Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office The Puget Sound Recovery National Program Office, located in EPA Region 10, advances the Agency's mission to protect human health and the environment and is guided by two of the five Administration pillars: PILLAR 1: Clean Air, Land, and Water for Every American PILLAR 3: Permitting Reform, Cooperative Federalism, and Cross-Agency Partnership The Office implements statutory requirements under Clean Water Act sections 320 and 126, and provides funding and support to help the state, Tribes, local governments and communities make on-the-ground improvements for clean water, while supporting local jobs. The Office: Et Oversees the Puget Sound National Estuary Program. Ef Administers funds authorized by Congress through assistance agreements. Ef Co-chairs the Puget Sound Federal Leadership Task Force. Ef Collaborates with federal, state, local, Tribal and Canadian authorities. Ef Aligns priorities to accomplish visible and measurable outcomes. Ef Tracks progress toward meeting the EPA objectives and priorities in the Puget Sound Action Agenda and Federal Action Plan. Results at a Glance The Office and partners—including the Puget Sound Partnership: federally recognized Puget Sound Tribes and Tribal consortia: and federal, state and local agencies—have achieved significant results for the health of Puget Sound. For example, between 2010 and 2024, results included: A National Treasure The approximately 16,500-square-mile Puget Sound region is an economic and cultural hub for over 4.5 million people, including 19 federally recognized Tribes. In 2021, Puget Sound-related recreation and tourism alone generated $4.7 billion, and the sound's commercial finfish and shellfish industry was valued at about $115 million.1 Puget Sound is home to the largest ferry system in the United States.2 It is also the southern portion of the international Salish Sea, a key maritime corridor that connects the Pacific Northwest to global trade routes. 71,874 acres of habitat restored or protected3 1,931 miles of shoreline and riparian habitat restored or protected3 A net increase of more than 7,000 acres for shellfish harvesting4 Q EPA Puget Sound appropriations: $584.33 million3 Leveraged resources:5 $2.08 billion 1 Puget Sound Info, Vital Sign Indicators: Natural Resource Industry Output, retrieved on June 8, 2026 2 Washington State Department of Transportation, Washington State Ferries, retrieved on June 8, 2026. 3 EPA, National Estuary Program Online Reporting Tool (NEPORT) [internal database]. 4 Information provided by the Washington Department of Health. 5 Leveraged resources are cash or in-kind equivalents dedicated to achieving results beyond EPA's Puget Sound funding, such as state appropriations and other revenues to protect habitat or upgrade stormwater infrastructure. 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EPA helped establish 12 ffl) Pollution Identification and Correction programs that work with local partners to prevent pollution from septic systems, animal waste, boaters and other sources. From 2016 to 2024, EPA funding supported nearly 2,000 pollution surveys, training for over 400 septic owners to detect system issues, and 225 public education workshops and outreach campaigns. These efforts helped correct 964 pollution sources, contributing to an overall net gain in harvestable shellfish beds during a period of significant population and economic growth.6 Spurring action through research. EPA supported research by the University of Washington Tacoma and partners that identified 6PPD-quinone (6PPD-Q), a common tire transformation byproduct, as toxic to some salmon. Since this identification, partners have invested significant resources to address the impacts of 6PPD-Q in stormwater runoff, led by $20.1 million in state funding for the Washington State Department of Ecology since 20217 The department has used EPA grant funds to support solutions, including investing in projects like Stewardship Partners' Box of Rain that effectively remove pollutants like 6PPD-Q from road runoff. Enabling innovative programs. Floodplains by Design. In 2012, $500,000 in EPA Puget Sound funds helped pilot this program, which funds large-scale floodplain restoration projects. With over $350 million in state funding from 2013 to 2025, the program removed or reduced flood risk for nearly 13,000 homes or structures, restored or protected 171 miles of river, and improved more than 21,289 acres of working lands.8 Shore Friendly. This program incentivizes private landowners to remove hard shoreline structures to protect fish and wildlife habitat while protecting their property. From 2014 to 2019, $3.5 million in EPA funding supported pilot projects and program expansion. State investments from 2018 to 2027 are estimated at $14 million.9 Supporting Tribal leadership in restoring Puget Sound. Nineteen federally recognized Tribes and three Tribal consortia receive EPA Puget Sound funding, which has supported Tribal leadership and direct implementation of habitat protection, restoration, and monitoring across the region. For example, EPA funding helped support a 10-year, three-phase effort led by the Skokomish Tribe and Mason Conservation District to increase estuarine habitat by 964 acres.10 This effort—considered the most complete estuary restoration project in Puget Sound—allowed salmon, steelhead and other species to access habitat lost for nearly a century, in addition to reducing flood severity.11 Learning how to dig for clams. Photo credit: Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Skokomish Estuary Site Tour by EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin and Regional Administrator Emma Pokon - September 2025. The large-scale collaborative effort between Tribal, local, state and federal governments in Puget Sound has successfully restored critical habitat for fish, shellfish and wildlife, demonstrating the power of cooperative federalism in environmental stewardship. 6 Washington Department of Health, Shellfish Strategic Initiative Synthesis, retrieved on June 8, 2026. 7 Information provided by Washington Department of Ecology. 8 Floodplains by Design, retrieved on June 8, 2026. 9 Information provided by Shore Friendly program. 10 Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, 2025 State of Our Watersheds Report, retrieved on June 8, 2026. 11 NOAA Fisheries, Skokomish River Estuary Restoration Helps Salmon and Steelhead Return Home, retrieved on June 8, 2026. https://www.epa.gov/puqet-sound June 2026 ------- |