After much partner engagement, review, and robust discussions the various Puget Sound Partnership boards, the Habitat Strategic Initiative is pleased to announce the publication of the Land Development and Cover Base Program Analysis by the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute.  

The Approach 

The Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy has been under development since 2016 and addresses strategies to achieve the Vital Sign which “measures the conversion of land from forests, farms, and natural areas into land for homes, businesses, and roads.” The Base Program Analysis supports the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy by summarizing and analyzing a variety of programs, policies, and initiatives across local, state, and federal levels that align with the strategy. The report highlights cost-share programs, technical assistance programs, as well as established and emerging market-based programs (such as ecosystem services payments or carbon sequestration).  

This information is for you, too!

This report is intended to provide an overview of ongoing programs related to specific strategies within the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy. The three strategies are to protect and restore ecologically important lands, to reduce barriers to infill and redevelopment, and to support working agricultural and forest lands. This document highlights specific programs that are working to improve the conditions around each of these strategies. It is intended to help regional partners operationalize the strategies described in the Implementation Strategy.  

To help our regional partners maneuver through this document, a navigation table is included (page number 14) for easier access to specific programs, initiatives, and policies. Using the list of icons, the reader can easily identify programs with opportunities for local government engagement and access other sections of the document easily. 

Did you know? 

This report is one of several appendices to the Land Development and Cover Implementation Strategy. The three strategies outlined in the Implementation Strategy are:  to protect and restore ecologically important lands, to reduce barriers to infill and redevelopment in Urban Growth Areas and support working agricultural and forest lands.