Senator Murray has worked tirelessly to fund the Northwest Straits Commission every single year since 1998
Washington, D.C. — Today, Senators Patty Murray (D-WA), Vice Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Maria Cantwell (D-WA), ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee and senior member of the Senate Finance Committee, and U.S. Representative Rick Larsen (D, WA-02), introduced the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025, legislation to permanently reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission in the Puget Sound, and fund it at $10 million each fiscal year for the next six years, through Fiscal Year 2031. Joining Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell, and Rep. Larsen in introducing the legislation today was U.S. Representative Emily Randall (D, WA-06).
The Northwest Straits Commission is a community-led effort to restore marine habitats in the Northwest Straits region and address local threats to marine environments with projects such as restoring shellfish populations, protecting vulnerable ecosystems, and promoting growth for native water and shore-based plants. The Northwest Straits Commission provides funding, training, and support to seven county-based Marine Resources Committees (MRCs). 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.
“Ensuring our rich marine resources in the Northwest Straits stay healthy is critical not only for local communities and Tribes, but also for our economy in Washington state. That’s why I first established the Northwest Straits Commission in a bipartisan way back in 1998, and fight to secure funding for it every single year,” said Senator Murray. “The Commission remains a model for how successful investments in community-led restoration projects can be, and how vital they are for restoration work that help our marine habitats recover and thrive. I am excited to continue leading the charge to permanently authorize the Northwest Straits Commission with this legislation, which would also provide a strong and consistent funding stream for the Commission over the next decade—making sure partners on the ground can expand their efforts to protect our marine species and habitats and support our outdoor recreation economy. I’ll continue fighting every way I can to secure the federal funding necessary to protect our natural resources for generations to come.”
“The Northwest Straits Commission has an impressive track record of community-led, well-executed projects that protect Washington state’s environment,” said Rep. Larsen, the lead Democrat on the House Transportation & Infrastructure Committee. “I am proud to support the Commission as it brings together a diverse group of local, state, tribal and federal stakeholders to restore marine habitats and create good jobs in Northwest Washington. I look forward to working with Senator Murray, Senator Cantwell and Rep. Randall to pass this bill to reauthorize the Commission so it can continue its important work for decades to come.”
“The Northwest Straits bill is critical to supporting our robust coastal economy and fishing jobs, while preserving Washington’s coastal environment for generations to come,” Senator Cantwell said. “This legislation ensures we continue to support the health and sustainability of our diverse marine resources.”
“From abalone beds and oysters, to the rugged coastline that stretches for hundreds of miles, folks from Washington’s 6th District know there’s no place quite like home. The Northwest Straits Commission has been a lifeline for our communities, providing critical resources like the Marine Resources Committees in Jefferson and Clallam counties, and working alongside Tribes all across the state,” said Rep. Randall. “Their collaborative efforts to restore and protect our marine habitats are a testament to what makes this place so special. I’m proud to co-lead this legislation to reauthorize and continue the Commission’s important work so we can continue working together to safeguard the precious marine resources that make our community and our state one-of-a-kind.”
The Northwest Straits Commission is supported by a wide range of stakeholders, including state and federal agencies, elected leaders, and Tribal partners throughout the Puget Sound Region.
“I am continually amazed by how well the Northwest Straits Initiative builds successful partnerships and brings people together to protect and restore the marine resources of Washington’s Northwest Straits region. Using a bottom-up approach, the Initiative encourages people and communities to take positive action, often as volunteers, to conserve our marine waters and shorelines,” said Lucas Hart, Director of Northwest Straits Commission. “Last year, we worked with over 70 partners and generated more than 10,000 volunteer hours to implement a range of local and regional marine resource stewardship projects. Sen. Murray’s legislation to reauthorize the Initiative will help continue these critical partnerships and ongoing volunteer engagement.”
“The NWS Initiative connects across a wide range of partners to restore and recover Puget Sound ecosystems that support species like salmon and Dungeness crab. Achieving true restoration will require a collective effort, and the Initiative plays a key role by cultivating community-driven collaboration,” said Cecilia Gobin, Tribal Delegate to Northwest Straits Commission, and conservation policy analyst with the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission. “This work is crucial to our region, which has a long history of relying on and enjoying marine resources. We are very happy to see Senator Murray moving forward with this reauthorization bill.”
“The Northwest Straits Initiative is a unique bottom-up approach to marine resource stewardship in north Puget Sound. The work benefits commercial fishing, aquaculture, rural businesses, and recreational boating that all rely on healthy marine waters,” said Jamie Stevens, Governor’s appointee to Northwest Straits Commission.
“Senator Murray has been a tireless advocate for Washington’s environment,” said Washington State Governor Bob Ferguson. “The Initiative brings together people representing different economic, recreational, and environmental interests to prevent derelict boats, restore native oysters, and control invasive green crab. The reauthorization bill will continue to help preserve Washington’s marine waters and shorelines for future generations.”
“I have had the privilege of working for and with Senator Murray to develop and support the Northwest Straits Initiative. It is exciting to see this vital preservation work continue for nearly three decades,” said Casey Sixkiller, Director of Washington State Department of Ecology. “The Initiative has stood the test of time by empowering and helping local people steward the marine resources in their backyards. It has been invaluable in helping restore forage fish for salmon and better understanding the value of vibrant kelp forests in Puget Sound. I am incredibly thankful to Senator Murray for championing this important legislation.”
“Since 1998, the Northwest Straits Initiative has been integral in working with communities across Puget Sound to restore marine resources,” said Alan Clark, Clallam County Marine Resources Committee. “By partnering with volunteers, Tribes, agencies, ports, and a variety of other partners, the Initiative has built a large network—from fishermen and Tribal biologists to educators and shellfish growers—working together to restore species like the Pinto abalone and promote stewardship through efforts like ‘Be Whale Wise.’ This growing community is the heart of lasting, effective marine conservation in our region.”
“In Jefferson County we look to our MRC as local experts on marine issues. Through MRCs, the NW Straits Initiative serves a vital role in shaping local and regional policies, including our Comprehensive Plans and Shoreline Master Programs, and have proven themselves to be creative and thoughtful leaders on behalf of our marine environment,” said Heidi Eisenhour, Jefferson County Commissioner.
“Eelgrass in the San Juans is struggling more than elsewhere in Puget Sound. We need to identify actions that preserve these critical habitats, but that also support a positive boating experience and provide for unhindered access to usual and accustomed treaty tribal fishing areas,” said Frances Robertson, San Juan Marine Resources Committee boater impact project lead. “Being recognized as a federal program highlights the important role of the Northwest Straits Initiative in uniting local communities, regional, (and transboundary) partners for marine conservation and restoration efforts that fosters a healthy and vibrant marine environment for all.”
“We have deeply benefited from our partnership with the Northwest Straits Initiative over the years,” said Jodie Toft, Executive Director of Puget Sound Restoration Fund. “While the focus of our shared work has been on shellfish and kelp restoration, the Initiative’s support of local engagement in marine resource stewardship is broader. Their efforts have been invaluable as we all work towards preserving recreational and economic opportunities in Puget Sound. We are excited to see Senator Murray’s leadership to reauthorize this important program and ensure long-term community engagement for the marine waters and people of this region.”
The Northwest Straits Commission was established following the bipartisan partnership of Senator Murray and former Congressman Jack Metcalf. Murray and Metcalf released a report in 1998 that laid the groundwork for the Northwest Straits Commission and its work protecting marine habitats, and later that year, Senator Murray successfully authorized the Northwest Straits Commission for a six-year period. 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—part of Senator Murray’s longtime, steadfast commitment to salmon recovery in the Pacific Northwest.
Last year, 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 2024—this was the first time Northwest Straits received programmatic funding since the original authorization expired in 2004, and is significant in helping to ensure the Commission is funded long into the future. 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.
The text of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025 is HERE.
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