Last month, the Puget Sound Partnership adopted the Action Agenda. Now the region has a results-oriented strategy in place to protect, restore and clean up Puget Sound.

We are appreciative of the literally thousands of people – from scientists to citizens, from Blaine to Olympia to Hoodsport to Port Angeles – who helped us understand the problems Puget Sound faces and put forward solutions that will lead to its restored health.

By the numbers, we held more than 30 public meetings, with some 1,600 people attending. In addition, we also held regular meetings of our Leadership Council, Ecosystem Coordination Board and Science Panel for their guidance.

In total, more than 12,000 people contacted the Partnership as part of our outreach effort!

Action Agenda adopted: What’s next?
Now that the Action Agenda is in place, it ’s time to turn the ideas into actions. Here’s where we are going next:

• Implement near term actions and projects that can get moving quickly to create jobs and also help Puget Sound;
• Launch a comprehensive public awareness and education program; and
• Roll out accountability system.

A key Partnership charge is to hold everyone charged with the cleanup work accountable for getting it done.  The accountability system will allow the Partnership to track and report to the governor, the Legislature and the public on the effectiveness of actions and the efficiency of agencies in using public resources and funds to improve the state of the Puget Sound ecosystem.

A healthy Puget Sound is fundamental to our way of life and a legacy we all want to pass along to our children and grandchildren. Now is our chance to make and keep Puget Sound a healthy and prosperous place for all of us.

To view the Partnership’s new video about Puget Sound and the Action Agenda, visit http://www.psp.wa.gov/aa_action_agenda.ph

In this issue:

• Funding the Action Agenda: 2009 legislative session
• Joint Ocean Commission Initiative report
• ECO Network Summit
• Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference: Feb. 8-11

Late last month, Gov. Chris Gregoire, who along with the Legislature had the foresight to create the Partnership, unveiled her budget proposal for the 2009-11 biennium.

Even in these tough economic times, her budget reflects her continued support of and commitment to cleaning up Puget Sound – with a $284 million investment in this effort.

The Partnership is also hopeful that additional funding will be available for Puget Sound cleanup from the stimulus package being developed at the federal level.

The Partnership will continue to work with the Governor’s Office and the Legislature in the coming months to ensure that projects vital to the restoration and protection of Puget Sound are funded.

Earlier this month, the Partnership was highlighted as a “profile of progress” in a national report on actions local and state elected leaders can take to improve the health of coastal ecosystems and economies.

At the core of the Joint Ocean Commission Initiative is a belief that healthy and vibrant ocean and coastal ecosystems are crucial to our sustained economic and environmental well-being, public health, and standard of living – both now and in the future.

The Joint Initiative’s new report, titled “One Coast, One Future,” recognizes the Partnership’s Action Agenda for its focus on: restoring and protecting important ecosystem functions; increasing coordination and collaboration across jurisdictions and interests; and taking into account communities’ multiple goals – environmental, economic, social and cultural.

To read the report, visit http://www.jointoceancommission.org/

The Education, Communication and Outreach Network (ECO Net) is a Partnership-led group of more than 400 individuals, representing some 200 organizations, whose members are improving the coordination, communication, and partnering between education and outreach providers throughout Puget Sound. The goal of ECO Net is to increase public awareness of what’s plaguing Puget Sound and public involvement in turning around its fate.

To help ensure this collaborative effort’s success, the Partnership on Thursday held the first ECO Net Summit. It provided an opportunity for Puget Sound environmental education, communication and outreach providers to:

• Learn more about ECO Network, its plans and how to get the most out of it;
• Share insights and network with other educators;
• Exchange ideas and experiences; and
• Explore how we can work together.

To find out how to become involved with ECO Net, visit http://www.psp.wa.gov/econet.php

The biennial Puget Sound Georgia Basin Ecosystem Conference is the largest, most comprehensive scientific research and policy conference in the Salish Sea region. The 2009 conference, hosted in Seattle by the Puget Sound Partnership and Environment Canada, will build upon the experience of previous conferences by connecting scientific research and management techniques to priorities for meaningful action.

The theme of this year’s conference is “The Future of the Salish Sea: A Call to Action.” Subthemes include Air Quality & Climate Change, Ecosystem Management Strategies & Techniques, Habitat, Land Use & Species, and Marine & Freshwater Resources.

For more information and to register, visit http://depts.washington.edu/uwconf/psgb/

Thank you for working with us to protect and restore Puget Sound!

Please visit the Web site for more information. Comments and questions may be sent by replying to this e-mail or by contacting us directly at:

Puget Sound Partnership
P.O. Box 40900, Olympia, Washington 98504-0900
Toll-free: 800.54.SOUND
Phone: 360.725.5444
E-mail: actionagenda@psp.wa.gov

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