Led by NMTA VP and Director of Government Affairs Jay Jennings, NMTA members wrapped up a productive two-day series of meetings on Capitol Hill during the American Boating Congress, advocating for policies critical to the health of the region’s recreational boating industry and environment.
The NMTA delegation included Sunstream founders Ken and Alden Hey, Katy Bevegni of Des Moines Marina, and NMTA Government Affairs Chair Tarin Todd of Foss Harbor Marina. They met with a bipartisan group of lawmakers, including Senators Jeff Merkley, Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, and Ron Wyden, and Representatives Suzanne
Bonamici, Adam Smith, and Michael Baumgartner.
Key issues included:
- NOAA’s Nearshore Calculator, which could displace family-owned marinas and hinder ecological restoration.
- Tariffs on aluminum, which are negatively impacting local manufacturers.
- Modernizing the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) to better balance species protection and efforts to recover endangered Chinook salmon populations.
Lawmakers were receptive and expressed interest in further exploring these concerns. NMTA emphasized the importance of streamlining the MMPA to support salmon recovery—vital for Orca survival and the Northwest ecosystem.
NMTA’s Capitol Hill presence highlights the Association’s commitment to policies that support long-term growth and sustainability and the recreational boating industry’s $8.1 billion impact in Washington State.
