Bright green sticker shock

The recently approved plan to restore chinook salmon runs in Puget Sound adds to the region's extraordinary sense of environmental momentum.

Congratulations to legions of volunteers whose work in 14 major river basins came together under the leadership of the nonprofit Shared Strategy. The chinook plan was a bottoms-up process built around "a fundamental assumption" that work in local watersheds would be the engine of recovery. Shared Strategy used a foundation of scientific credibility and coordination of local, state and federal dollars to craft a plan for habitat restoration. The plan has a 10-year horizon for starters, and a billon-dollar price tag. The state already spends about $60 million. Expect that to double.

Chinook salmon are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act, and the National Marine Fisheries Service was the federal agency that reviewed and cleared this comprehensive, locally produced strategy.

Last month, Gov. Christine Gregoire formally released her cleanup plan for Puget Sound with a $220 million initial request to the Legislature for money to fight pollution, regulate toxic discharges and tidy up septic systems. Millions turn into billions very quickly.

Earlier this month, the state Department of Ecology announced its embrace of new rules for managing stormwater runoff, a primary contributor to the Sound's ill health. DOE requested $26 million to spend on implementing the controls and helping local government adjust to the new standards.

Big numbers quickly add up, so it is a measure of comfort that all three plans are represented in the governor's $220 million request for Puget Sound cleanup: money for septic tanks, toxic controls, stormwater and chinook salmon habitat restoration in one round number instead of estimate upon estimate.

This is important for the public to keep in mind as the numbers fly by. And it falls to Gov. Gregoire and her administration to maintain public education. Help us get over the sticker shock that accompanies the good intentions. Maintain the momentum.