Ecosystem-based management

The past, present and future of natural conditions in the United States are described in a new report, which has traveled a bumpy road to its current draft form, now out for public review and comment.

“The Nature Record,” originally titled the “National Nature Assessment,” was launched in 2022 as a government project — the first of its kind. The effort involved more than 160 leading scientists from throughout the country, representing wide-ranging fields of study related to the natural environment.

After President Donald Trump ended the project during the first week of his second term in 2025, the effort

The Puget Sound Water Quality Management Plan was Washington State’s long-term strategy for protecting and restoring Puget Sound. This report was released in 2000 and also served as the federally approved Comprehensive Conservation and Management Plan for Puget Sound under Section 320 of the federal Clean Water Act.

Priority Science to Support Puget Sound Recovery: A Science Work Plan for 2025-2029 describes the information, learning, and interaction needed to support the coordinated efforts to recover, protect, and improve the resilience of the Puget Sound ecosystem.

The Puget Sound Science Review describes the state of the science of Puget Sound ecosystem recovery. It includes synthesis documents created or reviewed by an editorial board of experts from agencies, academic institutions and other organizations working in the region.

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.

Researchers are compiling a strategic list of scientific uncertainties related to Puget Sound recovery. The list will be used to prioritize future funding and research to address critical knowledge gaps about the ecosystem.