Re-post: article written by Heather Saunders Benson
Dear Friends and Partners in Puget Sound Recovery,
The 2018-2022 Action Agenda for Puget Sound has been adopted!
On December 5, 2018, the Leadership Council adopted the 2018-2022 Action Agenda after considering recommendations from the Ecosystem Recovery Board, Salmon Recovery Council and Science Panel, as well as input received from advisory boards, tribes, and the public. The 2018-2022 Action Agenda for Puget Sound charts the course to recovery for one of our nation’s largest estuaries, and complements and incorporates the work of local and regional partners from around Puget Sound to describe strategies and specific actions needed to recover Puget Sound.
As part of its adoption, the Leadership Council directed the Partnership to add the Southern Resident Orca Vital Sign as a priority Vital Sign for this 4 year period. In addition, the Leadership Council determined that the Regional Priority associated with the Orca Vital Sign is to implement Governor Inslee’s Southern Resident Orca Task Force recommendations, as well as the Chinook and Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategies.
The recommendations of the Orca Task Force build on or reiterate the findings of the Chinook salmon and Toxics and Fish Implementation Strategies, as well as the Regional Priorities developed for this Action Agenda. Bringing the Task Force recommendations into the sphere of the Action Agenda is essential to leverage existing efforts and momentum and to identify the actions that can have the largest benefit for both Southern Resident orcas and the Puget Sound ecosystem as a whole.
This Action Agenda was collaboratively developed with the dedication and hard work of all of our partners and broader recovery community. Thank you to all of you who contributed to the development of this Action Agenda by providing strategic vision, asking hard questions, providing and developing content, submitting and/or reviewing Near Term Actions, and providing thoughtful and meaningful comments and suggestions for improvement of the Action Agenda. Developing the Action Agenda is an iterative process and each iteration is getting better and better. This Action Agenda has made significant improvements and the Partnership is looking forward to working with the recovery community on implementing this Action Agenda and further improving our collective approach to Puget Sound recovery.
From all of us here at the Partnership, we want to say thank you for rolling up your sleeves and working together to make this Action Agenda its best version yet. We feel extremely grateful to work with such a dedicated and passionate group of partners who are committed to helping protect and restore Puget Sound. We wish you all a happy solstice, a merry and bright holiday season, and a very happy New Year!
Access the 2018-2022 Action Agenda:
- Full pdf download of the 2018-2022 Action Agenda
- Comprehensive Plan
- Implementation Plan
- Searchable list of 631 Near Term Actions
- Action Agenda Public Comment and Response Summary and Detailed Comment Matrix
A formal launch of the Action Agenda will occur in early 2019.
With thanks and warm regards,
Heather Saunders Benson
Action Agenda Planning Manager
Did you know: The Strategic Initiative leads for Habitat, Shellfish, and Stormwater participate in the planning and implementation of the Action Agenda. We would like to extend warm wishes to all of our partners, who work so hard all year to get things like the Action Agenda in place to protect and restore the place we love. Best wishes during this celebratory season!