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Department of Ecology News Release - November 20, 2006
06-244
OLYMPIA - Governor Chris Gregoire today announced that the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology) is currently accepting applications for the 2007 Puget Sound Watershed Protection and Restoration Grant.
The watershed grants, totaling $700,000, are an important part of Governor Gregoire's Puget Sound Initiative, a renewed effort to protect and restore the Sound.
"The environmental health of Puget Sound is directly linked to the economic vitality of this region. These grants support the work being done to restore and protect our waterways and habitat," said Governor Gregoire.
Puget Sound, from Deschutes to the Georgia Basin, is an integrated environmental system. Creating a healthy Sound is going to take integrated solutions.
Many local governments and organizations are already at work using their regional knowledge to improve the quality of the Sound. The Watershed Protection and Restoration Grant program is designed to help these local agencies integrate and more effectively implement existing watershed plans.
Grant recipients can receive up to $50,000 to integrate salmon recovery, land use and water quality efforts into a coordinated approach to watershed protection and restoration.
Projects may include such things as forums to coordinate restoration work by the various watershed-based programs in a region of Puget Sound or a scientific study of sub-areas designed to create a prioritizing framework for restoration.
These funds are made available through Ecology and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) from a congressional appropriation secured by Rep. Norman D. Dicks.
Ecology will accept grant applications until Dec. 31, 2006. Applications can be found at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/fap.html.
Recognizing that salmon recovery is essential to Sound recovery, Ecology seeks to support local governments, salmon recovery entities and other eligible institutions with the protection and restoration of Puget Sound, watershed by watershed.
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Media contact: Shannon Sullivan, Public Information Officer, 360-738-6247, ssul461@ecy.wa.gov
Copyright © Washington State Department of Ecology. See http://www.ecy.wa.gov/copyright.html.
