Overview
From its verdant river deltas, to its elegant shorelines and its sheltered coastal embayments, people have been drawn to Puget Sound for its unparalleled beauty and its ability to provide economic, ecological and cultural benefits to its inhabitants. Whether it is people farming the land, tending shellfish beds, fishing for salmon, or simply recreating, we are all dependent upon a healthy Puget Sound for our well being and economic vitality.
The nearshore is a critical interface between land and marine waters and plays an important part in sustaining Puget Sound’s ability to provide these benefits. However, with over a century of intensive development, significant portions of the nearshore have been severely damaged or lost. The approach used by the Estuary and Salmon Restoration Program (ESRP) in the recovery of the Puget Sound nearshore focuses on the root of the problem: restoring and protecting the ecological processes that create and maintain nearshore ecosystems.
This report highlights the vision and accomplishments of ESRP in advancing an ecosystem restoration strategy in Puget Sound to restore the ecosystem processes that are essential for a self-sustaining coastal ecosystem.