Strategic Plan

2010 – 2020 Strategic Plan

Island County Marine Resources Committee

Note: The strategic plan is a living document we will continue to adapt and amend.


I. Purpose of the MRC

To contribute to the health of the marine environments of Island County and the Northwest Straits through education, protection, restoration, research and voluntary action. The MRC builds community awareness of the issues, recommends actions, takes actions and builds community support for these actions.


II. Problem and Opportunity

Marine species, habitat and water quality have declined in recent decades because of human influences. We can help our community change behaviors to protect and restore the natural abundance and diversity that make Island County an attractive and healthy place to live, work and visit.


III. Mission

Our mission is to help protect and restore the marine environments of Island County and the Northwest Straits by measurably raising community awareness of marine issues and generating support for actions taken by 2020.


IV. Vision

By 2020 we envision widespread community implementation of best practices and other actions to protect and promote healthy marine waters and sustainable marine life and habitat, contributing in turn to a strong Island County economy.


V. MRC assets

  1. Represents diverse disciplines and interests
  2. Engaged and works cohesively
  3. Locally-led and locally knowledgeable
  4. Excellent baseline science
  5. Strong outreach and education capability
  6. Strong partner in WSU Beach Watchers – large pool of trained volunteers
  7. Skill and experience in writing and procuring grants
  8. Connectivity with county and state professional staff, universities, WSU Extension, and other community partners

VI. Assess Current Conditions

  1. Positive
    1. Island County has relatively healthy habitat.
    2. Most residents, property owners and visitors appreciate our county’s natural assets, marine recreation and rural lifestyle.
    3. An active, well-supported Land Trust is helping protect sensitive habitat
    4. Several thousand Island County residents are working to educate the public and build support for remedies through their participation in such organizations as Friends of Camano Island Parks, Friends of Freeland, The Orca Network, the Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group, Skagit River Systems Cooperative, Stilly-Sno Fisheries Enhancement Task Force, Waste Wise Volunteers, WSU Beach Watchers, Whidbey Audubon Society, Whidbey Camano Land Trust, Whidbey Institute at Chinook, Whidbey Watershed Stewards, The Nature Conservancy and The Wild Fish Conservancy.
    5. Several community groups are engaging volunteers in restoration including both WSU Beach Watchers and Whidbey Watershed Stewards.
    6. Additional support for the protection and restoration of marine resources is being provided by the Northwest Straits Initiative and tribal partners.
    7. The Shore Stewards program is growing on both islands.
    8. WSU Beach Watchers are engaging ever-larger numbers in science and outreach.
    9. Much baseline science has been compiled and is available to county departments.
    10. Much of the shoreline is publicly owned, which facilitates protection and restoration efforts.

  2. Negative
    1. Many estuaries, creek mouths and sections of natural shoreline were altered during the early years of development—wetlands filled or diked, estuaries closed, creeks diverted, roads built.
    2. Island County’s population and shoreline development are growing rapidly.
    3. Salmon, orca, steelhead and other marine populations are threatened – down sharply from mid-1900s.
    4. Many shellfish areas are closed because of fecal and other pollution.
    5. Specific sources of pollution have yet to be fully addressed, including septic failure, livestock, hydrocarbons and domestic pets.
    6. Nonpoint pollution is a growing threat but is not well addressed.
    7. Most people do not understand these problems, nor what they can do to help.
    8. Island County has extensive shoreline compared to most other counties – 212 miles -- a huge challenge to protect and restore.
    9. County departments may not be fully accessing or using much of the excellent baseline data collected in recent years.
    10. In the most populous and urbanized area of north Whidbey, there is a large, mobile population that may not be as engaged in marine and environmental issues as residents living elsewhere on Whidbey and Camano islands.

VII. Goals and Objectives

Definitions from NWSC strategic planning template

Goals: Broad statements of what the MRC expects to attain or achieve in the near-term or longer term. Goals should be realistic, based on identified needs and achievable in a reasonable or defined period of time. Objectives: Statements of specific, measurable and attainable outcomes that contribute to achievement of a particular goal. They focus on changing people’s behavior or circumstances or establishing a process for achieving a particular goal.

Goal A

Set priorities based on this strategic plan and the NWSC benchmarks.

Objectives

  1. Identify key ecological systems within the stewardship areas – i.e. species, ecological communities, or ecosystems that represent the range of natural diversity of the stewardship areas.
  2. Rank ecological systems for viability based on their health.
  3. Use rankings to prioritize future actions.
  4. Identify stresses causing the loss or impairment of specific systems, e.g. water pollution.
  5. Develop strategies including specific remedial actions and recommendations.
  6. Incorporate benchmarks into all MRC projects to measure outcomes.

Goal B

Employ science to increase community knowledge and lay the groundwork for remedial actions.

Objectives

  1. Identify data gaps and information needs with the help of the NWSC, other MRCs and federal, state, tribal and local agencies.
  2. Solicit the help of partners to fill data gaps and information needs.
  3. Initiate studies to fill remaining data gaps, emphasizing participatory or citizen science.

Goal C

Promote voluntary actions to protect and restore healthy habitats and species.

Objectives

  1. Grow the Shore Stewards program to engage citizens in protecting marine resources.
  2. Work with Beach Watchers and other community programs to increase community knowledge and adoption of best practices.

Goal D

Conduct outreach to share knowledge and promote the protection and restoration of healthy habitats and species.

Objectives

  1. Survey community to assess public’s understanding and implementation of stewardship practices.
  2. Brief county commissioners and other leaders at least annually on MRC activities.
  3. Work with county government and NWSC to assure accessibility of marine resource data, including MRC data, by the public and planners at all levels of government.
  4. Support the adoption of environmentally friendly actions by county citizens including recycling, composting, rain gardens and low-impact development.
  5. Support Shore Stewards, Beach Watchers and other community programs that increase knowledge and adoption of stewardship practices.
  6. Achieve an increase in community understanding of marine resource issues through such tools as books, websites, signage, brochures, news articles, meetings, presentations and workshops.
  7. Develop outreach partnerships, e.g. with Port of Coupeville on creation of a Coupeville Wharf education center.

Goal E

Participate in the Puget Sound Partnership, within the Whidbey Basin Action Area.

VIII. Action Plan

*** In Development ***