Whatcom County MRC Projects - Community Events

Public Speaker Events

The MRC hosts public speaker events at many of its monthy meetings.  These events are free and open to the public.  Information on upcoming events can be found on the MRC home page. 

2010

March - Brady Olson, Shannon Point Marine Center, Ocean Acidification
May - Kurt Fresh, NOAA, Whatcom County Salmon: Threats and Opportunities

2009

February - Tarang Khangaonkar, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory, Puget Sound Circulation Models and Nearshore Restoration
April - Bob Mitchell, WWU, Geology and Seismic Hazards at the Bellingham Waterfront
June - Mariann Carrasco, Whatcom Marine Mammal Stranding Network
September - Tim Wahl, City of Bellingham, Shoals and Shores of Chuckanut Bay                        

2008

January - Steve Banham, City of Blaine, Drayton Harbor - Potential Sources of Bacteria and Remedies

February - Jim West, An Overview of Toxic Contaminants in the Puget Sound Ecosystem

April - Todd Hass, WA Dept. of Ecology, Geographic Spill Response Plan

June - Bert Webber, WWU, Resource Management Issues in Bellingham Bay

September - Melisa Holman, The Nature Conservancy, Lily Point Restoration Project

November - John Rybczyk, WWU, Sea-level Rise - Whatcom County Coastline

2007

February - Tim Wahl, Whatcom County, 1800s Patterns of the Lower Nooksack

April - Pam Meacham, WDFW, Controlling the Asian Sea Squirt and Other Aquatic Nuisance Species in Puget Sound

May - Doug Canning, UW, Sea-level Rise: Effects and Policy Considerations in Washington State

October - Hilary Culverwell, Puget Sound Partnership (PSP), PSP Update

December - David Shull, WWU, Rockfish Surveys in Whatcom County

2006

February - Bri Silbaugh, Surfrider Foundation, Volunteer Water Quality Monitoring

February - Mike Stoner, Port of Bellingham, Waterfront Redevelopment

March - Rick Gustafson, NOAA, Cherry Point Herring

May - Doug Stark, Re-Sources, Beach Naturalist Program

August - David Roberts, DNR, Creosote Issues in Bellingham Bay and Cherry Point

October - Andrea Copping, Puget Sound Hydrodynamic Models

October - Mike Stoner, Port of Bellingham, Whatcom Waterway Clean-Up

2005

January - Anne Mosness, Institute of Agriculture & Trade Policy, Net Pen Aquaculture

April - Deb Farrer, WDFW, Shark Tagging in Puget Sound

June - John Bower, WWU, Marine Bird Abundance Change in Northern Puget Sound Waters

October - Paul Dinnel, WWU, Cherry Point Herring Bioassay

December - Alan Chapman, Lummi Tribe, Juvenile Salmon in Bellingham Bay

2004

February - Kevin Anderson, Puget Sound Action Team, Ballast Water

June - Geoff Menzies, Drayton Harbor Oyster Farm

December - Jim Humphreys, Marine Stewardship Council, Sustainable Fisheries

2003

February - David Roberts, DNR, DNR Aquatic Lands Division

April - David Palazzi, DNR, DNR Aquatic Reserves Program

2002

April - Greg Bargmann, WDFW, Bottomfish of Whatcom County
June - Mike Sato, People for Puget Sound, Orca Pass Stewardship Area

2001

May - Kurt Fresh, WDFW, Salmon and the Nearshore Environment

Open Houses/Festivals

Open houses and festivals provide an opportunity for the public to view displays, brochures and fact sheets, talk with groups and individuals that are involved in marine restoration and protection efforts, and to build community appreciation for the marine environment. These events also provide an opportunity for local and regional groups to coordinate efforts and share experiences.

2003

Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Open House
The Whatcom County MRC was one of several sponsors for the 3rd Annual Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Open House in January 2003. The event was attended by over 100 community members interested in Drayton Harbor restoration efforts and the free shellfish! (Oysters and clams were donated by commercial harvesters from approved shellfish growing areas.)

2002

Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Open House
The Whatcom County MRC was one of several sponsors for the 2nd Annual Drayton Harbor Shellfish Protection District Open House in January 2002. The event was attended by over 150 community members interested in Drayton Harbor restoration efforts and the free shellfish! (Oysters and mussels were donated by commercial harvesters from approved shellfish growing areas.)

2001

Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee Open House
The Whatcom County MRC hosted an open house in March 2001 that focused on information that was gathered through the volunteer-based Rapid Shoreline Inventory. In addition, the MRC used this opportunity to introduce the committee to the community, to describe some of the future activities, and to encourage public participation in the committee’s meetings and activities.

Summits

There are a number of groups working within Whatcom County to protect and restore the marine environment. Each of these groups brings a different perspective of the issues confronting Whatcom County. Collaboration and coordination with other groups strengthens the community's efforts to protect our valuable natural resources.

2009

Nooksack Recovery Team - Salmon Summit

21st Century Economics : The Value of Our Salmon

Save the date!  The MRC will again sponsor a session of the Salmon Summit, held on March 12th, 2009.  . 

2003

Nooksack Recovery Team- Salmon Summit Nearshore Session
On November 13, 2003, the Nooksack Recovery Team hosted their annual Salmon Summit. The Whatcom MRC coordinated the Nearshore Session for this event. The Nearshore Session included 12 speakers discussing nearshore ecology in terms of how things have been, current assessments, and future directions ~ how things could be.

Whatcom County Marine Summit
On January 19, 2003, the Whatcom County Marine Resources Committee (MRC) hosted the second Marine Resources Summit. Over seventy participants attended the event, which was designed to establish common ground on two of the eight benchmarks established under the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative – a net reduction in shellfish bed closures and a net gain in high priority nearshore habitat.

During the Summit, presentations were made by regional and local experts to provide a common basis for discussion. After the presentations, Summit participants worked in small groups to identify ways to measure progress towards the benchmarks that are meaningful for the Whatcom County community, and then identified specific strategies for moving forward.

2002

Nooksack Recovery Team Salmon Summit- Nearshore Session

2001

Whatcom County Marine Summit
In May 2001, the Whatcom County MRC hosted a Whatcom County Marine Summit. The Summit included a keynote presentation by Andrea Copping, two panel discussions, and breakout sessions for community outreach, research and monitoring, and restoration projects. Panelists included representatives from Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association, RE Sources, Whatcom County, Cherry Point Technical Work Group, Drayton Harbor and Portage Bay Shellfish Protection Districts, Whatcom Land Trust, Bellingham Bay Pilot Project, Lummi Nation, City of Bellingham, WDFW, Nooksack Recovery Team, and Puget Sound/ Georgia Basin International Task Force. The Summit was a very successful event with over 50 participants including both local and cross-border groups.