Governor signs Rockefeller’s Sound-saving ‘Partnership’ bill

OLYMPIA – The prognosis for the long-term health of the Puget Sound took a turn for the better with the signing of Senate Bill 5372 by Gov. Chris Gregoire today.

“We have a vision for our future — a clean and healthy Puget Sound with diverse and abundant fish and wildlife. This vision is supported by the hard work of several public and private groups over the past few years,” said Sen. Phil Rockefeller, D-Kitsap County, the measure’s chief sponsor. “It’s been a privilege to work on this landmark legislation because it will leave a legacy for our environment, wildlife and children.”

The bill creates the Puget Sound Partnership, which was a major recommendation of an advisory body created in 2005 that worked for a year to develop a strategy to protect and restore the health of Puget Sound by 2020. Its recommendations were delivered to the governor and shaped the governor’s proposal to the Legislature.

“We now have a permanent structure, which maximizes collaboration, minimizes conflict and increases accountability,” Rockefeller added. “Our state will be equipped to make the cleanup of Puget Sound a priority. This agency will provide us with tools, including but not limited to, protecting water quality, restoring marine shorelines and estuaries, reducing the release of toxins, providing assistance for water reclamation, protecting endangered marine life, and addressing the threat of storm water runoff.

Directed by a leadership council that will work closely with regional watershed groups, the Puget Sound Partnership will provide for better collaboration, a long-term strategic plan and strong citizen involvement. The leadership council will be responsible for defining an action agenda and setting priorities to help ensure we have a healthy Puget Sound by 2020. An independent science panel will set goals and benchmarks to measure progress.

The 2007-09 operating and capital budgets contain $226 million for Puget Sound cleanup, including:

• • $13,000,000 for Nearshore Restoration
• $40 million for Puget Sound Remedial Action Grant Cleanups
• $17.9 million for Local Innovative Stormwater and Retrofit Grants
• $21.3 million for a variety of Washington Wildlife & Recreation projects
• $40.7 million for Puget Sound Salmon Habitat Restoration and Acquisition
• $31.8 million for Public Works Trust Board-Sewer/Water Loans

“The Puget Sound Partnership is a major win for our environment,” Rockefeller said. “The long-term success of this legislation will depend on the willingness of all of us to step up to protect the Sound.”

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