U.S.-Canada Cooperation in the Salish Sea

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The Health of the Salish Sea Ecosystem Report is a collaboration between the U.S. and Canada to report to the public on the health of our shared ecosystem.

Learn how EPA is working with Canada to monitor the health of the Salish Sea ecosystem.

Joint Statement of Cooperation

The U.S. and Canadian federal governments have a unique responsibility to address the environmental challenges of our shared Salish Sea ecosystem (including Puget Sound, Georgia Basin, and the Strait of Juan de Fuca).

In 2000, the EPA and Environment and Climate Change Canada signed a Joint Statement of Cooperation that commits us to work collaboratively to achieve our common goals. This agreement calls for the two agencies to develop and periodically update an action plan (see below) to achieve the goals outlined in the statement of cooperation.

Joint Statement of Cooperation on the Georgia Basin and Puget Sound Ecosystem (pdf) (390.22 KB, January 19, 2000)

For more information, please contact Lisa Chang (chang.lisa@epa.gov), 206-553-0226, or Michael Rylko (rylko.michael@epa.gov), 206-553-4014.

Salish Sea Action Plan

The EPA and Environment and Climate Change Canada co-chair a working group that develops and updates action plans to achieve the goals outlined in the Joint Statement of Cooperation.

The working group includes advisory members from organizations which – while not parties to the statement of cooperation – can help effectively implement its goals. Current advisory members represent the following organizations:

Coast Salish Gathering Steering Committee
British Columbia Ministry of Water, Land and Resource Stewardship
British Columbia Ministry of Environment and Parks
Washington State Department of Ecology
Puget Sound Partnership
Northwest Straits Commission
Salish Sea Institute at Western Washington University

Below are current and past action plans developed under the Joint Statement of Cooperation (no action plan was prepared for 2013-2015).

2025-2028 Salish Sea Action Plan (pdf) (481.37 KB)
2021-2024 Salish Sea Action Plan (pdf) (3.26 MB)
2017-2020 Salish Sea Action Plan (pdf) (1.46 MB)
2015-2016 Salish Sea Action Plan (pdf) (1.92 MB)
2011-2013 Salish Sea Action Plan (pdf) (590.49 KB)
2008-2010 Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Action Plan (pdf) (154.21 KB)
2004 Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Action Plan (pdf) (76.79 KB)
2003 Georgia Basin-Puget Sound Action Plan (pdf) (81.79 KB)

International airshed strategy

The U.S.-Canada Statement of Intent on a Georgia Basin-Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy is an agreement between the EPA and Environment and Climate Change Canada to work collaboratively to address present and future air quality issues in the Puget Sound-Georgia Basin (Salish Sea) airshed.

U.S.-Canada Statement of Intent on a Georgia Basin-Puget Sound International Airshed Strategy (pdf) (111.9 KB, August 22, 2002)

For more information about the airshed strategy, contact Geoffrey Glass (glass.geoffrey@epa.gov), 206-553-1847.