Pierce County is teaming up with hundreds of 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.
• Volunteer to help with local habitat restoration projects.

Local Puget Sound Starts Here Month activities include:

• Puget Sound Starts Here Night at the Seattle Mariners: 6:10 p.m. May 14 at Safeco Field. Get discount tickets at www.mariners.com/pugetsound.
• Puget Sound Starts Here Family Fun Day: 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. May 15 at Foss Waterway Seaport in Tacoma. Event and parking are free.
• Puget Sound Starts Here Day at the Tacoma Rainiers: 1:35 p.m. May 22 at Cheney Stadium. Stop by the Puget Sound Starts Here booth for fun family activities.

A complete list of Puget Sound Starts Here events is available at www.pugetsoundstartshere.org/events-list/.

Puget Sound matters

Puget Sound features 2,500 miles of shoreline. It is home to countless species, including orcas, sea lions, salmon and shellfish, as well as 4.5 million people who live, work and play across the 12 counties of Puget Sound.

Puget Sound is the second largest estuary in the nation, 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.

The pressures that Puget Sound faces

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 flows through ditches or storm drains and into local waterways. Most runoff is not treated.

About Puget Sound Starts 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.

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 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 protect it atwww.PugetSoundStartsHere.org.