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The Clean Boating Pledge
Here is your chance to decide how you can help prevent pollution in your waterways.
To take the pledge:
- fill out the basic contact information,
- read through the next several pages and check off the actions you are able to take,
- click on the submit button at the end.
The marine waters near Squalicum Harbor, Blaine Harbor, Semiahmoo, and Point Roberts marinas are part of a vast inland sea that stretches from Puget Sound north to Johnstone Strait. This remarkable waterway is one of the richest marine ecosystems in the world.
As a boater, you know the wonders that await as you explore this areas cobble beaches, rocky coves, and open waters. Great forests of kelp and meadows of eelgrass provide feeding and hiding habitat for a variety of organisms. Schools of herring flash in the afternoon light, chased by salmon. Perhaps a pod of orcas will pass by your boat, or a Stellar sea lion might be found sunning itself on the rocks. And vast flocks of marine birds wheel in to land on these protected inland waters.
But, the health of our marine ecosystem is threatened as our population grows. The waters of the Puget Sound region host the highest per capita boat usage in the nation. And our numbers are increasing. More boats can mean more negative impacts to our marine waters. Bottom paint has been found in marine sediments, garbage and rogue fishing gear in the water is eaten by wildlife or entangles fish, and small fuel spills are adding up to be a big problem. As boaters who are privileged to enjoy these waters, we have a special responsibility to ensure that our boating practices have minimal impacts on this special place.
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