This project is composed to two parts; 

     (1) a survey of shoreline property owners asking them to go to their beaches to locate and assist the MRC in mapping eelgrass beds and for the main goal of educating shoreline property owners about the value and significance of eelgrass habitat. 
      (2) an underwater video mapping of eelgrass beds in five priority areas of the Island County nearshore area.  Those five areas include Oak Harbor, Penn Cove, Utsulady Bay, Holmes Harbor and the Maxwelton Creek outfall area.  This part of the project involves actual video taping eelgrass beds and mapping them using the latest technology which incorporates real time GPS data on location.  It will then be mapped via a GIS program and be used as benchmark information for assessing the health and vitality of eelgrass beds.

This project is supported by a grant from the Northwest Straits Commission for $29,280.

All work is being completed by subcontractors:

Part 1 - WSU Cooperative Extension - Beach Watchers 
Part 2 - Marine Resources Consultants of Pt Townsend
 

Part 1 - FINAL

Summary  

Sample: 4500 shoreline property owners selected based on the Island County Assessor property records of those owners who had improvements to their shoreline property of $1,000 or more and  shoreline property owners who lived in Washington State. Sample included, by error, all shoreline owners along  freshwater lakes in Island County.

   Survey was mailed mid June of 2000 and had a return rate exceeding 13%. 

N = 4500