Geographic Programs - Puget Sound Action Agenda: Technical Investigations and Implementation Assistance Program

 

Puget Sound has been designated as one of 28 estuaries of National Significance under section 320 of the Clean Water Act. The goal of the National Estuary Program is to attain and maintain water quality in designated estuaries that will assure protection of public water supplies and the protection and propagation of a balanced, indigenous population of shellfish, fish and wildlife and allows recreational activities in and on the water. The Puget Sound National Estuary Program's approved Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan (CCMP), the Action Agenda, has a goal to restore and maintain the Puget Sound Estuary's environment by meeting 2022-2026 ecosystem targets. The Action Agenda for Puget Sound charts the course to recovery of our nation's largest estuaryit complements and incorporates the work of many partners from around Puget Sound to describe regional strategies and specific actions needed to recover Puget Sound. These strategies and actions provide opportunities for federal, state, local, tribal, and private entities to better invest resources and coordinate actions. The EPA is committed to protecting and improving water quality and minimizing the adverse impacts of rapid development in the Puget Sound Basin. These commitments include protecting the watersheds and waters of Puget Sound by protecting the fundamental watershed processes that provide and create aquatic habitats and by reducing the generation and release of toxic, nutrient and pathogen pollution. This program has the following main objectives: First, implementing the approved CCMP, the Action Agenda for Puget Sound, is the primary objective of this program. Funds are directed to the highest priority work as articulated in every four-year updates to the Action Agenda work plan. The updated work plan identifies implementation strategies to achieve reductions in the harmful impacts on Puget Sound and restore previously damaged aquatic ecosystem functions. A central component of the approved CCMP for Puget Sound is its Science Work Plan which identifies some of the core scientific work that must be completed in order for Action Agenda implementation efforts to succeed. This program is to support implementation of priority near term actions and to support the technical studies and investigations that are needed to help direct implementation priorities and help support the tracking systems and evaluation approaches for implementation activities. Together with projects aimed at achievement of specific environmental outcomes, the science studies and technical investigations inform adaptive management of the program significantly contributing to the restoration and protection of Puget Sound. The program has considered relevant approaches to achieving the intended goals and objectives of the program consistent with statutory requirements, including priorities in Executive Order 14052 (Implementation of the Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act), to invest public dollars equitably, create jobs and high labor stands, ensure goods and services are made in America, and build infrastructure that is resilient and helps combat the climate crisis using IIJA funds. Funding Priorities - Fiscal Year 2021-2026 : Funding will be continued for the three strategic initiative leads (SILs) which will focus on: Award and manage subawards to support the implementation of the Action Agenda with a focus on Implementation Strategies; maintain Strategic Initiative Advisory Teams (SIATs) to advise in investment-related decision-making; serve as Implementation Strategy Leads for Vital Signs related to the Strategic Initiative and form technical (e.g., Interdisciplinary Teams) and/or policy workgroups to develop, refine, adaptively manage, and operationalize Implementation Strategies; participate in the Puget Sound Partnership and National Estuary Program (NEP) Management Conference processes and work groups; and proactively coordinate with tribal partners and Local Integrating Organizations (LIOs) in order to accomplish SIL work. New lead programs have been created with Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funding. In FY23 two new Request for Applications were issued for one lead organization for Climate Resilient Riparian Systems and the other for Ensuring Environmental Justice, Human Wellbeing and Ecosystem Recovery in Puget Sound.

Active 66.123 Environmental Protection Agency B - Project Grants Fiscal Year 2015 No accomplishments to report with this year funding since the incremental funding was awarded in late FFY2015. See below for a few of the FFY2014-15 accomplishments under these Lead Organization Grants. Puget Sound is a leader in estuary recovery. IC2 Alternatives Assessment Guide. Seven states collaborated to produce the Interstate Chemicals Clearinghouse (IC2) Alternatives Assessment Guide, a methodology to identify harmful toxins in the manufacturing process and replace them with less harmful alternatives. (Toxics and nutrients prevention, reduction and control) NW Green Chemistry - Northwest Green Chemistry, established in large part through National Estuary Program funding, offers technical assistance to Washington companies interested in participating in the Safer Choice Program. The program helps consumers and businesses find products that are safer for families, workplaces, communities and the environment. In 2015, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) named the Washington State Department of Ecology and Northwest Green Chemistry as a Safer Choice Partner of the Year Award winner. (Toxics and nutrients prevention, reduction and control) The Puget Sound program has made real and systemic changes that support sustainable efforts towards recovery. ■ Integrated zoning and development mapping. To provide a common foundation for land use planning decisions and facilitate cross-jurisdictional planning, the Washington State Department of Commerce developed an integrated map of zoning and development across Puget Sound. This map includes permitting data which could be valuable for counties required to complete Building Lands Reports. (Watershed protection and restoration) ■ Shoreline armoring removal. Shoreline armoring is an important indicator of ecological conditions in Puget Sound. By 2020, the goal is to remove more armoring than is added between 2011 and 2020. The Washington State Department of Natural Resources is working with local governments, non-governmental organizations and landowners to remove seawalls, bulkheads and other artificial barriers between the water and the land, helping restore Puget Sound shorelines and make beaches easier to access for all. National Estuary Program funds are used to address armoring systemically, combining direct work with homeowners with scientific advancements that address armoring and on-the-ground armor removal and restoration. It is because of this systemic approach that in 2014, for the first time, more armor was removed from Puget Sound than was installed – a hopeful sign of things to come. (Marine and nearshore protection and restoration; Watershed protection and restoration) ■ No Discharge Zone. Fecal coliform in shellfish can cause illness in humans. One source of fecal coliform in the Puget Sound is sewage discharge from vessels. In order to protect public health, the Washington State Department of Ecology researched a federal "No Discharge Zone" (NDZ) designation for priority areas of Puget Sound. A draft NDZ agreement and petition were developed; over 26,000 public comments were received on the draft petition. If approved by the EPA, this would be the first NDZ in Washington State. (Pathogen prevention, reduction and control) ■ Onsite Regional Funding Program. There are more than a half million on-site sewage systems (OSS) in the Puget Sound Region. These systems are a valuable part of the region's wastewater treatment infrastructure. Like municipal wastewater treatment plants, OSS must be properly built, operated and maintained to effectively treat sewage, thereby protecting public health and water quality. Local health jurisdictions (LHJs) in the 12 Puget Sound counties implement comprehensive OSS management plans and enhanced operation and maintenance (O&M) programs to help accomplish this. Steering and Advisory Committees, made up of Washington Department of Health staff and representatives from the 12 Puget Sound counties evaluated the funding needs, key issues and optional funding mechanisms to develop strategic proposals to successfully establish and fund the two OSS programs in the Puget Sound region. (Pathogen prevention, reduction and control) Floodplains by Design. The Nature Conservancy's multi-benefit floodplain restoration program, Floodplains by Design, has leveraged $50 in capital projects for every National Estuary Program dollar invested. (Watershed protection and restoration) ■ Floodplains by Design. The Nature Conservancy's multi-benefit floodplain restoration program, Floodplains by Design, has leveraged $50 in capital projects for every National Estuary Program dollar invested. (Watershed protection and restoration) National Estuary Program projects are a smart investment, enabling Puget Sound communities to leverage resources wisely and support critical work few others will fund. ■ Progressive comprehensive plan updates. The City of Duvall used National Estuary Program funds to complete a comprehensive plan update. As a small city, the funding made it possible for the city to pursue a more progressive update than is typical. They created watershed overlays to help communicate resource needs to elected officials and the general public, which encouraged development of regulations and incentive-based programs to address those needs. (Watershed protection and restoration) Innovation is innate to the Pacific Northwest, and Puget Sound recovery is no exception. ■ Transfer of Development Rights: King County's Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) program is only possible because of National Estuary Program funding. The program prevents urban sprawl by transferring development rights away from rural and resource lands to the county's Urban Areas. The Cities of Shoreline, Mountlake Terrace, Tukwila and Tacoma are now completing feasibility studies for TDR and may soon negotiate an interlocal agreement with their respective counties. (Watershed protection and restoration) ■ New ecosystem services markets: Ecosystem services markets are still a relatively new idea. The development of some markets has fallen short because outside organizations were not ready to approve a grant recipient's work. The Nisqually Tribe and City of Olympia continue to work collaboratively to develop an ecosystem services market to purchase development rights and build a community forest to protect part of Olympia's aquifer. (Watershed protection and restoration) ■ New scientific tools to inform decisions: The innovative High Resolution Change Detection project uses interactive aerial maps to show site-level changes in land cover over time. The map's analytics provide information about why the land cover changed and measure the rate of change relative to Puget Sound Vital Signs, both of which can be used to track Action Agenda progress. (Watershed protection and restoration) Future success will be amplified by the capacity and social capital being built today. ■ Hood Canal Regional PIC Program: In Hood Canal, shellfish beds are hard-hit by multiple sources of pollution. Kitsap County has an exemplary record of addressing Pollution Identification and Control (PIC) issues, and is now partnered with (and helping mentor) Mason and Jefferson Counties and the Port Gamble S'Klallam and Skokomish Tribes to reduce pollution inputs to Hood Canal's shellfish beds. This effort is part of the Department of Health's PIC program, which is active in all 12 counties around Puget Sound and promotes collaborative efforts to identify and reduce the amount of pollution reaching shellfish beds. (Pathogen prevention, reduction and control) ■ Facilitating the use of best practices: Several Lead Organizations have provided technical assistance and mentorship around the region, and developed resources to expand the reach of this support: The Marine Shoreline Design Guidelines help identify the shoreline type that best suits conditions at a site A Pollution Identification and Correction Program Guidance to find, correct and prevent pollutants from entering Puget Sound IC2 Alternatives Assessment Guide to replace harmful chemicals in the manufacturing process A K-12 curriculum on ocean acidification The Northwest Straits Foundation held workshops for landowners, trained volunteers and provided free technical assistance to reduce shoreline armoring The Department of Ecology certified over 50 landscape professionals in best management practices to reduce toxic and nutrient loading from pesticides and fertilizers
Fiscal Year 2016 No accomplishments to report with this year funding since the incremental funding was awarded in late FFY2015.
Fiscal Year 2017 Nearly 1,000 acres of harvestable shellfish beds have been reopened since January 2017. 760 acres of commercial shellfish beds have been upgraded in Liberty Bay. Kitsap County teamed up with local stakeholders to apply progressive pollution identification and correction strategies. 129 acres of Birth Bay in Whatcom County have been upgraded to allow year-round shellfish harvest by both recreational and commercial fishers. From 2007 through January 2018 a total of 11, 318 acres were upgraded and 6,298 acres were downgraded for a net total of 5,020 acres of improvement. Pollution and Identification and Correction (PIC) programs help counties respond to downgrades by forming shellfish protection districts and developing closure response plans to identify and correct pollution sources in areas with declining water quality. The counties’ Local Health jurisdictions have been able to change landowner behavior using incentives like rebates for inspections, pump outs, and installation of risers. Farm incentives are being used to install best management practices such as fencing, gutters, and covered manure storage. 2,578 acres of habitat have been restored or permanently protected. In Snohomish county 27 shoreline restoration program are completed – helping to restore 2,200 linear feet of shoreline. Also, many lake landowners have participated in the LakeWise program (lawn or septic care workshop and/or site visit). This program can reduce nutrient pollution at threatened lakes through actions of the residents, Starter package content for the Toxics in Fish report is complete and delivered. Since 2017 the program has made significant progress in implementing a new and improved funding model, finalizing four additional implementation strategies for the Floodplains, Land Development and Cover, Chinook Salmon, and Shoreline Armoring vital signs. A template for Implementation Strategy fact sheets was developed. A Draft Implementation Strategy Communication Strategy was completed and updated as a living document. Update of economic vital sign indicators. The 2017 State of the Sound report was completed and published online in November 2017, on schedule. The substantially redesigned 2017 State of the Sound report, was recently nominated for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2018 Notable Document Award
Fiscal Year 2018 Habitat Strategic Initiative • 1,500 feet of shoreline armor removed including 630.8 tons of large angular rock and 263.87 tons of concrete bags removed • Two key guidance documents: Sea Level Rise Considerations for Nearshore Restoration Projects in Puget Sound and Guidelines for Mapping Sea Level Rise Inundation in Washington State (Planning for Sea Level Rise in Puget Sound, • Action Agenda Near Term Action (NTA) review: planned and executed “NTA camp” for the review of 635 NTAs with 70-volunteer technical reviewers • Leading the Incentivizing Healthy Shorelines workshop & supporting the development of Ecosystem Coordination Board policy recommendations Shellfish Strategic Initiative • Since April 2017, The Kitsap Conservation District has written 5 farm plans, provided technical assistance to 65 landowners, and implemented 41 BMPs- all using EPA Puget Sound funds. • The Washington Department of Health recently announced it is reclassifying 236 acres from Prohibited to Approved for shellfish harvest in Miller Bay Kitsap County, Washington. • The Kitsap Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program finds and fixes sources of fecal pollution. • In Skagit County, 87% of the OSS in the Marine Recovery Area are now current on their inspections. Since 2016, Skagit Public Health has mailed out onsite sewage system reminder letters to property owners every year. Generally, more frequent inspections mean that minor problems are fixed earlier, preventing failure. • Skagit's Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program runs a fun and informative "PoopSmart" social marketing campaign. Comparing the pre-years of April 2016-2017 to post-years of April 2018-2019, OSS maintenance is up a whopping 48%. (274 in 2016-2017, 407 in 2018-2019). • Skagit's Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) program also uses innovative methods to find and fix sources of fecal pollution, such as "Crush" the sewage sniffing dog, and a new EPA-funded chemical tracer study. • In Samish Bay, which at 4,000 acres is the largest commercial shellfish growing area in Washington state, and is critical to reaching the Puget Sound target of 10,800 acres net improvement. • Water quality has improved enough that Department of Health has removed the spring critical period as the period of evaluation for an upgrade. • Bacteria levels in the Samish River watershed have been reduced by 60% since 2011. Bay View State Park's swim beach, which was closed for a third of the swimming season due to bacterial pollution in 2015, was open and clean all summer last year. • The number of days that commercial shellfish beds are closed in spring due to pollution have been reduced by 60% since 2014. • The Washington Department of Health (DOH) completed the evaluation of water quality data from the 800-acre Portage Bay Shellfish Growing Area and Nooksack River and determined that the spring closure for the area can be removed. (Data indicates that water quality issues continue to persist during the fall closure period.) • While water quality is not quite good enough to upgrade the overall classification of the growing area, Lummi tribal members will now be able to harvest from Portage Bay during the spring and the removal of the spring closure period shows the success of the watershed-wide pollution identification and correction programs. DOH will continue to work with Whatcom County, the Lummi Nation, and other area stakeholders to find and fix pollution sources. • The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that portions of commercial shellfish areas around 20 Puget Sound marinas would no longer be classified as prohibited. • Improved vessel sewage management has allowed DOH to remove shellfish harvest restrictions on nearly 700 acres of commercial shellfish beds in 8 Puget Sound counties. • Over the past 20 years, progress has been made to reduce the potential for sewage discharge from boats, and this includes better waste-holding capacity in most boats, increased boat waste pump out stations, and the implementation of a No Discharge Zone throughout the Puget Sound. The improvements have led to better water quality, a lowered illness risk to people who eat shellfish, and greater protection of public health. EPA Puget Sound funding has contributed to outreach and education for vessel owners. • Stormwater Strategic Initiative • The University of Washington Tacoma's "Stormwater Chemical Characterization and Watershed Prioritization" surveyed stormwater in Puget Sound creeks to identify sources, watersheds, and time periods that are responsible for disproportionate water quality degradation and should be prioritized for restoration or stormwater treatment efforts. UW Center for Urban Waters researchers collected >140 water samples in 15 Puget Sound creeks during storm events in Fall 2017 – Spring 2019. Using advanced chemical analyses, they: 1) prioritized regional watersheds most impacted by urban runoff, 2) identified chemical indicators for urbanization and biological degradation, and 3) characterized "pollutographs" relative to storm hydrographs, to measure and prioritize contaminant flows in urban creeks affected by stormwater pollution. In collaboration with Miller Creek Basin (Cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac; Port of Seattle; King County) partners, they sampled along the watershed to identify key contaminant inputs and polluted reaches of the creek. Findings will guide efforts to treat urban stormwater and improve water quality for coho salmon based on these findings. Several recent journal publications were informed by this NEP-funded research, including "Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Identify Organic Contaminants Linked to Urban Stormwater Mortality Syndrome in Coho Salmon" in Environmental Science and Technology. This publication indicated that tire wear particle leachates contribute to coho pre-spawn mortality. • A major deliverable under the Stormwater Strategic Initiative is an implementation strategy to reduce toxics in Puget Sound fish, including Chinook salmon. This grant’s Toxics in Fish/ Southern Resident Killer Whale work played a significant role in Washington Department of Ecology state budget development processes, and has catalyzed several legislative changes--including the passage of new legislation giving the Department of Ecology new authority to manage toxics identified through the Toxics in Fish / Southern Resident Killer Whale process. It has also led to significant new proposed investments in areas critical to Toxics in Fish and Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery. It has also created impetus to solve some Toxics in Fish challenges, such as prioritizing contaminants of emerging concern--a key critical process step identified in the strategy. Even though this Toxics in Fish implementation strategy is still a 'draft' product and short of full completion, Department of Ecology has already been able to use it to great effect. Base+ Award 1. To promote financial management and financial sustainability the Partnership initiated a project management process to more effectively manage program, project and staffing resources. 2. To promote alignment of local and regional priorities and actions over 600 Near Term Actions (NTA) were evaluated for alignment with the Leadership Council adopted slate of regional priorities at a successful NTA review “camp”; an excellent example of collaboration across the Puget Sound recovery system with over 80 participants. 3. To document the status of recovery in Puget Sound the Partnership published the 2017 State of the Sound Report. The report combines a response to statutory questions about the management and funding of Puget Sound recovery, with information on ecosystem status and trends. Unlike previous reports, the 2017 report provides a summary of the progress on the Vital Sign indicators with more detailed indicator information available on an updated Vital Signs website. The Vital Signs website was updated with Vital Sign-level reports and messaging from PSEMP workgroups for 12 of 25 Vital Signs as of October 2017. Over 1,500 reports (and a larger number of executive summary 2-pagers) have been distributed to partners, significantly more than for previous reports. Also notable in the 2017 report are four locally based recovery stories about seawalls, shellfish, floodplains and stormwater pollution. The stories are designed to be visually engaging with extensive use of graphics to help tell the story. The report also contains a list of 17 recommendations (also included in the Executive Summary) that indicate the increased commitment needed from partners to advance recovery. The Partnership has also communicated the report's findings to multiple audiences around Puget Sound through presentations and webinars. The redesigned Vital Signs Design report was nominated for the national conference of State Legislatures’ 2018 Notable Document Award. The Vital Signs design was called out as a best practice by the Indian River Lagoon Council and the National Estuary Program. 4. To provide professional development opportunities Partnership staff engaged in the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference that was successfully convened in Seattle. The theme of the conference was “Ecosystem Recovery in an International Transboundary System” with presentations spanning a range of topics. The Partnership’s Science and Evaluation Director was co-chair of the 2018 conference. Thirty staff participated in the event with four serving as session presenters and/or facilitators. 5. To promote strategic regional engagements the Partnership continued forging connections with entities such as the Northwest Seaport Alliance and the Boeing Company. An outcome of meeting with the former is support for state legislative priorities of the Partnership. 6. To promote engagement and involvement in ecosystem recovery, six of the seven Marine Resources Committees (MRC) affiliated with the Northwest Straits Commission engage volunteers in a variety of stewardship and training events. For example, through Salish Sea Stewards, 61 Skagit county residents received citizen science training. The Clallam County MRC cooperates with the city of Port Angeles to provide oil spill preparedness training. During this reporting period 33 volunteers received the HAZWOPER certification. MRCs host symposiums as well. Over 100 people attended a symposium hosted by the San Juan MRC on the plight of the southern resident killer whales, while the Whatcom MRC co-hosted a water supply symposium with over 130 participants. Implementation Strategies/Science Award 1. To improve awareness and understanding, the Puget Sound Institute publishes newsletters and magazine articles and covers special events like the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 2. To enhance Implementation Strategies (IS) through social science Effectiveness and Social Science Protocols have either been drafted and are ready for incorporation or have enough content to be considered well-formed enough to be included as Guidance for future IS development. Additional Social Science concepts and information are being integrated into the Toxics in Fish and Marine Water Quality implementation strategy process as content is being created by the interdisciplinary team (IDTs). 3. To support the Science Panel’s role in Implementation Strategies, guidelines and terms of reference for external review of shoreline armoring were prepared for review of the Shoreline Armoring Implementation Strategy. The Guidelines and TOR for Shoreline Armoring IS was developed to be applicable to other ISs with minimal change. 4. To bridge between the Puget Sound scientific community and the Management Conference, staff presented as follows: July 2018 meetings: discussion of nutrient forum and marine water quality IS at SP meeting; discussion of Shore Armoring at ECB meeting. Convened science-policy workshop on December 12, 2017 - science panel invited all leadership council members, leaders of ECB and salmon recovery council and others (e.g., SI Lead staff) to discuss resilience framing of Puget Sound ecosystem recovery. 5. Staff have participated in the national coastal and estuaries meeting (CERF) in November 2017. Staff presented a session on What’s Working to Restore Puget Sound? Making Decisions Based on Outcomes. Partnership, participated in the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference, presented on framework for Puget Sound ecosystem recovery framework at conference of National Association of Environmental Professionals (NAEP), and staff were part of a panel presentation on Puget Sound at the National Conference on Ecosystem Restoration.
Fiscal Year 2019 Habitat Strategic Initiative • 1,500 feet of shoreline armor removed including 630.8 tons of large angular rock and 263.87 tons of concrete bags removed • Two key guidance documents: Sea Level Rise Considerations for Nearshore Restoration Projects in Puget Sound and Guidelines for Mapping Sea Level Rise Inundation in Washington State (Planning for Sea Level Rise in Puget Sound, • Action Agenda Near Term Action (NTA) review: planned and executed “NTA camp” for the review of 635 NTAs with 70-volunteer technical reviewers • Leading the Incentivizing Healthy Shorelines workshop & supporting the development of Ecosystem Coordination Board policy recommendations Shellfish Strategic Initiative • Since April 2017, The Kitsap Conservation District has written 5 farm plans, provided technical assistance to 65 landowners, and implemented 41 BMPs- all using EPA Puget Sound funds. • The Washington Department of Health recently announced it is reclassifying 236 acres from Prohibited to Approved for shellfish harvest in Miller Bay Kitsap County, Washington. • In Samish Bay, which at 4,000 acres is the largest commercial shellfish growing area in Washington state, and is critical to reaching the Puget Sound target of 10,800 acres net improvement. • Water quality has improved enough that Department of Health has removed the spring critical period as the period of evaluation for an upgrade. • Bacteria levels in the Samish River watershed have been reduced by 60% since 2011. Bay View State Park's swim beach, which was closed for a third of the swimming season due to bacterial pollution in 2015, was open and clean all summer last year. • The number of days that commercial shellfish beds are closed in spring due to pollution have been reduced by 60% since 2014. • The Washington Department of Health (DOH) completed the evaluation of water quality data from the 800-acre Portage Bay Shellfish Growing Area and Nooksack River and determined that the spring closure for the area can be removed. (Data indicates that water quality issues continue to persist during the fall closure period.) • While water quality is not quite good enough to upgrade the overall classification of the growing area, Lummi tribal members will now be able to harvest from Portage Bay during the spring and the removal of the spring closure period shows the success of the watershed-wide pollution identification and correction programs. DOH will continue to work with Whatcom County, the Lummi Nation, and other area stakeholders to find and fix pollution sources. • The Washington State Department of Health (DOH) announced that portions of commercial shellfish areas around 20 Puget Sound marinas would no longer be classified as prohibited. • Improved vessel sewage management has allowed DOH to remove shellfish harvest restrictions on nearly 700 acres of commercial shellfish beds in 8 Puget Sound counties. • Over the past 20 years, progress has been made to reduce the potential for sewage discharge from boats, and this includes better waste-holding capacity in most boats, increased boat waste pump out stations, and the implementation of a No Discharge Zone throughout the Puget Sound. The improvements have led to better water quality, a lowered illness risk to people who eat shellfish, and greater protection of public health. EPA Puget Sound funding has contributed to outreach and education for vessel owners. • Stormwater Strategic Initiative • The University of Washington Tacoma's "Stormwater Chemical Characterization and Watershed Prioritization" surveyed stormwater in Puget Sound creeks to identify sources, watersheds, and time periods that are responsible for disproportionate water quality degradation and should be prioritized for restoration or stormwater treatment efforts. UW Center for Urban Waters researchers collected >140 water samples in 15 Puget Sound creeks during storm events in Fall 2017 – Spring 2019. Using advanced chemical analyses, they: 1) prioritized regional watersheds most impacted by urban runoff, 2) identified chemical indicators for urbanization and biological degradation, and 3) characterized "pollutographs" relative to storm hydrographs, to measure and prioritize contaminant flows in urban creeks affected by stormwater pollution. In collaboration with Miller Creek Basin (Cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac; Port of Seattle; King County) partners, they sampled along the watershed to identify key contaminant inputs and polluted reaches of the creek. Findings will guide efforts to treat urban stormwater and improve water quality for coho salmon based on these findings. Several recent journal publications were informed by this NEP-funded research, including "Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Identify Organic Contaminants Linked to Urban Stormwater Mortality Syndrome in Coho Salmon" in Environmental Science and Technology. This publication indicated that tire wear particle leachates contribute to coho pre-spawn mortality. • A major deliverable under the Stormwater Strategic Initiative is an implementation strategy to reduce toxics in Puget Sound fish, including Chinook salmon. This grant’s Toxics in Fish/ Southern Resident Killer Whale work played a significant role in Washington Department of Ecology state budget development processes, and has catalyzed several legislative changes--including the passage of new legislation giving the Department of Ecology new authority to manage toxics identified through the Toxics in Fish / Southern Resident Killer Whale process. It has also led to significant new proposed investments in areas critical to Toxics in Fish and Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery. It has also created impetus to solve some Toxics in Fish challenges, such as prioritizing contaminants of emerging concern--a key critical process step identified in the strategy. Even though this Toxics in Fish implementation strategy is still a 'draft' product and short of full completion, Department of Ecology has already been able to use it to great effect. Base+ Award 1. To promote financial management and financial sustainability the Partnership initiated a project management process to more effectively manage program, project and staffing resources. 2. To promote alignment of local and regional priorities and actions over 600 Near Term Actions (NTA) were evaluated for alignment with the Leadership Council adopted slate of regional priorities at a successful NTA review “camp”; an excellent example of collaboration across the Puget Sound recovery system with over 80 participants. 3. To document the status of recovery in Puget Sound the Partnership published the 2017 State of the Sound Report. The report combines a response to statutory questions about the management and funding of Puget Sound recovery, with information on ecosystem status and trends. Unlike previous reports, the 2017 report provides a summary of the progress on the Vital Sign indicators with more detailed indicator information available on an updated Vital Signs website. The Vital Signs website was updated with Vital Sign-level reports and messaging from PSEMP workgroups for 12 of 25 Vital Signs as of October 2017. Over 1,500 reports (and a larger number of executive summary 2-pagers) have been distributed to partners, significantly more than for previous reports. Also notable in the 2017 report are four locally based recovery stories about seawalls, shellfish, floodplains and stormwater pollution. The stories are designed to be visually engaging with extensive use of graphics to help tell the story. The report also contains a list of 17 recommendations (also included in the Executive Summary) that indicate the increased commitment needed from partners to advance recovery. The Partnership has also communicated the report's findings to multiple audiences around Puget Sound through presentations and webinars. The redesigned Vital Signs Design report was nominated for the national conference of State Legislatures’ 2018 Notable Document Award. The Vital Signs design was called out as a best practice by the Indian River Lagoon Council and the National Estuary Program. 4. To provide professional development opportunities Partnership staff engaged in the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference that was successfully convened in Seattle. The theme of the conference was “Ecosystem Recovery in an International Transboundary System” with presentations spanning a range of topics. The Partnership’s Science and Evaluation Director was co-chair of the 2018 conference. Thirty staff participated in the event with four serving as session presenters and/or facilitators. 5. To promote strategic regional engagements the Partnership continued forging connections with entities such as the Northwest Seaport Alliance and the Boeing Company. An outcome of meeting with the former is support for state legislative priorities of the Partnership. 6. To promote engagement and involvement in ecosystem recovery, six of the seven Marine Resources Committees (MRC) affiliated with the Northwest Straits Commission engage volunteers in a variety of stewardship and training events. For example, through Salish Sea Stewards, 61 Skagit county residents received citizen science training. The Clallam County MRC cooperates with the city of Port Angeles to provide oil spill preparedness training. During this reporting period 33 volunteers received the HAZWOPER certification. MRCs host symposiums as well. Over 100 people attended a symposium hosted by the San Juan MRC on the plight of the southern resident killer whales, while the Whatcom MRC co-hosted a water supply symposium with over 130 participants. Implementation Strategies/Science Award 1. To improve awareness and understanding, the Puget Sound Institute publishes newsletters and magazine articles and covers special events like the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. 2. To enhance Implementation Strategies (IS) through social science Effectiveness and Social Science Protocols have either been drafted and are ready for incorporation or have enough content to be considered well-formed enough to be included as Guidance for future IS development. Additional Social Science concepts and information are being integrated into the Toxics in Fish and Marine Water Quality implementation strategy process as content is being created by the interdisciplinary team (IDTs). 3. To support the Science Panel’s role in Implementation Strategies, guidelines and terms of reference for external review of shoreline armoring were prepared for review of the Shoreline Armoring Implementation Strategy. The Guidelines and TOR for Shoreline Armoring IS was developed to be applicable to other ISs with minimal change. 4. To bridge between the Puget Sound scientific community and the Management Conference, staff presented as follows: July 2018 meetings: discussion of nutrient forum and marine water quality IS at SP meeting; discussion of Shore Armoring at ECB meeting.
Fiscal Year 2021 The list of accomplishments under this assistance listing include, but are not limited to, the following: The Puget Sound Leadership Council approving the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. The 2022-2026 Action Agenda charts the course for Puget Sound recovery as our community's shared plan for advancing protection and restoration efforts across the region. The 2022-2026 Action Agenda is informed by science and guides effective investment in Puget Sound protection and restoration. This Action Agenda update improves over past versions by increasing the focus on what is needed to recover Puget Sound, based on an assessment of Puget Sound Vital Signs with partners. The Habitat Implementation Strategies (HSIL) Update Workplan for 2020-2021 was successfully developed and includes an update of each Implementation Strategy narrative. The HSIL Communications Lead continues to provide leadership to the SIL communication subcommittee and oversaw the roll-out of the HSIL Implementation Strategy Landing pages and continues to coordinate the overall website update. Several subawardees are successfully engaging in the Management Conference. A mapping product has been developed focusing on Sea Level Rise Vulnerability and is now being shared with Local Integrating Organizations. The MART grant was successfully closed out and lessons learned will be shared through the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference and other forums. HSIL staff provided leadership and technical website expertise to the Cross-SIL communications group. They have led a major update of the SIL website which will improve our ability to communicate outcomes of HSIL 1.0 investments in the context of the Implementation Strategies. PSI work is underway on the HSIL 1.0 synthesis which will be an important component of adaptive management and synthesis from HSIL 1.0. From wastewater management, pollution identification and correction program support, agricultural best management practices, marine water and shoreline monitoring, policy and addressing climate change, the shellfish strategic initiative lead (SIL) brings together a diverse range of knowledge and expertise- all working together towards the shared goal of protecting public health and a healthy Puget Sound. The program coordinates with partners at different state agencies and is supported by the Shellfish Strategic Initiative Advisory Team (SIAT). The SIAT has advised the SIL since 2016, lending their expertise and advice on which projects and programs to fund, important shellfish recovery questions to address, and input on the Shellfish Beds Implementation Strategy, the roadmap to addressing harvestable shellfish bed recovery. Serving as the Shellfish Implementation Strategy Lead and working to operationalize the Shellfish IS and work towards achieving the Shellfish Vital Sign Target. See https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/shellfish-beds/ for a summary of that work. Subawards funded by the Shellfish SIL listed at https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/shellfish-strategic-initiative/. Fact Sheets for Shellfish SIL funded subawards are available at: https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/funded-projects/ The Stormwater Team funds diverse projects—research, green infrastructure, decision support tools, and collaborative approach pilots, among others, and uses its water quality Implementation Strategies - the Benthic Index of Biotic Integrity, Toxics in Fish and Marine Water Quality - to identify opportunities, strategic invention points and communities of practice for implementation. https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/stormwater-strategic-initiative/ . Fact Sheets for Stormwater SIL funded subawards are available at: https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/funded-projects/. For additional information on the accomplishments under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/puget-sound.
Fiscal Year 2022 Skagit County has been reducing pollution in Samish Bay since 2010. The county has addressed all large sources of pollution; it’s now working to find and fix smaller sources. This project supports pollution-source identification work using a combination of lab testing, cheaper and faster Coliscan testing (which detects fecal pollution), and water-level loggers to identify illegal discharges. Skagit County will also collect storm data in the Samish River watershed and in Samish Bay. Storm data from the watershed tells the county where it should focus its efforts. EPA's Puget Sound Geographic Program's Stormwater Strategic Initiative funding resulted in a Journal of Environmental Management Publication: "Biochar and fungi as bioretention amendments for bacteria and PAH removal from stormwater." These findings suggest that PAHs in stormwater can be remediated with bioretention, are unlikely to accumulate in bioretention media, and that biochar amendments can improve the treatment of E. coli. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0301479722024884 The implementation strategies for BIBI and Toxics in Fish are complete and finalized. The Stormwater SIL was successful in creating valuable planning strategies that have been successfully operationalized for developing Action Agenda priorities, funding recommendations, Ecosystem Coordination Board priorities, Southern Resident Killer Whale Recommendations, enacted legislation, and the Washington State Stormwater Strategy. These have also given them a strategic approach to reacting to emerging threats like the acutely toxic constituents of tires--recently identified by partners. The team also designed the approach to updating the Action Agenda that utilizes the Implementation Strategies and their key priorities as the basis for recovery community engagement and the development of the next Action Agenda
Fiscal Year 2023 One Strategic Initiative state agency released a report on 6PPD to (1) identify vulnerable aquatic areas where roads meet salmon bearing streams; (2) analyze 6PPD-quinone in water samples to support future research; and identify best management practices that are likely to reduce 6PPD-quinone toxicity in stormwater runoff. One project provides a systematic identification and rating of all streams and embayments along the marine shoreline component of the railroad operated by Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF). The outcomes improve understanding of the stream characteristics and stream crossing structures between Olympia and Canada. Because these stream crossing structures occur at the mouths of regional streams, they may affect the potential restoration value of upstream projects. In addition, the railroad affects long contiguous lengths of shoreline and, therefore, these sites represent a large fraction of non-natal stream habitats available to juvenile salmonids for rearing. The project team identified all locations where streams cross the BNSF Railway along the Salish Sea shoreline between Olympia and Canada. Field data were collected to characterize stream, crossing structure, and habitat conditions for 196 stream crossing structures. Field and regional data were compiled to evaluate 13 embayments. The project team created and applied a site prioritization framework that identifies stream or embayment habitat priorities for Chinook salmon. Another project builds upon previous work funded by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead in which all coastal streams and embayments with a railroad track crossing at the marine shoreline of Puget Sound were identified, rated, and prioritized for restoration. This project builds upon that success and will continue the planning efforts to restore coastal streams and embayments impacted by the railroad. The project advanced restoration planning at coastal stream mouths and embayments along the railroad on the Puget Sound shoreline by 1) engaging Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway (BNSF) and local restoration partners, 2) developing programmatic restoration recommendations for evaluating restoration constructability and design, and 3) by applying the recommendations to develop restoration concepts for three pilot priority sites. The EPA funded Puget Sound Shellfish Strategic Initiative is funding a new $1.5M subaward with the Washington State Department of Agriculture Dairy Nutrient Management Program with a climate resiliency focus. An exciting twist on the longer-term PIC/livestock manure support the Puget Sound program has provided. Manure flooding emergencies are hoped to be avoided in North Sound. The Sound Choices Checklist has been finalized and is ready for deployment. This is a major deliverable for the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead who spearheaded this effort with support from many state agencies. They also engaged other partners including long-range planners from local jurisdictions for feedback and beta testing. The checklist is intended for use by local jurisdictions to assess their comprehensive plans for alignment with Puget Sound recovery goals. The checklist is intended for use by local jurisdictions to assess their comprehensive plans for alignment with Puget Sound recovery goals. The SIL investment plan was a significant milestone. It covered a range of topics, and provided a level of focus and detail that will allow them to solicit projects that are carefully targeted at strategic priorities. This level of detail is a significant improvement in predictability for respondents and recovery practitioners. It means that people know what types of projects they are likely to fund, and which might represent a poor investment of time on the part of applicants and the review teams Clean Water Act, Section 104(b)(3)
Clean Water Act, Section 320 & Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA), Public Law 117-58 Federal government agencies and Washington State government agencies are eligible to apply under this program. Public and private institutions of higher education located in the United States are eligible to apply under this program. Units of local government organized under Washington State law and located within the Greater Puget Sound basin are eligible to apply. Also eligible to apply are special purpose districts, as defined by Washington State law at R.C.W. 36.93.020, including but not limited to, irrigation districts, and water and sewer districts that are located in or govern land and water resources within the greater Puget Sound basin. Conservation districts located in or governing land and water resources within the greater Puget Sound Basin are also eligible to apply for assistance under this program. Watershed planning units formed under RCW 90.82.040 and RCW 90.82.060, local management boards organized under RCW 90.88.030, salmon recovery lead entities organized pursuant to RCW 77.85.050, regional fisheries enhancement groups organized pursuant to RCW 77.95.060 and Marine Resource Committees organized pursuant to RCW 36.125.010 and RCW 36.125.020 are eligible to apply if they are located within or their jurisdictions include waters and/or lands within the Greater Puget Sound basin. Intrastate organizations such as associations of cities, counties or conservation districts in the Greater Puget Sound basin are also eligible to apply. Nonprofit nongovernmental entities are also eligible to apply. Federally recognized Indian Tribes located within the greater Puget Sound basin and any consortium of these eligible tribes are also eligible to apply. The greater Puget Sound basin is defined as all watersheds draining to the U.S. waters of Puget Sound, southern Georgia Basin, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. For profit business entities, private individuals and families are not eligible to apply. However, all of these types of entities could partner with an eligible applicant as a sub-awardee. For certain competitive funding opportunities under this assistance listing, the Agency may limit eligibility to compete to a number or subset of eligible applicants consistent with the Agency's Assistance Agreement Competition Policy. The direct beneficiaries would be the entities receiving the assistance. Due to the fact that the program is designed and intended to assist in the restoration and protection of the Puget Sound estuary, the ultimate beneficiaries will be the residents of the greater Puget Sound region. Not applicable. Preapplication coordination is required. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs." An applicant should consult the office or official designated as the single point of contact in his or her State for more information on the process the State requires to be followed in applying for assistance, if the State has selected the program for review. This program is eligible for coverage under E.O. 12372, "Intergovernmental Review of Federal Programs," when proposed Federal financial assistance involves planning, design, and construction of facilities and other infrastructure or implementation of restoration projects requiring construction. EPA financial assistance programs and activities subject to intergovernmental review that are subject to review under State single point of contact procedures are identified at https://www.epa.gov/grants/epa-financial-assistance-programs-subject-executive-order-12372-and-section-204. Applicants for programs or activities subject to Intergovernmental Review that are not subject to State single point of contact review must provide directly affected State, areawide, regional, and local entities at least 60 days to review their application following notification by EPA that the application has been selected for funding as provided by 40 CFR 29.8(a) and (c). Regarding pre-application assistance with respect to competitive funding opportunities under this program description, EPA will generally specify the nature of the pre-application assistance, if any, that will be available to applicants in the competitive announcement. For additional information, contact the individual(s) listed as "Agency Contact(s)" in the competitive announcement. 2 CFR 200, Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards applies to this program. For competitive awards, applicants will be required to submit application materials as described in the Request For Applications. Applicants, except in limited circumstances approved by the Agency, must submit all initial applications for funding through Grants.gov. For competitive awards, EPA will review and evaluate applications in accordance with the terms, conditions, and criteria stated in the competitive announcement. Competitions will be conducted in accordance with EPA policies/regulations for competing assistance agreements. Each Request for Applications (RFA) issued under this program will specify the deadline information. The Region expects that its review of the applications received in response to competitive solicitations will be completed within 120 to 150 calendar days following the deadline for the submission of applications for each RFA under this program. Assistance agreement competition-related disputes will be resolved in accordance with the dispute resolution procedures published in 70 FR (Federal Register) 3629, 3630 (January 26, 2005). Copies of these procedures may also be found at: https://www.epa.gov/grants/grant-competition-dispute-resolution-procedures. Disputes relating to matters other than the competitive selection of recipients will be resolved under 2 CFR 1500 Subpart E, as applicable. Not applicable. The evaluation and selection criteria for competitive awards under this assistance listing will be published in each announcement of a competitive funding opportunity (e.g., the Request for Applications or RFA). The Puget Sound funds are for the development and implementation of programs that will improve water quality, air quality and minimize the adverse impacts of rapid development in the Puget Sound Basin, including activities linked to habitat restoration projects or controlling sources of nonpoint pollution. The assistance can be used to fund technical studies and investigations, as well as protection and restoration activities necessary to achieve environmental outputs and/or outcomes identified in the Puget Sound Action Agenda. The Action Agenda implementation work can either be funded directly or through a Strategic Initiative Lead entity which could then fund subawards for Action Agenda implementation activities. Funding may also be used to develop and carry out implementation strategies that map out steps to achieve progress and outcomes for a particular ecosystem target, management issue, or geographic area. Assistance can be used to finance work identified in the Puget Sound Partnership's Biennial Science Work Plan and can be used to manage, monitor, oversee, or participate in the implementation of the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. Funds can also be used to study, evaluate, model, plan, and prepare for the impacts of climate change on Puget Sound ecosystem protection and restoration activities. Assistance agreement awards under this program may involve or relate to geospatial information. Geospatial information is information that identifies the geographic location and characteristics of natural or constructed features or boundaries on the earth, or applications, tools, and hardware associated with the generation, maintenance, or distribution of such information. This information may be derived from, among other things, GPS, remote sensing, mapping, charting, and surveying technologies, or statistical data. Further information regarding geospatial information may be obtained by viewing the following website: Geospatial Resources at EPA (https://www.epa.gov/geospatial). Performance Reports: Refer to "Progress Reports." Grants and cooperative agreements are subject to inspections and audits by the Comptroller General of the United States, the EPA Office of Inspector General, other EPA staff, or any authorized representative of the Federal government. Reviews by the EPA Project Officer and the Grants Specialist may occur each year. Recipients must keep financial records, including all documents supporting entries on accounting records and to substantiate changes in grants available to personnel authorized to examine EPA recipients grants and cooperative agreements records. Recipients must maintain all records until 3 years from the date of submission of final expenditure reports as required by 2 CFR 200.334. If questions, such as those raised because of audits remain following the 3-year period, recipients must retain records until the matter is completely resolved. Statutory formula is not applicable to this assistance listing.

Matching is mandatory. 50%. There is a statutory match of 50% of the total project costs for implementation project grants under CWA §320(g)(3)(ii) and CWA Section 320 allows for an aggregate match. For development of the CCMP, the federal share of a grant to any person (including State, interstate, or regional agency or entity) under CWA §320(g)(3)(A)(i), for a fiscal year shall not exceed 75 percent of the annual aggregate costs of development of a CCMP. Regional Administrators may waive non-federal share requirements at the request for applications (RFA) or project level if they would substantially delay projects slated to move forward using FY22 Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds. Any exercise of this waiver should be properly documented per requirements from EPA’s Office of Grants and Debarment. To support achieving the goal of targeting 40 percent of total IIJA Geographic Program investments and benefits to disadvantaged communities, each Geographic Program will develop a IIJA equity strategy. The option to waive or reduce match for IIJA funds in FY23-26 is conditional on each Geographic Program submitting their strategy to the Office of Water and receiving concurrence on the strategy.

MOE requirements are not applicable to this assistance listing. The assistance will be awarded during FFY 2010-2022. Funds will be disbursed to individual assistance recipients in accordance with the terms specified in the assistance agreement. New funding will be available for FFY2023, depending on congressional appropriations. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) funds will be awarded from FY2022-2026. Assistance will be disbursed in accordance with the terms specified in the assistance agreement. Typically, assistance recipients draw funds at either monthly or quarterly intervals based on their incurred costs. Peter Murchie, Manager Geographic Programs Section Water Division U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 155, Seattle, WA 98101 (206) 553-1148 or 1-800-424-4EPA, extension 3-1148 E-Mail: murchie.peter@epa.gov. Peter Murchie, Manager Geographic Programs Section Water Division
Environmental Protection Agency, Region 10, 1200 Sixth Avenue, Suite 155
Seattle, WA 98101 US
murchie.peter@epa.gov
Phone: 206-553-1148 or 1-800-424-4EPA, ext. 31148 https://www.epa.gov/puget-sound 68-0108-0-1-304 (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$31,666,000.00; FY 23 est $43,946,000.00; FY 24 est $19,480,000.00; FY 21$22,148,700.00; FY 20$21,487,000.00; FY 19$18,000,000.00; FY 18$18,000,000.00; FY 17$17,500,000.00; FY 16 Estimate Not Available FY 15 est $15,671,520.00; - (Cooperative Agreements (Discretionary Grants)) FY 22$0.00; FY 23 est $12,639,000.00; FY 24 est $6,597,000.00; FY 21$0.00; - (IIJA Appropriation) In early years of the program, the EPA made awards for scientific and technical studies in the range of $200,000 - $700,000. Awards for implementation assistance and for managing and monitoring the implementation of the CCMP ranged from $200,000 to $6,000,000 each. Funding for the Strategic Initiative 2.0 leads will range from $4 million -$12 million with FY2021-2026 funds. Infrastructure Investment and Jobs Act (IIJA) projects could be funded from $1.00 million to $10 million. Two projects will be funded with FY2023 and incrementally funded with appropriations from future fiscal years. These two lead organizations are for Climate Resilient Riparian Systems and Ensuring Environmental Justice, Human Wellbeing and Ecosystem Recovery in Puget Sound. For grants and cooperative agreements with local governments, tribal governments and special purpose districts, the procedures and requirements should be in conformance with 2 CFR 200 and 1500 (EPA Uniform Administrative Requirements, Cost Principles, and Audit Requirements for Federal Awards); 40 CFR Part 33 (Participation by Disadvantaged Business Enterprises in United States Environmental Protection Agency Programs); 40 CFR Part 35 Subpart P (Financial Assistance for the National Estuary Program). Fiscal Year 2015 No accomplishments to report with this year's funding since the incremental funding was awarded in late FFY2015. See the list of accomplishments under Section 130 for FY2015.
Fiscal Year 2016 No accomplishments to report with this year's funding since the incremental funding was awarded in late FFY2015
Fiscal Year 2018 Here is a partial list of some examples of projects funded: Nearly 1,000 acres of harvestable shellfish beds have been reopened since January 2017. 760 acres of commercial shellfish beds have been upgraded in Liberty Bay. Kitsap County teamed up with local stakeholders to apply progressive pollution identification and correction strategies. • Stormwater Strategic Initiative • The University of Washington Tacoma's "Stormwater Chemical Characterization and Watershed Prioritization" surveyed stormwater in Puget Sound creeks to identify sources, watersheds, and time periods that are responsible for disproportionate water quality degradation and should be prioritized for restoration or stormwater treatment efforts. UW Center for Urban Waters researchers collected >140 water samples in 15 Puget Sound creeks during storm events in Fall 2017 – Spring 2019. Using advanced chemical analyses, they: 1) prioritized regional watersheds most impacted by urban runoff, 2) identified chemical indicators for urbanization and biological degradation, and 3) characterized "pollutographs" relative to storm hydrographs, to measure and prioritize contaminant flows in urban creeks affected by stormwater pollution. In collaboration with Miller Creek Basin (Cities of Burien, Normandy Park, and SeaTac; Port of Seattle; King County) partners, they sampled along the watershed to identify key contaminant inputs and polluted reaches of the creek. Findings will guide efforts to treat urban stormwater and improve water quality for coho salmon based on these findings. Several recent journal publications were informed by this NEP-funded research, including "Using High-Resolution Mass Spectrometry to Identify Organic Contaminants Linked to Urban Stormwater Mortality Syndrome in Coho Salmon" in Environmental Science and Technology. This publication indicated that tire wear particle leachates contribute to coho pre-spawn mortality. 129 acres of Birth Bay in Whatcom County have been upgraded to allow year-round shellfish harvest by both recreational and commercial fishers. From 2007 through January 2018 a total of 11, 318 acres were upgraded and 6,298 acres were downgraded for a net total of 5,020 acres of improvement. Pollution and Identification and Correction (PIC) programs help counties respond to downgrades by forming shellfish protection districts and developing closure response plans to identify and correct pollution sources in areas with declining water quality. The counties’ Local Health jurisdictions have been able to change landowner behavior using incentives like rebates for inspections, pump outs, and installation of risers. Farm incentives are being used to install best management practices such as fencing, gutters, and covered manure storage. 2,578 acres of habitat have been restored or permanently protected. In Snohomish county 27 shoreline restoration program are completed – helping to restore 2,200 linear feet of shoreline. Also, many lake landowners have participated in the LakeWise program (lawn or septic care workshop and/or site visit). This program can reduce nutrient pollution at threatened lakes through actions of the residents, Starter package content for the Toxics in Fish report is complete and delivered. Since 2017 the program has made significant progress in implementing a new and improved funding model, finalizing four additional implementation strategies for the Floodplains, Land Development and Cover, Chinook Salmon, and Shoreline Armoring vital signs. A template for Implementation Strategy fact sheets was developed. A Draft Implementation Strategy Communication Strategy was completed and updated as a living document. Update of economic vital sign indicators. The 2017 State of the Sound report was completed and published online in November 2017, on schedule. The substantially redesigned 2017 State of the Sound report, was recently nominated for the National Conference of State Legislatures’ 2018 Notable Document Award. 2018 Puget Sound Action Agenda Update: Near Term Action (NTA) coordination and collaboration occurred from November 2017 with issuance of the Final NTA Solicitation through Reviewer Evaluations that continued from March-July 2018. Over 80 people from around Puget Sound gathered for two days to review and evaluate over 600 actions proposed for consideration in the Puget Sound Action Agenda. The 2016 Action Agenda was adopted, and now the draft 2018 Puget Sound Action Agenda is being released for public comment on September 1, 2018. The Management Conference review and Leadership action are anticipated for December 2018 after which the document will be submitted to EPA for approval. State agency leadership, Board members and Leadership Council member helped to organize and participated in the 2018 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference. The backbone Puget Sound organization uses many communication approaches to interact with hundreds of organizations and individuals across Puget Sound. Our partners are geographically dispersed and connect with their own networks to implement recovery actions, yet all share a common vision of a healthy Puget Sound. The lead organization uses a collective impact model because it seeks to bring people together, in a structured way, to achieve change. The role of a backbone organization for regional recovery is to orchestrate the work of regional partners and ideally help to maximize the outcomes they achieve. They in helping to promote excellence in communication, engagement and building trust, developed a Strategic Communication Plan which includes goals to ensure that key decision-makers have the tools, information, and support to make policy and funding decisions that will accelerate Puget Sound recovery and to engage partners in the collective impact community to build trust, reinforce relationships, and foster commitments .
Fiscal Year 2020 Listed below are some examples of funded projects from the three Strategic Initiative Lead grants, the Puget Sound base grant and the science/implementation strategy grant. **The Hood Canal community upgraded 66 acres of the Hood Canal 6 Shellfish Growing Area around Hoodsport. **Skagit County’s work using Microbial Source Tracking has succeeded in finding and fixing three significant pollution problems in their Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC) areas. A dairy and a small cattle farmer have both located and fixed problems including crushed drainage pipes and repairing and setting back fencing. A septic system that had previously been cleared by a dye test was also confirmed to be a source during high groundwater levels, and the Skagit County Health Department is following up with the owner. After finding dog poop markers at all sites, they have also created a renewed emphasis on cleaning up dog poop in yards in our PoopSmart campaign. **Urban stormwater runoff has become the foremost water quality threat to aquatic habitats in Puget Sound. Human population growth continues to drive development and land conversion in coastal watersheds. Increased development reduces opportunity for water to filter through vegetation and soils, increasing the loading of toxic chemicals in stormwater runoff and into Puget Sound. This can have extensive negative impacts on the health and survival of salmon, as well as the levels of contaminants in both freshwater and marine food webs. EPA-supported collaborative research on stormwater and toxics reduction strategies have shown that: ● Motor vehicles are major sources of toxic contaminants in roadway runoff routinely discharged to streams, rivers, lakes, and nearshore marine habitats; • There are thousands of distinct chemicals in urban stormwater, and the toxicological impacts of most remain poorly understood; ● Coho salmon are sensitive to untreated stormwater, which consistently causes mass mortality events that vary in severity across a gradient of urbanization in Puget Sound; ● The urban mortality syndrome poses a threat to other threatened salmonid species, including Puget Sound steelhead; ● Toxic threats to aquatic habitats scale in proportion to pavement and other impervious surfaces within large watersheds (e.g., the Snohomish River Basin), a basis for prioritizing green infrastructure mitigation efforts; ● Common petroleum-derived compounds in stormwater are also found in crude oil (e.g., the 1989 Exxon Valdez spill) and cause nearly identical developmental defects in the embryos of herring and other shore-spawning marine forage fish; ● Conventional green infrastructure methods involving bio-infiltration effectively remove pollutants and reduce or eliminate toxic impacts to salmon, forage fish, and invertebrates. **Washington State Dairy Nutrient Management Program: 12 Best Management Practices (BMPs) implemented after technical assistance and noted at inspection. 3 BMP's implemented after some type of regulatory action such as warning letters. 8 referrals to local conservation district to assist with BMP's or financial assistance. ** Skagit Public Works Pollution Identification and Correction (PIC): There has been a major success with a small commercial livestock producer during 2020. After water quality samples showed high level of fecal coliform last year, a commercial cattle ranch worked with Skagit Conservation District to fix the impairment identified. Follow up sampling shows that the fix has reduced runoff to almost nothing. It was a quick turnaround time from issue identified to issued corrected. **WSU Pasture Management: Held two virtual workshop series to address pasture and livestock management practices, reaching 747 participants. Workshops were recorded and will be made publicly available for ongoing outreach. **The Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategy Narrative outlines a recovery plan that is focused on reducing the levels and impacts of contaminants on Puget Sound aquatic life and the people who consume them. It includes a series of strategies that will prevent, mitigate, and cleanup toxics in aquatic life throughout Puget Sound. This will be the Puget Sound community’s roadmap to recovery – it’s the regional plan to get toxics out of aquatic food webs. **With the guidance of the advisory team, the Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead has also been able to explore developing a cross-cutting strategy to address various threats from transportation--including road runoff, transportation planning and land use, and retrofitting for water quality and fish passage. **The Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead has written blog posts, and to communicate our work in a way that helps make the Implementation Strategies more accessible and approachable. **The Habitat Implementation Strategies Update Workplan for 2020-2021 was successfully implemented to develop a draft update of each Implementation Strategy narrative. **With the awardee’s Communications Lead's efforts, the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead blog has increased the frequency of communications and the standardization of the work. They hosted several close-out webinars for subaward grants including the Shoreline Residential Revolving Loan Fund Feasibility Study and the Model Volunteer Program for Oil Spill Response / Assessment. **The Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead has been exploring a Shared Investment Pilot to leverage investments in shared regional and local priority activities. They have been actively engaged in 2022-2026 Action Agenda development. **Puget Sound agencies report on 52 Puget Sound Vital Sign indicators. 31 of which are associated with 2020 ecosystem recovery targets. Each indicator is evaluated for progress (change relative to a point back in time) and status (whether or not they meet their 2020 targets). **On April 6, 2021, the PS Leadership Council approved a set of desired outcomes for the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. **The Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference brings together scientists, First Nations and tribal government rep-resentatives, resource managers, community and business leaders, knowledge holders and policy makers. The 2020 conference was held virtually. The conference has become the become the premier scientific re-search and policy gathering in the Pacific Northwest. The presentations and discussions that occur at the Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference are a platform to build shared policies, practices, and procedures neces-sary to guide future actions for protecting and restoring the Salish Sea and its watersheds. The outcome is improved scientific collaboration, data sharing and dynamic discussions and on the state of the Salish Sea ecosystem. **The State of Knowledge Report and the Base Program Analysis for the B-IBI Implementation Strategy were completed. **The Toxics in Fish research and monitoring priorities have been incorporated into the Implementation Strategy. **The Human Dimensions protocol has been adaptively managed, which includes updates, revisions, con-nections to Human Well Being Vital Sign data and academic literature, and a redesign. Protocol content has been integrated into Implementation Strategies, specifically Land Development and Cover and Marine Water Quality. Major success was co-creation of many Implementation Strategy social science products. **Five magazine-style articles about science-related findings from the 2020 Salish Sea Ecosystem Conference have been completed. Four newsletters were published (12/19/20, 4/17/20, 6/30/20 and 9/28/20) that described the University of Washington Puget Sound Institute and other Puget Sound-recovery-related events and information. The Toxics in Fish Implementation Strategy fact sheet was completed. Ongoing, regular blogs and social media posts were completed. Ten magazine-style features and 10 shorter articles about Implementation Strategies and Vital Signs were completed. The Encyclopedia of Puget Sound has continually been updated and provides an indexed and searchable place for technical and supporting documents. An updated communication strategy of Implementation Strategy showing targeted audiences, timelines, and distribution channels has been completed. **A Critical Analysis focused on refining an indicator for the Summer Stream Flows Vital Sign, was completed. A Critical Analysis focused on an evaluation of Stormwater Utility Fees in the Puget Sound watershed was completed.
Fiscal Year 2022 Projects under this assistance listing implement the 2022-2026 Action Agenda which charts the course for Puget Sound recovery as the Puget Sound community’s shared plan for advancing protection and restoration efforts across the region like developing and finalizing implementation strategies; releasing a report on 6PPD, prioritizing coastal streams and embayments along Puget Sound with the railroad company for fish passage and stream restoration activities; and collecting storm data in a watershed to tell the county where it should focus its efforts. For examples of the types of projects funded under this assistance listing, please visit the following website: https://www.epa.gov/puget-sound/funding-and-grants-puget-sound. See the website for the three Strategic Initiative Leads - https://pugetsoundestuary.wa.gov/