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Puget Sound's future in peril

John Dodge and Chester Allen, The Olympian | • Published January 12, 2007

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It will be a daunting task.

A survey by The Olympian of more than 50 regional leaders and readers suggests that the project - one of the most ambitious environmental restorations in the nation - won't be easy, could fail and will definitely still be a work in progress in 2020.

Success will require lifestyle and land-use changes, major investments in stormwater and wastewater controls, public and political will that will be tested at every turn, massive habitat restoration projects and more money.

"Will the Sound be completely cleaned and restored by 2020? Probably not," said Jeff Koenings, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife. "But it is important to set a goal and get a sense of urgency, because Puget Sound is at a tipping point. We have to start cleaning it up now to change the downward slide."

Gregoire wants the partnership to develop an action plan to make Puget Sound safer for fishing, swimming and digging shellfish by 2020. Two other important goals are ensuring that there are no additional endangered species listings and that more habitat is restored than lost, she said in a recent interview with The Olympian.

Most of the leaders and readers interviewed said it's possible to make Puget Sound cleaner and healthier by 2020, but the work will never be complete.

"Cleanup is such a relative term," said John Calambokidis, an Olympia-based research biologist who has studied Puget Sound whales and harbor seals for 27 years. "There is a lot that can be done, but there will still be contaminants and problems that will exist in 2020, no matter what is done."

State Department of Ecology Director Jay Manning agreed. "It's absolutely possible, but it won't happen unless we take the task seriously. It will require lifestyle changes and economic changes, and the job will never be complete."

The Olympian's readers share the sense of urgency, tempered with skepticism based on the track record to date - 20 years of a state-directed Puget Sound cleanup that measures success by slowing down the decline.