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A MOTION approving King County's plans for supporting the Puget Sound Partnership, which include a work program; existing and potential expansion of water quality monitoring programs and scientific studies; and county organization for Puget Sound recovery.
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WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Partnership, the new state agency established to lead the recovery and protection of Puget Sound is still completing its formation and development of the 2020 Action Agenda, and
WHEREAS, King County has committed to establishing King County as a model local government for aggressively addressing our impacts to the health and protection of Puget Sound, and
WHEREAS, King County is already a leader in environmental protection and will work with the region to further improve our stewardship of Puget Sound, and
WHEREAS, the King County department of natural resources and parks (DNRP) and other county agencies administer numerous programs that support the Puget Sound Partnership's vision and goals, and
WHEREAS, many of these programs offer award-winning and innovative approaches to managing natural resources and public infrastructure, and
WHEREAS, DNRP proposes to coordinate and identify countywide priorities for Puget Sound actions and funding through these existing and successful collaborative programs, and
WHEREAS, King County communicates with and reaches out to the public about the protection of water quality in a variety of different ways and with a wide range of messages, and
WHEREAS, King County also participates in a number of venues that provide opportunities for communication and coordination among elected officials, jurisdictions, and other stakeholders in Puget Sound recovery, and
WHEREAS, examples of these venues include, but are not limited to, the county's leadership and participation in watershed forums and councils collaborating on salmon recovery; the county executive's leadership and involvement in the Ecosystem Coordination Board, an advisory council of the Puget Sound Partnership; and county scientists' participation in the Puget Sound Partnership science work, and
WHEREAS, King County and other local elected officials successfully collaborated and coordinated at the December 2007 watershed assembly, and
WHEREAS, King County seeks to build stronger coordination among existing King County operations rather than creating a new organization, division, or unit to fulfill its responsibilities in Puget Sound recovery, and
WHEREAS, King County has established an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary workgroup similar to the King County climate change implementation team that has successfully begun the implementation of the County Climate Change Plan, and
WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Team includes staff from King County's DNRP (wastewater treatment division, water and land resources division, and director's office), department of transportation (roads services division), department of development and environmental services, Seattle-King County department of public health, King County council and the executive's office, and other departments and divisions as needed, and
WHEREAS, the individuals who will serve on the Puget Sound Team will have direct responsibilities related to the protection of Puget Sound that will enable them to lead and understand the complexity of actions and strategies needed to protect and recover Puget Sound, and
WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Team will provide expertise to the Puget Sound Partnership as it moves forward with the development of the Puget Sound-wide Action Agenda and with other jurisdictions and stakeholders to ensure the interests of the South Central Puget Sound Action Area are included, and
WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Team will work in collaboration with the Puget Sound Partnership to consider whether the policy and regulatory options and actions that promote protection and recovery of Puget Sound require changes for King County, and
WHEREAS, the Puget Sound Team will assess the King County organizational structure upon completion of the 2020 Action Agenda and may recommend changes to the current organizational structure to ensure King County aggressively implements its responsibilities under the Action Agenda,
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
The King County council adopts the work program recommendation from the executive and the department of natural resources and parks (DNRP) to support the Puget Sound Partnership that includes, but is not limited to:
A. Communicating and coordinating with the public, elected officials, local jurisdictions, tribes, and other stakeholders through existing and proposed venues regarding protection and recovery of Puget Sound. This includes collaborating with the Puget Sound Partnership and the state legislature to encourage the formation of a task force under the Ecosystem Coordination Board and the Science Panel to research both science and policy issues related to the establishment of marine reserve areas in Puget Sound.
B. Implementing existing and planned county programs in DNRP, Seattle-King County department of public health (DPH), King County department of development and environmental services (DDES), and the roads division of King County department of transportation (DOT) that address Puget Sound recovery. As the Puget Sound Action Agenda is developed and evolves, these programs may need to be revisited. The county's programs address the five immediate actions requested by the governor:
- To identify and address areas with immediate septic problems, DPH expects to:
a. In coordination with Puget Sound Partnership efforts Sound-wide, develop a strategy for increased funding for DPH's monitoring and coordination related to onsite sewer system issues, including looking at reprioritization of existing funds;
b. Support alternative funding for septic repairs and provide options to landowners with limited land available for traditional systems.
- To protect Puget Sound habitat, county departments expect to take the following actions:
a. DOT expects to identify opportunities for enhanced protection on roads services division projects;
b. DNRP wastewater treatment division (WTD) expects to conduct a combined sewer overflow (CSO) treatment technology pilot study and submit a CSO plan to Washington state Department of Ecology;
c. WTD expects to initiate the reclaimed water comprehensive plan;
d. The King County climate team expects to continue efforts to understand and address climate change;
f. DDES expects to continue to educate property owners and to implement the critical areas ordinance.
- To implement priority projects to restore damaged forests, rivers, shorelines, and marine waters, county departments expect to take the following actions:
- DOT roads services division expects to complete short span bridge replacements scheduled for 2008;
- WLRD, in coordination with the King County council, expects to support Puget Sound Partnership in seeking increased funding for Puget Sound habitat restoration projects.
- To accelerate control and cleanup of toxic pollution, county departments expect to take the following actions:
- WLRD and the local hazardous waste management program (LHWMP) expect to support requests for federal Drug Enforcement Administration waiver to collect unused pharmaceuticals;
- WTD expects to clean up contaminated sediments at Denny and Duwamish CSO sites;
- WTD expects to develop a food web model for Central Puget Sound.
- To significantly reduce polluted stormwater runoff, WLRD expects to:
- Secure grant funding for STORM program and stormwater retrofit analysis pilot;
- Develop a strategy for complying with the increased requirements of the municipal stormwater permits anticipated for 2009-2010;
- Work with Puget Sound Partnership, Washington state Department of Ecology, and others to develop a major new effort to address critical local government stormwater retrofits.
SECTION 2. The King County council adopts the recommendation of the executive and DNRP to continue current water quality and quantity monitoring programs as funding allows and to collaborate with the Puget Sound Partnership, and local, state, and federal agencies, and other monitoring groups to help develop a strategy for funding and implementing a collaborative Puget Sound - wide monitoring program that meets both King County's, and to the extent possible, the region's regulatory and adaptive management needs and contributes to progress toward the recovery of Puget Sound.
SECTION 3. The King County council adopts the work plan recommendation as outlined herein and in the December 2007 report titled King County's Plans for Supporting the Puget Sound Partnership (Attachment A) for the establishment of the Puget Sound Team, an interdepartmental and interdisciplinary workgroup of individuals with direct responsibilities related to the protection of Puget Sound to align and coordinate all of King County's work that affects the health and recovery of Puget Sound, including policy, operational, technical, and intergovernmental relations efforts, as well as communications and outreach as part of the Puget Sound Partnership's public awareness campaign.
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