Puyallup Watershed Initiative

TO IMPROVE SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS THROUGHOUT THE PUYALLUP WATERSHED.

EACH COMMUNITY OF INTEREST (COI) SPENT 2021 IMPLEMENTING GRANT FUNDED PROJECTS THAT WERE APPROVED IN FALL 2020. AS IN PRIOR YEARS, EACH COI'S MEMBERSHIP DETERMINED THEIR RESPECTIVE PRIORITIES. - ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION CONTINUED TO SUPPORT EXPANSION OF ACCESS AND USE OF LOCAL TRAILS, ALTERNATE FORMS OF "GREEN" TRANSPORTATION, NOTABLY BIKING AND SKATEBOARDING, AND ADVOCACY/EDUCATION VIA DOWNTOWN ON THE GO. - FORESTS COI CONTINUED SUPPORTING NETWORKING EFFORTS LIKE THE CARBON RIVER FORUM AND GROWING ORGANIZATIONS LIKE THE TACOMA TREE FOUNDATION, WHICH LAUNCHED A HIGHLY SUCCESSFUL TREE COUPON (VOUCHER) PROGRAM TO DISTRIBUTE FREE TREES AND NATIVE PLANTS. - JUST AND HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEM COI CONTINUED PROMOTING A COMMUNITY-LED HOLISTIC VISION OF CHANGE, SUPPORTING A RANGE OF ACTIVITIES SUCH AS CREATING AN HERBAL CLINIC, FINANCIAL EDUCATION FOR COMMUNITY MEMBERS, AND ANTI-RACISM WORKSHOPS. - ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION COI SUPPORTED A RANGE OF WORKSHOPS AND SUMMER COURSES, WHILE ALSO PROVIDING SMALL GRANTS TO UNDER-REPRESENTED COMMUNITY MEMBERS TO PARTICIPATE. - STORMWATER COI WORKED CLOSELY WITH EXISTING PARTNERS SUCH AS PIERCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT TO POOL RESOURCES TO SUPPORT PROJECTS LIKE RAIN GARDENS, STORMWATER CAPTURE, AND REDUCING PAVEMENT COVERAGE WHILE ALSO HOLDING EQUITY & DIVERSITY WORKSHOPS FOR ITS MEMBERS. - AGRICULTURE COI WAS LESS ACTIVE BECAUSE OF THE IMPACTS OF DROUGHT AND THE PANDEMIC ON LOCAL FARMERS. THE PRIMARY ACTIVITY FOR AGRICULTURE COI WAS CONVENING MEETINGS TO DISCUSS NEEDS OF LOCAL FARMERS, SUCH AS SHARED SPACES AND REFRIGERATION. BY MID-2021, AS THE INITIATIVE'S LEADERSHIP DISCUSSED THE ORGANIZATION'S INTENTION TO CEASE OPERATIONS, EACH COI WAS ENCOURAGED TO CONVENE AND ALLOCATE THEIR REMAINING FUNDS TO SUSTAIN THEIR MEMBERSHIPS' WORK AND ACTIVITIES BEYOND 2021, IF THAT WAS POSSIBLE. SEVERAL COIS DECIDED TO SPEND DOWN THEIR GRANT FUNDS BY DIRECTLY SUPPORTING EXISTING PARTNER PROJECTS. EXAMPLES: STORMWATER COI CONTRIBUTED FUNDS TO PIERCE CONSERVATION DISTRICT'S MULTIYEAR DEPAVE PROJECT. AGRICULTURE COI GRANTED TO SUPPORT ONGOING WORK BY PIERCE COUNTY FRESH, A NETWORK THAT SUPPORTS LOCAL FARMERS. OTHER COIS VOTED TO SPEND DOWN THEIR FUNDS BY CONTINUING THEIR COMMUNITY MEETINGS: ACTIVE TRANSPORTATION FUNDED DOWNTOWN ON THE GO TO CONTINUE CONVENING ITS MEMBERSHIP; FORESTS GRANTED TO TACOMA TREE FOUNDATION; AND JUST AND HEALTHY FOOD SYSTEM COI GRANTED TO EVERGREEN EMPOWERMENT GROUP TO SUPPORT ITS MEMBERS. EACH SUB-GRANTEE SEPARATELY DEVELOPED WORK PLANS TO CONTINUE INTO 2022 TO CONTINUE COMMUNITY-LED DECISION MAKING ACCORDING TO THEIR DIFFERENT THEMES, BUT WITHOUT THE OVERARCHING SUPPORT OF THE INITIATIVE.