HomeMy WebLinkAboutNWSC Reauthorization JC MRCCo
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April 3, 2023
Board of County Commissioners
1820 Jefferson Street
PO Box 1220
Port Townsend, WA 98368
Kate Dean, District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, District 2 Greg Brotherton, District 3
Senator Patty Murray
154 Russell Senate Office Building
Washington DC, 20510
Dear Senator Murray,
The Jefferson County Board of Commissioners urges you to support Northwest Straits Marine
Conservation Initiative Reauthorization. Congressional reauthorization is needed to ensure ongoing
federal support that fully funds the Northwest Straits (NWS) Marine Conservation Initiative. The
Initiative's leadership and work is critical to the health of our marine resources in our county and six
others —a majority of counties in the Puget Sound region. We rely on these resources for a strong
economy and a robust way of life.
The NWS Initiative provides technical assistance, coordination, and base funding support to seven
county -based Marine Resources Committees (MRC), including the Jefferson County MRC. The work
that MRCS do protects and restores our valuable marine resources and nearshore environment. Our
county, like others, faces ongoing pressures from population growth, climate change, and habitat loss,
making the contributions of MRCS more important than ever.
MRCS are made up of local volunteers who prioritize and lead restoration, monitoring and education
projects and serve as advisory bodies to local elected officials, including the Jefferson County Board
of Commissioners. The MRC serves a unique role by convening a diversity of community perspectives
from Tribal, economic, recreational, and environmental interests to prioritize and initiate consensus -
driven work. A few examples from our county include Olympia oyster restoration, community
education on marine ecosystems, and marine habitat monitoring.
Project implementation through our MRC is a cost-effective way of contributing to recovery and
protection of marine resources that are important to our county residents and the local economy.
Funding and support from the NWS Initiative assures we can maintain this locally driven approach to
solving problems in our region.
We hope that we can count on your help to see that this important work will continue and be
adequately funded.
Sincerely,
Jefferson County Commissioners
Kate tan/$,istrict No. 1 JiJEisenhour, District No. 2
Cc: Senator Maria Cantwell
Representative Rick Larsen
Representative Derek Kilmer
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Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@co.jefferson.wa.us