Tag: Puget Sound Partnership

Shoreline armoring in Puget Sound gets new scrutiny from the Army Corps of Engineers

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Shoreline bulkheads, which can damage beaches and destroy fish habitat, could come under more extensive review and permitting as the result of a revised shoreline policy announced last week by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. The revised policy (PDF 163 kb), which resulted from a federal lawsuit, now requires a Corps of Engineers permit for shoreline construction below the high-tide line. The previous line of jurisdiction was lower on the beach, effectively exempting most shoreline armoring from federal permits. One of the key results of the policy change is […]

Partnership explores revised measures of Puget Sound health, as 2020 deadline arrives

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It is the year 2020. You could say that the time has run out for restoring Puget Sound to a healthy condition. But time marches on. When the Legislature created the Puget Sound Partnership in 2007, lawmakers included this sentence in state law: “It is the goal of the state that the health of Puget Sound be restored by 2020.” The Partnership then proceeded to establish “Vital Signs indicators” to measure progress along the path to restoration, along with “targets” that describe the conditions that should be observed by 2020. […]

Jay Manning will take over for outgoing Leadership Council Chair Martha Kongsgaard

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Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council Chair Martha Kongsgaard has announced that she will be stepping down from her post this year. Jay Manning will take over as chair on December 7th. Kongsgaard has served on the council for nearly a decade and spent more than five years as its chair. During that time, she was a regular presence in Washington, D.C. where she advocated for increased federal funding to bring Puget Sound in parity with other major estuaries such as Chesapeake Bay. Under Kongsgaard’s leadership, the Puget Sound Partnership made significant strides in establishing a […]

State report says lack of funding is a major barrier to Puget Sound recovery

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The 2015 State of the Sound report from the Puget Sound Partnership points to lack of funding as one of the leading barriers to Puget Sound recovery. The report looks at ongoing progress to restore the health of the ecosystem, but according to the Partnership’s Executive Director Sheida Sahandy, “The rate at which we as a community are continuing to damage Puget Sound is greater than the rate at which we are fixing it.” Overall, funding has fallen far short of critical needs, the report argues. Projects described in the […]

PSP finalizes Biennial Science Work Plan

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The Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel has finalized its Biennial Science Work Plan for 2011-2013, and will present the document to the Leadership Council for approval on April 26th.

The science of decision support at PSI

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The complex nature of ecosystem recovery in Puget Sound means that scientists and policymakers are often faced with tough decisions. Given finite resources and widespread need, where should they best focus their efforts? Beginning this summer, Dr. Bill Labiosa will serve as a visiting scholar at the Puget Sound Institute to help develop decision science planning tools. Labiosa is currently a research scientist with the USGS Western Geographic Science Center and has a background in environmental engineering and decision analysis. He is also Vice Chair of the Puget Sound Partnership […]

Puget Sound Partnership Seeks Science Director

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The Puget Sound Partnership is seeking an experienced and energetic scientist to be their next Science Director. This important position reports directly to the PSP Director, represents science throughout the agency and beyond, and leads the PSP Science Team. The position may be filled through a direct hire or through an interagency agreement, and would be ideal for a broad-thinking ecosystem scientist who is interested in significantly impacting the direction of the Puget Sound restoration and protection activities. Here is the link to the position, which will remain open until […]

New PSP science hires

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Dave Peeler and Leska Fore have joined the Puget Sound Partnership’s science team to support the monitoring program.

Joe Gaydos begins term as Science Panel Chair

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Newly elected Chair of the Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel Joe Gaydos began his term on January 25th, with Bill Labiosa serving as Vice Chair. Gaydos is the Chief Scientist for the SeaDoc Society, a marine ecosystem health program of the UC Davis Wildlife Health Center. Gaydos has been a member of the Science Panel since 2009, and has spent the past eight years collecting and distributing scientific data on Puget Sound.