Kit Rawson is stepping down as the Chair of the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee (MRC). He will remain an active member of the Committee.

Rawson, Conservation Science Manager with the Tulalip Tribes, has chaired the MRC since April, 2005. The MRC is a citizensʼ advisory committee dedicated to the protection and restoration of marine resources in the San Juan Islands. The committee makes recommendations to the County Council on marine resource issues.

The start of Rawsonʼs chairmanship coincided with the establishment of the San Juan County Marine Stewardship Area (MSA) and he guided the MRC and the local communities through an active process to develop the Marine Stewardship Area Plan, which was adopted by the

County Council in July, 2007. The plan now guides the work of the MRC.

Kit was also instrumental in starting and nurturing the now annual San Juan Marine Managers Workshops, which brings together local scientists, staff and policy makers from a wide variety of agencies that have management responsibilities in the marine waters of the San Juan Islands. Rawsonʼs leadership has helped bring tribal representation to the workshops.

The salmon and rockfish recovery efforts in the County have also benefited from Rawsonʼs expertise. He has been active on the technical and advisory committee that helps analyze and rank projects for federal and state salmon recovery funds, and recently sat on the Rockfish Advisory Group which worked with the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to develop the Rockfish Conservation Plan presently out for public review.

On May 12 the Committee elected Steve Revella as the new Chair. Revella lives on San Juan Island, is a recreational boater and fisherman and retired from a long career in international management consulting.

Listening and collaborating are skills Revella has used during his tenure on the MRC. He was involved with the MRC work to inform and respond to NOAAʼs proposed vessel rule to protect killer whales.

While on the MRC, Revella has also worked with fishermen to gain support for rockfish protection, and worked with Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife to hold a series of seminars about the stateʼs crab fishery that led to increased understanding on both sides.

The newly elected Vice Chair of the Committee is John Aschoff of Orcas Island. A new member of the MRC, Aschoff has been an active volunteer doing marine related work including Soundwatch, the Friends of the San Juans and the SeaDoc Society. He is retired from a career

in software development in both technical and managerial roles for IBM. Aschoff is very interested in the protection and restoration of the marine environment in the San Juans. He volunteered to work on the comprehensive shoreline survey conducted with salmon recovery funds by the Friends of the San Juans, and spent extensive time on the water with Soundwatch as they contacted recreational boaters about whale watching practices and regulations. He works on Outreach and Education with the Stewardship Network of the San Juans.