07/11/2006: "Puget Sound Partnership Report To Governor"

As earlier reported in The Island Guardian (Past story), the Puget Sound Partnership has been hard at work on an interim report on the health of the Puget Sound, and what steps must be taken to restore and protect it now, and in the future.. The following letter was submitted to Governor Gregoire. We have included a link to the full report at the end of the letter .

July 10, 2006

Dear Governor Gregoire,

The Puget Sound Partnership is pleased to submit our interim report that includes our preliminary statement of findings and progress on all five charges: Develop an agenda for action to protect the health of the Sound, engage the public and enlist their help, assess the organizational and governance structures working to protect the Sound, review funding sources and priorities, and assess how to integrate science into our policies for Puget Sound.

Your recognition that a new approach to protecting and restoring Puget Sound is timely and appropriate—this is an exciting opportunity to create a lasting legacy for the future. Recognition of the need to manage complex ecosystems such as Puget Sound in a holistic way is beginning worldwide and we are please to be at the forefront of this important improvement. While progress has been made to protect areas of Puget Sound, it is clear that many parts of the Puget Sound region are in jeopardy and our current efforts are not sufficient to protect and restore this treasure. We need a pathway that is fundamentally different—one that will accommodate the links between human and natural systems, and engage our broader society in addressing the Sound's problems as a whole. Despite the daunting challenge, we believe our region has the best chance of any place in the country to succeed in managing our human and natural environment in a manner that is prosperous for all living organisms.

We very much appreciate this unique opportunity to serve our region and state and look forward to giving you comprehensive recommendations in November.

Yours truly,

(Signed by Co-chairs) Jay Manning, Bill Ruckelshaus, Billy Frank, Jr.

Link to a .pdf copy of the full report PS_Partnership_Interim_Report_final_7.10.06.pdf (233k file)