John,

It has been eight months since Governor Inslee’s Orca Recovery Task Force issued their Year 2 Report and Recommendations. The list of 49 actions is long because the need is so great and the need for action is now if we are to recover the highly endangered Southern Resident orca population. These recommendations include:

• Increasing salmon availability
• Decreasing noise and disturbance
• Decreasing pollution
• Funding, monitoring, and adapting as we go
• Fighting climate change
• Addressing future population growth

But how are the actions faring? Are we making progress? Join our webinar on June 25 to hear from several members of the Orca Recovery Task Force who were instrumental in developing a suite of recommendations for action for the recovery of the Southern Resident orca population.

Speakers will provide an update on the status of those recommendations. We’ll learn which actions are being implemented, which actions are showing signs of effectiveness, and which ones aren’t. They’ll provide opportunities for what we can do, as individuals and collectively, to improve the waters for the iconic Southern Resident orcas. When we work to improve the health of Puget Sound for orcas, we are also protecting the health of all communities who rely on the Sound.

What: Orca Health 2020 A #WeArePugetSound Event
When: Thursday, June 25, at 12 p.m.
Who: Mindy Roberts with Washington Environmental Council, Rep. Debra Lekanoff, State Representative, 40th LD, Amy Windrope with Washington Fish and Wildlife Service, and Nora Nickum with Seattle Aquarium
Please register to get event access  

Recently, Washington Environmental Council and Braided River published the book We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea along with a campaign to connect more people to each other and to this place. We know we need to work together now more than ever to restore the health of the Sound and our own health, too.

The book explores places and wildlife through extraordinary photos, describes our human connections, both past and present, and also introduces you to people in your communities doing remarkable things that benefit all of us. Their stories reflect their connection and love to the place they call home. 

Join the Orca Health 2020 Webinar to learn how the orca recovery actions are being implemented or not, and what you can do to help.

Please register here to get event access. 

Thanks for all you do,

Rein Attemann
Puget Sound Campaign Manager

P.S. You can get a copy of We Are Puget Sound: Discovering and Recovering the Salish Sea at Mountaineersbooks.org for a 25% discount using the code "TIMETOREAD."