The 14th annual NW Straits Marine Conservation Initiative meeting kicked off on Friday in Port Townsend. 150 citizen volunteers representing the seven counties that border on the Strait of Juan de Fuca, The Pacific and the North Sound, came to hear a wide variety of speakers update them on the latest in scientific and political issues facing protecting and restoring the greater Salish Sea. 
NW Straits Commissioner Jerry Masters kicked off the program, but quickly moved into a program that included a panel of experts leading the work in ocean acidification research, including Bill Dewey of Taylor Shellfish, Brad Warren of the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership,Norma Smith of the Washington state legislature, Jeff Waters of the Ocean Conservancy and Rachael Waters of the Washington Sea Grant.
John Stark of WSU gave a in-depth look at what they research has found on storm water runoff from a major freeway in Seattle, Harriet Beale of the Washington State Department of Ecology discussed their efforts, farmer Joe Hillers of Island County gave a funny talk about the efforts being done around bioremediation near Coupeville.
The highlights of the day came three fold. Tony Wright, the new Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership gave an impassioned speech as he roamed the crowd like a motivational speaker. He has a hard job to do in taking command of an organization that has seen too many changes at the top, and needs to deliver more than it has so far, but he brings an intensity that is greatly needed. If anyone can make the Partnership into the leading organization to oversee the disparate elements of the restoration, it’s Tony.
Last but certainly not least was Billy Frank Jr., Chairman of the NW Indian Fisheries Commission, who gave a powerful speech on the history and meaning of the Treaties, and an update on his recent trip to Washington to meet with President Obama, various legislators and agencies.
The presentations will be archived at the NW Straits web site over the next month. It will be well worth the time of anyone involved in restoration efforts to listen to these knowledgeable and passionate people who are in charge of leading the cleanup and protection efforts.