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October 31, 2008 Dear Friend, I grew up fishing on Puget Sound, launching from Ray’s Boathouse on Shilshole. I want my grandchildren and all children in the region to enjoy Puget Sound the same way I did as a child. That is why I think it is so important that King County works to protect the Sound and our natural environment.
However, salmon recovery currently faces many challenges. This year, local salmon harvests plummeted and wild Chinook in much of Puget Sound, including most stocks in King County, experienced declining population growth. Most alarming, the recent deaths of seven Puget Sound orca whales were linked to the decline of the Chinook salmon population, the whale’s primary food source. The road to recovery for salmon will require the maintenance of essential County stewardship programs. State and federal grant money funds King County’s 10-year capital improvement plan for salmon recovery. I believe this coordinated effort is so important. We need a cohesive approach for the recovery of salmon and the overall clean-up of Puget Sound so these treasures remain a part of our culture well into the future. The County must continue to show leadership in addressing salmon recovery. What You Can Do To Help: In addition to the County’s efforts, we can all take steps to aid in the recovery of salmon. Below, I’ve listed some helpful tips you can do at home to help protect Puget Sound:
More details about the tips are available here. Additional information about salmon and trout in the County is available here. Sincerely,  Julia
Patterson |
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On Monday, October 27th, the King County Council received a briefing on salmon recovery efforts in Puget Sound from a panel of local experts. The panel shared with us the history of King County’s salmon recovery programs. Since the Chinook salmon was listed as threatened in 1999, jurisdictions across the County have joined together in watershed groups to plan and act to recover salmon. After a decade of work by the watershed groups, the Federal government adopted their Puget Sound Recovery Plan in January of 2007. The plan is the first of its kind in the nation. It is the largest and most comprehensive plan ever approved, includes the largest recovery area nationally, and was created through locally-led collaborative efforts involving major metropolitan areas.
Practice natural yard care