What’s the problem?
Habitats throughout the
Signs of an ecosystem in distress are all around us:
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Endangered Species Act listings of salmon and orca.
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Alarming declines in many other species, including marine birds such as Western grebes, Pacific loons, surf scoters and marbled murrelets.
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Increased listing of polluted waters.
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Closures of shellfish harvesting areas.
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Changes in streamflows and flooding patterns that affect our homes.
Modification of the Shoreline. One-third of the Sound’s marine shoreline has been altered by bulkheads, rock or cement retaining walls and other hard structures. These structures destroy areas where native plants grow, shorebirds hunt for food, herring and sand lance lay eggs and young salmon hide from predators.
Landscape alterations, including clearing and paving, replaces native vegetative cover and agricultural lands. Roads, parking lots and buildings interfere with the land’s ability to filter pollutants, sustain plant and animal communities, supply water for people and absorb the impact of floods. Increased stormwater runoff from altered landscapes carries pollutants from these areas into habitats.
Fragmentation. Different types of habitat are often interconnected and together support the entire lifecycle of certain fish and wildlife species—such as salmon. Cutting off one habitat from another with roads or development cuts into the complex process that many species need to survive.
Invasive species. Non-native, introduced species can pose a serious threat to the biodiversity of native species and their habitats. Many of these non-native species have no natural predators and are very adept at taking over native plant and animal communities.
An ounce of protection is worth a pound of restoration. If you’ve ever worked to restore a stream, creek or shoreline damaged by development, livestock, erosion or other means, you know that it takes more time, more money and more energy than to preserve an area in the first place.
As population growth continues to put pressure on wild spaces and native habitats, the challenge will be to find creative and effective ways to preserve functioning habitats in the Puget Sound basin. Not only for fish and wildlife, but for future generations of Washingtonians.
Protecting habitats goes hand-in-hand with protecting the well-being of the region’s citizens. There are many different ways to protect habitat. Some examples include:
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Landowners can do much to preserve native habitat on their land, or to replace some or all of their lawns with native vegetation. Citizens can help to restore areas along stream and river banks. Shoreline landowners can choose environmentally friendly alternatives to bulkheads.
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For more permanent protection, landowners can put some or all of their property in a conservation easement to reduce property taxes.
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At the community level, shoreline master programs and critical areas ordinances help protect public health and safety, and private property as well as the environment.
What’s being done now to protect habitats in Puget Sound?
Every day, efforts to protect habitat occur throughout the
- Conserving land. The legislature approved significant new monies for land acquisition in the 2007-2009 Puget Sound Conservation and Recovery Plan, including funding for the Washington Wildlife Recreation Program, Interagency Committee and Salmon Recovery Funding Board. Many state agencies, local governments, tribes and non-profit groups are working to protect and preserve ecologically important land through a variety of conservation tools. Tools include land acquisition such as The Nature Conservancy’s efforts in the Skagit River delta and tax incentive programs.
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Training. The Washington Department of Ecology offers training on shoreline and wetlands science and management to government, business and individuals. Staff from the Partnership and the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife provide guidance and training in alternatives to “hard” shoreline armoring (such as bulkheads) to state, local, tribal and federal staff as well as the consulting and building communities.
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Citizen involvement. In the north Sound, Beach Watchers, Shore Stewards and Marine Resources Committees are adding new volunteers and increasing memberships with the help of WSU Extension, Washington Sea Grant Program and the Northwest Straits Commission.
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Shoreline management plans. Cities and counties throughout
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Local watershed planning. Throughout the Sound, watershed groups are working on integrating watershed, salmon recovery and other plans using a combination of regulatory and voluntary approaches.
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Aquatic nuisance species. Vessels entering
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Expanded aquatic reserves. New state lands will be added to the Aquatic Reserves program. Washington State Department of Natural Resources is asking public and private groups and individuals to nominate specific areas for consideration.
>> What you can do to protect habitats in
| HIGHLIGHTS |
| New study aims to guide future development in the Birch Bay watershed. October 2007. >> Download the report | PDF |