This Investment Plan includes:

• New upcoming investment priorities for the Stormwater and Shellfish SILs.
• Ongoing work from the Habitat SIL investment priorities released in the 2023 Investment Plan.
• How the SILs are addressing cross-cutting priorities.

Stormwater SIL Investment Priorities

The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Advisory Team (SIAT) is directing a total of $16 million of EPA Puget Sound Geographic funds towards 15 investment priorities to improve freshwater and marine water quality and reduce toxics in fish around Puget Sound.

In developing the 2024 investment portfolio, the Stormwater SIAT drew on recommendations from four topical Pod workgroups, and from a broad community of stormwater, wastewater, and land use practitioners who contributed to workshops and engagements over the last year.

Investment priorities for the BIBI Implementation Strategy include reinvestments in stormwater infrastructure projects, including climate resiliency planning, multi-benefit stormwater parks and regional facilities, and enhanced system maintenance. Based on the recommendations from last fall’s workshops, we are also directing investments to help local governments integrate how they manage water and lands across departments and jurisdictions through facilitation, mapping, guidance, and outreach and behavior change campaigns.

Investment priorities for the Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategy include reinvestments in Chemical Action Plan implementation and research on contaminants of emerging concern in wastewater and stormwater, as well as a new investment specifically targeting toxic hotspots impacting Chinook salmon survival.

A joint investment priority for the Marine Water Quality and Shellfish Beds Implementation Strategies will study options for improving wastewater treatment capacity with small-scale facilities, a top recommendation from participants in wastewater workshops.

Opening July 15, the first solicitation under this Plan is for projects to pilot treatments to remove CECs from wastewater. Up to $1 million is available. Applications for this RFP are due on October 15, 2024. Timelines for the other RFPs will be announced on the Stormwater SIL RFP webpage soon.

Shellfish SIL Investment Priorities

The Shellfish Strategic Initiative Advisory Team endorsed four investment priorities for the Shellfish SIL’s 2024 investments of EPA’s Puget Sound Geographic funds. The goal of these investments are to target priority actions to reduce fecal pollution impacting shellfish harvest in Puget Sound.

Proposals will be solicited under one comprehensive RFP, opening end of August. At least $5.3 million is available for the following priorities.

• Support work that addresses fecal pollution impacts to shellfish growing area classification protection and restoration.
• Support innovative solutions to address fecal pollution impacts to shellfish growing area classification protection and restoration.
• Support regionally scoped work to address fecal pollution management needs impacting shellfish growing area classification protection and restoration. 
• Integrate shellfish growing area classification priorities in wastewater treatment plant operation, planning and/or upgrades.

See the Shellfish chapter of the 2024 Investment Plan for a full list of the type of work being targeted under each priority.

Habitat SIL Investment Priorities

The Habitat SIL has allocated all funding under the current cooperative agreement with EPA to investment priorities in past Investment Plans (2021-2022, 2023). The Habitat Strategic Initiative Advisory Team recommend in the 2023 Joint Investment Plan to allocate all remaining funds and anticipated future funds to ensure all subawards have at least two-years to complete proposed projects. A total of $25 million dollars has been allocated through the two investment plans. Active awards can be viewed on the SIL Funded Projects page.

Habitat SIL’s 2023 investment priorities were addressed through RFPs in Spring and Summer 2024. The Summer 2024 RFPs for the Restoration effectiveness of soft shore alternatives to hard armor and Planning for sea level rise and climate related hazards to nearshore habitat are currently open and close August 27, 2024.

See the HSIL RFP webpage for more information. Successful applicants from the HSIL Spring and Summer 2024 RFPs will be announced throughout Fall 2024 on the HSIL RFP webpage.

Did you Know?

Three cross-cutting considerations are being integrated within the SILs’ Puget Sound recovery investments: Climate change resilience and adaptation, Tribal Treaty Rights, and environmental justice. Investments across the SILs are asked to integrate one or more of these cross-cutting considerations.

Climate change resilience and adaptation: If there are climate risks or impacts related to the investment priority outcomes, does the investment include processes and actions to prepare for, adapt, or increase resilience in ecosystem and human wellbeing outcomes?

Tribal Treaty Rights: How are Tribal Treaty Rights sustained and supported through the investment? Is traditional ecological knowledge considered? Is there tribal leadership, input, or influence?

Environmental justice: Are there opportunities to address impacts of environmental justice, environmental health, and disproportional impacts through the investment? How is information and community input being utilized?