FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 10, 2022
MEDIA CONTACT: Kevin Hyde, 360.819.3045, kevin.hyde@psp.wa.gov
The Puget Sound Partnership Science Panel will meet on Wednesday, Oct. 12, from 9:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., and Thursday, Oct. 13, from 9:00 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at Washington State University Extension, Sakuma Auditorium, 16650 SR 536, Mount Vernon, WA 98273.
All are welcome to attend the meetings. All Partnership staff will be fully masked for the duration of the meetings, and we 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 we will make every effort to provide (but cannot guarantee) adequate spacing between seats within the constraints of our meeting space.
We’ll be providing an all-virtual livestream of these meetings, through TVW (links below). 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.
TVW will be providing an all-virtual livestream of the meetings. TVW web links:
Oct. 12: https://tvw.org/video/puget-sound-partnership-science-panel-2022101035/?eventID=2022101035
Oct. 13: https://tvw.org/video/puget-sound-partnership-science-panel-2022101036/?eventID=2022101036
The full Science Panel agenda and meeting materials are available through our board meetings page at: https://psp.wa.gov/board_meetings.php.
Meeting highlights include:
- A presentation and discussion about the 2023 Washington state legislative session. This session will include an update from Partnership staff about the build-up to the 2023 legislative session and a discussion about Puget Sound and salmon recovery legislative priorities. Presentation by Don Gourlie, legislative policy director at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about the Shellfish Beds Implementation Strategy. This session will include an overview of the Shellfish Beds Implementation Strategy, approaches identified to make progress toward the Vital Sign indicator target, and key barriers to progress. The Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) will also give an update on shellfish bed classification trends in Puget Sound (including Samish Bay), evolution of the EPA funding model, and how the Shellfish SIL and the Washington State Department of Health (DOH) are working to operationalize components of the Shellfish Beds Implementation Strategy and identify cross-SIL opportunities. Presentation by Audrey Coyne, DOH, Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead.
- A presentation about the Marine Water Quality Implementation Strategy Narrative. The Marine Water Quality Implementation Strategy is part of the Stormwater Strategic Initiative and primarily focuses on low dissolved oxygen issues in the Puget Sound. The implementation strategy consists of three documents: Narrative, Base Programs Analysis, and State of the Knowledge. Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology), along with a planning team, core team, and interdisciplinary team completed the narrative after four years of planning and writing. The purpose of the narrative is to add recommendations for actions to the Puget Sound Action Agenda and the Biennial Science Workplan. Presentation by Frances Bothfeld, environmental planner with Ecology.
- A presentation and discussion about the Puget Sound Future Scenarios project. This session will include an update on the progress, outcomes, and implications of the first phase of the project and a preview of opportunities for upcoming work. Partnership staff will seek input from the Science Panel on salmon recovery decisions, analyses, or policy choices to focus on in Future Scenarios Project work. Presentation by Katherine Wyatt, assistant science director at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about Nooksack River streamflows and impacts on salmon recovery. This session will include an overview of recent low/high streamflows on the Nooksack River and the impact of those streamflows on salmon recovery. Presentation by Treva Coe, habitat program manager, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Ned Currence, fisheries and resource protection program manager, Nooksack Indian Tribe, Devin Flawd, stock assessment manager, Lummi Nation, and John Thompson, senior planner, Whatcom County.
- A presentation on building collaboration with Indigenous communities through boundary spanners. This session will include a presentation by Marco Hatch, associate professor of environmental science at the College of the Environment at Western Washington University (WWU), on his work collaborating with Indigenous communities through boundary spanners. Hatch is a marine ecologist with a Ph.D. in biological oceanography from Scripps Institution of Oceanography and a member of the Samish Indian Nation. At WWU, Hatch has created a diverse lab charged with preparing the next generation of environmental scientists and leaders through fostering respect for Indigenous knowledge and providing students with a solid background in scientific methods.
- A workshop and facilitated discussion about the Science Panel's current and future role in spanning boundaries. Workshop led by Science Panel members Nick Bond and Ruth Sofield, Scott Redman, Science and Evaluation program director at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Katherine Wyatt, assistant science director at the Puget Sound Partnership.
- A presentation and discussion about early planning for solicitation of 2023-2025 Puget Sound Scientific Research projects. Partnership staff will seek guidance from the Science Panel on the approach and development of the solicitation. Presentation by Scott Redman, Science and Evaluation program director at the Puget Sound Partnership, and Katherine Wyatt, assistant science director at the Puget Sound Partnership.
The full Science Panel 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 Boards Policy Advisor Jillian Reitz at 360.742.2936.
About the Science Panel
The Science Panel's expertise and advice are critical to the Puget Sound Partnership’s efforts to develop a comprehensive, science-based plan to restore Puget Sound. The members, appointed by the Leadership Council, are chosen from the top scientists in Washington State.
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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