The Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem is one of the most ecologically diverse in North America, containing a wide range of internationally significant species and habitats. This ecosystem is home to 200 fish species, 26 kinds of marine mammals, 100 sea bird species, marine invertebrates and plants by the thousands – and countless communities of people. This regional jewel is a place of rare biological diversity and high economic value. The health and productivity of the Puget Sound Georgia Basin ecosystem is a cornerstone of the region’s quality of life and vibrant economy. Salmon fisheries, sport fishing, shellfish production, sustainable natural resource production, tourism, and other endeavors rely on a healthy environment. However, this uniquely valuable estuary faces increasing pressures.

This wide ranging watershed extends from the Campbell River in northern British Columbia, Canada to the Nisqually River in Central Western Washington in the United States. While the ecosystem deposits freshwater into a common saltwater basin, the international U.S./Canada border has created a political division leading to separate management of the Georgia Basin in Canada, and the Puget Sound in the United States. In 2000, each country agreed to common goals for the management of the ecosystem, beginning a new era and bright future for this unique North American treasure.

Residents of the Georgia Basin Puget Sound region share a common airshed, common watersheds, a common flyway for migratory birds and habitat for fish, and common urban growth pressures. The ecosystem has a population of over six million people with projections envisioning that by 2020, it could easily be be nine to 11 million. Planning now for this high rate of growth is essential to finding a new balance in our human development and ecosystem protection efforts and to chart a sustainable path into the future.