Congratulations, Puget Sound Partnership!

From People For Puget Sound's excellent web site:

This week marks the one-year anniversary since the Puget Sound Partnership unveiled its road map for recovery of Puget Sound by the year 2020.

A year ago we greeted the Partnership's Action Agenda with the observation: "The main question now is the question that has been front and center throughout the whole process: Are we going to get the job done?"

A year ago, Partnership Executive Director spoke at REI and laid out the details of the Action Agenda.

This week, the Partnership listed its first year accomplishments:

"Today we celebrate the one year anniversary of the Puget Sound Action Agenda, and as we reflect back we are proud of the successes and accomplishments made in one of the hardest economic climates since the Great Depression.

Our recent successes:

• Guaranteed $50 million in federal funds for 2010, more than doubling the amount of federal money from the year prior. The money will be distributed to the U.S. EPA and other agencies for implementation of the Action Agenda.
• The U.S. EPA approved the Action Agenda as the new Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Puget Sound under the Federal Clean Water Act. This important approval helps direct federal funding to Puget Sound restoration, and is an important element in the Puget Sound Partnership’s role as a conduit for federal funds.

Protecting the best remaining places:
• We are leading the effort to establish Marine Protected Areas.
• With DNR, we are developing an aquatic habitat Conservation Plan to protect critical marine habitat.
• We are strengthening Shoreline Management Act statutes and regulations to require conditional use permits for all over-water structures.

Restore ecosystem function:
• Key oversight and coordination role for significant state and federal funding for salmon recovery, estuary and salmon habitat restoration. Examples include Nisqually Delta restoration, Elwha River floodplain, Fisher Slough marsh and others.

Stop pollution:
• War on stormwater. We are developing a comprehensive stormwater strategy.
• Leading the effort to develop and implement incentives and remove barriers to using Low Impact Development.

Engage the public:
• ECO Net established, with over 600 members and 500 organizations.
• Launched the “Puget Sound Starts Here” public awareness campaign.

Thank you Puget Sound for your continued support and involvement, and please share your Puget Sound success stories with the rest of our community. Let’s take a moment and celebrate everyone’s hard work to clean-up, restore and protect Puget Sound."

Reprinted with kind permission of Mike Sato, director of communications, People for Puget Sound.