October 14-15, 2020
Location: Virtual Event

This year, due to COVID-19, the Forum was held in a virtual format. The Forum took place on October 14th and 15th, 2020.

About the Forum

The 2020 Forum was the third of a three-year series intended to help advance our collective knowledge about current spill prevention and response policies and practices in place in Washington State and B.C. It was hosted by the Washington State Department of Ecology and the B.C. Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy, and was a non-voting and non-decision-making entity.

The goal of the 2020 Forum was to celebrate the final year; exchange information to enhance oil spill prevention, preparedness and response to minimize impact of oil spills to the Salish Sea (the shared waters of Washington and British Columbia), and identify next steps needed to keep momentum.

Final Agenda (pdf)

Speaker and Panelist Biographies (pdf)

YouTube playlist of all videos (individual videos are linked to the sessions listed below)

Presentations:

Keynote Speaker Panel:

Keynote Video

• Emma Norman, Dept Chair, Native Environmental Science, Northwest Indian College (pdf, 54.6 MB)

Session 1: Progress and Key Outcomes from 2018 and 2019 Salish Sea Forums – WA and BC perspectives
Session 1 Video

• Dale Jensen, Spills Program Manager, WA Dept. of Ecology and
  Laurel Nash, Assistant Deputy Minister, BC Ministry of Environment and Climate Change Strategy (pdf, 1MB)

Session 2: How Crisis Can Drive Change in Public Policy and Offer a Window of Opportunity to Improve
Session 2 Video

• Nhi Irwin, Statewide Resourced Section Manager, WA Dept of Ecology (pdf, 26.4 MB)
• Councilman Chad Bowechop, Makah Tribal Council, Makah Tribe & Haley Kennard, Natural Resource Policy Analyst, Makah Tribe (pdf, 39.4 MB)

Session 3: Measures to Reduce Underwater Noise to Protect the Southern and Northern Residents
Session 3 Video

• Richard Dewey, Associate Director of Science, Ocean Networks Canada (pdf, 78.4 MB)

Session 4a:  Authorities, Legislation and Implementation Actions that have been done to ensure protection of treaty rights of Indigenous Peoples and Advance Transboundary Spill Prepardness, Prevention and Response
Session 4a Video

• Jaimie Bever, Executive Director, State of Washington Board of Pilotage Commission (pdf, 10.9 MB)
• JD Leahy, Maritime Risk Modeling Specialist, WA Dept. of Ecology (pdf, 3.3 MB)
• Senator Joe Williams, Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (pdf, 4 MB)

Session 4b: Work That Has Been Done to Ensure Excellence in the Transboundary Spill Prevention, Preparedness and Response Environment
Session 4b Video

• Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, Spills Preparedness Section Manager, WA Dept. of Ecology (pdf, 7.5 MB)
• Todd Woodard, Director, Natural Resources, Samish Indian Nation (pdf, 7.4 MB)
• Kristine Gatzke, Referrals Coordinator, Pacheedaht First Nation (pdf, 11.1 MB)

Session 4c: Indigenous Tribes and Nations Perspectives About the Impacts of Oil Transportation
Session 4c Video

• Tim Brewer, Senior Reservation Attorney, Tulalip Tribes (pdf, 5.9 MB)
• Tom Ehrlichman, Attorney, Special Counsel to the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community (pdf, 3.4 MB)

Closing: Hilary Wilkinson, Executive Coordinator Team, Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force
Closing Video

Media Coverage:

KNKX FM Radio

About the Oil Spill Task Force

The Pacific States/British Columbia Oil Spill Task Force is pleased to work with its member jurisdictions, Washington and British Columbia, in coordinating and facilitating the Salish Sea forums. The Task Force has been supporting transboundary coordination for nearly 30 years, and continues to look for opportunities to advance ideas, share information and foster collaboration across the shared waters of US and Canada.