Puget Sound Initiative
Making the Economic Case for Green Infrastructure
In Partnership with The Boeing Company
WHAT IS THE PUGET SOUND INITIATIVE?
Over the next year Earth Economics will engage with public and private stakeholders to understand the barriers and opportunities to green infrastructure development in the Puget Sound, and will release an online decision-support tool to make the economic case for green infrastructure project through place-based analysis.
For this endeavor, we have identified landcover types that can be segmented into two types - Impervious Surfaces (inc. parking lots, roads, rooftops) or Pervious Surfaces (inc. trees, curb cuts, fields, green spaces)
63,000 acres of land in the urban Puget Sound is owned by the private sector.
32+ billion gallons of water falls on impervious surface each year (enough to fill Columbia tower more than 2000 times) -- much of which flows into the Puget Sound.
THE CHALLENGE
A healthy Puget Sound is vital to our community. The sound provides habitat for numerous species – including 125 species that are threatened or endangered - and provides billions of dollars in economic benefits to the surrounding community each year.However, water quality in the Sound is declining across several metrics. A primary driver of these water quality challenges is urban stormwater runoff. Urban stormwater is the leading source of nonpoint pollution to urban waters. The primary nonpoint source pollutants in stormwater include nutrients, sediment, bacteria, and toxic chemicals. The Washington State Department of Ecology found that surface runoff was the primary pathway for most toxics entering Puget Sound and that commercial and industrial areas released the highest concentrations of toxics.
PRIVATE SECTOR LAND
IN THE URBAN PUGET SOUND
The above map displays the privately-owned property along the Duwamish River, demonstrating the opportunities to implement green infrastructure for a healthier Puget Sound. Click Map to Enlarge.
THE OPPORTUNITY
A healthy and resilient Puget Sound starts in the watershed. Reducing stormwater runoff, particularly in commercial and industrial areas where concentrations of toxics is highest, is critical to protecting this shared natural asset. Distributed green infrastructure (such urban forests, bioswales, or constructed wetlands) not only capture stormwater and removes pollutants, it also provides a variety of other public benefits ranging from carbon sequestration to recreation. Scaling up green infrastructure on private land is critical to preserving and restoring the Sound. Reach out today to be a part of this exciting partnership and to learn more about how Earth Economics can help you implement green infrastructure, to benefit your business.
