Workshops for Marine Geographic Response Plans

Each year the public is invited to provide written feedback to help update the contents of Chapter 4 for Geographic Response Plans for one or two specific marine regions of interest (see "Evaluating GRPs" at right for various potential criteria).

The goals of the workshops and the materials listed at right are to:

• Educate stakeholders on the use and expectations of GRPs during spill events.
• Invite input on local information to update GRPs, including site access, sensitive natural resources, cultural resources, and significant economic resources.
• Ensure that all stakeholders understand the update process and are given an opportunity to participate.

In spring 2008, Ecology and US Coast Guard started the update process for the North Puget Sound and San Juan Islands GRPs.

A total of three GRP Workshops for the San Juan Islands were held in Friday Harbor and Orcas Island on April 11 & 12, 2008.  North Puget Sound workshops were held at Padilla Bay and Bellingham on April 30 and May 1, respectively. 

*We ask that the public submit their comments and suggestions for the regions' GRPs by June 15, 2008.*

Public Workshops are held in the regions of interest to give the public a chance to learn more and ask pertinent questions about GRPs before they submit comments and suggestions for improvement.  Public comments are:

• Assembled and reviewed by a group of GRP Trustee organizations for the area.
• Used to plan upcoming field work and testing.
• Summarized and posted online in a preliminary (pre-field work) Responsiveness Summary.

After field testing is completed and a revised draft GRP is produced, the public is given another 30-day opportunity to submit comments on the final GRP draft.  Those comments and Ecology/USCG responses are summarized in a second (near-final) Responsiveness Summary that is posted online.

If you have any questions about the process, please contact Todd Hass at (360) 407-6396 for more information.