OLYMPIA — The Puget Sound Partnership has announced that the recently passed federal spending bill includes $33 million for the Environmental Protection Agency’s Puget Sound Geographic Program.
This program is a major source of funding for the partnership’s Puget Sound Action Agenda, its long-term plan for recovery of the Puget Sound.
The fiscal year 2020 funding is a $5 million increase from fiscal year 2019 expenditures.
Other projects in the fiscal year 2020 spending bill include $35.5 million (up from $15.5 million in fiscal year 2019) for the Pacific Salmon Treaty and a $1.47 million authorization for the design phase of the Lower Duckabush River and estuary restoration project.
The Puget Sound Partnership is a state agency tasked with leading the regional effort to restore and protect the Puget Sound.
The partnership develops science-based research, monitoring and restoration goals.
It helps to direct funding to local organizations for projects that help achieve the partnership’s goals.
Peninsula funding
Some of the North Olympic Peninsula organizations that work with the partnership include Jefferson County Public Health, the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, the Makah Tribe, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition, the Coastal Watershed Institute, Clallam County, the North Olympic Land Trust, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe, the city of Port Townsend, the city of Sequim, the Clallam County Marine Resources Council, the city of Port Angeles, Jefferson County and the Jefferson Land Trust.
