‘‘(A) are residents of the State of Wash-
ington; and 
‘‘(B) are not employed by a Federal, State, 
or local government. 
‘‘(b) VACANCIES.—A vacancy in the Commission 
shall be filled in the manner in which the original appoint-
ment was made. 
‘‘(c) CHAIRPERSON.—The Commission shall select a 
Chairperson from among its members. 
‘‘(d) MEETING.—The Commission shall meet at the 
call of the Chairperson, but not less frequently than quar-
terly. 
‘‘SEC. 406. GOAL AND DUTIES OF THE COMMISSION. 
‘‘(a) GOAL.—The goal of the Commission is to pro-
tect and restore the marine waters, habitats, and species 
of the Northwest Straits region to achieve ecosystem 
health and sustainable resource use by— 
‘‘(1) designing and initiating projects that are 
driven by sound science, local priorities, community- 
based decisions, and the ability to measure results; 
‘‘(2) building awareness and stewardship and 
making recommendations to improve the health of 
the Northwest Straits marine resources; 
‘‘(3) maintaining and expanding diverse mem-
bership and partner organizations; 
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‘‘(4) expanding partnerships with governments 
of Indian tribes and continuing to foster respect for 
tribal cultures and treaties; and 
‘‘(5) recognizing the importance of economic 
and social benefits that are dependent on marine en-
vironments and sustainable marine resources. 
‘‘(b) DUTIES.—The duties of the Commission are the 
following: 
‘‘(1) To provide resources and technical support 
for marine resources committees established under 
section 408. 
‘‘(2) To work with such marine resources com-
mittees and appropriate entities of Federal and 
State governments and Indian tribes to develop pro-
grams to monitor the overall health of the marine 
ecosystem of the Northwest Straits. 
‘‘(3) To identify factors adversely affecting or 
preventing the restoration of the health of the ma-
rine ecosystem and coastal economies of the North-
west Straits. 
‘‘(4) To develop scientifically sound restoration 
and protection recommendations, informed by local 
priorities, that address such factors. 
‘‘(5) To assist in facilitating the successful im-
plementation of such recommendations by developing 
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broad support among appropriate authorities, stake-
holder groups, and local communities. 
‘‘(6) To develop and implement regional 
projects based on such recommendations to protect 
and restore the Northwest Straits ecosystem. 
‘‘(7) To serve as a public forum for the discus-
sion of policies made by a Federal, State, or local 
government, an Indian tribe, or the Government of 
Canada and actions with respect to the marine eco-
system of the Northwest Straits. 
‘‘(8) To inform appropriate authorities and 
local communities about the marine ecosystem of the 
Northwest Straits and about issues relating to the 
marine ecosystem of the Northwest Straits. 
‘‘(9) To consult with all affected Indian tribes 
in the region of the Northwest Straits to ensure that 
the work of the Commission does not violate tribal 
treaty rights. 
‘‘(c) BENCHMARKS.—The Commission shall carry out 
its duties in a manner that promotes the achieving of the 
benchmarks described in subsection (f)(2). 
‘‘(d) COORDINATION
AND
COLLABORATION.—The 
Commission shall carry out the duties described in sub-
section (b) in coordination and collaboration, when appro-
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priate, with Federal, State, and local governments and In-
dian tribes. 
‘‘(e) REGULATORY AUTHORITY.—The Commission 
shall have no power to issue regulations. 
‘‘(f) ANNUAL REPORT.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each year, the Commission 
shall prepare, submit to the Committee on Com-
merce, Science, and Transportation of the Senate, 
the Committee on Energy and Commerce of the 
House of Representatives, and the Under Secretary 
for Oceans and Atmosphere, and make available to 
the public an annual report describing— 
‘‘(A) the activities carried out by the Com-
mission during the preceding year; and 
‘‘(B) the progress of the Commission in 
achieving the benchmarks described in para-
graph (2). 
‘‘(2) 
BENCHMARKS.—The 
benchmarks 
de-
scribed in this paragraph are the following: 
‘‘(A) Protection and restoration of marine, 
coastal, and nearshore habitats. 
‘‘(B) Prevention of loss and achievement of 
a net gain of healthy habitat areas. 
‘‘(C) Protection and restoration of marine 
populations to healthy, sustainable levels. 
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‘‘(D) Protection of the marine water qual-
ity of the Northwest Straits region and restora-
tion of the health of marine waters. 
‘‘(E) Collection of high-quality data and 
promotion of the use and dissemination of such 
data. 
‘‘(F) Promotion of stewardship and under-
standing of Northwest Straits marine resources 
through education and outreach. 
‘‘SEC. 407. COMMISSION PERSONNEL AND ADMINISTRATIVE 
MATTERS. 
‘‘(a) DIRECTOR.—The Manager of the Shorelands 
and Environmental Assistance Program of the Depart-
ment of Ecology of the State of Washington may, upon 
the recommendation of the Commission and the Director 
of the Padilla Bay National Estuarine Research Reserve, 
appoint and terminate a Director of the Commission. The 
employment of the Director shall be subject to confirma-
tion by the Commission. 
‘‘(b) STAFF.—The Director may hire such other per-
sonnel as may be appropriate to enable the Commission 
to perform its duties. Such personnel shall be hired 
through the personnel system of the Department of Ecol-
ogy of the State of Washington. 
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