FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - Oct. 29, 2002 02-200 Puyallup watershed council given state's top environmental award OLYMPIA - The Puyallup River Watershed Council will receive the state's Environmental Excellence Award today for providing a unique public forum that benefits the watershed. The Puyallup River watershed begins at Mt. Rainier and ends in Commencement Bay. A watershed is a geographic region that drains into a common water body. The river system supports four different salmon runs, hosts a variety of recreational activities and is central to several communities, including Tacoma, Fife, Puyallup, Sumner, Orting, Auburn, and the Puyallup and Muckleshoot Indian tribes. "The Puyallup River Watershed Council provides a forum for bringing wide interests together to protect the Puyallup River and the surrounding watershed. The group provides a platform for many interests to share information," said Iloba Odum, the acting director of Ecology's southwest regional office. Dozens of public, private and tribal interests participate on the council, which was formed in 1995. The group reviews and ranks salmon recovery projects as well as applications for water-quality grants and loans. It is working to build a comprehensive salmon-recovery plan across Pierce and King county lines. It has organized conferences and workshops that bring people and local governments together, such as the White River Symposium and the Mayors of the Watershed meeting. Currently, the council is educating people about how they can prevent water pollution. Runoff from people's activities on the land carries a variety of pollutants, including lawn fertilizers, bacteria from failing septic tanks, livestock manure, and oil and gas from cars. Widespread awareness and education will be necessary to prevent people-caused pollution," said Barbara Skinner, chair of the council and the mayor of Sumner. "We are encouraged by the energy and the involvement the watershed council has been able to corral and hold. It's a good thing for the watershed." The council's meetings are open to the public and occur on the fourth Wednesday of each month from 4:30 to 7 p.m. at Sumner City Hall. For more information, contact Barbara Skinner at 253-891-3318.
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