How do we love thee, Puget Sound, let us count the ways. You provide food, fabulous views, jobs and ways to play. It can be easy to take Puget Sound’s health for granted, but shrinking salmon runs and a struggling orca population say otherwise.
Gov. Jay Inslee issued a proclamation announcing May as ‘Puget Sound Starts Here Month’ and encourages all citizens to take action to improve the health of Puget Sound.
“It’s not just about the pipe coming out of the factory anymore,” said Marc Daily, interim executive director of the Puget Sound Partnership. “Today, stormwater runoff is the single largest contributor to our water quality problems. That pollution comes from our cars and how we wash them, from the chemicals we put on our lawns, and from not picking up after our pets. When it rains, bacteria and toxic chemicals from these and other sources end up in our local waterways. That’s a problem.”
The goal of ‘Puget Sound Starts Here’ is to raise awareness of how our everyday actions impact this place where we live, work and play. From the snowcaps to the whitecaps, our food, water and livelihoods are threatened by pollution and the increasing impacts of climate change.
A healthy Puget Sound is not only critical to our natural environment, it’s an integral part of growing our economy and creating jobs. Billions of dollars in economic activity are created in the Puget Sound region through tourism, working waterfronts, fishing and shellfish industries, and world-class businesses that choose to locate here because of the Puget Sound and the quality of life that it provides.
What you can do:
• Find and fix your vehicle leaks
• Practice natural yard care
• Pick up after your pets
• Maintain your septic system
• Wash your car at a commercial car wash
• Drive less
To learn about local activities and how you can help keep the Puget Sound watershed healthy for generations to come, visit www.PugetSoundStartsHere.org.
