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Action Agenda Update Center Home Setting Recovery Targets Strategy and Action Update Process Update Schedule Getting Involved Upcoming Meetings Public Comments
DOWNLOADS: 2008 Action AgendaDocument Library - MyPugetSound

The Action Agenda and Biennial Science Work Plan establish the strategies and actions that are needed to recover Puget Sound. Strategies are Soundwide and will guide recovery efforts. Some near-term actions are Soundwide and others are local (i.e., in one or more of the Action Areas specifically). The expectation is that state, federal, local, and other funding will then be directed toward achieving the priority strategies and actions.

In June the Leadership Council adopted a set of targets related to some key pressures on the Puget Sound ecosystem and other ecosystem components. These targets will drive the updates to the strategies and actions. For the 2012 update, the focus of the strategy and action update work is on those strategies and actions that help achieve targets for reducing five pressures on the ecosystem:

Draft Soundwide strategies and actions for the five 2012 focus pressure-reduction targets will be developed by interdisciplinary teams made up of representatives of the business, environmental, and other caucuses, local governments, local integrating organizations, lead organizations, and academia. The teams will meet between late May- through July 2011 and will use steps from the Open Standards for Conservation process to inform their work. Local Integrating Organizations will provide input to the Interdisciplinary Teams and will develop local near-term actions that flow from the Soundwide strategies and actions. Detailed guidance for updating the strategies and actions related to land development, shoreline alteration, runoff from the built environment, wastewater and loss of floodplain function is available here.

The Science Panel, Ecosystem Coordination Board, and Leadership Council will provide critical review and input into strategy and action development at their regularly scheduled meetings. In addition, two Cross-Partnership strategic advisory groups made up of caucus representatives and other stakeholders will review the work of the Interdisciplinary Teams and provide input in July and again in September. The draft Action Agenda will be available for public review during August.

Strategies and actions not directly related to achieving targets in those five pressure-reduction areas will be updated only as needed to bring more clarity, and reflect new information and progress. The Partnership will convene very small work sessions of technical and policy experts, including key stakeholders, to update the strategies and identify new actions. These strategies will be available for review in the draft Action Agenda. Detailed guidance for updating the strategies and actions for non-pressure reduction strategies is available here.

To view the anticipated outline of all strategies and sub-strategies for the 2012 Action Agenda update, click here.

To view a summary table of draft near term actions for all Soundwide strategies for the 2012 Action Agenda update, click here.

Local Area Involvement

The 2012 Action Agenda will include both Soundwide and local actions. The Partnership is working with each developed or forming Local Integrating Organizations to discuss their priorities and planned actions to support Puget Sound recovery. Partnership Ecosystem Recovery Coordinators work with each of the local implementing organizations on the development and refinement of their actions. Contact information for these staff is available here.
 

Land Development

The Land Development Interdisciplinary Team is focused on two pieces of work. First, it is working to develop a proposal for a recovery target related to reducing pressures on the Puget Sound ecosystem from land development. Second, it is working to develop Soundwide strategies and near-term actions that will reduce land development pressures. The strategy and action work is focused on three areas: focusing growth away from ecologically important areas; reducing conversion of working lands; and addressing issues associated with the density, amount and pattern of development inside and outside of urban growth areas.

The Team is scheduled to make a recommendation on a target for reducing land development pressure in October.

Shoreline Alteration

The recovery target to reduce pressures on Puget Sound from shoreline alteration is: From 2011 to 2020, the total amount of armoring removed is greater than the total amount of new armoring in Puget Sound (total miles removed > total miles added); feeder bluffs receive strategic attention for removal of existing armoring and avoidance of new armoring; and soft shore techniques are used for all new and replacement armoring unless it is demonstrably infeasible.

The shoreline alteration Interdisciplinary Team will focus on developing Soundwide strategies and near-term actions related to achieving this target. It also will work on strategies and actions related to estuary and nearshore restoration.

Runoff from the Built Environment

The recovery target to reduce pressures on Puget Sound caused by runoff from the built environment is: By 2020, 100 percent of Puget Sound lowland stream drainage areas monitored with baseline B-IBI scores of 42‐46 or better retain these "excellent" scores and mean B‐IBI scores of 30 Puget Sound lowland drainage areas improve from "fair" to "good."

Water insects are a key indicator of the health of a stream and its ability to support salmon. Pollution carried by stormwater kills water insects.

The runoff Interdisciplinary Team will focus on developing Soundwide strategies and near-term actions related to achieving this target. It also will work on other strategies and actions related to stormwater, informed by the recently adopted Stormwater Vision. Draft strategies and actions will be included in the August 8 draft Action Agenda for public review.

Wastewater

The recovery target to reduce pressures on Puget Sound caused by wastewater is: The recovery target to reduce pressures on Puget Sound caused by wastewater is: By 2020, all on-site sewage systems in marine recovery areas and other areas with equivalent enhanced operation and maintenance programs are inventoried, 95 percent are current with inspections, and all failed systems are fixed and expand designations of marine recovery areas or designation of other areas with equivalent enhanced operation and maintenance to 90 percent of marine shorelines not primarily served by sewers.

Management of on-site sewage systems provides a key indication that waters in the region are safe for drinking, swimming, shellfish harvest and consumption, and other human uses and enjoyment, and are not harmful to the native marine mammals, fish, birds, and shellfish of the region. The wastewater Interdisciplinary team will focus on developing Soundwide strategies and near-term actions related to achieving this target. It also will work on other strategies and actions related to wastewater, including those related to wastewater treatment plants, large on-site sewage systems, and reduction of wastewater contributions of nutrients and pathogens to Puget Sound.

Floodplains

The recovery target to reduce pressures on Puget Sound caused by loss of floodplain function is: By 2020, 15 percent of degraded floodplain areas are restored or floodplain projects to achieve that outcome are underway across Puget Sound and there is no additional loss of floodplain function in any Puget Sound watershed relative to a 2011 baseline.

The extent and condition of freshwater floodplains provides a key indication that freshwater, estuary, nearshore, marine, and upland habitats are protected, restored, and sustained. The floodplain Interdisciplinary team will focus on developing Soundwide strategies and near-term actions related to achieving this target for floodplains associated with major rivers. The team will also work on additional strategies and actions addressing recovery and protection objectives for freshwater floodplains throughout the Puget Sound Basin.

 

If you have comments or questions on this information, please email actionagenda@psp.wa.gov.