Bettering our planet starts with all of us.

OAC is dedicated to being better. Finding better outcomes, better processes, and better solutions. Because at OAC, there is no such thing as “good enough.” Everything we think, feel, and do is guided by a belief that better is always possible. And we’re always aiming higher to get there—for our people, projects, clients, and community.

As we enter a new year, we’re focused on bigger and better outcomes that affect our communities and planet. Because our commitment to sustainability is guided by our mission of improving where people live, learn, work, and play. It’s all connected. That’s why we’re incredibly excited to take Salmon-Safe’s Puget Sound pledge by committing to Action 1: Commit to Getting Involved In Your Watershed.

The Puget Sound ecosystem is currently threatened by the continued decline of salmon populations. Sitting at the heart of the food web, the salmon population’s health directly impacts the overall health of Puget Sound. Orcas depend on them as their primary food source, along with many other marine mammals. The time to take action is now.

That’s where Salmon-Safe comes in. The growing organization is leading the movement to implement farming and urban land management practices that protect water quality, maintain watershed health, and restore habitat. The ultimate goal? Helping Pacific salmon thrive in West Coast watersheds.

To achieve this, Salmon-Safe developed an action plan to encourage municipalities, organizations, and property owners to take the pledge and commit to protecting our water quality and wildlife habitat across Puget Sound. From water conservation to environmental education, there are 10 different action areas to choose from.

So, what does “getting involved in your watershed” look like? It means incorporating watershed-based considerations in site operation and further development planning decisions. Many watersheds have recovery plans that help recover salmon, and salmon-dependent species, in Puget Sound. We’re focused on reducing the negative environmental impacts of our projects and helping our clients reduce their impact as well.

We are committed to…

  • Reducing our impact on local watersheds and meeting our environmental responsibilities, as a company.
  • Sharing our findings and educating OAC employees, clients, and partners with lessons learned.
  • Helping others create change.

We will do this by…

  • Holding community engagement events including partners, clients, family, and friends.
  • Engaging with OAC’s Outreach Committee to spread the word on joining and/or hosting clean-up events.
  • Making an impact on our project sites. Ask the questions – How are we impacting the watersheds? What can we do in our work that will help reduce our project’s impact? Are there different materials choices?
  • Being involved in the clean-up of the Duwamish Watershed and surrounding watersheds in the area.

With this commitment, we’re pleased to be making progress towards our sustainability goals. But we don’t stop here. We acknowledge that there’s so much more that we, and others, can continue to do in creating a healthier planet.

We encourage you to visit https://salmonsafe.org/join-the-movement/ to learn more about volunteer opportunities and ways we can make our planet better—together.