[Congressional Record Volume 161, Number 141 (Tuesday, September 29, 2015)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E1386]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




             IN APPRECIATION OF THE PUGET SOUND PARTNERSHIP

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. DENNY HECK

                             of washington

                    in the house of representatives

                      Tuesday, September 29, 2015

  Mr. HECK of Washington. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize and 
thank the Puget Sound Partnership for its tireless efforts to protect 
and restore America's largest estuary.
  The Puget Sound Partnership is the agency of Washington state serving 
as the backbone organization for Puget Sound recovery. The Partnership 
coordinates the efforts of citizens, governments, tribes, scientists, 
businesses and nonprofits to set priorities, implement a regional 
recovery plan, and ensure accountability for results.
  It is this kind of cooperative effort that can turn back the tide of 
degrading habitats and changing ocean chemistry, and I commend the 
Partnership for taking on the mantle of leadership in this vital 
mission.
  The Puget Sound is not only a national environmental treasure; it is 
the centerpiece of our cultural identity and economic strength in the 
Pacific Northwest. If habitats continue to degrade and our cool, clean 
water is jeopardized by changing ocean conditions, we will lose much of 
what makes the Puget Sound and Washington state so special.
  That is why I have worked closely with the Puget Sound Partnership 
and its Executive Director, Sheida Sahandy, to bring their model of 
cooperative, coordinated recovery to federal agencies through the 
Promoting Unified Government Efforts To Save Our Sound Act, or the 
PUGET SOS Act. This bill is a significant first step to bring more 
federal attention to bear on Puget Sound recovery, and I sincerely 
thank the Partnership's staff for their assistance and advice in 
crafting this important piece of legislation.

                          ____________________