Current Projects

The Olympic Coast Alliance is finalizing the strategic planning process, which includes our mission statement and goals. We have identified our top priority conservation issues and we are currently working on researching the environmental and socioeconomic impacts of those issues. The OCA is also seeking funding through a variety of sources, especially by increasing our general membership. Other current projects include the 2005 Beach Clean Up, and further development of our website.

Olympic Coast Oil Spill Advocacy Network

Background

The pristine environment of the Olympic Coast provides excellent habitats for birds, mammals, fish, and other marine life. Almost 100 bird species and 29 mammal species, some of which are listed as endangered, use these habitats. Olympic Coast near shore habitats are nursery grounds for some of Washington’s most productive salmon runs.

A major oil spill off the coast would contaminate these habitats, likely wipe out at least one year’s offspring for some species, and in a worst-case spill, extirpate multiple species from the Olympic Coast. The fishing industry could be shut down for years, affecting local tribes, as well as other fishermen. Recreation and tourism-based economies could also suffer dramatic losses.

Oil spill prevention and response is very challenging. An oil spill is a catastrophic event when it occurs, but it is difficult for agencies to maintain adequate resources and to remain vigilant over long time periods between spills. Citizen participation is needed to keep the focus on prevention and maintain the resources needed to respond to a spill.

There are many opportunities for protecting the Olympic Coast from a devastating oil spill.

• Promote permanent funding for a year round rescue tugboat stationed at Neah Bay.
• Oppose weakening of federal regulations that currently ban oil exploration within and south of the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary.
• Support expansion of current regulations to require tugboat escorts for all oil tankers transiting the entire length of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.
• Encourage the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary to convert the voluntary “Area-To-Be-Avoided” into regulations that require all ships and barges to transit the coast far off shore.
• Promote adequate funding for oil spill response staffing, equipment, and supplies stationed at Neah Bay and La Push (click here for a map of the coast).

In response to these threats and opportunities, the Olympic Coast Alliance is:

• Creating an Oil Spill Advocacy Network that will enable concerned citizens to respond effectively to policy opportunities for preventing oil spills off the Olympic Coast.
• Coordinating citizen input into the Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary Management Plan Review that is being initiated during the fall of 2005.
• Helping coordinate citizen input into the Washington State Department of Ecology Oil Spill Contingency Planning process.

You can help prevent oil spills off the Olympic Coast by:

• Learning more about Olympic Coast oil spills by inviting an OCA speaker to make a presentation to your group.
• Commenting on oil spill prevention issues to policy makers through participation on the Oil Spill Advocacy Network.
• Writing a letter-to-the-editor of your local newspaper advocating support for specific oil spill prevention policies.

Click here to contact the OCA and become more involved in oil spill prevention.