Progress Indicators measure human activities that can influence ecosystem conditions in Puget Sound in both positive and negative ways. Progress Indicators can help us understand progress implementing the Puget Sound Action Agenda and Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Addendum, as well as other local ecosystem recovery plans. Progress Indicators and their trends over time support more informed conversations to improve the effectiveness and impact of recovery investments and activities.
Progress Indicators are:
Key characteristics of Progress Indicators.
How are the Progress Indicators related to Puget Sound Indicators and Targets?
The Puget Sound Indicators are a collection of interconnected measures that together help us understand whether we are seeing short-term progress to achieve long-term recovery goals. They are comprised of Progress Indicators and Vital Sign Indicators.
Human activities play out across the Puget Sound landscape, influencing the Puget Sound ecosystem in good and bad ways. Progress Indicators help us monitor human activities that relate to the Puget Sound ecosystem. Vital Sign Indicators measure the status and trends of critical ecosystem components. For example, people across Puget Sound can help floodplains through restoration projects and programs. We monitor a related Progress Indicator - acres of floodplains improved through restoration - to understand the impact of investments in restoration programs. After many restoration projects over years (as well as effective land use planning to protect floodplains), we should see healthier floodplains. We monitor a related Vital Signs Indicator - floodplain function in large and small river systems - to understand the health of our floodplains.
Some Progress Indicators and Vital Sign Indicators have (or will have) targets. Targets describe our vision of success for a particular recovery goal. Targets are measurable, visionary, and help us hold the region accountable to investing towards our goals. When targets are developed collectively and with justification, they can help us accelerate progress towards our goals.
How are Progress Indicators used?
Progress Indicator data and analyses support larger conversations to adaptively manage the Action Agenda. When we pair indicator trends with additional explorations into effectiveness data, partner testimonials, and program data, we can understand progress towards our recovery goals or the barriers that prevent us from reaching those goals. Progress Indicators don't do adaptive management - but they help us have more thoughtful conversations around urgent problems!
Additional analyses (beyond Progress Indicators) that help diagnose drivers of changes can:
- Affirm the need to accelerate funding or scale-up key programs, actions, or policies driving changes in an indicator;
- Determine that a key issue is being adequately managed, and that existing levels of funding and effort should be sustained; or
- Illuminate persistent barriers that must be addressed or that require novel strategies or policies.
A visual depiction of example actions the Partnership and recovery community can take depending on the trends of Progress Indicators. The conversations and analyses sparked by Progress Indicators can help refine recovery strategies and actions.
The table below describes how Progress Indicators can be positively affected by ecosystem-friendly behaviors emerging from key factors like funding, capacity, and supportive policy.
|
Progress Indicator |
Desired Trend (how do we expect the indicator to change if recovery actions are completed successfully?) |
Factor |
Example |
|
Acres of floodplains improved by restoration activities |
Increase |
Funding |
Increased funding for programs such as Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund can increase the number of restoration projects completed in floodplains. |
|
Number of onsite septic systems (OSS) in compliance with inspection schedules |
Increase |
Local capacity |
Staffing levels of local health jurisdiction wastewater programs can improve homeowner outreach and enforcement to ensure OSS are inspected relative to mandated inspection schedules. |
|
Acres of active farmland converted to another non-agriculture use |
Decrease |
Compliance |
Implementation and enforcement of natural resource land protection elements of Growth Management Act can help protect farmland against conversion to more intensive land uses. |
Resources
- Background information
- Progress Indicators fact sheet
- Puget Sound Indicators fact sheet
- Vital Sign Indicators website and fact sheet
- Ongoing Program Targets
- Encyclopedia of Puget Sound
- Puget Sound recovery information
Contact Us
For questions or more information, please contact Laura Vary (Progress Indicator Lead, Laura.Vary@psp.wa.gov) or Lila Bowen (Progress Indicator Analyst, Lila.Bowen@psp.wa.gov).