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July 2008 Update

Save Our Sound Campaign
The goal of People For Puget Sound’s "Save Our Sound" Campaign is to ensure that the Puget Sound Partnership delivers a 2020 Action Agenda and long term funding strategy in by December 1st of this year that will lay out the “comprehensive schedule of projects, programs and activities designed to achieve a healthy Puget Sound ecosystem” by 2020, as required by the law establishing the Partnership.

Our SOS campaign builds on the work begun in 2006 with the formation of the Puget Sound Environmental Caucus, a coalition organized by People For Puget Sound to influence the commission formed by the governor as part of her Puget Sound Initiative (the “old” Partnership).  As of this writing, 43 groups participate in the Caucus, and the group is working hard to shape the Action Agenda and funding strategy.

Current Status of Puget Sound Partnership Action Agenda Development
The Partnership and its many consultants are currently working on issue papers, long-term financing research, engaging the public, and developing a communications campaign – all aimed at producing a draft 2020 Action Agenda by mid October. The law setting up the Partnership divided the Sound into seven “Action Areas,” and Partnership staff and consultants are working with local leaders in each area to identify locally-based priorities to recommend for Inclusion in the Action Agenda. Technical meetings in these seven Action Areas will be held in mid-July to further refine the local recommendations.

Four Priorities for the 2020 Action Agenda
The Partnership is a state agency that has a “Leadership Council” of seven citizens appointed by the Governor. The group meets about every six week for briefings, and at their June meeting they agreed on the four priorities for the Action Agenda: reinventing our current fiscal, regulatory, and incentives systems; protect ecosystems; restore ecosystems; and prevent water pollution, especially stormwater.

Next Steps
We expect that in September the Partnership will release its Action Agenda recommendations for public review. It will be very important that the public takes this opportunity to tell the Partnership whether the draft recommendations are bold enough to recover the Sound to health by 2020.

Become a Postcard Captain This Summer
We're asking citizens to tell via postcards that Puget Sound needs a strong Action Agenda and Funding Plan. For more information and to get involved, contact Rein Attemann, (206) 382-7007.