On March 14, 2018, Governor Jay Inslee signed an Executive Order directing immediate statewide action to benefit Southern Resident orcas, which are considered to be in imminent danger of extinction. View a video recording of the signing ceremony.

View state agency actions requested by the Governor

Orca recovery Task Force established

The Executive Order establishes a task force to coordinate with British Columbia, Oregon, California, Idaho, and Alaska in developing policy recommendations at the regional, state, and federal levels. The Governor asked the Puget Sound Partnership and Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) to team up in leading support for the task force, with assistance from the Office of Financial Management and the Governor’s Policy Office. At the Governor’s request, Stephanie Solien, vice chair of the Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council, will co-chair the task force, along with Thomas (Les) Purce, formerly president of Evergreen State College and mayor of Pocatello, Idaho. The Governor invited Task Force participation from members of the legislature; the Government of Canada; representatives from tribal, federal, local and other state governments; the private sector; and the non-profit sector.  The Task Force also includes designees from WDFW, the Partnership, and many other state agencies.

TASK FORCE SCHEDULE

• First meeting: May 1, 2018, 10 to 4:30, Lacey Community Center, 6729 Pacific Avenue SE, Lacey, WA

  View the meeting via TVW archives:

  Morning session:

  https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018051003

  Afternoon session:

  https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018051004
• Second meeting: June 14, 2018, 2018, Olympia, WA

• Third meeting: August 7, 2018, Wenatchee, WA

  View the meeting via TVW archives:

  Morning session:

  https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018081016

  Afternoon session:

  https://www.tvw.org/watch/?eventID=2018081017
• Fourth meeting: August 28, 2018, Anacortes, WA
• ​10 am to 5 pm, Swinomish Casino and Lodge, 12885 Casino Drive, Anacortes
• Fifth meeting: October 18, 2018, Lacey/Olympia, WA
• ​In Lacey/Olympia (times and venue TBD)

• Draft report due: October 1, 2018

• Complete report due: November 1, 2018 (includes recommendations)

• Followup report due: October 1, 2019 (outlines progress, lessons learned, outstanding needs)

• Schedules and agendas for all Task Force and Working Group meetings are posted on Governor Inslee’s website at https://www.governor.wa.gov/issues/issues/energy-environment/southern-resident-killer-whale-recovery-and-task-force

TASK FORCE MEMBERS

Phil Anderson, Pacific Salmon Council

JT Austin, Governor's Office

Ken Balcomb, Center for Whale Research

Lynne Barre, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

Maia Bellon, Washington State Department of Ecology

Rep. Brian Blake (D), Legislative District 19, Aberdeen

Chad Bowechop, Makah Tribe

Bryce Campbell, Global Affairs Canada

Gary Chandler, Association of Washington Business

Karen Condon, Colville Confederated Tribes

Kaleen Cottingham, Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office

Jeff Dickison, Squaxin Island Trivbe

Mark Doumit, Washington Forest Protection Association

Chairman Leonard Forsman, Suquamish Tribe

Ron Garner, Puget Sound Anglers

Joe Gaydos, The SeaDoc Society

Cecilia Gobin, Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission

Brendan Flynn, Commercial Fisherman

Jeff Friedman, Pacific Whale Watch Association

Mayor Will Hall, City of Shoreline

George Harris, NW Marine Trade Association

Commissioner Andy Hover, Okanogan County

Chairman Jay Julius, Lummi Nation

B.J. Kieffer, Spokane Tribe

Rep. Drew MacEwen (R), Legislative District 35, Union

Paul McCollum, Port Gamble S’Klallam Tribe

Kelly McLain, Washington State Department of Agriculture

Virginia Painter, Washington State Parks

Commissioner Kathy Pittis, Port of Anacortes

Sen. Kevin Ranker (D), Legislative District 40, Orcas Island

Mindy Roberts, Washington Environmental Council

Sheida Sahandy, Puget Sound Partnership

Donna Sandstrom, The Whale Trail

Amy Scarton, Washington State Department of Transportation

Ron Schulz, Washington State Conservation Commission

Evan Sheffels, Washington State Farm Bureau

Brad Smith, Washington Fish and Wildlife Commission

Butch Smith, Ilwaco Charters

Commissioner Jamie Stephens, San Juan County

Kristin Swenddal, Washington State Department of Natural Resources

Trina Wellman, Northern Economics, Inc.

Jacques White, Long Live The Kings

Amy Windrope, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

Chairman Tom Wooten, Samish Indian Nation

 

Southern Resident orca—endangered since 2005

Southern Resident orcas have been protected in the U.S. since 1972 under the federal Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), but continued population declines resulted in the orcas being listed as endangered in 2005 under the federal Endangered Species Act (ESA). In Canada, they are listed as endangered under the Species at Risk Act.

Despite these protections, the population has fallen sharply over the past 20 years, from 98 in 1995 to 76 in 2018—a 22-percent decline. This represents the fewest Southern Resident orcas in more than three decades.

Three primary factors threaten the orcas: a lack of prey, principally Chinook salmon; toxic contaminants; and disturbance from vessel noise and traffic.

Recovery of orca depends on recovery of Chinook salmon

Chinook salmon comprise a large proportion of the diet of Southern Resident orcas. Reduced Chinook runs undermine the ability of the orcas to reproduce and recover. The Executive Order also aims to make prey more abundant for the orcas by creating healthier Chinook salmon runs.

Chinook salmon need a healthy and dependable environment in which to travel and reproduce, but are threatened by habitat loss, toxic pollutants (particularly those in stormwater runoff), streams blocked by development, predators, and newly arriving invasive fish. The loss of habitat and diminished water quality are key threats that led to the listing of Chinook salmon as a federally endangered species almost 20 years ago.

Executive Order requires immediate state agency action

The Executive Order details immediate action on the part of several state agencies, as summarized in the following table.

Due Date	Agencies involved	Action
April 30, 2018	WDFW and Parks	Increase enforcement and education concerning vessels and Chinook salmon fisheries
April 30, 2018	Ecology	Expand training programs that teach whale-watching vessels how to assist in the event of an oil spill
April 30, 2018	WDFW	Review and amend, as needed, 2018 recreational and commercial fishing regulations prioritizing protection of key areas and fish runs for Southern Resident orca recovery
April 30, 2018	WDFW	Explore options and develop a proposal to alter fish food used in state hatcheries to limit the amount of polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in the prey of Southern Resident orca
July 1, 2018	Partnership, WDFW, Parks, DOL, GSRO	Prioritize existing outreach resources to support Southern Resident orca recovery. Collaborate with the Governor’s Office to develop a public education program and identify needed resources
July 31, 2018	WDFW (with review by the Partnership and GSRO)	identify high priorities for Southern Resident orcas and adjust programs if needed
July 31, 2018	Ecology	Prioritize funding for stormwater mitigation projects that contribute to southern resident recovery
December 15, 2018	Partnership, WDFW, GSRO	Demonstrate how Chinook recovery projects benefit Southern Resident orca recovery for the Pacific Coast Salmon Recovery Fund, the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration Program, the Estuary and Salmon Restoration program, and the Washington Coastal Restoration Initiative

DOL = Washington Department of Licensing
Ecology = Washington Department of Ecology
GSRO = Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office
Parks = Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
The Partnership = Puget Sound Partnership

WDFW = Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife

FOR MORE INFORMATION

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries: federal agency responsible for enforcing the Marine Mammal Protection Act and implementing federal actions to recover Southern Resident orcas

http://www.nmfs.noaa.gov/pr/species/mammals/whales/killer-whale.html

Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife: state agency responsible for protecting Washington state’s fish and wildlife

https://wdfw.wa.gov/conservation/endangered/marine_mammals.html

Washington State Department of Ecology: state agency responsible for protecting the quality of Washington’s marine and fresh waters

• Water and shorelines programs: https://ecology.wa.gov/Water-Shorelines
• Oil spill prevention, preparedness, and response: https://ecology.wa.gov/Spills-Cleanup 

Governor’s Salmon Recovery Office: housed within the state’s Recreation and Conservation Office, GSRO is charged with coordinating a statewide salmon recovery plan

https://rco.wa.gov/salmon_recovery/gsro.shtml