Senator Murray Tours Northwest Straits Commission Headquarters, Discusses Efforts to Protect Marine Habitats, Ecosystems in Northwest WA

Senator Murray has worked tirelessly to fund the Northwest Straits Commission every single year since 1998

As Chair of the Appropriations Committee, Murray secured $1 million for Northwest Straits Commission in funding bills she negotiated and got signed into law in March

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Mount Vernon, WA - Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, toured the headquarters of the Northwest Straits Commission, a regional coordinating body focused on restoring marine habitats in the Northwest Straits region and addressing local threats to marine environments with projects like restoring shellfish populations, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and promoting growth for native water and shore-based plants.

During her visit, Murray toured the facilities at the Breazeale House on the Padilla Bay Reserve, which is managed by the Washington State Department of Ecology, and received updates from Commission members on Northwest Straits projects, such as eelgrass restoration, shorebird monitoring, and other beach ecosystem restoration.

The Northwest Straits Commission provides funding, training, and support to seven county-based Marine Resources Committees (MRCs) and 15 Tribes. The Commission advises local officials on how to best carry out environmental projects and provides expertise to community organizations to help them be partners in their work by, for example, training volunteers to identify forage fish spawning sites. Senator Murray led the authorization of the Northwest Straits Commission in 1998 and has secured federal funding for the Commission every single year in the decades since. Murray most recently introduced legislation to permanently reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission last month.

"Washington's coastlines and waterways are more than just a breathtaking view-they are drivers of local economies, how so many people make a living, and are absolutely vital to our state's way of life," said Senator Murray. "Since helping to establish the Northwest Straits Commission decades ago, I've worked to secure funding for the Commission year after year because it is so important we protect these natural habitats and diverse ecosystems. It was great to hear more today about how the Commission is putting these funds to good use and to talk about the work ahead to protect our marine habitats for generations to come. I'm proud to have secured funding for the Commission in this year's spending package, and will continue to fight to reauthorize and support the Commission for years to come."

"It was incredible to have Senator Murray here with us today to hear about the work our Marine Resources Committees and partners are carrying out," said Northwest Straits Director Lucas Hart. "These projects, from on-the-ground work like Olympia oyster restoration to the local government advisory roles that volunteers fulfill, provide a way for people to have direct impacts on issues they care about. Senator Murray's Northwest Straits Initiative reauthorization bill recognizes the importance of supporting this kind of direct community engagement to affect positive change."

"The Northwest Straits Initiative is a key partner in Puget Sound recovery, and we greatly value our collaborative relationship with them. Restoring Puget Sound to a thriving ecosystem will take all of us working together, and that's one reason-among many-why the Initiative is so integral," said Puget Sound Partnership Executive Director Laura Bradstreet. "It engages members of the community to restore and protect habitat, species, and the character of this place that we love. Reauthorization of the Northwest Straits Initiative will continue its essential work and help us make progress toward a healthy and resilient Puget Sound."

"As a former fisheries biologist with the Lummi Tribe, I understand the importance of educating people about marine species like salmon and forage fish, in relation to Treaty Rights. MRCs provide a unique place in being a non-threatening bridge between the local community and the Tribes. While this is generally unrecognized, I believe this is one of the more important opportunities for MRCs," said Mike McKay, Whatcom Marine Resources Committee. "With Senator Murray's support, Whatcom MRC's Beach Seine with Kids program has connected over 430 fourth graders from the Lummi Tribal School and county schools and with their local environment since 2022. Reauthorizing the NW Straits Initiative would allow our MRC to continue building these important connections."

"The Northwest Straits Initiative (NWSI) has been taking the lead in protecting and restoring the Salish Sea's ecosystem through their work and that of all of the affiliated Marine Resources Committees (MRC). I appreciate Senator Murray's vision and support for this important work since the inception of NWSI," said Jefferson County Commissioner Heidi Eisenhour. "Jefferson County's MRC has been leading the charge within NWSI, championing marine conservation here at home in Jefferson County. I've been an active member and partner with the Jefferson MRC for the past few years, seeing firsthand the impact of our work on our marine environment. And guess what? NWSI is seeking to keep this great thing going, which means that they can continue working together to build on all the awesome progress they've made and tackle challenges coming their way in the Salish Sea. That's work worth doing!"

"With the reauthorization, our committed volunteers will be able to work with local, state, and federal agencies to implement the six protection strategies in the San Juan Marine Stewardship Plan," said Jamie Stephens, the Governor's Appointee to the Northwest Straits Commission.

Over the years, Senator Murray has helped secure tens of millions of dollars in federal funding for the Northwest Straits Commission's restoration work and research. Most recently, as Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Senator Murray secured $1 million for the Northwest Straits Initiative through programmatic funding in the appropriations bills she wrote and passed into law in March. This was the first time Northwest Straits received programmatic funding since the original authorization expired in 2004, and the resources are significant in helping to ensure the Commission is funded long into the future. Murray will be fighting to protect and build on these investments in the appropriations bills for fiscal year 2025 and beyond.

In the appropriations bills for fiscal years 2022 and 2023, Senator Murray secured a total of $6 million in Congressionally Directed Spending (CDS) funding for the Northwest Straits Commission; that funding was essential to the removal of the "Windjammer" sailboat that had been partially submerged near the Kukutali Preserve since 2009 on Swinomish Tribal tideland. Prior to the return of Congressionally Directed Spending in Fiscal Year 2022, Murray ensured the Northwest Straits Commission received annual funding through the EPA's Puget Sound Geographic Program. Prior to that, Murray secured CDS funding for the Northwest Straits Commission after the original authorization for the Commission expired in 2004.

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