Five questions about Puget Sound's health, future

The Olympian | • Published August 06, 2006

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The questions

1)Can Puget Sound be cleaned up by Gov. Chris Gregoire's 2020 goal?

2)Can we add 1.4 million people by 2025, and still succeed?

3)Is the political will in place to clean up Puget Sound?

4)What's the greatest challenge to a restored Puget Sound?

5)What's the greatest success in past Puget Sound cleanup efforts?

Brad Ack, executive director Puget Sound Action Team:

1)It's going to be really hard and the effort will need to be sustained in perpetuity.

2)It's an open question whether we can grow that much and succeed. We'll need to grow more vertically.

3)There's great bipartisan spirit around this initiative.

4)Controlling and treating stormwater runoff is a first priority.

5)Improved wastewater treatment all through the Puget Sound basin.

Kathy Fletcher, executive director of People for Puget Sound:

1)It's certainly possible, but there's never going to be an end point to the effort.

2)The growth projections are scary, but it's possible if we grow smarter.

3)I've never seen this level of enthusiasm before.

4)Increased enforcement of water quality and land use laws.

5)Understanding that Puget Sound is an ecosystem.

Billy Frank Jr., Nisqually tribal elder and chair of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission:

1) No, the work will never be done.

2) No, we can't add another one million or two million people.

3) When we start asking for money, that will tell us if there is bipartisan support.

4) Restoring the Puget Sound food chain.

5) Habitat restoration work like what's happening in the Nisqually Delta.

Jim Buck, Republican state representative from the Olympic Peninsula

1) I doubt it. It is such a moving target. The real question is whether the people in major polluting areas step up to the bar and take on water quality.

2) It will be difficult. We have to start looking at new polluters and not pollute directly through runoff into the streams. We have to see the problems and determine the scope of work.

3) Yes, if we put the right people together and talk rationally. We did it with the Salmon Recovery Act.

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