WASHINGTON’S WORKING COAST

A Project Overview and Request for Assistance

Rebekah Brooks, UW Olympic Natural Resources Center

Pacific County Science ConferenceMay 17, 2012

Today’s Focus:

•Reminder of scope of project

•Overview of Phase One and progress to

date

•Overview of Phase Two

•Invitation to join Steering Committee

•Request for feedback and advice

Main Point of Project Tough economic times Communities share common challenges Need to develop a more detailed picture

of the marine based jobs Need to seek ways to sustain and expand

them

Scope of Project This project voted one of two top projects

by Coastal MRCs All coastal Washington counties Series of three phases; still in Phase One

Phase One: Establish information base Phase Two: Class project for graduate student

team Phase Three: Coastwide conference

Purpose of Phase One

Establish information base for Phase Two Create foundation of information

What’s in the information base? All available recent socio-

economic studies of coastal region

List of marine-based businesses List of industry leaders

Examples of Socioeconomic Studies

Compilation of Marine Resource-Based Businesses

by County

Phase Two: New Improved Economic Assessment

Targeting coastal MRC counties Following guidance of Steering Committee Critically review and improve on past

studies Conducted by Program on the Environment

team http://depts.washington.edu/poeweb/index.php Cost effective way to conduct project

Program on the Environment team Capstone Project for Graduate Certificate in

Environmental Management A team of 5 to 6 graduate students Working September, 2012 to March, 2013 Supervised by faculty mentor MRC steering committee actively involved Students will travel to the coast to interview

industry leaders

MRC Funding Funding needed from next MRC project

round Vital if we are to use PoE students for this

work $13,000 needed

$10,000 for UW faculty mentor $3,000 for student travel to coast

Steering Committee

Steering Committee provides direction

Open/transparent process

Invitation to join Steering Committee (not yet fully formed)

Request for Feedback and Advice

Trying to cast as wide a net as possible!

Socio-economic studies we don’t know about? Interest in participating in the Steering

Committee? Business/industry leaders? Marine-based businesses in the area?

Thank you!Send additional questions/comments/feedback of any kind to:

Rebekah Brooks: rebalynn@uw.eduMiranda Wecker: mwecker@uw.edu