Achieving our goals for a healthy Puget Sound and Puget Sound community, which includes heathy and functioning habitats, clean and abundant freshwater, and harvestable shellfish beds requires systemic change and strategic investment. To lay the groundwork for this change, multiple organizations and community members are implementing research, education and outreach programs, new pilots, and increasing capacity to implement important environmental work. At the root of this systemic change is also the integration of climate resilience, environmental justice and equity, and tribal treaty rights into how Puget Sound recovery work is achieved.

Strategic Initiative Lead Investment Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022

Passions and plans move people, but the programs, pilots, research and big thinking needed to create a resilient Puget Sound need funding.

The Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) are pleased to announce the joint Strategic Initiative Lead Investment Plan for Federal Fiscal Year 2021 and 2022 Puget Sound Geographic Funds (NEP) funds. This joint plan highlights investment areas across the three SILs that will be the focus of competitive, Request for Proposal (RFP) grant processes to award NEP funding to the Puget Sound recovery community.

The Investment Plan is the result of months of work by the Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams and are based on years of analysis, research and other regional plans that connect to the Implementation Strategies guiding each SIL. Each Advisory Team endorsed a suite of Investment Priorities to accelerate recovery in the areas of Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater through processes established in the EPA Funding Guidance to the SILs.

Read the full Investment Plan here: SILs Investment Plan for FFY2021-2022. 

Investment Plan Highlights

Habitat

The Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team endorsed five Investment Priorities for strategic investment of NEP funds to achieve outcomes for healthy streams and rivers, forests and wetlands, estuaries, and beaches and marine vegetation. The five investment priorities leverage the unique nature of NEP funds to catalyze systemic change by: Changing Planning Paradigms; enabling Project Development and Readiness; encouraging Behavior Change; strengthening Regulatory Support; and increasing Information and Evaluation for Puget Sound habitat recovery. Within these priorities, the Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team recommended investment focus areas for competitive grant solicitations coming in fall 2022 to advance the Habitat Implementation Strategies. 

Stormwater

The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Advisory Team endorsed nine Investment Priorities focused on operationalizing and implementing priority actions in each of the three Implementation Strategies to reduce toxicants in the environment and improve freshwater quality and marine water quality. Investment priorities for the BIBI Implementation Strategy include designing a social marketing campaign, improving watershed compliance and incentives, and integrating watershed land use planning. Investment priorities for the Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategy include supporting public road retrofits by local jurisdictions, implementing Chemical Action Plans, and exploring ongoing support for Chemicals of Emerging Concern research and long-term sustainable funding for these programs. Lastly, investment priorities for the Marine Water Quality Implementation Strategy include visioning for the future of wastewater treatment and working with partners to reduce wastewater in key areas in Puget Sound.

Shellfish

The Shellfish Strategic Initiative Advisory Team endorsed four Investment Priorities for investment of FFY21 and FFY22 NEP funds aimed at accelerating progress towards the Shellfish Beds Vital Sign indicator target in achieving an annual net increase in harvestable shellfish beds by preventing and reducing fecal pollution in Puget Sound. Priorities include reducing fecal pollution by supporting Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) programs, onsite sewage system (OSS) management, and livestock manure management work. The fourth priority includes supporting planning and upgrades of wastewater treatment plants that will lead to shellfish bed classification upgrades around outfalls.

Shared

The three SILs have identified priority investment areas that have been identified as priorities by multiple Advisory Teams due to the cross-cutting nature of work around integrated planning frameworks and shared pressure sources. These shared areas of investments provide opportunities for coordination across competitive solicitations and collaborative solutions within the recovery community.

Did you know?

NEP Funds are aimed at investing in traditionally difficult-to-fund actions that catalyze Puget Sound recovery. Strategic Initiative Leads have been investing in Puget Sound recovery since 2016. Learn more the new process to distribute NEP funds through competitive, Request For Proposals in the SILs Funding Process Summary.

Check out FFY2016-2020 NEP funded projects!