BACKGROUND

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The rural communities of Washington’s outer coast, comprised of western Clallam and Jefferson counties, Pacific County, Grays Harbor County, and Wahkiakum County, are economically dependent on marine resources and face numerous challenges under uncertain economic and environmental conditions. In response, citizen-based Marine Resource Committees (MRCs) convened a Summit in October 2011 to develop joint project ideas that would garner a broad base of support from the area’s residents and businesses. As one of their top two priorities for this collaborative work, the MRCs selected an in-depth economic assessment of marine-resource dependent businesses and the challenges they face.

 

Representatives of the four MRCs formed a Summit Committee and a Project Steering Committee to provide guidance for the entirety of the project. Based on its previous economic analysis of the region from 1990 to 2000, the councils invited ONRC to assist in the development of this assessment. Three MRCs provided funding for a preliminary compilation of information by ONRC during Phase I. To create a base of information that would serve as background for an economic analysis of the region, ONRC researchers presented the following in their report:



a list of existing studies relevant to the region’s economic condition;
a directory of marine-based businesses along with contact information;
a series of maps at the county level showing their locations; and
a list of all coastal commercial fishing licenses issued by the Washington         Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) over the past 2 years.

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This information serves as the foundation for the more intensive research and analyses to be done by the UW graduate team in Phase II.

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The formation of our team initiates Phase II, the economic analysis report. Our detailed portrait of the marine resource-based economy will help coastal communities develop strategies to potentially sustain existing economic activities and seek out innovative opportunities for future economic development. MRCs may choose to use this report to communicate with political leaders, managers, and the public regarding the importance of these businesses. Upon completion of the report, we will present our findings and recommendations to the relevant stakeholders, who will then use this report to begin Phase III, culminating in a major conference planned for the Fall of 2013.

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THE PROJECT

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The project goal is to provide an economic assessment of marine resource-dependent industries; an overview of relevant environmental regulations as well as any potential environmental threats; and identify opportunities for economic growth in the coastal community. This information is intended to create an overall picture of the Outer Coast’s economic condition and could also be used as the basis for a more extensive economic analysis in the future, such as a cluster analysis.
 

Our analysis will encompass the coastal communities of the five westernmost counties of Washington State: Clallam, Jefferson, Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Wahkiakum. We will partner with the four MRCs (North Coast, Grays Harbor, Pacific, and Wahkiakum) that work along Washington’s Pacific coastline to create an up-to-date portrait of the economic health of marine resource-dependent businesses. This portrait will also include the regional economic impact of the public sector as well as the five Native American reservations (Makah, Quileute, Hoh, Quinault, and Shoalwater Bay) located on the coast. The project includes an economic analysis of jobs and coastal resources and interviews of key stakeholders to identify potential regulatory burdens to the marine based industry in the region.