Organizations from across Washington State are coming together to stand up for Puget Sound protection and recovery.

This is a special place. This estuary was carved out by glaciers that left behind breathtaking landscapes and lush, fertile habitat. Orca leap and swim just off our downtown coastlines, salmon head home to spawn via our urban creeks, and native cultures that have fished in these waters for thousands of years still practice many of their ancient traditions. What we do here matters and can ignite new innovative approaches to solving our nation’s biggest environmental challenges. Across Puget Sound, our efforts chart a new course forward toward a vibrant, enduring Puget Sound region that thrives long into the future.

Puget Sound ecosystem recovery is a model of innovation. This collective effort fosters critical partnerships essential for setting the direction for the recovery community and connects science with policy and actions on the ground. This has led to the implementation of hundreds of successful projects. Many of these restoration actions have been effective in restoring ecosystem components and processes in Puget Sound, however much of this evidence is found in technical documents that are not easy to access.

The Innovation Stories website is a living resource that distills information on the various actions and programs that contribute to Puget Sound recovery. The stories on this site are curated from partners and community members who are investing in preserving Puget Sound for future generations. Each story provides background on individual projects, summarizes key benefits, and outlines what’s working to restore our ecosystem.

With the benefit and experience of ongoing learning, we have a better understanding of how to protect and recover Puget Sound. This collection of Innovation Stories demonstrates that:

• Programs that support and align regulatory systems and provide technical guidance and resources are developing novel approaches to ecosystem recovery;
• Toxic runoff is killing salmon in urban watersheds, but simple and inexpensive measures, like soil infiltration through rain gardens and swales, can improve water quality and promote salmon survival;
• Through infrastructure improvements, community engagement, and outreach efforts, shellfish harvesting has returned;
• On newly restored beaches, forage fish, essential food for the Puget Sound food web, return to lay eggs even after years of absence;
• Puget Sound restoration projects boost local economies through support of jobs and the ultimate economic benefit derived from recovered species and habitats.

For more information about this site or our collective effort to restore Puget Sound, visit Puget Sound Partnership or contact us at info@psp.wa.gov.