Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Foundation

The Northwest Straits Foundation is the non-profit partner of the Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative, a nationally recognized collaborative model for marine conservation.

Our vision is of diverse communities working together to restore a thriving marine ecosystem in the Northwest Straits of the Salish Sea. The intention behind the Northwest Straits Initiative is that small groups of people, working to protect and restore their local waters, can work together to have an ecosystem-wide impact.

To this end, the Foundation works to protect and restore the marine environment of the Northwest Straits by promoting and implementing science-based restoration and stewardship, and facilitating education projects in collaboration with seven county-based Marine Resources Committees (MRCs) and theNorthwest Straits Commission. The Foundation, Commission and the Marine Resources Committees work seamlessly together to engage the citizens of northern Puget Sound to carry out significant restoration projects with regional impact and import.

The Foundation accelerates and deepens the collective impact of the work of the Marine Resources Committees through technical assistance and project management, by securing funding, through regional education and outreach programs, and through programs of our own like the Derelict Gear Removal Program.