Why Now?

An opportunity to make a tangible and lasting difference

Puget Sound’s shorelines have been in decline for years, with thousands of acres contaminated by toxins, 75 percent of the Sound’s salt marsh habitat destroyed, and one-third of the shoreline altered or engineered from its natural state. And only about 10 percent of the shoreline is open to the public.
This decline in habitat has had an impact on wildlife. Nine out of the 10 species federally listed as endangered or threatened with the Puget Sound region use or inhabit the nearshore environment. Even the health of the region’s beloved orca whales, declared endangered in February, is connected to shorelines, because the shorelines are the basis for a food web that feeds salmon and, ultimately, orcas. The region’s economy is also affected by the Sound’s decline. Since 1980, nearly 30,000 acres of commercial shellfish beds have closed due to contamination, and Hood Canal’s low oxygen levels resulted in a die-off of tens of thousands fish in 2004 alone.

But civic will to protect and restore the Sound is growing. From the Governor’s Puget Sound Partnership to the Corps of Engineers’ Nearshore Partnership, momentum is building, suggesting we have a remarkable opportunity to make a significant and lasting difference. The time to act is now.