The Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission (SEEC) is an American-Canadian commission that oversees the watershed of the upper

Skagit River The Skagit River ( ) is a river in southwestern British Columbia in Canada and northwestern Washington in the United States, approximately 150 mi (240 km) long. The river and its tributaries drain an area of 1.7 million acres (690,000 ...

in Canada and the United States. Its job is to use an endowment fund to promote education about the watershed and enhance its recreation,

land management Land management is the process of managing the use and development (in both urban and rural settings, but it is mostly managed in Urban places.) of land resources. Land resources are used for a variety of purposes which may include organic ...

and

ecosystem An ecosystem (or ecological system) consists of all the organisms and the physical environment with which they interact. These biotic and abiotic components are linked together through nutrient cycles and energy flows. Energy enters the syst ...

management. The Commission derives from the 1984 High Ross Dam Treaty between the two countries. In this treaty,

Seattle City Light Seattle City Light is the public utility providing electricity to Seattle, Washington, in the United States, and parts of its metropolitan area, including all of Shoreline and Lake Forest Park and parts of unincorporated King County, Burien, No ...

agreed for 80 years not to raise its High Ross Dam in

Washington state Washington (), officially the State of Washington, is a state in the Pacific Northwest region of the Western United States. Named for George Washington—the first U.S. president—the state was formed from the western part of the Washingto ...

on the Skagit River. This addition would have flooded thousands of acres of wilderness land in British Columbia, raising opposition in Canada.

Two Delegations

The Commission consists of 16 commissioners, eight appointed by the Premier of

British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include ...

and eight appointed by the mayor of

Seattle Seattle ( ) is a port, seaport city on the West Coast of the United States. It is the county seat, seat of King County, Washington, King County, Washington (state), Washington. With a 2020 population of 737,015, it is the largest city in bo ...

. All 16 commissioners are appointed to four-year terms on a staggered basis.http://www.cityofseattle.net/light/environment/SEEC/ "Skagit Environmental Endowment Commission" Each delegation has four Commissioners and four Alternate Commissioners who vote in the Commissioner's absence. In practice, all the commissioners participate in a wide variety of projects. Each delegation elects a Chair from among their Commissioners to serve for the duration of their term.

How SEEC Works

The Commission meets several times a year to administer the Fund by reviewing project proposals, monitoring contracts and addressing environmental issues in the Upper Skagit Watershed. The Commission's budget must be approved by the

Province of British Columbia British Columbia (commonly abbreviated as BC) is the westernmost province of Canada, situated between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky Mountains. It has a diverse geography, with rugged landscapes that include rocky coastlines, sandy beaches, for ...

and

Seattle City Council The Seattle City Council is the legislative body of the city of Seattle, Washington. The Council consists of nine members serving four-year terms, seven of which are elected by electoral districts and two of which are elected in citywide at-l ...

. The Commission does not manage any land itself. Rather, it cooperates with government agencies in both the U.S. and Canada that are responsible for this land. Most is publicly owned and administered by park agencies in the two countries.

References

External links

SEEC website High Ross Treatythe Endowment Fund
{{Authority control Nature conservation organizations based in Canada Environmental organizations based in Washington (state) Environmental organizations based in British Columbia Nature conservation organizations based in the United States