People For Puget Sound Programs
In 2012 People For Puget Sound is actively restoring or stewarding 21 Habitat Restoration sites throughout Puget Sound and the Northwest Straits. Your support will help us care for more than 100 acres of shoreline by removing tens of thousands of square feet of invasive weeds and planting thousands of native trees, shrubs and marsh plants. This great volume of work can only be achieved through the hard work of our highly successful Sound Stewards program – trained volunteers educated about coastal habitat restoration. During the past year, Sound Stewards conducted more than 100 restoration maintenance and monitoring events, leading a total of 2,801 volunteers participating, contributing substantially to the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem.
Through our Advocacy program, we bring the voice of science to the decision-making table on behalf of Puget Sound. A strong network of advocates and on the ground policy work has enabled us to limit the effect of stormwater run-off through advancing Low Impact Development, help organize communities to speak out for the prevention of oil spills and toxic pollution, and spearhead the effort for a successful plastic bag ordinance in Seattle. You can help provide the necessary resources for People For Puget Sound to continue to be a key player in advocacy for policies, regulations, ordinances and permits that have the greatest beneficial impact on our waters.
Education is a vital part of engaging citizens in protecting the Sound, and you can directly support these innovative programs – Storming the Sound to train school teachers and community educators; Pier Peers and Beach walks for family “discovery” experiences; and stormwater tours and policy cafes to highlight important local issues and inform our regions residents about actions they can take to protect and restore Puget Sound.
Recent Successes and Current Challenges
Puget Sound faces numerous challenges that continue to contribute to the ‘1000 cuts’ that are diminishing Puget Sound’s natural functions. Pressures from stormwater pollution, destruction of natural shoreline habitat, invasive species and decreased water quality threaten a weakening ecosystem that, if left unchecked, will diminish Puget Sound’s natural functions for human health and well-being.
Your help is needed to stem the tide. Saving Puget Sound requires a science-based approach, applied urgently and strategically, and backed up by the commitment of engaged volunteers and citizens. People For Puget Sound’s recent accomplishments include a Seattle plastic bag ordinance, surveying 233 miles of shoreline for invasive Spartina grass, and hosting an educational forum to educate Everett citizens about ten toxic contaminated cleanup sites in Port Gardner Bay.
Sound Stewards is an example of an ongoing success story. We train committed volunteers in the science and techniques they need to effectively monitor, maintain and care for 18 habitat restoration sites. Over the 10 years of the program, training 400 Sound Stewards has allowed us to utilize the volunteer labor of 10,000 people for Puget Sound, and to restore more than 48 miles of shoreline. Your support will help pay for equipment, native plants, and provide the on the ground resources to train and enable volunteers to steward these critical conservation sites.