User:Nicole at Northwest Straits/sandbox

The Northwest Straits Marine Conservation Initiative or Northwest Straits Initiative (NWSI) was established under Title IV of Public Law 105-384 in 1998. It is comprised of the Northwest Straits Commission, the Marine Resources Committees, and the Northwest Straits Foundation. The NWSI was born from political deadlock over the proposed formation of a federal marine sanctuary in the Strait of Juan de Fuca which included the San Juan Islands. Democratic Senator Patty Murray and Republican Congressman Jack Metcalf formed the Initiative as an alternative to the marine sanctuary. It is federally-funded. The NWSI focuses on conservation and restoration of Puget Sound in northwest Washington State and relies on the work of local, citizen based Marine Resource Committees (located in seven counties) to prioritize actions in recovering the health of the sound.