The National Estuary Program (NEP) is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) place-based initiative to protect and restore the water quality and ecological integrity of estuaries of national significance. Under NEP, EPA receives Puget Sound Geographic Funds (commonly called NEP funds) from Congress to help protect and restore Puget Sound. This funding supports the implementation of the Puget Sound Action Agenda, which is the Comprehensive Conservation Management Plan guiding the recovery of Puget Sound. To manage this effort, agency and institutional partners assembled into three Strategic Initiative teams are charged with bringing people and ideas together to improve the water, habitat, and communities. These three teams are the Stormwater, Habitat, and Shellfish.
The Department of Health (DOH) is the Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead (SIL) and works with many partners to implement priority work outlined in the Action Agenda, specifically toward advancing the Shellfish Beds Vital Sign indicator. This work began in 2011, and the allocations received to date have totaled approximately $70 million. A majority of investments have supported local programs and practices to reduce fecal pollution from on-site sewage systems, livestock, boaters, wastewater treatment plant outfalls, and other non-point pollution sources with the potential to impact shellfish harvesting areas.
EPA Cooperative Agreements
We are currently managing one EPA cooperative agreement which addresses fecal pollution issues in Puget Sound.
Shellfish Strategic Initiative (2021-2028)
The most recent Shellfish Strategic Initiative work plan builds on the previous two cooperative agreements to reduce fecal coliform pollution and increase harvestable shellfish acres. We address key priorities, implement strategies, and solicit projects with pass through sub-award investments. This work supports the revised Shellfish Bed Vital Sign target: to achieve an annual net gain of at least 500 acres approved for shellfish harvesting, based on a three-year rolling average.
As the Shellfish SIL, DOH has developed a regional network of local health jurisdictions (LHJs) and pollution identification and correction (PIC) programs engaged in front-line pathogen pollution prevention and water quality protection to help support strong partnerships and work around Puget Sound. In recent years, we have strengthened our working relationships with local, state, federal and Tribal partners to award the NEP Pathogens Lead Organization and Shellfish Strategic Initiative grants. We’ve worked with various partners to:
- Identify recovery goals, priorities, indicators, and performance measures.
- Implement activities and programs.
- Maintain long-term monitoring systems.
- Identify barriers and implement solutions.
The lists of funded projects from this award are available for 2022, 2023, and 2024. More information about individual projects are captured in a funding table.
For more information contact Audrey Coyne, Shellfish Strategic Initiative Lead.
Shellfish Strategic Initiative (2016-2023)
This cooperative agreement focused on the protection and restoration of shellfish beds by working towards a specific target: a net increase of 10,800 acres of harvestable shellfish bed acres between 2007 and 2020, including 7,000 acres where harvest had been prohibited. While the goal was not completely achieved, from 2007 through 2020 there was a 6,659-acre net improvement to Puget Sound shellfish harvesting areas.
View a synthesis of the work supported with this award. More information is available on each of the funded projects for years 2016-2020.