Puget Sound Vital Signs

The Puget Sound Vital Signs are measures of ecosystem health that guide the assessment of progress toward Puget Sound recovery goals. They were adopted by the Puget Sound Partnership at the state of Washington to help guide local, state and federal ecosystem recovery efforts. Each of the six Puget Sound recovery goals are expressed with one or more Vital Signs. Vital Signs represent an important component of the ecosystem (e.g. marine water, economic vitality). Each component is, in turn, represented by one or more indicators. The indicators are specific measures of Puget Sound conditions, including human wellbeing, while ecosystem recovery targets are policy statements that express desired future conditions for human health and quality of life, species and food webs, habitats, water quantity, and water.

Puget Sound Partnership Vital Sign wheel
Puget Sound Partnership Vital Sign wheel

What are the Puget Sound recovery goals?

The Washington State statute that created the Puget Sound Partnership defines six recovery goals: Healthy human population, Vibrant quality of life, Thriving species and food web, Protected and restored habitat, Abundant water quantity and Healthy water quality. The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound in order to meet these goals.

View all the indicators, Vital Signs and goals at the Puget Sound Partnership website.

 

About the Author: 
The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency leading the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. The Puget Sound Partnership brings together hundreds of partners to mobilize partner action around a common agenda, advance Sound investments, and advance priority actions by supporting partners.