CURRENT PROJECTS

Olympia Oyster Continuation and Expansion

Tarboo/Dabob Bay Fish Assessment

Port Townsend Bay Eelgrass Voluntary Anchor Protection Zone Pilot Project

Marine Stewardship

Shoreline Protection Alternatives

ONGOING PROJECTS

Forage Fish / Nearshore Information

Early Action Project

Emergency Oil Spill Response

Jefferson County MRC Projects

The Jefferson County MRC continues to build upon our knowledge base of the present health of our marine resources, the limiting factors to the health and growth of the resources, and the priority habitats in our county.

• Year Three - 2002

The MRC met with specialists including fisheries biologists, geomorphologists, shellfish experts, estuarine ecologists, aquatic vegetation scientists and others with local knowledge of county waters.  Utilizing the information collected in the focus groups and other community outreach programs conducted by the MRC, the MRC developed a priority list of bays  and potential projects. With this combined scientifc and citizen input, the MRC selected three projects:

• Discovery Bay Olympia Oyster Seeding Project
• Tarboo/Dabob Bay Fish Assessment
• Voluntary Anchor-Free Eelgrass Protection Project

• Year Five - 2004

The MRC will continue to expand the Olympia Oyster Seeding Project, place eelgrass marker buoys in Port Townsend Bay and expand our public education efforts, and develop a Habitat Stewardship Committee and Project in Discovery Bay.

These projects make progress in addressing Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative benchmarks associated with nearshore habitat, shellfish, other key marine indicator species, establishing MPAs (marine protected areas), broad county participation, and public outreach and education.