Pilchuck Audubon January Profile
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Profile Volume 41, Number 1 www.pilchuckaudubon.org January 2014 Smart Growth Report January Program Meeting By Kristin Kelly, Smart Growth Director Friday, January 10, 7 PM It’s been a busy 2013. Reintroduction of the Beside event planning, fundraising, grant writing, Western Bluebird assistance to citizen inquiries, collaboration with other with Gary Slater from Ecostudies organizations, presentations, website updates, action alerts and email updates, my work focused on the The Western Bluebird was a common inhabitant in oak following issues: -prairie and other open habitats in western Washington and southwestern British Columbia until Sustainable Lands Strategy (SLS) the early 1900s when habitat loss, fragmentation and The SLS Executive Committee is a non-regulatory advisory competition triggered a wave of extirpations across the committee comprised of representatives from the Tulalip region. Since 2007, Ecostudies Institute has been and Stillaguamish Tribes, the agricultural community and working to restore populations in the US and Canada. me. Ninety percent of our agricultural land is located Join us as Gary Slater, Executive Director of Ecostudies, along the Snohomish and Stillaguamish River basins talks about the reintroduction, progress updates, and where salmon habitat restoration has to occur. The goal the important role that private landowners play in the of the committee is to find net gains for both farming and recovery of this iconic species. For more information, salmon. Phase One, completed in 2011, resulted in a leave a message at 425.252.0926. framework on how to proceed. Phase Two, completed in 2012, better defined net gain and developed a road map Everett Firefighters Hall for implementation. Phase Three will continue into 2014 2411 Hewitt Avenue, Everett and is focused on developing river reach-scale plans for the lower Skykomish, Snohomish and Stillaguamish Rivers and the Snohomish Estuary. To read the reports, visit Granite Falls http://www1.co.snohomish.wa.us/County_Services/ Focus_on_Farming/sustainablelands.htm. Motocross Hearing Transfer of Development Rights (TDR) Regulations Hearing starts at 9 AM on February 3 with TDR is a market-based program that allows owners of PAS submitting our State Environmental farms and forests (Sending Areas) to sell their Policy Act (SEPA) co-appeal. Public comment begins 1 PM on Feb 4 and 6 PM on Feb 5 at development rights. The developers who buy these rights the Robert J. Drewel (Administration East) can then transfer them to designated urban areas (Receiving Areas). This exchange protects our resource Building on the Snohomish County campus, lands and ensures that new development occurs in urban 3000 Rockefeller Avenue, in Everett. areas that have infrastructure and services in place. In You can help by attending this hearing, 2012, the Snohomish County Council adopted the first- ever countywide TDR Program. In 2013, we collaborated whether or not you choose to testify. See the Forest Practices page on our website for full with Forterra and enlisted our memberships and the details. Livable Snohomish County Coalition to advocate for the regulations and areas to implement the TDR program. We will continue to advocate for more receiving areas in In This Issue our urban growth areas and for urban growth area About ............................. 2 President’s Message .............. 2 expansions. Conservation ............... 4 Smart Growth ....................... 1,5 (Continued on page 5) Festivals ......................... 3 Trip Calendar ............................ 3 President’s Message Kathleen Snyder, Pilchuck Audubon Society President I have some very good news! Through projects affect bird populations. Gary's survey design a donation earlier this year by the late tracks pre-and post-restoration birds for two years each. Elsie Sorgenfrei, the City of Snohomish The design has been submitted to Ducks Unlimited (the was able to purchase 20 acres of privately- grantee on this project) and WDFW. They are pursuing owned wetlands through which Cemetery Creek flows funds to run this survey as well as others on vegetation, before it joins the Snohomish River. This property is soils, other wildlife, etc. If funded, this survey could located just north of the newly-designated Riverview inform how future dike removal restoration projects will Wildlife Refuge which Pilchuck Audubon members proceed. If you are interested in reading the survey helped to develop. With this purchase, the refuge proposal, please contact me. Also, Allen Gibbs and I will acquires an amazingly productive wetland used by be on the Leque Island Stakeholders Committee which birds and wildlife now, and maybe salmon in the future. will give input into design alternatives. Refuge trails will look over the wetlands but will not enter them, so the area will be protected as wildlife We ended a banner year with the completion of our habitat. This is the perfect compliment to the refuge Christmas Bird Count (CBC). Warm thanks to our many, which should evolve into an even more wonderful many volunteers who came out and counted birds in birding destination. December. A full report will be in the February Profile. Our two compilers, Duane Karna and Scott Atkinson, In another PAS project, we have contracted with Gary deserve an extra huge thank you for all their work – Slater of Ecostudies Institute to design a bird survey for finding and organizing volunteers, updating maps and Leque Island. As you may know, Leque Island is owned team areas, participating in the count, and then sifting by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife through and submitting mountains of data. (WDFW). They will be removing the dikes and restoring the area to tidal marshland. This will benefit salmon but Finally, please take a moment to visit our website. We will change the existing habitat that migrating have a new photographer in our Photo Gallery – Rick shorebirds, raptors and passerines find so enticing. Dike Brauer. He has photos from various areas of the world. removal and restoration projects are becoming more We are also featuring a poet on the Close Encounters common in an attempt to save wild salmon populations page. I find Kay Robertson's poetry charming and I love in the Salish Sea. There is very little data on how these her bird imagery. Enjoy! About Pilchuck Audubon Society The Pilchuck Audubon encourage the involvement of Board of Directors Profile, official newsletter of our members in efforts to President Kathleen Snyder .............. [email protected] Pilchuck Audubon Society, protect the habitat this wildlife Vice President Terry Nightingale [email protected] is published monthly. depends upon for survival. Secretary Open.............................................................................. 425.252.0926 Treasurer Carolyn Lacy ............................................................... 360.668.2494 Pilchuck Audubon Society We serve as a local chapter of Conservation Allen Gibbs ................. [email protected] (PAS) is a grass-roots the National Audubon Society. Membership Chair Margaret Bridge ....................................................... 360.862.1694 environmental organization PAS is a 501(c)(3) tax-exempt, Avian Science Joan Poor ................... [email protected] with members throughout nonprofit organization Development Open Snohomish County and incorporated in the state of Members at Large Laurel Cheap .... [email protected] Camano Island, Washington. Kathy Johnson ........................................................... 425.252.0926 Washington. Jay Ward ...................................................................... 425.418.3226 Newsletter Submissions Consultant David Gladstone Our mission is to conserve Submit articles to and restore natural newsletter@pilchuckaudubon. Committee Chairs Bird Sightings Mara Price ........................... [email protected] ecosystems, focusing on org or mail to 1429 Avenue D, birds and other wildlife for Conservation Awards Laurel Cheap .... [email protected] PMB 198, Snohomish, WA Education Open.................................... [email protected] the benefit of earth’s 98290-1742. Field Trips Art Wait ........................................................................ 360.563.0181 biological diversity. Submissions must be received Forest Practices Kathy Johnson .......................... [email protected] Through education, by the 15th of the month Hospitality Virginia Clark ............................................................. 360.435.3750 advocacy, and community Legal Advisor Pete Dewell ................................................................ 206.281.8082 preceding publication. We Newsletter Editor Lindsey Cramer .............. [email protected] activism, PAS is committed reserve the right to edit. to bringing people closer to Program Susie Schaefer ...................... [email protected] wildlife in order to build a To contact Pilchuck Audubon Publicity Judy Alles .................................................................... 360.793.1343 Society, call 425.252.0926. Volunteer Coordinator Judy Chapman ................... [email protected] deeper understanding of Webmaster Carol Curtin .................... [email protected] the powerful links between The monthly Profile is available healthy ecosystems and online at Staff