod Fleck, attorney-plan-
ner for the City of Forks, and Helen Freilich, the waste reduction
specialist for the City of Port Angeles. Skyla and the other winners
received prizes and gift certificates donated by local artists and
businesses.
First prize went to trashion artist Suzanne DeMasso of Port
Hadlock for her glorious dress entitled “French Recycle-ution”
modeled by FHS student Emma Grayce Fleck. The dress incor-
porated a feather-like skirt made of individually ironed plastic
grocery bags. Trashion Show co-organizer Dana Wu wore a
sophisticated design of her own creation, a suit made from a
brown tarp and assorted marine debris recovered from Ruby
Beach. Jon Schmidt, Washington CoastSavers amazed as well with
his original shotgun shell kilt constructed with shells collected
near Sequim. He commented afterwards, “CoastSaver volunteers
are passionate and dedicated to the cause of keeping our beaches
clean. The Trashion Show was a great opportunity to have some
fun and celebrate our efforts.”
Other costumes included “Plastic Princess”, “This Dress
is Garbage”, “Titanium” and “Skeletor, Scourge of Eternia and
Would-be Master of the Universe and Conqueror of Castle Gray-
skull” – presented by designers and models as young as ten years
old.
The Trashion Show’s impact on the community will likely be
lasting. Because of the local attention it received, this event has in-
creased awareness of how much trash is actually washing up on our
local beaches. Marine debris is quickly becoming a huge problem.
Events like the Trashion Show are important because they open
eyes and encourage people to make choices that protect the environ-
ment. We look forward to another Trashion Show next April!Jon Schmidt in the shotgun shell kilt he designed himself.
Photo: Tami Pokorny
The judges’ corner – Helen Freilich, Wendy Bennett, and Rod
Fleck. Photo: Tami Pokorny
Slim Howly and Sandy Summers provided live entertainment at the Trashion
Show. Photo: Tami Pokorny
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North Pacific Coast MRC
c/o Tami Pokorny
JCPH 615 Sheridan Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Printed on 30% Post Consumer Waste Recycled paper
NPC MRC
Tami Pokorny
Coordinator, Editor
Jefferson County Water Quality
615 Sheridan Street
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Phone: 360-379-4498
tpokorny@co.jefferson.wa.us
Steve Allison (Hoh Tribe)
Katie Krueger (Quileute Tribe)
Dana Sarff (Makah Tribe)
Rod Fleck (City of Forks)
Tami Pokorny (Jefferson County)
Deb Kucipeck (Clallam County)
Roy Morris (Citizen 1, Clallam)
Rich Osborne (Citizen 2, Clallam)
John Hunter (Citizen 3, Clallam)
John Richmond (Citizen 1, Jefferson)
Ed Ansorg (Citizen 2, Jefferson)
Jill Silver (Citizen 3, Jefferson)
ONP sea stars face an uncertain future. See article page 9. Photo: Steven Fradkin