“By signing these bills, we are investing in one of our most iconic Pacific Northwest animals,” Inslee said. “The orcas are part of our identity as Washingtonians and we’ve gotten one step closer in protecting them, their homes and our own survival as we enter an unknown era of climate change. Our economic and climate change efforts need to aid their survival. For as the orca go, so go we.”

In March 2018, Inslee issued an executive order that directed state agencies to take immediate actions to help the struggling orca population and establish the Southern Resident Orca Task Force, which developed a long-term plan for recovering orcas. The task force included nearly 50 members that represented a wide range of sectors including state agencies, the legislature, and state, tribal, federal and local governments, as well as private sector and non-profit organizations.

The task force set an initial target of increasing the population to 84 orcas over the next decade. The task force’s recommendations included:

Increasing the abundance of Chinook salmon.

Decreasing disturbance and other risks posed by vessel traffic and noise.

Reducing exposure to toxic pollutants — for orcas and their prey.

Ensuring adequate funding, information and accountability measures are in place to support effective recovery efforts moving forward.

Here’s a breakdown of each bill:

Decrease vessel noise and traffic

This new law limits certain vehicle noise and traffic, and provides sound and space buffers for the orcas in their natural environment. Orcas need a lot of room to hunt and communicate (through echo location) with minimized disruptions. The law will quiet the underwater soundscape so that individual orcas can locate and access their prey.

Rep. Brian Blake, who sponsored the House version of the bill, said this legislation worked for all groups who came to the table.

“We’re protecting our orcas by quieting the waters while also balancing the interests of both, business and conservation groups,” Blake said. “If we hadn’t taken bold steps this session, pretty soon there wouldn’t be any whales to watch, and that would definitely kill the whale watching industry. Nobody wants that.”