The Salish Sea Science Roundtable speaker series continues on Tuesday, April 2 from 12:30 – 1:30 pm. The talk is hosted by the Puget Sound Institute and will look at how the Suquamish Tribe is using models such as MODFLOW and VELMA to manage groundwater and stream flows. As climate change intensifies, more frequent heatwaves, reduced snowpack, […]
March 25, 2024
Climate change adaptation and resilience tools
The following article was commissioned by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL), a cross-agency team co-led by the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. The effects of climate change can already be seen in more frequent and larger wildfires like those in Canada and California, hotter summers, and stronger flooding events. To […]
March 22, 2024
Water affordability study approved by WA Legislature
Puget Sound residents struggling to pay high water utility fees could benefit from a study funded this month by the Washington Legislature. The legislation coincides with research sponsored by the Puget Sound Institute that quantifies wastewater utility costs for the region. The funding for the study is part of Senate Bill 5950, omnibus legislation passed […]
March 20, 2024
Resources for local habitat protection, monitoring, and adaptive management
The following article was commissioned by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL), a cross-agency team co-led by the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. Do you work with local environmental regulations? Would you like to improve habitat protection through more effective permitting? This overview can help if you are thinking about responding […]
March 14, 2024
Social marketing basics for Puget Sound recovery
The following article was commissioned by the Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead (HSIL), a cross-agency team co-led by the Washington Departments of Fish and Wildlife and Natural Resources. Are you interested in responding to a Request for Proposals from the Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads with a project that involves behavior change? Curious about why or […]
February 15, 2024
Author talk will counter “climate doomism”
The Salish Sea Science Roundtable speaker series continues on Tuesday, March 5th with a talk by Dr. Elin Kelsey, author of the book Hope Matters: Why Changing the Way We Think is Critical to Solving the Environmental Crisis. The talk will be hosted by the Puget Sound Institute and facilitated by the Salish Sea Institute […]
February 12, 2024
The words ‘in common with’ were pivotal to Judge Boldt’s ruling on Native American fishing rights
Three common words and their legal interpretation a half-century ago helped set the stage for a cultural revival among Native Americans while propelling an environmental movement that still resonates today in Washington state. It was 50 years ago today that U.S. District Judge George Boldt handed down his landmark ruling, which resolved the meaning of […]
November 29, 2023
Latest Puget Sound marine waters overview now available
Announcement from the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program: Today, the Puget Sound Marine Waters Work Group of the Puget Sound Ecosystem Monitoring Program released the eleventh annual report on marine water conditions in Puget Sound. The report combines a wealth of data from comprehensive monitoring programs and provides a concise summary of what was happening […]
November 21, 2023
GAO report calls for strengthening of regulations on nonpoint source pollution
By Sarah DeWeerdt A new report by the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office (GAO) is renewing calls to strengthen Clean Water Act protections against nonpoint source pollution such as stormwater and agricultural runoff. The recommendation echoes findings made by the GAO in 2013 when it called for Congress to revise “largely voluntary” regulations for nonpoint pollution sources that wash […]
November 8, 2023
Puget Sound ecosystem holding on, but recovery remains uncertain, says latest status report
Efforts to restore ecological health to Puget Sound have largely failed to meet recovery goals, yet fish and wildlife populations are still hanging on, according to a new report that describes many struggling populations as neither increasing nor decreasing to a significant extent. The latest State of the Sound report, released last week by the […]