Pierce County is teaming up with more than 750 organizations across Puget Sound to challenge residents to commit to at least one Sound-healthy action during May’s Puget Sound Starts Here Month.

“Pierce County is characterized by its beautiful views and natural areas from Mount Rainier to Puget Sound,” said Pat McCarthy, Pierce County executive. “If each of us takes a small action to protect this place, the impact could be great.”

Some simple Sound-healthy actions you can take: fix auto leaks right away and take any used fluids to a recycling center; pick up pet waste and place it in the trash; use natural yard products, like compost and mulch; if you use chemical pesticides and fertilizers, follow the directions and use them sparingly; never dump anything – liquid or solid – into a storm drain or drainage ditch; or volunteer to help with local habitat restoration projects.

For more information and to pre-register, visit cityoftacoma.org/ envirohouse. A complete list of Puget Sound Starts Here events is available at http://www.pugetsoundstartshere.org/events-list/.

Puget Sound features 2,500 miles of shoreline. It is home to countless species, including orcas, sea lions, salmon and shellfi sh, as well as 4.5 million people who live, work and play across the 12 counties of Puget Sound. It is the second largest estuary in the nation (Chesapeake Bay, on the East Coast, is the
largest), stretching from mountain snowcaps to Puget Sound’s whitecaps. Puget Sound includes farmland and cities, woodlands and industry, and all the places
we love in between. Puget Sound creates economic opportunities for the area, including tourism, shipping, seafood, and the region’s exceptional quality of life is a key reason many local companies stay and expand here.

Puget Sound Starts Here is supported by a consortium of more than 750 organizations across Puget Sound’s 12 counties, including state agencies, local governments, tribes, and non-governmental organizations working to clean up and protect Puget Sound
and our region’s local waterways.

Every year, millions of pounds of toxic pollutants enter Puget Sound. Much
of that pollution comes from runoff. When it rains, the water flows over hard surfaces like houses, parking lots, driveways and streets, picking up pollution along
the way. This polluted runoff fl ows through ditches or storm drains and into local waterways. Most runoff is not treated. The goal of Puget Sound Starts Here Month is to raise awareness that Puget Sound is in trouble due to a variety of pollution sources and to empower residents to make a difference through simple actions and local volunteer opportunities. Learn more about the bounty of Puget Sound and how you
can help.