Our Puget Sound: Essential legacy

A closer look at the water at Seattle's front door is far more worrisome than the first glance. There are big challenges just to preserve the existing health of the Sound. As the region's population grows, the ecological and health dangers will escalate.

For now and for years to come, protection of the Sound will need the kind of increased commitment that Gov. Christine Gregoire recently has promised. The region's lifestyle, attractiveness and economic strength all demand sustained commitment to a healthy Puget Sound.

The governor got the effort off to a good start by asking Bill Ruckelshaus, a Republican and former head of the EPA, to lead the initiative. Ruckelshaus' presence should ensure both credibility and thoughtful direction.

Gregoire's promise to launch a Puget Sound initiative is hardly unique. In the last years of his administration, Gov. Gary Locke spoke strongly in favor of better protection for the Sound, and made some improvements in the efforts through coordination, research and heightened vigilance.

But a lot more remains to be done. A Seattle Post-Intelligencer series in 2002, King County studies and other examinations have shown that a wide array of problems threaten the Sound's waters and sea life.

Gregoire launched her initiative at an appropriate forum, a gathering earlier this month to mark the submission to the federal government of locally developed plans for saving Puget Sound salmon. As Gregoire recognizes, however, protecting the Sound is about much more than simply saving fish. Like the salmon, moreover, the Sound is integral to the region's conception of itself.

That's part of why King County, especially through Executive Ron Sims, has taken such an active, long-term role in seeking to identify, assess and turn back the various threats facing the inland water. As a county report warned last November: "Puget Sound is in trouble. The Sound now experiences reduced and unhealthy fish, bird, animal and whale populations, the increased dominance of invasive (species) ... and frequent beach closures."

One of the most prominent threats has been an oxygen-depleted dead zone in Hood Canal. That problem could spread. And the Seattle shoreline itself is home to a good share of the widespread threats that Sims and others have warned about. Among them are stormwater runoff, the replacement of beaches with seawalls and the volume of pharmaceuticals that make their way to the Sound through wastewater systems.

It's particularly promising that Gregoire wants to force decisions about priorities for protecting the water. Pam Bissonnette, Sims' chief adviser on water issues, says that vigilance about the health of the Sound probably will be needed perpetually. But it's quite possible to make progress by focusing on the key threats while developing better scientific knowledge for dealing with lesser and emerging problems efficiently. The governor also is enlisting congressional support, to win more federal support along the lines of help given for protecting Chesapeake Bay and the Everglades.

The framework is shaping up for a renewed effort to ensure Puget Sound's future. The governor's real tests will be in producing results.


Does the protection of Puget Sound deserve the increased attention promised by Gov. Christine Gregoire?
82.1% Yes	17.2% No
0.7% Not sure or don't care
Total Votes: 134