Washington community action

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Sustainability initiatives

Local 20/20, Jefferson County
Sustainability at Evergreen State College, Olympia
Sustainable Bellingham
Sustainable Bainbridge
Sustainable Communities ALL Over Puget Sound on facebook
Transition Olympia
Transition Whatcom

Initiatives by topic

Climate action

350 Washington State on facebook

Environment quality

Wikipedia:

Elwha Ecosystem Restoration, a project of the U.S. National Park Service to remove two dams on the Elwha River on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington state, and restore the river to a natural state. It is the largest dam removal project in history and the second largest ecosystem restoration project in the history of the National Park Service, after the Restoration of the Everglades. The controversial project, costing about $351.4 million, has been contested and periodically blocked for decades. The removal of the first of the two dams, the Elwha Dam, began in September 2011 and was completed ahead of schedule in spring 2012. Work on the second dam, the Glines Canyon Dam is expected to be finished by September 2014.

Aquatic Reserves in Puget Sound: The Washington state government has adapted the federal government's Marine Protected Area (MPA) system into designated Aquatic Reserves, defined as "aquatic lands of special educational or scientific interest or lands of special environmental importance that are threatened by degradation". Aquatic Reserves are meant to serve as aquatic versions of national parks or sanctuaries. Through the Aquatic Reserve Program, the DNR hopes to control these areas in an effort to restore, preserve or enhance habitats and species that directly tie into the aquatic ecosystem. The first Aquatic Reserve created under the program was at Maury Island in November 2004. Further candidate sites under review include Cherry Point, Fidalgo Bay and Cypress Island.