Puget Sound can’t heal itself

On a nice day, looking out from Everett across Port Gardner toward the Olympic Mountains, it is excusable to think all is well. The water is blue, the seagulls soar, and the boats cut back and forth.

Do not be lulled by this vision.

Puget Sound is one of the most unique and productive inland seas in the world. It is home to salmon, steelhead, shellfish and an abundance of sea life. Puget Sound provides a rich source of food and recreation for Washington residents and visitors. It also supports the cultural resources and traditions of Puget Sound tribes.

However, pollution enters the Sound untreated when rain flows across our roads and developed lands. Habitat continues to be lost. Legacy toxins from past industrial practices continue to poison our waters and threaten the sea life that calls Puget Sound home. Consequently, salmon runs continue to decline and whale carcasses are toxic enough to be deemed “hazardous waste.”

Puget Sound is sick and needs our help.

The Washington State House and Senate are negotiating the final budget for 2013-15. Our state leaders recognize the importance of implementing the Action Agenda — the road map outlining the highest-priority, science-based actions to restore the health of Puget Sound.

While there is bipartisan support for many of the highest-ranked Puget Sound priorities, the proposed budgets are not enough to address the large backlog of work that must be accomplished to restore the health of Puget Sound.

Polluted runoff from cars, roofs, roads and other paved areas is the biggest threat to Puget Sound’s water quality. State leaders need to follow the House and Senate budget to fund stormwater retrofits. It is important to remedy problems created over the past 150 years from the development of our cities, towns and industrial areas. Past practices treated Puget Sound as a dumping ground for our waste. We must rebuild these areas so pollution is captured and removed before it enters the Sound. This will take decades and we need to start now.

Destruction of habitat is another significant problem facing Puget Sound. Our state leaders need to follow the governor’s budget to fully fund the Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration program. This will create jobs and implement the most important habitat protection and restoration priorities throughout our region. If fully funded, the highest-ranked project will be completed right here in our front yard. The Smith Island restoration project in the Snohomish River estuary will result in 328 acres of restored habitat for salmon, wildlife and the public’s enjoyment. We have worked hard to coordinate our restoration projects with the needs of our agricultural community through the Snohomish County Sustainable Lands Strategy.

There are hundreds of older, larger derelict ships that threaten shellfish growing areas, our working waterfronts, and the health of Puget Sound. Our state leaders need to follow the Senate’s investments to fund the removal of derelict vessels.

Pollutants in the air and water are making our oceans more acidic, threatening our sea life and the local economies that rely on healthy marine waters. State leaders need to follow the Governor and Senate’s investments to implement the recommendations of the Blue Ribbon Panel on ocean acidification.

Natural resources programs and investments make up less than 3 percent of the state budget—benefiting our economy, public health, food and water, tribal treaty responsibilities, and the quality of life we enjoy. In their budgets, the governor and House of Representatives protect the programs that implement the Action Agenda. We need to stay the course while ensuring these dollars are invested wisely.

We have inherited a treasure in Puget Sound. We have a responsibility and an opportunity to pass this treasure on to our kids and grandkids in better shape than we received it. Further delay will make the problem more expensive and perhaps irreversible.

Past generations can be forgiven for not understanding the negative effects of their actions. We cannot claim the same excuse.

Today, our region has set priorities and is working collaboratively to ensure every dollar is spent more effectively. We need the state Legislature to boldly invest in protecting Puget Sound and our legacy for generations to come.

Dave Somers, a fisheries biologist by training, is a member of the Snohomish County Council.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.