Jan 30 2008
Saving Puget Sound, by John Lombard
Saving Puget Sound is a refreshing change from the typical book about the environment: it’s hopeful, well-balanced, and realistic. Even better, it’s about where we live.
Given what our region has to offer—a vibrant cultural scene, world-class technical innovation, a healthy economy, and some of the most stunning natural beauty in the world—it seems inevitable that our population will continue to grow.
Author John Lombard, an environmental consultant and former coordinator for King County salmon recovery planning, looks at this situation and asks: does more people mean less nature? His answer: we can not only support growth, but actually improve the overall health of our wild places as we grow.
All we need to do, he says, is set goals everyone can agree on, and then be willing to abandon the piecemeal approach to conservation we’ve used up to now.
Lombard spent two and a half years researching the legal, technical, and public policy issues involved in regional conservation. He talked to fisherman, farmers, and landowners, as well as scientists, academics, and government officials.
Some readers may be put off by the sheer amount of detail, and by the academic-paper format chosen by the publisher. That would be too bad, because what Lombard says is relevant to anyone with a stake in our region’s future. In other words, to anyone who lives here.
One way to get a quick feel for the author’s thoughtful and balanced analysis is to read the Foreword and then jump straight to Chapter Three, “A Regional Strategy.”