In a step forward for bioregional thinking, Washington has agreed to add a new name to the Northwest’s official geographic lexicon: the Salish Sea. Following on the heels of British Columbia’s endorsement, the term will now be used to refer to the collective inland waters of Puget Sound, Georgia Straight, and the Straight of Juan de Fuca.
It doesn’t replace any of those names, but “Salish Sea” does provide an important addition to our understanding of Cascadia. Because the new term is firmly rooted in both history and ecology, it may help direct more attention to protecting the natural heritage of the region.
At Crosscut, Knute Berger has done a bang-up job covering the Salish Sea name-change. See here, here, here, and here.
Patrick Mazza
A triumph for the bioregional movement, which began calling it the Salish Sea back in the 1980s. Next step is to call the surrouunding watersheds the Ish River Country, as bioregionalists such as David McCloskey began to then. 20 or so years from grassroots creativiity to official recognition. Not bad. I’m flying my Cascadian flag high.