The House of Representatives passed legislation June 3 to reauthorize the Northwest Straits Commission for seven years, sending the bill forward on a 374-49 vote.
The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2025, introduced by U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02), would continue funding for the community-based commission that supports marine habitat restoration across the Northwest Straits region of Puget Sound. The commission funds, trains, and supports seven county-based Marine Resources Committees, five of which operate in Northwest Washington counties Larsen represents.
"The Commission's bottom-up approach has ensured that local communities have the resources and expertise they need to keep marine habitats healthy and recover endangered and threatened species, including Southern Resident Killer Whales and salmon," said Larsen, the top Democrat on the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee. "This bill provides the necessary funding so that the Commission can continue its work to restore the marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits region and support local jobs."
The commission's work spans a range of projects with direct commercial and recreational fishing implications, including monitoring kelp beds in Island County, conserving Olympia oysters in Whatcom County, surveying forage fish eggs in Snohomish County, restoring shoreline in Skagit County, and removing derelict vessels in San Juan County. The commission also works with ports, local authorities, tribes, and marine businesses on efforts such as trapping invasive European green crab, which threatens local shellfish economies.
According to the commission, the Northwest Straits region supports 16,000 jobs in Washington's commercial and recreational fishing industries and generates $150 million in economic output for the state's aquaculture industry.
Lucas Hart, director of the Northwest Straits Commission, credited the initiative's volunteer-driven model for its reach. "Last year, we worked with over 70 partners and generated nearly 10,000 volunteer hours to advance numerous regional and local projects," Hart said. "Reauthorization of the Initiative will help continue these critical partnerships and the volunteer engagement that benefits all who rely on marine resources."
The bill was introduced in April 2025 alongside Rep. Emily Randall (WA-06) and Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, both Washington Democrats. Larsen had previously introduced similar legislation in the 118th Congress.
"The Northwest Straits Commission has been a lifeline for our communities, providing critical resources like the Marine Resources Committees in Jefferson and Clallam counties, and working alongside Tribes all across the state," Randall said. "I'm proud to co-lead this legislation to reauthorize and continue the Commission's important work so we can continue working together to safeguard the precious marine resources that make our community and our state one-of-a-kind."
The commission traces its origins to a 1998 act of Congress, established through the efforts of Sen. Murray and then-Rep. Jack Metcalf, a Republican. The bill now moves to the Senate, where Murray and Cantwell are co-sponsors.
