The Shared Strategy is a groundbreaking collaborative effort to protect and restore salmon runs across Puget Sound. Shared Strategy engages local citizens, tribes, technical experts and policy makers to build a practical, cost-effective recovery plan endorsed by the people living and working in the watersheds of Puget Sound.

The Shared Strategy is based on the conviction that:

• people in Puget Sound have the creativity, knowledge, and motivation to find lasting solutions to complex ecological, economic, and cultural challenges;
• watershed groups that represent diverse communities are essential to the success of salmon recovery;
• effective stewardship occurs only when all levels of government coordinate their efforts;
• the health and vitality of Puget Sound depends on timely planning for ecosystem health and strong local and regional economies; and
• the health of salmon are an indicator of the health of our region salmon recovery will benefit both human and natural communities.

The 5-Step Shared Strategy

1. Identify what should be in a recovery plan and assess how current efforts can support the plan.
2. Set recovery targets and ranges for each watershed.
3. Identify actions needed at the watershed level to meet targets.
4. Determine if identified actions add up to recovery. If not, identify needed adjustments.
5. Finalize the plan and actions and commitment necessary for successful implementation.

How Shared Strategy Fits into Puget Sound Salmon Recovery

Shared Strategy is supported by NOAA Fisheries, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Governor Christine Gregoire, Puget Sound Tribes, state natural resources agencies, local governments and key non-government organizations.

Background

Endangered Species Act (ESA) listings of the Chinook salmon, summer chum, and bull trout in Puget Sound have brought a growing crisis to the forefront of discussion here in the Pacific Northwest. Decades of work have already gone into reducing salmon harvest in response to dwindling populations. Federal, state, tribal and local government, along with various industries, have all stepped up to the plate and taken steps to protect salmon.

There has been an increasing concern, however, that all these salmon recovery efforts and initiatives are operating in isolation – unaware of other actions and efforts launched with the same laudable goals. The need to develop comprehensive framework and collaborative strategy becomes more important with each additional level of agency or organization action and as the efforts move from near-term actions to a long-term plan for recovery.