WHERE: San Juan County, Washington

WHAT: Marine Stewardship Area

STATE: Located on the border between Washington State and British Columbia, San Juan County provides some of the richest marine habitat in North America. With over 400 miles of shoreline, the archipelago hosts a wide range of habitat types, including rocky reefs, beaches, kelp forests, pocket estuaries, and eelgrass beds. Threatened by population pressures, pollution, fishing, boating pressures and climate change, this unique marine ecosystem is in jeopardy. Dozens of resident species are listed under the Endangered Species Act, including the Southern Resident Killer Whale, Chinook salmon, and Marbled Murrelet.

STRATEGY: implement priority actions that will protect and restore the San Juan marine ecosystem.

GOALS: A community-based ecosystem management driven effort to protect and restore the rich marine ecosystem of the San Juan Islands

TACTICS:

• Partner with a local citizen’s advisory committee, the Marine Resources Committee (MRC), The Nature Conservancy, and a new Washington State agency called the Puget Sound Partnership
• Develop a shared vision for ecosystem health and conservation priorities based on science and local knowledge.
• Organize community members, small businesses, government agencies, tribes, and elected officials behind a marine stewardship plan adopted by the County Council.
• Conduct an assessment of existing conservation programs and policies, identifying gaps in protection and developing strategies to fill these gaps.