Dear Washington State Senators and Representatives,

The undersigned individuals write to express strong support for HB 1631, which would designate bull kelp forests as the official marine forest of the state of Washington.

Bull kelp serves as the canopy for highly productive underwater ecosystems that support sustainable fisheries and provide shelter, food, and critical habitat for iconic and endangered marine species like salmon, Souther Resident killer whales, sunflower stars, and pinto abalone. Bull kelp holds deep cultural significance for Tribal nations, continuing to sustain and support Tribal communities today as it has for generations. Bull kelp provides shorebirds with protein when it washes ashore and sustains invertebrates such as sea cucumbers and crabs when the kelp dies and sinks. “Floating kelp bed area” is also a Puget Sound Vital Sign Indicator, a measure of ecosystem health that helps to track progress toward Puget Sound recovery goals. 

Unfortunately, bull kelp forests have declined dramatically in parts of Washington State in recent decades due to stressors like warming ocean temperatures, urbanization, and water pollution. Approximately 80 percent of bull kelp forests in South and Central Puget Sound have disappeared. In recognition of this crisis and the importance of kelp ecosystems, the state legislature passed a bill in 2022 requiring the Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) to establish a Native Kelp Forest and Eelgrass Meadow Health and Conservation Plan to meet the goal of conserving and restoring at least 10,000 acres of kelp forests and eelgrass meadows by 2040. The state legislature also provided funding during the 2021 and 2023 legislative sessions to begin implementing priorities of the Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan.

Work continues to conserve and recover bull kelp forests in the face of the declines and stressors. DNR’s 2024 Progress Report on the Kelp and Eelgrass Plan shares accomplishments thus far, including the identification of priority habitat for consideration in meeting the 10,000-acre goal. Tribes, nonprofit organizations, and other partners are also working to monitor bull kelp forests and test and implement restoration methods that can be scaled up.

By naming bull kelp forests as a state symbol—the official marine forest of the state of Washington—the legislature can raise awareness of the importance of these habitats to the state’s identity, culture, and ecology. The legislature will also help boost momentum for efforts to restore bull kelp forests, build a resilient and sustainable marine environment, and thereby better secure the well-being of both natural and human communities for years to come.

We respectfully urge you to advance HB 1631.