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Annual Report Available for download
2011 was another busy and successful year for the MRC! Work continued on projects in focus areas including; Nearshore Habitat Protection and Restoration, Marine Water Quality, the Port Susan Marine Stewardship Area, Public Education and Outreach, Recreational Crabber Education and more. This work was made possible both with the support of Snohomish County Government, the Northwest Straits Commission and through the dedication of volunteers. The MRC is proud of its accomplishments over the past year and looks forward to continuing its efforts to benefit the marine resources and the citizens of Snohomish County in 2012 and beyond.
Click here to download the 2011 Annual Report.
What's New at Snohomish County MRC
Work begins to remove dike, restore estuary
Bill Sheets of the Everett Herald reports on restoration work taking place at The Nature Conservancy's Port Susan Bay Preserve.
"More fish, birds, native plants and animals are expected to thrive in Port Susan following the removal of a dike along the bay to restore part of the Stillaguamish River estuary. The Nature Conservancy, an environmental group that owns more than 4,000 acres of tidelands in Port Susan, has begun work on a project to remove an earthen dike that seals off the bay from 150 acres of former estuary. The second part of the project involves rebuilding another dike to the east to serve as the new boundary between the bay and adjoining farmland (Sheets)."
Click here to read the May 11, 2012 Everett Herald article: Work begins to remove dike, restore estuary.
Sharing the Shore with Harbor Seals
This winter the MRC funded the purchase of 9 Marine Mammal Stranding Network signs. The signs provide information about how to “Share the Shore with Harbor Seals”. WSU Extension arranged for these signs to be posted at parks within Snohomish County. In April, the City of Everett installed one of the educational signs at Howarth Park.
Click here to learn more about sharing the shore with Harbor Seals and the Seal Sitters Marine Mammal Stranding Network.
Lost Fishing Gear Becoming Big Threat to Puget Sound Marine Life
Sandi Doughton of the Seattle Times reports on the death of a rescued seal pup caught in derelict gear.
"The death of a rescued seal pup, trapped in an underwater tangle of fishing line, shows the deadly toll of lost fishing gear. Old fishing nets, crab pots, lines and hooks ensnare and kill more than half a million sea creatures in Puget Sound every year, according to the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative."
Click here to read the April 8, 2012 Seattle Times article: Lost fishing gear becoming big threat to Puget Sound marine life.
Explore Washington State waters and beaches on the Washington State Coastal Atlas
To find a public beach, check for beach closures or explore interactive maps, visit Department of Ecology's Coastal Atlas.
Click here to learn more about other map resources.