State of the Sound report 2023
The 2023 State of the Sound is the Puget Sound Partnership’s eighth biennial report to the Legislature on progress toward the recovery of Puget Sound. The document reports on both the status of the Partnership's recovery efforts and a suite of ecosystem indicators referred to as the Puget Sound Vital Signs.
Executive summary
INTRODUCTION
The Puget Sound Partnership, the state agency that leads the region’s collective effort to protect and restore Puget Sound, produces the State of the Sound report every two years.
The State of the Sound includes information about:
- the health of Puget Sound;
- the state of the Puget Sound recovery effort;
- recommendations from the Partnership’s leadership and boards; and
- other key details related to the recovery community and our work.
The 2023 State of the Sound conveys a sense of urgency and hope. The Puget Sound ecosystem is not doing well, but with collective effort, we can restore it to health and make sure it can adapt to climate change and other pressures.
Many of the indicators we use to gauge the health of the Puget Sound ecosystem are not making progress toward recovery. Some indicators show local declines, which means we need to devote attention to those areas to prevent the declines from getting worse.
However, we have seen big changes in the last two years that make us optimistic. New funding from the federal government and the state gives our region a chance to accomplish major recovery goals. Policy changes, including the passage of key parts of the PUGET SOS Act, make it easier for partners across the Sound to work together.
We need to take advantage of this moment to set ourselves on the right course for recovery, to restore this beautiful place for ourselves and future generations while we still can.
CALL TO ACTION
The call to action from the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council includes recommendations about recovery actions, funding and policy changes, and collaboration for the State Legislature, state agencies, local governments, Congress, federal agencies, nongovernmental organizations, the Partnership, business, the public, and Tribes.
These recommendations align with the 2022- 2026 Action Agenda—our community’s shared plan for the protection and restoration of Puget Sound.
View the 2023 State of the Sound report
Visit the Puget Sound Partnership State of the Sound webpage (external link)
