Setting Recovery Targets for Puget Sound
NEW! Puget Sound Partnership's Leadership Council Adopts Targets to Recover Puget Sound.
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Setting targets is a critical part of the 2011 update to the Action Agenda. The Partnership adopts ecosystem recovery targets as policy statements that reflect the region's commitments to and expectations for recovery, or a measurable path to recovery, by 2020. Targets are based on scientific understandings of the ecosystem.
The Partnership will use targets to guide revisions to the Action Agenda, focus near-term actions, recommend allocations of funding and other resources to specific strategies and actions, and to evaluate Action Agenda implementation. The Partnership intends for all entities implementing the Action Agenda to make use of these targets as they identify and design activities that contribute to ecosystem recovery, allocate funding and other resources for Puget Sound recovery, and evaluate the effects of their investments and activities.
The Partnership has an information-sharing forum on MyPugetSound.net on target setting. For specific information on how to join the site and the group, click here.
Page Contents
- Process for Setting Targets
- Schedule for Setting Targets
- Role of Science
- Information on Specific Targets
- More Information
Process for Setting Targets
The Partnership’s target-setting work is supported by Partnership staff, "Indicator Champions" from the different government agencies and tribes, and "interdisciplinary teams" of subject matter experts. For a list of people involved in the technical work to support target-setting, click here.
As a part of target setting, the Partnership seeks guidance from the Leadership Council, the Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB), and the Science Panel. In addition, the Partnership gathers stakeholder perspectives on possible targets through workshops and other forums.
Schedule for Setting Targets
In April and May 2011:
- Science Panel members reviewed the draft technical memoranda prepared by indicator champions and interdisciplinary teams.
- Science advisors evaluated relationships among target topics and specific objectives and provided an ecosystem-perspective analysis of candidate targets
- Implementers and stakeholders reviewed and evaluated technical reports and communicated their perspectives on possible targets for Partnership consideration.
- Partnership held workshops to engage with implementers on the targets. Information on these workshops is available at the PS Target Setting Group on MyPugetSound.org.
- The Ecosystem Coordination Board (ECB) discussed options for targets at a special meeting.
- The Salmon Recovery Council (SRC) discussed options for the targets most related to salmon recovery at its May 26 meeting.
- The Partnership's Leadership Council adopted ecosystem recovery targets at its June 16-17 meeting. The Leadership Council tabled target setting for three topics – land development, land use/land cover, and upland birds – until their October 2011 meeting. Partnership staff and technical experts will conduct additional analysis and engagement to develop target options for these topics in advance of the Leadership Council’s meeting on October 20 and 21, 2011.
Role of Science
In setting targets, one important scientific consideration is the amount of time required for the ecosystem to respond to our actions. For example, the recovery of orca or salmon populations will likely not be realized until well beyond 2020 even under the best possible actions.
Consequently, the Partnership's performance targets will describe the desired status for 2020, which may be different from the ultimate desired status beyond 2020.
To the extent possible, science advisors will describe relationships among indicators to ensure consideration of how suites of ecosystem targets work together to represent a functioning ecosystem.
Finally, scientists will consider the uncertainty in the data and information. For example, differences in the availability and quality of information or scientific models means that the targets will be uneven in how certain we are that they represent the desired self-sustaining, healthy state or in the policy consensus about the targets.
Information on Specific Targets
Draft technical memoranda, summaries of spring 2011 workshops, Science Panel members’ review of technical materials, summaries of written comments on target setting, and presentations of target options presented to the Leadership Council are available at MyPugetSound.net’s target setting group for topics advanced in 2011.
Information on targets adopted in February and June 2011 is available on:
Approved Targets (PDF)
Leadership Council Resolutions
Overview of the 2020 Targets(PDF)
Information on target options developed over the summer and early fall 2011 for land development, land use/land cover, and upland birds will be shared via the MyPugetSound.net target setting group.
More Information About Target Setting
- Leadership Council Briefing Material on Principles and Processes for Setting Ecosystem Recovery Targets
- Leadership Council Briefing Material on Setting Ecosystem Recovery Targets (June 2011)
- Target Setting Technical Leads
- MyPugetSound.net group on target-setting
If you have comments or questions on this information, please email actionagenda@psp.wa.gov.