Shoreline Real Estate: Course for Real Estate Brokers

Coming up in October.

ShorelineRealEstate_WorkshopFlyer_Page_1

 

EVENT: Sierra Club Wastewater National Call In

Join Sierra Club’s Wastewater Residuals (formerly  Sewage Sludge)

Grassroots Team’s National Call

VICTORS Against Sewage Sludging

WEDNESDAY   APRIL 18   5 PM/PT   8 PM/ET

Call:    1-866 501 6174      Code: 1892005#

How did a small Eastern Washington State community of organic farmers defeat the application of sewage sludge in their farm land watershed?

 

Hear Mill Canyon resident Morton Alexander describe the Tolstoy Farm community and its fight against getting sludged.

Hear Attorney Rachael Osborn explain the legal issues involved.

 

morton alexander

Morton Alexander is a retired WA State employee and experienced community organizer.  He has lived in Mill Canyon for 46 years.  He is a neighbor to the Tolstoy Farm and maintains his own organic orchard.  His natural spring has been a source of clean drinking water for neighbors.    (Read more at   www.protectmillcanyonwatershed.org )   Photo credit: Colin Mulvany

 

Rachel Osborne

Rachael Paschal Osborn is a retired public interest water lawyer who lives on WA State’s Vashon Island.  She assisted the Mill Canyon farmers and orchardists in preventing the sludge permit.

 

March 2018 – Oil Spill Preparedness Month – Events in Clallam County

Clallam Marine Resources Committee just received the correct sign-in information from Department of Ecology. To participate in the webinar March 14th please use the link below. Sorry about the inconvenience.

Helle Andersen

Project Coordinator

Clallam MRC

March 14th Webinar “Staying Prepared in an Evolving World of Oil Movement” at 12 – 1 pm

More than 20 billion gallons of oil moves through Washington each year, carried by vessel, pipeline, road, and rail. You are invited to an online webinar to learn about the recent improvements and current challenges Washington state environmental regulators face to keep the state’s oil spill program strong. Learn about bulk oil movement in Washington, implementation of the 2015 Oil Transportation Safety Act, properties of oil and potential impacts from spills, existing response capability and opportunities for staying involved.

The webinar will be hosted by NWSC and Clallam MRC and presented by Dale Jensen, Program Manager and Linda Pilkey-Jarvis, Preparedness Manager, Department of Ecology Spills Program.

Join the webinar by clicking on this link: https://watech.webex.com/watech/j.php?MTID=m1586245d9d84d4a96259e47117c288da

Meeting password: spills18

Navy taking comment on draft plan for land, cold-water maritime training -PDN

More Navy needs for our lands and parks.

PORT TOWNSEND — The U.S. Navy is hosting an open house in Port Townsend tonight to provide information on its proposed special operations training in Western Washington.

The Naval Special Warfare Command proposes to conduct small-unit land and cold-water maritime training activities for naval special operations personnel.

…The open house is set for 5 to 8 tonight at Blue Heron School Commons, 3939 San Juan Ave., Port Townsend. It is the only open house planned on the North Olympic Peninsula.

I highly recommend you come out and let them know what you think of their proposals.

The whole story is here: https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/navy-taking-comment-on-draft-plan-for-land-cold-water-maritime-training/

Support local newspapers and subscribe to the PDN and PT Leader.

 

EVENT: Feb 3 – Volunteers needed to plant native trees along Dungeness River

Volunteers needed to plant native trees along Dungeness River on Jamestown S’Klallam Tribal property

NOSC

Jim Pearson planting at the Salmon Creek planting held on January 6th and 7th.

The Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe and the North Olympic Salmon Coalition seek volunteers to help plant native trees along the Dungeness River on February 3rd, 2017. The planting will be completed along one of the Dungeness River’s former floodplains.

In January 2016, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe purchased the property that will be planted, with funding from Puget Sound Acquisition and Restoration and Floodplains by Design. The restoration effort so far has involved removing three houses, including their septic and utilities, and revegetating the area in an attempt to restore it to its historic state of a floodplain. Floodplains are important as the take on excess water in times of flooding. Floodplains help to reduce the risk of damage when storms or snowmelt overwhelm the river banks. Floodplains also serve to provide cleaner water, habitat for fish and other wildlife, ground water recharge, and as flood storage. Reforestation of the floodplain along the Dungeness River will help to improve water quality and create healthy habitat for the fish and wildlife that frequent the area.

Tools and gloves will be provided, but are in limited supply so feel free to bring your own. The event will be from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m on February 3rd, and will include light refreshments and hot drinks. Bring warm, waterproof clothes and boots, water, and a lunch.

To receive directions, please RSVP to Katie at outreach@nosc.org or (360) 504-5611

About North Olympic Salmon Coalition:

The North Olympic Salmon Coalition is a non-regulatory non-profit organization that works with willing landowners and government agencies to perform salmon habitat restoration on the North Olympic Peninsula. Founded in 1990 by a group of dedicated community volunteers, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition was formed as one of fourteen Regional Fisheries Enhancement Groups in Washington State. Working in direct collaboration with Washington State, tribal governments and the communities of the Olympic Peninsula, we have spent the last 26 years restoring degraded and compromised habitat through both small and large-scale restoration projects. We utilize the efforts of our dedicated volunteers to increase the odds of salmon survival, foster community stewardship and promote the education of our youth. For more information or to volunteer, visit www.nosc.org or call 360-379-8051.

 

 

EVENT: Dec. 10 – Short of Breath: Marine Life in a Warming World

 

University of Washington School of Oceanography researcher Curtis Deutsch is Dec. 10 lecturer at Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s Future of Oceans Series
Short of Breath: Marine Life in a Warming World
PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. — Curtis Deutsch, Ph.D., and a University of Washington Associate Professor at the School of Oceanography, College of the Environment, will be the featured speaker in the third installment of the Port Townsend Marine Science Center’s 2017-18 lecture series, “The Future of Oceans.”
Deutsch’s lecture, “Short of Breath: Marine Life in a Warming World,” will take place at The Commons at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Wash., on Sunday, Dec. 10, at 3:00 p.m.
“Oxygen has been critical for the evolution and maintenance of animal life on Earth,” said Deutsch, who received an Investigator Award from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation, and is a Fellow of the Kavli Frontiers of Science. “Humans and other air breathers can take it for granted, but marine animals don’t have that luxury.”
Deutsch’s research models biological and environmental data to better understand the interactions between climate change and ecosystems. As natural cycles change over time, habitat is altered. This affects the way plants and animals function, potentially threatening their existence.
Deutsch has focused on the chemical makeup of ocean water and how it affects marine animals, plants and micro-organisms, including phytoplankton, the source of roughly 50 percent of the Earth’s oxygen. He also works with terrestrial ecologists to understand how climate influences the sensitivity of land plants and animals to the warming atmosphere.
“Ocean environments of low oxygen and poor habitability have waxed and waned throughout Earth’s history, and are poised to expand as humans warm the climate,” Deutsch said.
The PTMSC’s Future of Oceans lecture series, started in 2014, explores the frontiers of ocean research and emerging technologies while confronting the human capacity to understand and sustain healthy oceans. Each year hundreds of attendees are challenged and informed with thought-provoking presentations. To view the 2017-18 schedule of lectures, visit https://ptmsc.org/programs/learn/lecture-series.
For the latest information about the Port Townsend Marine Science Center, visit www.ptmsc.org  and www.facebook.com/PortTownsendMarineScienceCenter. Also, look for #PTMSC and #SalishSea or @PTMarineScience on Twitter and Instagram.
About the Port Townsend Marine Science Center 
Founded in 1982, the Port Townsend Marine Science Center is a non-profit 501c3 educational organization whose mission is to inspire conservation of the Salish Sea. Now in its 35th year, the Center provides place-based, people powered, hands-on learning for all ages including youth camps, exhibits of marine flora and fauna, educational and historical displays, citizen science programs and community-based lecture series. Located at Fort Worden State Park, Port Townsend, Wash., the PTMSC offers two public exhibits: the Marine Exhibit and the Natural History Exhibit. For more information, including public hours, visit www.ptmsc.org.

Local legislators to host town halls on Peninsula in December – PDN

Upcoming events to allow you to communicate directly with our state and federal legislators. It would be a good idea to tell them how you feel about the proposed ban on net pen aquaculture, Navy jets, the new tax bill and other thoughts.

State Sen. Kevin Van De Wege, Rep. Steve Tharinger and Rep. Mike Chapman will host a town hall tour of the northern 24th District in December to listen to the ideas, concerns and comments of people before the start of the 2018 legislative session.

Local legislators to host town halls on Peninsula in December

CHIMACUM & LUDLOW CREEK BASINS PUBLIC OPEN HOUSE

Priority Basins Final Open House Flyer FinalPort Townsend – The Jefferson County Water Quality Department, in collaboration with the Jefferson County Conservation District, North Olympic Salmon Coalition and Jefferson Land Trust will be holding a public open house for Chimacum, Hadlock and Port Ludlow residents.  This event is scheduled Thursday, November 16th, 2017 at the Tri-Area Community Center (corner of Highway 19 & West Valley Road in Chimacum) at 5:30 pm to 7:30 pm.  Refreshments will be on hand and free water conservation gifts and information will be available for attendees.

The open house will feature information and Q&A with the staff from these agencies and organizations who will be on hand to provide updates on what’s been happening to protect water quality, salmon, habitat, and agriculture in Chimacum and Ludlow Creek. Highlights of the Open House will be:

·     Mike Dawson & Anna Bachmann of Jefferson County Water Quality and Glenn Gately of Jefferson County Conservation District will provide the findings on monitoring for bacteria pollution, implementing agricultural Best Management Practices and the status of septic systems in Chimacum & Ludlow Creek basins.

·       Latest information on salmon in Chimacum Creek from Sarah Doyle of the North Olympic Salmon Coalition.

·       Updates from Sarah Spaeth of the Land Trust on efforts to protect open space, habitat, and agriculture in the Chimacum basin.

·       Information on the USDA Rural Assistance Program and Craft3 programs providing financial resources for septic system repairs in this area.

This open house is part of a project, funded by the Washington State Department of Ecology, which conducted sanitary surveys and regular monitoring of Chimacum and Ludlow Creeks for bacterial pollution and other parameters affecting the health of people and the environment. Staff will be on hand to answer your questions at the open house.

For more information on the Open House on November 16th, contact 360-385-9444.

EVENT: The Future of Oceans Lecture Series 2017-2018 – NOV 12

Sharing the Sound – Salmon, Steelhead and Settlement
Jill Rolland, Sc.D.
Director of the USGS Western Fisheries Research Center
Fort Worden Chapel
For decades, scientists and concerned citizens have called for improving salmon spawning and rearing habitats in an attempt to reverse the trend of dwindling runs of salmon and steelhead in Puget Sound. To date, restoration has been critical in improving salmon smolt and juvenile steelhead survival. Unfortunately, these improvements have not been enough to produce the recovery that might have been expected. Increasingly, scientists are learning that other anthropogenic changes to the Puget Sound ecosystem, ranging from sky glow to ubiquitous pathogens, are likely having a greater impact on salmon and steelhead recovery than previously realized.

This is the second installment of The Future of Ocean lecture series. You can read more about the complete lecture series here.

This event is offered with generous support by the Darrow Family.
Admission: $5
Students, teachers FREE
Octopus and Donor Circle Members FREE
Visit website for information on Donor Circles

Assisted Listening Devices available

John Fabian wins Eleanor Stopps award for Hood Canal Coalition work – PDN

Retired astronaut turned activist John Fabian of Port Ludlow was awarded the Eleanor Stopps Environmental Leadership Award from the Port Townsend Marine Science Center for his efforts to protect Hood Canal. Fabian is the co-founder of the Hood Canal Coalition, a citizens group that rallied in 2002 to fight a proposal known by many as the “pit-to-pier project.” The proposed project from Thorndyke Resources was to build a 4-mile conveyor belt and 1,000-foot pier that would move gravel from the former Fred Hill Materials Shine pit to barges in Hood Canal. Cydney McFarland reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

John Fabian wins Eleanor Stopps award for Hood Canal Coalition work

EVENT:The Man Who Built the Sierra Club: A Life of David Brower

Sierra Club Robert Wyss June 2017

EVENT: June 5th- New Giants of the Salish Sea

Worth attending!

Calambokidis_June5_2017

Earth Day on Saturday includes old events plus new March for Science – Chris Dunagan

Chris Dunagan in Watching Our Water Ways writes: “With Earth Day falling on a Saturday this year, all sorts of environmental activities have been scheduled for this weekend. On top of your typical Earth Day activities, there will be a March for Science in Washington, D.C., as well as in Seattle and hundreds of other communities across the country. It just seems like a great time to get out and do something…. The National Weather Service predicts that warm weathertomorrow will give way to a low-pressure trough moving over Western Washington on Saturday. That weather system might be traveling slowly enough that the rains won’t appear until later in the day when most activities have been wrapped up in the Puget Sound region….”

http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2017/04/20/earth-day-on-saturday-includes-old-events-plus-new-march-for-science/

See also: Organizers Of Seattle’s March For Science Expect It To Be 2nd Largest In U.S. http://knkx.org/post/organizers-seattles-march-science-expect-it-be-2nd-largest-us Bellamy Pailthorp reports. (KNKX)

EVENT: Day of Science in Port Angeles – APRIL 22nd.

Science Celebration Flyer final

EVENT: Farm Bureau to present on Hirst Decision 4/12 @7PM Chimicum Grange

Al Latham just alerted me that a fellow from the Farm Bureau will be doing a presentation on the Hirst Decision (on building permits and water rights) and current legislative activity around exempt wells at the Chimacum Grange, 7pm Wed April 12.

What is the Hirst Decision? It’s an extremely important new ruling that addresses an ongoing battle over development vs. water rights. Let me copy from the Dept of Ecology web site:

“A recent Washington State Supreme Court decision has changed how counties decide to approve or deny building permits that use wells for a water source.

In the Whatcom County vs. Hirst, Futurewise, et al. decision (often referred to as the Hirst decision), the court ruled that the county failed to comply with the Growth Management Act (GMA) requirements to protect water resources. The ruling requires the county to make an independent decision about legal water availability.

Background

We protect rivers and streams across the state by creating instream flow rules, which set the amount of water necessary for protecting fish, wildlife and recreation. In 1985, we adopted an instream flow rule for the Nooksack River (WAC 173-501) in Whatcom County. This rule closed most streams in the watershed to new water right permits but allowed landowners to use permit-exempt wells in most of the area. Whatcom County’s development regulations followed our instream flow rule.

A reliable, year-round supply of water is necessary for new homes or developments. Before the Oct. 6, 2016, court decision, many counties relied on what the Department of Ecology said about whether year-round water was available. This court decision changes that – counties now have to make their own decisions about whether there is enough water, physically and legally, to approve a building permit that would rely on a well.

Impacts

The case directly relates to Whatcom County but appears to set legal precedent that applies in other counties where there are instream flow rules that were not intended to regulate permit-exempt water uses. It is unclear how the decision affects areas of the state where there are no instream flow rules. Counties are working to review the decision and what it means for them. Contact your county’s building, planning or health departments if you have questions about how the Hirst decision may affect you.

Key points

  • Science has shown that rivers and streams are generally connected to groundwater. The Washington State Supreme Court said that water is not legally available if a new well would impact a protected river or stream, or an existing senior water right.
  • If your county determines that water is not legally available for your new use, the county would not be able to approve your building permit – even if you have already drilled a well.
  • We are providing technical assistance to counties as they determine their next steps. Our priority will be to provide information about the status of stream closures and instream flows.
  • Anyone with questions about how the decision affects them should contact their county government.

 

EVENT: Ludlow Creek Project -Open House, Wednesday, October 26

Ludlow Creek Open House, Wednesday, October 26

5:30-7:30pm – Bay Club,  120 Spinnaker Place, Port Ludlow

Jefferson County Public Health & the Jefferson County Conservation District are hosting a public meeting at the Bay Club to provide residents information about a new water quality project on Ludlow Creek. This projects starts in October 2016 and runs for 12 months. We’ll also be offering information on financial support for septic system repair and/or replacement as well as other public health information and free water quality conservation gifts to people who attend. People can contact Anna Bachmann if they need more information: (360)379-4482 or abachmann@co.jefferson.wa.us

 

Event: Oct 6 -Hoh River Trust – Preserving a last great American river and it’s corridor.

The JLT Natural History Society Presents: The Hoh River Trust—Preserving a last great American river and its corridor

img_20150204_134704104_hdrOn Thursday, October 6, the JLT Natural History Society will sponsor a presentation on the remarkable history and stewardship efforts of the Hoh River Trust. Executive Director Mike Hagen will explain how the trust was formed to obtain and manage lands along the Hoh between the Olympic National Park and the Pacific Ocean.

Of the roughly 250,000 rivers across the continental US, the Hoh is arguably one of the most unspoiled. It flows virtually intact for 56 miles from its source high in the Olympic Mountain range down to the Olympic

National Marine Sanctuary. The river corridor contains what many consider the world’s richest old-growth and temperate rainforests. These ecosystems provide critical habitat for endangered and threatened species including marbled murrelet, spotted owl, and bull trout, along with diverse other wildlife, such as elk, black bear, cougar. The river itself supports some of the healthiest native salmon and steelhead runs in the “Lower 48.”

Within the lower reaches of the river, 30 miles beyond the Olympic National Park boundary, some 10,000 acres encompassing a mile on either side of the river are designated “at risk.” Over the last century, much of this area was managed for commercial timber harvest, and it is now in various stages of regeneration.

Restoring the vitality and resilience of these lands for the benefit of fish, wildlife, and humans is the mission of the trust. In its short, twelve-year history, the trust has already acquired nearly 7,000 acres.

Join us for this exciting program at 7 pm in the Sanctuary Hall of the Quimper Unitarian Universalist Fellowship, at 2333 San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend. This event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of five dollars.

Contact: Noreen Parks Noreen.parks@gmail.com

https://jltnatural.org/

Event: Sonic Sea Presentation in PA 9/30 7PM

sonic-sea-flyer

‘Local Waters’ Course offered by WSU Extension – WSU

Want to know more about stream ecology, salmon, water quality and habitat restoration? WSU Extension is offering a Watershed Stewards class to be held Thursdays, September 22 to October 27 from 9 am to 4 pm in Port Townsend. This lively, engaging venue combines classroom lectures by regional experts with fabulous field trips to special protected areas all over East Jefferson County. It’s designed for anyone interested in freshwater streams, salmon and watershed resources.  

 Applications are being accepted through September 16th. Classes are held primarily in Port Townsend, with field trips destinations from Discovery Bay to Hood Canal. Class participants also commit to 40 hours of volunteering with local organizations such as WSU Extension, Jefferson Land Trust, Jefferson Conservation District, the North Olympic Salmon Coalition and others. Volunteer activities include stream and salmon monitoring, public outreach, and habitat restoration. Cost is $160.  Scholarships are available. See http://extension.wsu.edu/jefferson/nrs/wsu-watershed-stewards/ for more info or contact Bridget Gregg, Bridget.gregg@wsu.edu or Cheryl Lowe, Cheryl.lowe@wsu.edu.  

Contact:  Bridget Gregg, WSU Extension

bridget.gregg@wsu.edu, 360-379-5610 x 210, cell 360-531-0413

CANCELED -Event: JLT Natural History Society presents: Bees and Biodiversity

Jerry FreilichWith high wind warnings for this evening, we have consulted with our
“Bees & Biodiversity” speaker, Jerry Freilich, and decided it’s best
to postpone our event.

We’re now planning for this event to take place at 7:00 pm on Thursday
January 7, in the same location, QUUF. We appreciate your
understanding, and hope to see you then!
On Thursday, December 3, the JLT Natural History Society will sponsor a presentation on Bees and Biodiversity by Jerry Freilich, former director of the North Coast and Cascades Science Learning Network. An entomologist by training, Freilich coordinated scientific research in Olympic National Park. He has researched insect biodiversity since 1996, and recently carried out a project to find and identify as many bee species as possible in Olympic National Park.

Most people can name perhaps three or four kinds of bees. They are surprised to learn that close to 4,000 species of native bees inhabit North America, (this doesn’t including honey bees, which were introduced by European settlers). Freilich will explain why bees are so difficult to study. Most are tiny, fast-flying, and inconspicuous. They go about their jobs, don’t interact with people, and generally fly below human ‘radar’.

Across North America, native bees can be found any place where flowers bloom. They have been pollinating the continent’s flowering plants since long before the arrival of honey bees. Even in today’s vastly altered landscapes, these champion pollinators continue to service the majority of native plants, as well as important human-cultivated varieties such as tomatoes, eggplants, pumpkins, cherries, blueberries, and cranberries.

The program begins at 7 pm in the QUUF’s sanctuary hall on San Juan Avenue, Port Townsend. This event is free and open to the public, with a suggested donation of five dollars.

http://jltnatural.org/2015/11/02/bees-and-biodiversity/

 

CONTACT: Noreen Parks, 379-4007