Puyallup Research & Extension Center Featured at Congressional Roundtable

Dr. John Stark, Director of the Puyallup Research and Extension Center, was recently invited to participate in a roundtable discussion being hosted by the Puget Sound Recovery Caucus and its co-founders, Congressmen Denny Heck and Derek Kilmer.   The program, which took place April 9 in the US Capitol, was designed to bring together practitioners active in Puget Sound restoration efforts and other similar programs.  Dr. Stark was invited not only in his capacity as Director of the Research Center, but also in his role as Director of the Washington Stormwater Center.   Other panelists included Peter Goldmark, Washington State Commissioner of Public Lands; Dennis McLerran, EPA Region 10 Administrator; Jim Pena, Associate Deputy Chief, US Forest Service; and Al Todd, Executive Director, Alliance for the Chesapeake Bay.

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Congressman Derek Kilmer (WA-6) and Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10)

In his opening remarks, Congressman Heck noted that “WSU is doing important and groundbreaking work in Puyallup,” and that the Stormwater Low Impact Development Infrastructure at WSU Puyallup is the largest of its kind in the United States.  The Roundtable provided Dr. Stark the opportunity to highlight research presently underway at the Center which determines the effects of stormwater runoff from roadway surfaces on salmon health, and the effectiveness of green infrastructure—particularly rain gardens and various  bioretention soil mixtures—in removing toxics from that water.    Additional research is focusing on the effects of pesticides found in Pacific Northwest surface waters on salmon health.

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Congressman Derek Kilmer (WA-6), Congressman Denny Heck (WA-10) and Dr. John Stark, Director of the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center

Following the presentations, there was an opportunity for members of the audience to engage in Q&A with the panelists.  Organizations represented at the Roundtable included the US Forest Service, the US Geological Survey, the National Resources Conservation Service, the Nature Conservancy, the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the Congressional Research Service, the Ocean Conservancy, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Environment America and other congressional offices.

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Dr. John Stark, Director of the WSU Puyallup Research and Extension Center