2026 brought an exciting milestone for our region; as the U.S. House of Representatives passed the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act with strong bipartisan support. It’s the first time that a Northwest Straits Initiative reauthorization bill has passed the House, and we are encouraged to see this support.
As this legislation brings more attention to the NW Straits Commission and Marine Resources Committees (MRCs), we'd like to provide some context about our name and terminology.
The term “Northwest Straits Initiative” comes from the original federal legislation that created the “Northwest Straits Commission.” We also used “Northwest Straits Initiative” as a term to describe a network of different organizations working in the Northwest Straits region, including the NW Straits Commission, NW Straits Foundation, and seven Marine Resources Committees. Over the years, we’ve found that using “Northwest Straits Initiative” as an umbrella term has made it hard for folks to know the difference between each of the independent organizations. To help clarify things, here’s how we’re using the terminology today:
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“Northwest Straits Initiative” refers only to the original Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Act or more recent Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative Reauthorization Act. The former was the bill that created the Northwest Straits Commission. This authorization sunsetted in 2004. The latter is a bill to re-establish the Northwest Straits Commission as a federal program.
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“Northwest Straits Commission” refers to the organization that supports the seven County based Marine Resources Committees and leads regional coordination, science, and restoration work.
Acknowledging the Northwest Straits Commission
When acknowledging the NW Straits Commission in any form of communication, please use the NW Straits Commission name and logo. We have made our logo files and branding materials available in our brand guide & faqs.
Thank you for staying connected to the work of NW Straits Commission, Marine Resources Committees, and many partners. We look forward to sharing more updates as reauthorization moves ahead.