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Activities

Seafloor Mapping

Upon request from Governor Gregoire, the Navy lifted a restriction on NOAA’s high resolution seafloor data that had been in place since 1985. NOAA is now able to share this data easily with partners. Lifting this restriction was a key recommendation from the Washington Seafloor Mapping Workshop held in January 2008.

• Navy and NOAA’s joint response letter to the Governor. (February 2009)
• Governor Gregoire’s letter to the Navy and NOAA. (June 2008)

Workshop Information

On January 22-23, 2008, a group of state and federal natural resource and science agencies, along with private industry partners convened the Washington State Seafloor Mapping Workshop in Seattle. This workshop, attended by over 120 scientists, managers, and policy makers, highlighted seafloor mapping technology and products, discussed status of mapping efforts, determined data gaps and priorities and develop partnerships and next steps to advance comprehensive mapping of Washington State’s marine waters. Seafloor maps have great potential to inform scientists, managers, and citizens when making decisions on developing, protecting, or restoring the marine environment.

• View a summary of the workshop (pdf).
• Click here to review presentations given at the workshop.

The following entities sponsored and hosted the Washington Seafloor Mapping workshop:

• Tombolo Institute.
• U.S. Geological Survey.
• National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's (NOAA) Northwest Fisheries Science Center and Sanctuary Program.
• Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
• Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife, Natural Resources, and Ecology.

Erosion and Sediment Management

In July 2007, the State of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey hosted the North Jetty Science-Policy Workshop in Ilwaco. The Lower Columbia Solutions Group facilitated this workshop, which brought together scientists, technical specialists and policy-makers to discuss nearshore physical processes in Southwest Washington and their policy implications for sediment management, especially dredged material from the mouth of the Columbia River. View workshop summary (pdf).

West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health

On September 18, 2006, the governors of California, Oregon and Washington announced the "West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health". The West Coast Governors' Agreement (WCGA) sets forth a new, proactive approach to collaborate regionally on protecting and managing the ocean and coastal resources along the entire West Coast.

Under this agreement, the three states developed an action plan that specifies regional activities in seven priority areas. Coordinating under this regional initiative will help leverage resources on key activities; facilitate greater efficiency and effectiveness; and advance Washington’s priorities for our coasts. More about West Coast Governors’ Agreement on Ocean Health.

Coastal Zone Management Act reauthorization

The Coastal Zone Management Act (CZMA) of 1972 created a unique partnership between federal and state governments with the goal of balancing conservation of coastal environments with responsible development of economic and cultural resources. The pending reauthorization of the CZMA by Congress has prompted discussions within the coastal community on ways to improve coastal management in the U.S.

During 2007, NOAA’s Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management, which administers programs created by the CZMA, and the Coastal States Organization (CSO) responded by engaging coastal managers and stakeholders in envisioning the future of coastal management. The goal of this visioning process was to gather feedback on priority issues and collect innovative ideas for improving the CZMA. See the results of this effort.

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Learn more about how these regional and national initiatives play a role in Washington’s efforts to improve ocean and coastal resource management. Click here for fact sheet.

Questions? Contact Jennifer Hennessey, 360-407-6595