Whatcom County MRC Projects - Community Partnerships

Whatcom County Marine Summit 2003
Whatcom County Marine Summit 2001

There are a number of groups working within Whatcom County to protect and restore the marine environment. Each of these groups brings a different perspective of the issues confronting Whatcom County. Collaboration and coordination with other groups strengthens the community's efforts to protect our valuable marine resources. The Whatcom County Marine Summits provide a unique avenue for the coordination of groups in Whatcom County.

Whatcom County Marine Summit 2003

On January 19, 2003, the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) hosted the second Marine Resources Summit. Over seventy participants attended the event, which was designed to establish common ground on two of the eight benchmarks established under the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative – a net reduction in shellfish bed closures and a net gain in high priority nearshore habitat.

During the Summit, presentations were made by regional and local experts to provide a common basis for discussion. After the presentations, Summit participants worked in small groups to identify ways to measure progress towards the benchmarks that are meaningful for the Whatcom County community, and then identified specific strategies for moving forward.

The products of the Summit reflected in this report include:

• Progress report from the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee
• Summaries of each of the five educational presentations
• Common measurements of success identified by participants
• Common strategies for moving forward identified by participants
• Contact and project information for Summit participants for networking purposes

The 2003 Marine Summit served to advance the community’s shared understanding of two key marine protection and restoration issues. Moreover, the Summit established a foundation of common goals for building broader community support in the long journey towards recovery of our marine heritage.

To learn more about the 2003 Whatcom County Marine Summit, the presentations, work sessions, and outcomes, see the 2003 Summary Report.

Whatcom County Marine Summit 2001

In May 2001, the Whatcom County MRC hosted a Whatcom County Marine Summit. The Summit included a keynote presentation by Andrea Copping, two panel discussions, and breakout sessions for community outreach, research and monitoring, and restoration projects. Panelists included representatives from Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, RE Sources, Whatcom County, Cherry Point Technical Work Group, Drayton Harbor and Portage Bay Shellfish Protection Districts, Whatcom Land Trust, Bellingham Bay Pilot Project, Lummi Nation, City of Bellingham, WDFW, Nooksack Recovery Team, and Puget Sound/ Georgia Basin International Task Force. The Summit was a very successful event with over 50 participants including both local and cross-border groups.

The Marine Summit helped the MRC identify community needs for marine protection and restoration efforts. The primary needs identified for the community were community outreach, data coordination, and coordination between local efforts.

To learn more about the 2001 Whatcom County Marine Summit, see the 2001 Summary Report and Appendices