Pacific and Grays Harbor counties, along the Washington Coast, have historically depended heavily upon natural resources for economic health, as they are vulnerable to coastal changes and resources to support coastal resilience and economic health are much needed. Such resources support nearly 100,000 residents working in fishing, timber and service industries. In order to weather changes in a fluctuating economy—including the loss of working-age residents and a decline in higher-paying, non-service jobs—these communities seek to build economic, community and physical resilience.

Washington Sea Grant provided coastal jurisdictions valuable strategic guidance, addressing concerns on economic issues and creating a blog site for go-to economic information. WSG developed an economic dashboard for assessing and interpreting existing data for the region—providing coastal resilience and economic health support informative to economic development planning and decision-making.

• Washington Coastal Economist