OLYMPIA – The Puget Sound gained a major victory today with the passage of a bill to create a new governance entity to protect and restore the health of the Puget Sound.

“The passage of this bill shows our deep commitment to making the health of the Puget Sound a top priority for our state,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, the bill’s prime sponsor. “This bill will give us a permanent structure which maximizes collaboration, minimizes conflict and increases accountability. By working together, this partnership can achieve so much.”

A gubernatorial advisory body created in 2005 worked for a year to develop a strategy to protect and restore the health of Puget Sound by 2020. One of the main recommendations from the advisory body was to create a new ongoing agency.

Senate Bill 5372 creates a new independent agency to be known as the Puget Sound Partnership to provide for better collaboration, a long-term strategic plan and strong involvement of citizens around the Sound. This partnership will be led by a leadership council, and work closely with regional watershed groups around the sound. The leadership council will be responsible for defining an action agenda and setting priorities to make sure we have a healthy Puget Sound by 2020. An independent Science Panel will also help set goals and benchmarks to measure progress.

SB 5372 passed the Senate on a 41-5 vote, with three excused, and now goes to the House of Representatives for consideration. If it passes the House, Gov. Chris Gregoire is expected to sign it into law.

“Our governor has made a strong commitment to the recovery of the Puget Sound. I’m glad that my bill is the vehicle to turn that commitment into a reality,” Rockefeller said.

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