To Our Valued Members, Volunteers, Partners, and Supporters,
At Puget Soundkeeper, we care deeply about those we serve through our clean water work. We take very seriously our role as not only stewards of our waterways, but as a responsible employer and community member. As part of our commitment to help protect the welfare of our staff, each of you, and the broader public, we wanted to share the precautions we are taking in response to the COVID-19 outbreak in Washington State.
The health and safety of our staff, volunteers, partners, and larger Puget Soundkeeper community is our top priority. As an organization, we are following the Center for Disease Control’s (CDC) Workplace Recommendations for the next 30 days of Mitigation Strategies for Seattle-King, Pierce, and Snohomish Counties. In accordance with these recommendations, our staff are working remotely to ensure the safety of our team and external collaborators.
Out of an abundance of caution, we are also postponing all kayak patrols, volunteer events, special events, and all other outreach events for the next 30 days, or until Wednesday April 15th, 2020. Should conditions change, we will provide updated information via email, on our website, and all our social media outlets (Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram).
We have also made arrangements to keep our office open during our regular hours of operation. While we take pride in our everyday practices to maintain a clean and safe office environment, we encourage visitors to contact us via phone or email in lieu of direct visits. If you do plan on visiting our office, please let us know in advance. Visitors will be asked to follow the CDC recommendations for visitors entering a workspace.
In our office and building, all high touch and high traffic areas are being cleaned with an Environmental Protection Authority (EPA) approved medical disinfectant. We are also actively communicating with our staff about the role each of us can play to help prevent the spread of any germs, including thorough hand washing, social distancing at work and in public, avoiding contact with people who are sick, and staying home if they are not feeling well.
We realize these are stressful times, and our thoughts are with those who have already been impacted by the coronavirus. While current conditions are prompting us to adjust how we work, we are still fiercely committed to safeguarding Puget Sound. We’re still vigilant in our work, fighting against rollbacks of clean water laws, holding polluters accountable, and pushing for policies and projects that will protect and preserve the waters of Puget Sound while also protecting those most impacted by the health of our waterways. Should you need to reach me or any of our staff, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Stay safe and healthy. We hope to see you back on the water soon!
-Chris Rilling
Puget Soundkeeper and Executive Director