OC Timeline | 1996 – 2020
OUR STORY ~ Orca Conservancy is a 501(c)(3) Washington State non-profit organization working on behalf of Orcinus orca, the killer whale, and protecting the wild places on which it depends.
Orca Conservancy collaborates with some of the world’s top research institutions and environmental groups to address the most critical issues now facing wild orcas.
The organization’s urgent attention is on the endangered Southern Resident orcas of Puget Sound. These three pods, J-Pod, K-Pod and L-Pod, were decimated by the depletion of prey resources, the accumulation of marine toxins, and the destruction of salmon spawning and nearshore habitats, the nurseries of the Salish Sea.
They continue to reel from the effects of the brutal orca capture era of the 1960s and '70s, where some 57 whales were removed from the Southern and Northern Resident populations and sent to marine parks. They risk being wiped out by a catastrophic oil spill in the Salish Sea, or getting caught in the crossfire of military exercises.
The organization’s people are leaders in safeguarding critical habitats, advocating creative oil-spill prevention and response measures, establishing better protocols for the Navy to protect sensitive marine life, and in working with whale watchers and scientists to create effective new guidelines for wildlife encounters.
Orca Conservancy is committed to the welfare of all whales and dolphins, and is an authoritative source for information on captive cetaceans and on-going studies on the feasibility of returning these remarkable animals to the wild.
March 20, 1996 – Founded as the Tokitae Foundation with the main focus being to release / return the L-Pod whale, Tokitae (Lolita), back to her natal family in the Pacific Northwest. March 20, 1996 – Present | the Lolita File is ongoing
July 24, 2000 – Tokitae foundation officially changed its name to Orca Conservancy (OC), and was re- founded on July 24, 2000. While the organization's focus remained on captive whales, specifically Lolita, OC shifted our focus towards assisting with recovery of the Southern Resident killer whale (SRKW) population.
May 1, 2001 – November 15, 2005 - Orca Conservancy and nine other environmental groups petition National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to list Puget Sound orcas as “Endangered”
July 2001 – Luna (L98) first reported seen in Nootka Sound, BC.
June 25, 2002 – National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) decides not to list orcas under Endangered Species Act, but willing to protect under Marine Mammal Protection Act instead
July 16, 2002 – Springer released and is back with her natal pod
December 18, 2002 – OC and four other environmental groups sue in federal court, challenging NMFS' decision not to declare the orcas as “Endangered”
May 29, 2003 – NMFS determines that the orcas are “Depleted” under MMPA
July 9, 2003 – Springer returns with her family after months at sea
December 17, 2003 – U.S. District Court judge rules in favor of environmentalists, tells NMFS to reconsider listing decision
April 3, 2004 – State Department of Fish and Wildlife lists orcas as “Endangered”
December 16, 2004 – Fisheries service announces plan to list orcas as “Threatened”
November 15, 2005 – Fisheries service declares local orcas as “Endangered”
March 11, 2006 – Luna killed by tugboat propeller in Nootka Sound, BC
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October 3, 2012 – September 28, 2015 OC opposes the proposed import of 18 wild-caught beluga whales from Russia for captive breeding and exhibition at marine parks (Georgia Aquarium) and aquaria within the United States.
January 8 – 10, 2013 - OC is lead organization working with the town of Inukjuak, in attempt to free 12 killer whales trapped in ice flow in Hudson Bay, Quebec
January 13, 2013 – August 2, 2013 OC publicly opposes Pacific Legal Foundations charge to delist the SRKWs from the endangered species list
April 2013 - OC opposes Admiralty Inlet Pilot Tidal Turbine Project
July 4, 2013 – Springer (A73) spotted with her first calf, Spirit (A104)
March 13, 2014 - OC contacts Gov. Jay Inslee to direct the Washington Department of Ecology to issue a strong National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System and State Waste Discharge General Permit for Concentrated Animal Feeding Operations that do business in the State of Washington to mitigate and slow the devastating effects of ocean acidification
March 31, 2014 – OC and six environmental groups through the Western Environmental Law Center make comment on the Washington Department of Agriculture’s (“DOAs”) rulemaking to revise the number ranges set forth in WAC 16-16-210(29) to ensure that the waters of this state (ground and surface waters) are swimmable, fishable, and sufficiently clean for public consumption
April 22,2014 – Earth Day Orca Freedom Concert. OC helps raise $50,000 for orca advocacy and scientific research. (Donated to: Center for Whale Research, OrcaLab, Earth Island Institute)
November 2014 – May 9, 2016 – OC opposed the Cherry Point coal terminal
January 24, 2015 – May 6, 2015 - OC and ten environmental groups oppose hazardous waste facility on Fraser River in Chilliwack, BC
March 18, 2015 – OC supported the approved Smith Island Restoration Project to directly help revive threatened Chinook salmon in the Puget Sound basin.
January 12, 2016 - OC supports the re-authorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Management Act
January 28, 2016 – OC and 17 National and International groups oppose re-licensing of Klamath Dams
April 7, 2016 – Pact Reached to remove four Klamath River Dams by the year 2020
May 2016 – OC speaks to elementary and middle school students at Storming the Sound with Salmon event in Federal Way, WA
May 27, 2016 – OC supports a 20-year mineral withdrawal within Southwestern Oregon Watershed and Salmon Protection Area
May 28, 2016 – OC opposes proposed Atlantic Salmon Net Pen sited within the Strait of Juan DeFuca
August 13, 2016 - OC makes comment on the 2016 Proposed Action Plan for Northern and Southern Resident Killer Whales
August 19-21, 2016 - OC attends 2nd Annual Mighty Fan Fest, Ocean Shores, Washington
September 17, 2016 - OC attends Free the Snake Flotilla in Idaho
October 4 2016 - OC made comment and also signed onto ‘Standardized Bycatch Reporting Methodology, Proposed Rule’, NOAA-NMFS-2016-0002, RIN0648-BF51 letter
October 17, 2016 - OC makes comment on the Bay of Fundy Tidal Energy Project | Minas Passage on behalf of the harbor porpoise
November 14, 2016 - OC sends comment letter supporting the Cherry Point Environmental Aquatic Reserve - File No. 16-110401
December 9, 2016 - OC joins Wild Fish Conservancy in opposing proposal on 23 hatchery programs within Washington State
January 31, 2017 - OC makes comment on FERC Project No. 14803 | Notice of Preparation of an Environmental Impact Report for the Proposed Lower Klamath Project License SurrenderFebruary 6, 2017 - OC makes comment on Columbia River System Operations Environmental Impact Statement - 81 FR 67382
February 27, 2017 - OC makes public comment on Siskiyou Exemption and Oregon Department of Forestry Monitoring Strategy for the Siskiyou Region
March 1, 2017 – OC supports stronger stream buffer standards in Southern Oregon
March 6, 2017 - OC joins Wild Fish Conservancy on comment to Department of Ecology for Farmed Atlantic Salmo Net Pen Recommendations
March 12, 2017 - OC attends Forage Fish Lab Analysis & Sample Processing at the Nisqually Aquatic Reserve
April 12, 2017 - OC joins Our Sound, Our Salmon coalition (53 organizations) in opposing and working towards changing legislation on Atlantic Salmon Open Net Fish farms in Washington State
April 13, 2017 – OC makes comment on NOAA-NMFS-2016-0152 | Whale Protection Zone for Southern Resident killer whales
April 25 - 27, 2017 - OC attends Salmon Recovery Conference in Wenatchee, Washington
April 27, 2017 – OC supports protection of the South Fork Skykomish River
May 10, 2017 - OC opposes Offshore Drilling with Center of Biological Diversity
May 2017 - For the second year, OC attended three days at the Storming the Sound with Salmon event held in Federal Way, Washington
June 3, 2017 - OC attends Sustainamania in Bothell, Washington
June 10, 2017 – OC funds scientific research to assist Southern Resident killer whales
June 2017 - OC organized two beach clean-ups in honor of Orca Month. (Seattle and Subic Bay, Philippines)
July 1, 2017 – OC volunteers with local restoration project with Duwamish Infrastructure Restoration Training (DIRT) in restoring a portion of Westcrest Park
July 4, 2017 – OC attends as one of sixteen organizations as ‘Orca Protectors’ on San Juan Island, WA
July 18, 2017 – OC continues support for maintaining the core conservation provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act
August 2, 2017 – OC submits scoping comments on decommissioning Eel River Dams to FERC
October 18, 2017 – OC attended and presented “A Model to Assess the Contributions of Prey Availability, Disturbance, and Toxins to the Population Dynamics of Southern Resident Killer Whales” at the 22nd Biennial Conference in Halifax, Nova Scotia
October 29, 2017 – OC opposes Imidacloprid | Urges Department of Ecology to deny permit November 4, 2017 – OC Comments in support of Klamath Dam license transfer for decommissioning
November 8 2017 – OC Comments at People’s Hearing on Atlantic Salmon Net Pens Meeting
December 6, 2017 – OC joins 350Seattle in expressing support of JPMorgan Chase to cease all financing of tar sands
December 12, 2017 – OC opposes H.R. 200 and H.R. 2023 which would undermine the conservation provisions of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act
January 12, 2018 – OC sponsors the 2018 National Biodiversity Teach-In and gathers 8 speakers on issues facing the SRKWs and had them present to students internationally
January 22, 2018 – OC joins 108 businesses and organizations in sending a clear message to Congress to defend the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), and to oppose HR 3133 January 25, 2018 – OC makes comment in support of SB 6269 | Strengthening oil transportation safety
February 17, 2018 – OC takes part in the 42nd Parliament, 1st Session | M-154 | Study on the situation of endangered whales and to identify steps that could be taken to better protect and help the recovery of SRKWs | Canada
March 2018 – OC was one of now 109 businesses and organizations that joined the Our Sound Our Salmon coalition. OC was one of 10 organizations that worked during the legislative session ensuring the phase out of farmed Atlantic salmon net pens (HB2957) in Washington waters would be law
March 22, 2018 – Governor Inslee signs farmed Atlantic salmon phase out bill into law
April 20, 2018 – OC Comments on 90-Day finding on a petition to list Chinook salmon in the upper Klamath-Trinity rivers basin
May 1 – Nov 6, 2018 – Orca Task Force -- OC’s chief scientist, Dr. David Bain attends and participates in recommendations for Southern Resident killer whale recovery
May 6, 2018 – OC comments on impacts of the proposed Temperance Flat Dam (TFD)
May 9, 2018 – OC supports banning fossil fuel projects in King County
May 11, 18 and 23 – OC attends Storming the Sound with Salmon | Third Year
June 19, 2018 – OC submits comment on the Puget Sound salmon harvest resource management plan (RMP)
June 28, 2018 – OC signed onto the Our Sound, Our Salmon coalition letter to Premier John Horgan requesting he deny the renewal of 20 farmed Atlantic salmon fish farms in the Broughton Archipelago | Canada
June 28, 2018 – OC joins 252 public interest organizations requesting a sixty-day extension of the public comment period for the recently noticed ANPRM on the “Update to the regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act
July 24, 2018 – OC makes comment on FERC Project #14803 | Draft water quality certification for federal permit or license | Klamath Dams
August 15, 2018 – OC attends Sustainamania for the third year
September 15, 2018 – OC attends International Coastal Cleanup Day | Seahurst Park, WA
September 16, 2018 – OC made public comment at the NOAA | J50 public meeting held at the University of Washington
September 19, 2018 – OC establishes partnership with Sound Community Bank
September 20, 2018 – OC attends unveiling of a Puget Sound inspired mural in Lake City, WA
October 30, 2018 – OC works with Students for Salish Sea who join Inslee’s Orca Task Force
November 6, 2018 – Dr. Bain addresses Orca Task Force on proposed moratorium on boat-based whale watching of SRKWs and the importance of breaching lower Snake River dams
November 26, 2018 – OC joins 38 other organizations in supporting motion for an immediate moratorium on ALL permits related to fossil fuel infrastructure | King County, WA
December 3, 2018 – OC joins 16 other organizations of the North Seattle Lateral Upgrade Coalition in opposing the North Seattle Pipeline Expansion project
January 16, 2019 – OC joins Save our Wild Salmon Coalition
January 26, 2019 – OC Supports a Fossil Free King County
January 29, 2019 – OC attends WEC lobby day in Olympia
February 26, 2019 – OC comments on the Draft National Pollutant Discharge Elimination (NPDES) and State waste discharge on water quality individual permits (Cooke Aquaculture)
February 26, 2019 – Our Sound, Our Salmon Coalition comments on Washington Department of Ecology Draft National Pollution Discharge Elimination System Waste Discharge Elimination Permits for Cooke Aquaculture Atlantic salmon net pen facilities at Fort Ward, Clam Bay, Orchard Rocks and Hope Island
February 26, 2019 – OC joins eleven other orca expert organizations to identify FIVE key action for SRKWs
April 2, 2019 – OC's Dr. Dave gives testimony in Olympia, WA on why removal of the lower Snake River dams is essential to SRKW recovery
April 23, 2019 – OC's Teri attends Energy, Salmon, Agriculture, and Community: Can We Come Together? conference at Andrus Center for Public Policy, Boise State University
June 7, 2019 – OC attends a special movie event: Dammed to Extinction
June 12, 2019 – OC comment on the United States Navy NWTT Draft Supplemental EIS/OEIS
June 24, 2019 – OC makes comment on opposing the proposed Roberts Bank Terminal 2
July 18, 2019 – OCs requests/demands to Fisheries and Oceans Canada regarding a three year delay for the release of necropsy on J34 is successful
July 21, 2019 – OC publicly states concerns regarding the Whale Sanctuary Project of a permanent seaside sanctuary within SRKW critical habitat
September 14, 2019 – OC is interviewed by ZooLogic regarding the Evolution of Orca Conservancy
October 21, 2019 – Oyster growers agree to abandon quest to use imidacloprid, a controversial insecticide in southwest Washington tidelands | Willapa Grays Harbor Growers Association
October 25, 2019 – OC's Dr. Dave and 54 scientists send letter to three Governors and twenty-three US Senators and Members of Congress in Idaho, Washington and Oregon that urgent action is needed to cool river waters (LSRDs) to prevent salmon extinction
October 25, 2019 – OC Comments on public feedback: SRKW recovery and task force
November 18, 2019 – OC comments to WDFW in opposition of MDNS 19-056 | Raising sterile all-female triploid rainbow trout/steelhead at existing marine net pen sites in Puget Sound
December 3, 2019 – OC comments in opposition of King County City Council Beverage Ordinance Proposal (Sammamish Valley)
December 18, 2019 – OC comments on Proposed Rulemaking to Revise Critical Habitat for Southern Resident killer whale distinct population segment
January 9, 2020 – OC attends LSRD stakeholder forum Vancouver, WA
January 30, 2020 – OC attends WEC Lobby Day in Olympia
January 24, 2020 – OC makes comment on draft lower Snake River dam report
February 24, 2020 – OC | Press Release on SRKW & Columbia/Snake River Chinook |White Paper
March 10, 2020 – OC makes comment on NEPA CEQ-2019-0003 | Update to the regulations implementing the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act Proposed Rule
April 13, 2020 – OC makes comment on Snake River dams | Columbia River System Operations (CRSO)| Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
April 13, 2020 – OC signs onto scientist letter re: Snake River Dams, Columbia River System Operations – Draft Environmental Impact Statement
May 4, 2020 - OC Sends Letter to Hon. Jonathan Wilkinson to deny the Roberts Bank Terminal 2 Project
May 7, 2020 - OC Joins Center for Biological Diversity and Six other Environmental Groups Requesting NMFS Withdraw Proposed Incidental Harassment Authorization to Conduct Seismic Survey Activities on the West Coast
May 11, 2020 – OC joins Chehalis River Alliance
May 26, 2020 - OC makes comment on Proposed Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction Project Environmental Impact Statement
June 5, 2020 - OC makes comment to Ecology in Opposition of Cooke Aquaculture NPDES permit applications to raise steelhead
July 17, 2020 - OC Comments on the NOAA Proposed Rule | Takes of Marine Mammals Incidental to Specified Activities: US Navy Training & Testing Activities in the NW Training and Testing Study Area
July 21, 2020 - OC Comments on the Total Maximum Daily Load (TMDL) for Temperature in the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers
September 4, 2020 - OC makes Comment on Endangered and Threatened Wildlife and Plants: Regulations for Listing Endangered and Threatened Species and Designating Critical Habitat
September 12, 2020 - OC makes Comment on the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) / National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Proposed Approval of Washington’s Coastal Nonpoint Pollution Control Program under Coastal Zone Act Reauthorization Amendments
September 24, 2020 - As part of the Our Sound, Our Salmon Coalition, OC sign on to letter of solidarity for the First Nations Leadership Council call on Prime Minister Trudeau, Premier Horgan, and DFO Minister Jordan to remove open-net salmon farms from British Columbia waters
October 23, 2020 - OC makes public comment on Commercial Whale Watching State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS)
October 26, 2020 - OC makes comment on the Ecology Draft ‘Modified’ National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) Permits to Raise Steelhead
November 13, 2020 - OC makes comment on the Draft Commercial Whale Watching Licensing Program
November 15, 2020 - OC makes Comment on the Chehalis River Basin Flood Damage Reduction Project | NWS-2014-1118
February 2021 - OC partakes time within the Washington State Legislation | SB5330 and SB5306
February 1, 2021 - OC Makes Comment on North Bend Water Supply Plan
February 22, 2021 - 68 Scientists send letter to NW policymakers on Snake River salmon and dams | Dr. David Bain
June 11, 2021 - OC makes Comment to list Upper Klamath-Trinity River Spring Chinook Salmon as ENDANGERED under the California Endangered Species Act
June 20, 2021 - OC Comments on Endangered and Threatened Species: 5-year Review for Southern Resident killer whales | NOAA-NMFS-2021-0029