2012 State of the Sound
The Partnership is required to produce a State of the Sound report every two years. The statutory reporting requirements are to document the current status of the ecosystem, as well as status of implementation and funding. This information can be used to inform decisions about changes to funding, programs, or policies that might accelerate the regional progress towards ecosystem recovery, including more efficient use of resources.
The State of the Sound report is available in downloadable chapters. Download by section or by subsection.
powerpoint presentation of materials in the 2012 State of the Sound (PPT)
Updated 11.13.2012
Letter from Leadership Council (PDF)
Introduction (PDF)
Chapter 1 Status of the Ecosystem: Progress Towards 2020 (Full Chapter, PDF)
Technical staff prepared reports for each indicator, which include information on whether we are making progress toward the 2020 target. The report also includes data graphs and maps that further clarify the status of each indicator.
- Healthy Human Population (Full Section, PDF)
- On-site Sewage (PDF)
- Swimming Beaches (PDF)
- Shellfish Beds (PDF)
- On-site Sewage (PDF)
- Human Quality of Life (Full Section, PDF)
- Quality of Life Index (PDF)
- Sound Behavior Index (PDF)
- Recreational Fishing Permit Sales (PDF)
- Commercial Fishing Harvest (PDF)
- Quality of Life Index (PDF)
- Species and Food Web (Full Section, PDF)
- Birds (PDF)
- Pacific Herring (PDF)
- Orca (PDF)
- Chinook Salmon (PDF)
- Birds (PDF)
- Protect and Restore Habitat (Full Section, PDF)
- Shoreline Armoring (PDF)
- Eelgrass (PDF)
- Land Development and Cover (PDF)
- Floodplains (PDF)
- Estuaries (PDF)
- Shoreline Armoring (PDF)
- Water Quantity (Full Section, PDF)
- Water Quality (Full Section, PDF)
- Marine Water Quality (PDF)
- Freshwater Quality (PDF)
- Marine Sediment Quality (PDF)
- Toxics in Fish (PDF)
- Marine Water Quality (PDF)
Chapter 2 Performance Management: Tracking the Action Agenda(Full Chapter, PDF)
The discussion in the Performance Management chapter focuses on our progress in implementing the actions outlined in the 2008 Action Agenda. The chapter includes adiscussion of what work was completed, what remains, and which of theactions that were not completed were carried forward to the 2012 ActionAgenda. There is also a discussion of the barriers to implementation as both an evaluation of why we were not completelysuccessful in implementing the 2008 Action Agenda as well as what will berequired to succeed moving forward.
Chapter 3 Adaptive Management (Full Chapter, PDF)
Adaptive management is a scientific approach to management in complex systems that tests assumptions in order to learn and adapt. Chapter 3 describes the role of adaptive management in regional decision making in greater detail including examples of how this tool has successfully been employed to inform the decisions that have been made within the region, such as integrating information on implementation, ecosystem indicators, and costs, as well as the implications of policy changes.
Chapter 4 Action Agenda Funding(Full Chapter, PDF)
Chapter 4 includes information provided by the owners of near-term actions on the costs of implementing the 2008 Action Agenda and cost estimates for the recently adopted 2012 Action Agenda. There was an estimated gap of $187 million between the amount that was considered necessary for carrying out the near-term actions and the amount of funding received. The gap between the estimated cost for implementation of the 2012 Action Agenda and the budget currently available is approximately $461 million. This number does not include the cost for ongoing programs in the region nor for current and future costs for stormwater protection.
Chapter 5 Public Views on Recovery(Full Chapter, PDF)
Chapter 5 presents an analysis of actions by implementing agencies that may or may not be consistent with the Action Agenda. This analysis, which was initiated in 2011, was usedto help inform the development of the updated 2012 Action Agenda.
Local Stories
To expand on the story of ecosystem recovery, we identified 10 results-producing projects in the region, each of which is linked to one of the indicators in our Vital Signs Dashboard. For each, the indicator report includes a brief summary of that effort.
- Eelgrass: Washington State University Extension Island County Beach Watchers – Eelgrass Monitoring Project (PDF)
- Shellfish: Skagit Stream Team and Storm Team (PDF)
- Orcas: Salish Sea Hydrophone Network and Orca Network (PDF)
- Marine Sediment Quality: Tacoma’s efforts to keep pollution out of the Thea Foss Waterway (PDF)
- Salmon: Freeing the Elwha River (PDF)
- Shoreline Armoring: Powel family breaks ground with public-private partnership, Restoring marine nearshore habitat (PDF)
- Marine Water Quality: Puyallup's Rain Garden Program (PDF)
- Land Use/Development: Conserving the Lifeblood of Puget Sound, We Cannot Restore the Sound Without an Accurate Stream Inventory (PDF)
- Estuaries: Bridge over stillwaters, Carpenter Creek Estuary Restoration (PDF)
- Freshwater Quality: Puyallup Rain Garden (PDF)
Appendices (Full Chapter, PDF)
(Available in hard copy only)
A. Disposition of the Seven High Priority 2008 NTAs that were not launched or needs attention
B. 2008 Action Agenda - Financial Estimates, All Owners
C. 2012 Action Agenda - Financial Estimates, All Owners
D. Consistency Review
E. Puget Sound Summary for MTCA
Appendices (electronic)
F. 2008 Near Term Actions by State Agency, with final status(Excel)
G. Final disposition of 2008 Near Term Actions – where are they in the 2012 Action Agenda? (PDF)
H. Citizen Concerns and Disposition of Concerns (Full report, Word)
Click here for more information on the 2012 Leadership Council Draft scheduled for approval on October 26, 2012.
Click here to download the 2009 State of the Sound and Appendices.