MEDIA ADVISORY
August 9, 2021

MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov

Ecosystem Coordination Board to discuss draft framework to identify actions for the 2022-2026 Action Agenda

The Puget Sound Partnership's Ecosystem Coordination Board will meet on Thursday, August 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the August 12 Ecosystem Coordination Board meeting will be a virtual Zoom meeting for all participants and the public. 

Join the meeting at https://zoom.us/j/92319271808?pwd=Tk9Pb2dWVThmblRPblllLzYwaVlxdz09 Meeting ID: 923 1927 1808, Password: 297851. Dial from any phone: +1 253 215 8782. Meeting ID: 923 1927 1808, Password: 297851. 

Zoom instructions are also included in the meeting agenda, which is available here: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php

Meeting highlights include:

• A presentation about the fiscal year 2021 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Funding Guidance to the three Strategic Initiative Leads. Presentation by Peter Murchie, program manager, EPA Geographic Programs Section, and Angela Adams, science lead, EPA Puget Sound Program. 
  
  
• A presentation for decision about the key findings and recommendations from a report about barriers that county planning and permit staff face when encouraging landowners to take voluntary actions to protect and restore ecologically important areas on their property. The Partnership contracted with the University of Washington's Evans School of Public Policy and Governance for this research, and the project is in support of the Ecosystem Coordination Board's (ECB) Land Use Subcommittee. The subcommittee will present proposed next steps for the board to continue to advance and amplify the findings and recommendations. Presentation by Kate Dean, co-chair of the ECB Land Use Subcommittee, Charlotte Garrido, co-chair of the ECB Land Use Subcommittee, Libby Gier, Habitat Strategic Initiative technical lead at the Washington State Department of Natural Resources, and Jillian Reitz, boards policy advisor at the Puget Sound Partnership. 
   
• A presentation for discussion about 2022 legislative planning. This session will include an overview of initial plans for recovery and salmon-related budget and policy priorities in the upcoming legislative session. Ecosystem Coordination Board members will be invited to weigh in on strategies to advance policy and budget priorities more proactively in the coming months. Presentation by Jeff Parsons, legislative policy director at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Don Gourlie, environmental planner at the Puget Sound Partnership.
   
• A presentation on revised strategies for the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. Strategies describe effective approaches for advancing progress toward desired outcomes, Vital Signs, and overall recovery. This session will include an update about revisions to the draft strategies and a draft framework for identifying specific actions to include in the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. Presentation by Dan Stonington, planning manager at the Puget Sound Partnership, Don Gourlie, environmental planner at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Kaitlin Harris, environmental planner at the Puget Sound Partnership.
   

The full Ecosystem Coordination Board agenda and meeting materials are available through this page: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php. This meeting is open to the public and all are welcome to provide comment and learn about the regional effort to restore and protect Puget Sound.

Those who would like to attend the meeting and need special accommodations to do so should notify Boards Policy Advisor Jillian Reitz at 360.742.2936.

About the Ecosystem Coordination Board

The Ecosystem Coordination Board's main role is to advise the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council on carrying out its responsibilities. The Board is made up of 27 members representing specific interests around the Sound.

About the Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency formed to lead the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. Working with hundreds of governments, tribes, scientists, businesses, and nonprofits, the Partnership mobilizes partner action around a common agenda, advances Sound investments, and tracks progress to optimize recovery. For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.