FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
June 6, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov
The Puget Sound Partnership Leadership Council will meet on Wednesday, June 8, from 9:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., and Thursday, June 9, from 9:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m., at the Port of Everett, 1205 Craftsman Way, Suite 200 (Blue Heron Room), Everett, WA.
All are welcome to attend the meetings, and we’ll have an opportunity for general public comment around midday on June 8. All Partnership staff will be fully masked for the duration of the meetings, and we highly encourage others who elect to attend in-person to wear well-fitting masks in the meeting room as well. We plan to have gallery seating for partners and other members of the public who join us, and will make every effort to provide (but cannot guarantee) adequate spacing between seats within the constraints of our meeting space.
Of special note is that we’ll also be providing an all-virtual livestream of this meeting, through TVW (links below). At this stage, we are not able to fully support a hybrid meeting and the TVW livestream will be view-only. We highly encourage partners and other members of the public to utilize this virtual option, if possible, to reduce carbon emissions and to minimize COVID risks for everyone. If you do elect to utilize the livestream option and wish to submit public comment, please send your written comments to anna.petersen@psp.wa.gov with subject “June Leadership Council Public Comment” by noon on Tuesday, June 7. We will review public comments submitted by email during the general public comment period on June 8.
TVW web links:
Day 1: https://tvw.org/video/puget-sound-partnership-leadership-council-2022061086/?eventID=2022061086
Day 2: https://tvw.org/video/puget-sound-partnership-leadership-council-2022061087/?eventID=2022061087
The agenda and meeting materials are available through our board meetings page: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php
Meeting highlights include:
- A forum with the Snohomish/Stillaguamish Local Integrating Organization (LIO). The forum will include discussion about barriers to ecosystem recovery and proposals to streamline requirements for a variety of state grant programs. Forum participants will include Dave Somers, Snohomish County executive; Ryan Miller, director of treaty rights and government affairs with the Tulalip Tribes; Kathleen Pozarycki, Snohomish/Stillaguamish LIO coordinator; Morgan Schneidler-Ruff, Snohomish Basin capital projects coordinator with the Tulalip Tribes; Kristin Marshall, director of the habitat restoration and floodplain management program with the Snohomish Conservation District; and Jason Griffith, environmental manager with the Stillaguamish Tribe of Indians.
- A presentation and discussion about resolving restoration project permitting barriers. This session will include an update from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers on progress made over the last 18 months toward streamlining and accelerating permitting for restoration projects. Presentation by Col. Xander Bullock, district commander, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District, and Ginny Dierich, deputy district engineer for programs and project management, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District.
- A presentation and decision about the final 2022-2026 Action Agenda. This session will include a decision by the Leadership Council about whether to adopt the 2022-2026 Action Agenda. The purpose of the 2022-2026 Action Agenda update is to accelerate Puget Sound recovery progress by concentrating our efforts, energy, and investment on key transformational changes that will enable us to collectively achieve our shared vision for Puget Sound and the statutory goals that guide Puget Sound recovery. In board meetings in April and May, the Science Panel, Ecosystem Coordination Board, and Salmon Recovery Council all voted to convey their support for the Leadership Council’s adoption of the final 2022-2026 Action Agenda. Presentation by Dan Stonington, planning manager at the Puget Sound Partnership, Wren McNally, environmental planner at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Jon Bridgman, communications manager at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation about the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan regional chapter update. This session will include a briefing about why the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan is being updated, progress on the update, linkages to the Action Agenda, and next steps and implementation once the update is completed. The goal for Partnership staff is to bring the updated regional chapter of the Recovery Plan to the Leadership Council for review and approval in December. Presentation by Amber Moore, salmon recovery manager at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about the Puget Sound Strategic Initiative Leads (SILs) funding process. The SILs are funded through the Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) Region 10 Funding Model for the Puget Sound National Estuary Program (NEP). The mission of the SILs is to protect and restore Puget Sound through strategic planning, funding, outreach, and collaboration focused on stormwater, habitat, and shellfish. This presentation will include an overview of the SILs' work to implement the Action Agenda and the Implementation Strategies, through their new cooperative agreements with the EPA. Within the context of leading Implementation Strategy programs, the SILs will provide an overview of the new funding model and process to distribute Geographic Program funds (NEP funds) through a competitive request for proposal process that is currently under development. Presentation by Derek Day, Stormwater Strategic Initiative Lead with the Washington State Department of Ecology; Jennifer Griffiths, Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife; Devan Rostorfer, Habitat Strategic Initiative Lead with the Washington State Department of Natural Resources; and Clara Hard, program supervisor for the Shellfish Strategic Initiative with the Washington State Department of Health.
The full Leadership Council agenda and meeting materials are available through our board meetings page at: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php.
If you need special accommodations to participate in this meeting, please notify Special Assistant to the Boards Anna Petersen at 360.338.2384.
About the Leadership Council
The Leadership Council is the governing body of the Puget Sound Partnership. Its seven members are leading citizens chosen from around the Sound and appointed by the Governor to serve four-year terms. Jay Manning currently chairs the Leadership Council.
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 government agencies, 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.
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