June is Ocean Month! 

The White House has proclaimed June 2022 as Ocean Month to “celebrate the beauty and power of our ocean…(and) remember our shared responsibility to protect and preserve it.” The Puget Sound, connected as a part of the Salish Sea connected to the Pacific Ocean, is our local link to Ocean Month. The ecological, cultural, and economic value of the Puget Sound to our region cannot be overstated. Since time immemorial, Coast Salish people have relied on the natural resources and processes tied to marine waters for their sustenance, culture, and ways of life, including sustaining relatives like salmon and orca. In 2022, we recognize that our marine waters are imperiled, and it is our collective responsibility to steward our shared Puget Sound.

Resources for shoreline landowners

At Pierce Conservation District, our marine shorelines program targets the issues of beach health and nearshore habitat. We engage Puget Sound shoreline landowners in education and stewardship programs to help them manage their properties in a way that benefits the health of our waters. We work with willing landowners to restore healthy beaches where they have been degraded by unneeded or harmful development. We provide technical assistance for landowners experiencing erosion on their shorelines to understand options that will avoid harming habitat. We council landowners on eco-friendly vegetation and drainage management approaches that will help keep beaches healthy and clean. If you are looking for assistance improving or protecting your Puget Sound shoreline property, get in touch on our website: https://piercecd.org/500/Shore-Friendly-Pierce 

Opportunities for everyone to get involved

There are lots of local ways to get involved this Ocean Month. Follow the Tacoma Ocean Fest website (https://tacomaoceanfest.org/) for a list of events happening throughout the month, and drop by on June 12^th at the Foss Waterway Seaport to visit the Pierce Conservation District booth at Tacoma Ocean Fest!

Ocean Month Events:

June 10: Lantern Paddle for Species
June 11: Beach Cleanup + Popup Poetry
June 12: TACOMA OCEAN FEST
June 15-17: Tacoma Ocean Film Fest
June 18-19: Marine biologist beachwalks
June 25-26: Stream cleanups + Popup Poetry
All summer: Ocean Story Trail at Tacoma libraries

Trees provide shade to the beach, benefiting people and fish, and help stabilize shorelines.	Nearshore habitats provide critical habitat for forage fish and salmon.	Beaches can be restored with soft shore protection methods. Shore Friendly can help!