A new bill proposed by Representatives Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer seeks to bring Puget Sound recovery efforts on par with other waterways such as Chesapeake Bay and the Great Lakes. The congressmen say those ecosystems receive far more funding and greater federal standing, despite Puget Sound’s national importance as an estuary.

The bill, referred to as ‘Puget SOS’ (Promoting United Government Efforts To Save Our Sound), calls for recognition of Puget Sound as “a waterbody of national significance,” and would create a Puget Sound recovery office at the EPA. It would establish an interagency task force to “coordinate recovery efforts amongst Federal agencies and between Federal, State, local, and Tribal partners.”

Read a summary of the bill or download the full draft.