NOAA Leadership Visits Neah Bay Large Marine Debris Removal Project

Photo credit: Francis Choi, NOS Front Office

The National Marine Sanctuary Foundation was pleased to have Paul Scholz, NOAA Deputy Assistant Administrator for Ocean Services and Coastal Zone Management, Scott Lundgren, Director of NOAA’s Office of Response and Restoration, and Monique Baskin, Deputy Director of NOAA’s Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, visit our Large Marine Debris removal project in partnership with the Makah Tribe in Neah Bay, Washington!

This $15 million award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program using Bipartisan Infrastructure Law funds will support large marine debris removal across five national marine sanctuaries and two Tribal ancestral waters, including Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the Makah Usual and Accustomed Treaty Area.

Starting this summer, the project team will remove abandoned vessels and other large derelict structures from Neah Bay, including a concrete and steel bridge pontoon.

Once completed, the project will have significant positive impacts both to the overall health of the marine environment of Neah Bay and provide an economic benefit to the Makah Tribal community.

This project is supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Marine Debris Program with funding provided by the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law.