In the Nick of Time

Puget Sound recently won a critical victory: Through the ruling of a U.S. District Court Judge, the sensitive nearshore of Maury Island has been spared destruction by what would be the nation's largest sand and gravel mine. The win is especially sweet—after a three-year battle, it was beginning to look like the fate of this sensitive area was sealed.

What we know about Puget Sound is that the vast and delicate ecosystem is under threat of a slow death by myriad injuries. What we can learn from the Maury Island victory is that the Sound can—and must—be protected one habitat at a time. What that means for Pyramid is that there is big-picture impact at stake in each fight we take on.

Alongside Preserve Our Islands and other environmental leaders, Pyramid has been in the trenches of this battle for three years, telling the Maury Island story to the public, agency officials and elected officials at all levels. We've helped develop and implement legislative efforts at the state capitol. We've helped fight bureaucratic inertia within the local, state and federal agencies. We've met with the highest levels of state government to counter misinformation. We've cheered when we've won and we've cried when all seemed lost. On August 13, after Judge Ricardo Martinez’ ruling, we did both.

Protecting Puget Sound is a massive undertaking of which preserving this vulnerable corner is a small step. There's much, much more to be done to permanently protect the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve once and for all, and Pyramid will be part of that effort every step of the way.