Olympic Peninsula Environmental News

It is truly astonishing that this happened. Kudos to all the folks that worked on this, including People For Puget Sound who championed this from the get go, and helped get the politicians on board!  I remember meeting with a woman on Maury Island,  think it was Amy, Iwho lived across from the proposed site and was a scuba diver. A number of us, including my older son, went diving there, what, 11 years ago?  So raise a glas, another 2010 win for Puget Sound, and all of us that are wanting to continue protecting this jewel of the US.

12/30/10 Vashon Beachcomber
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/
Glacier Northwest’s 250-acre parcel on Maury Island went into public ownership Thursday, transforming what might have become the nation’s largest sand and gravel mining operation into an expansive King County park.
Documents finalizing the real estate transaction <http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/news/111430974.html>  were signed Thursday morning and King County took possession of the land, according to an announcement by King County Executive Dow Constantine.
The transaction marks the culmination of a 13-year struggle to keep the once-small mine from significantly expanding its operation. With the battle finally reaching an end, those closest to the effort say they can hardly fathom what the Island has accomplished.
Constantine, who negotiated the purchase and sale agreement with the involvement of the Cascade Land Conservancy, gave credit, in a press release, to the many who were there involved during the twists and turns, setbacks and breakthroughs in the battle against Glacier.
“The heroes of this long battle are too numerous to mention: Tenacious Vashon/Maury residents; Courageous elected officials; Skilled, public-minded lawyers; Dedicated environmental donors and leaders,” he said. “Some are here to celebrate, some no longer with us. Every one was critical in securing this victory for the Sound and future generations.”
He added a special thanks to State Senator Sharon Nelson.
“Senator Nelson worked tirelessly to secure the state funds that were necessary to finalize this acquisition," he said.
Amy Carey, head of Preserve Our Islands (POI) <http://http://www.preserveourislands.org/&gt; , the grassroots organization that formed to fight the expansion, said that although she didn’t doubt the deal would close Thursday, she and the others at POI were still thrilled to see the sale completed.
She said that the end of the battle will require shift in psyche for those at POI, many of whom have worked daily for the past decade or more to fight the mine’s expansion, she said. “I think we’re all a little blissfully shell shocked,” she said.
The private fundraising campaign, however, is not yet concluded. Conservation organizations must finish raising $2 million towards the $36 million purchase price, the amount they promised when the deal was struck last month.
POI and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust have garnered $500,000 from Vashon donors, meeting their goal for the Island.
“Its just remarkable,” Carey said, “We came forward and gave this community an incredibly audacious goal. … That they met that goal is a remarkable feat and a really remarkable example of how phenomenal this community is.”

…A party celebrating the purchase of the Glacier Northwest mine site will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Open Space for Arts & Community. Food will be served and music provided. There’s no charge to get in.

See the rest of the story at…
12/30/10 King County News Release
County gets the keys to Maury Island Property
Open space acquisition brings end to 13 years of efforts to expand mine
http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2010/December/30Maury.aspx

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Rather than run ads on this web site, I ask anyone that wants to donate money to support this project to donate it to People For Puget Sound. For 19 years, Kathy Fletcher and the team has fought to protect the Straits, Sound and Hood Canal, now known collectively as the Salish Sea.  Many success’ have occurred. Just this year, sixty thousand marine acres around Protection Island and Smith & Minor Islands were designated aquatic reserves, which protects these bird sanctuaries from industrial use by tidal energy projects, while not affecting fishing. The proposals for this protection was drafted and submitted to DNR by People For Puget Sound.

But more directly, we were key to a 10 year fight to get a rescue tug stationed at Neah Bay. Our citizen based campaigns, teaming up with Fred Felleman, tribes like the Makah, and others were the reason that this issue was brought to the front of the legislative agenda over and over again until it was finally championed by the Olympic Peninsula’s State Representative Kevin Van de Wege and the San Juan’s Kevin Ranker.

We have trained hundreds of teachers in environmental issues at our “Storming the Sound” workshops. We have enchanted thousands of people, young and old, at our “Pier Peer” nights along the Sound. And we have ran “Environmental Lobbying Day” in Olympia for years, enabling any citizen to come and get the environmental message out to their legislators.

In other words, People For Puget Sound gets things done. In this era of partisan bickering at most levels of government, we bring people together, forge alliances, and get the hard work done. But now, more than ever, we need your support. As I’m sure all of you know, the economic downturn has hurt all non profits. While we are strong financially, we too have seen donations drop.  So if you are thinking of donating this week, please consider part or all of your donation to go to People For Puget Sound.  You can link to www.pugetsound.org/donate

Thanks for your continued support, and see you along the shores in 2011!

Key Accomplishments of People For Puget Sound recently:

•    Protection of a full mile of unspoiled Maury Island shoreline, saved from a destructive gravel mine and loading dock
•    Protection of 60,000 acres of marine habitat near Protection and Whidbey Islands in two aquatic reserves
•    Permanent year-round tug stationed at Neah Bay to prevent oils spills, paid for by the oil and shipping industries
•    1,200 miles of Puget Sound shoreline protected through improved local ordinances
•    48 miles of shoreline restored, working with over 2,000 volunteers
•    Low-impact development standards in storm water permits
•    State phase-out of copper brake pads
•    300-foot buffer between vessels and orcas
•    Goal to achieve a healthy Sound by 2020 in state law
•    Toxic free toys legislation
•    Phase-out of toxic flame retardants
•    Seattle Styrofoam container ban

Al Bergstein

Editor/Publisher – The Olympic Peninsula Environmental News

Board of Directors, People For Puget Sound – Port Townsend

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Brinnon resort’s path to visa denied -By Paul Gottlieb – Peninsula Daily News

BRINNON — The federal government has denied an application from The Statesman Group that the developer says is vital to its plans for a $300 million marina-golf resort at Black Point.

Citing the “importance of support,” the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services earlier this month rejected the company’s application to take part in a temporary visa program, hindering Statesman’s effort to attract foreign investors who could gain permanent visas after two years by putting $500,000 into the project, company President Garth Mann said Friday.

Mann said Statesman has resubmitted the application. Statesman wants the agency to classify the proposed 252-acre Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort south of Brinnon as a “designated regional center” under the federal EB-5 program.

A regional center is “any economic unit, public or private, which is involved with the promotion of economic growth, improved regional productivity, job creation and increased domestic capital investment,” Citizen and Immigration Services spokeswoman Sharon Rummery said.

Under the EB-5 program, 230 foreign residents would each invest $500,000 in the marina-golf resort project.

Read the whole story at the PDN
http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20101227/news/312279996/brinnon-resorts-path-to-visa-denied

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This week, the Port Townsend Leader published an article based on both a letter that I wrote and that was signed off by the board of People For Puget Sound (I am on the Board), and additionally with a phone call interview by Allison Arthur of the Leader. The article, in an attempt to be fair and balanced, interviewed both myself and Garth Mann, who heads up the Statesman project. Now, I understand that corporations and business entities rely on PR firms to spin their responses to letters like this, and without any intention of being cruel, want to clarify some of the ‘spin’ that Mr. Mann and the Leader put on our letter, intentionally or not.

First off, the letter clearly states that we understand the political realities of this project. It has cleared numerous hurdles and has the backing of the county council. We assume that, barring some legal hurdle or denial by some agency or another, the project will move forward when it has funding. We are thrilled that Statesman has decided to use rigorous  and Low Impact Development (LID) standards. That’s all good and well if the project actually is completed.

I have seen, environmentally “friendly” projects that say that they are ‘tree neutral’ clear cut large swaths of trees and then replant. It is a clever way to get around the notion of clearcutting to achieve the goals of clearcutting without saying you are doing clearcutting. Ultimately the developer can say that they are not going to be clearing trees, as at some point in the future the same amount of trees is still on the land.  But that is not the same as not cutting them at all. So I am skeptical of whether there is going to be clearcutting or not. Mr. Mann, in his response, alludes to just that kind of arrangement, in that he says that they “will plant a tree farm to preserve trees and replant them after construction”. Why do we care? Because it has been scientifically shown over and over again that clear cutting leads to degradation of streams and waterways near the area affected. I quoted just one such study in my letter.

Mr. Mann also accuses opponents “of running around like Chicken Little”.  We hardly are doing that. While we state our opposition to the project as a whole, we give some very solid advice to the county on how to proceed with the project and protect the county resources should the project fail at some interim stage. This is not a fantasy thought, the NY Times this year highlighted numerous projects just like this one, that have failed all over the country.

Failure of this project is unlikely to come from the environmental movement, or the county regulators. The failure is likely to come from the economic environment that Statesman finds themselves in. It is their unfortunate situation to be trying to do a major project in the midst of the largest economic downturn in 80 years. But they will try, and are trying, to paint this as environmentalists causing their downfall. Why, because it’s easy to do. But it’s a lie. If they stopped this kind of posturing and actually worked to understand our positions, they might find that we are not just out to stop them. We are out to protect Puget Sound and Hood Canal. That’s our goal. It’s very clear.

Statesman, by their own PR is having a hard time finding anyone to put up the money to build this project. If they clear the site, with the intention of following LID standards, it still leaves the county to pick up the pieces for the environmental destruction left behind. By properly protecting the county taxpayers by creating steps that have to be funded in advance and by protecting the most sensitive shoreline areas from this problem, seems a small thing to ask.

We understand that the project is months away from getting permits issued, that is exactly why we have put this document into the hands of the county DCD.

I have also agreed to allow Mr. Mann to show me the property and explain in more depth their LID proposals.

More to follow, after that conversation.

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FROM WAVES TO WATTS:
By Dr. Jeffrey Ward, Pacific Northwest National Lab, Battelle Marine Sciences Lab, Sequim.
~ What’s the status and science of tide and current harnessing projects in our area?
~ Where might they be located?
~ What are the pros & cons? 
~ What are some other considerations?
~ How close are they to installation?
ENERGY ECONOMIC$ ON THE HOMEFRONT
By Mattias Jarvegren, Clallam County Public Utility District.
$ Where’s the best “bang for the buck” in home energy efficiency upgrades?
$ Which of your appliances is the biggest e-hog?
$ What tips & tools can our Public Utility District give you to make your home more comfortable, efficient, and economically fit?

Wednesday, Dec. 8th, 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
Free presentation @ the Feiro Marine Life Center
on the Port Angeles City Pier, 315 N. Lincoln St.
Sponsored by W.S.U. Beach Watchers of Clallam County.
Graciously hosted by the Feiro Marine Life Center.

For more information, please call (360)565-2619.
WSU Extension programs and policies are consistent with federal and state laws and regulations on nondiscrimination regarding race, color, gender, national origin, religion, age, disability, and sexual orientation.  Reasonable accommodations provided upon request with adequate prior notification. Evidence of noncompliance may be reported through your local Extension office.

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From the Partnership:

Governor Chris Gregoire has named Gerry O’Keefe, Deputy Director at the Puget Sound Partnership, to serve as Acting Executive Director for the agency. O’Keefe replaces outgoing Executive Director David Dicks, who has taken a position at the University of Washington, effective Dec. 1.
O’Keefe will remain in the Acting Director position until a permanent Executive Director is named. He has been the Deputy Director for the Partnership since March of this year. Previous work experiences include leading a billion dollar environmental mitigation program as the Natural Resources Director for the Grant County Public Utility District.  While with the Department of Ecology in 2007, he played an instrumental role helping to bridge to gap between warring interests to establish the Columbia River water supply program. The Partnership has appointed Mark Daily to serve as acting Deputy Director.
Concurrently, the Governor’s Office has initiated a search process for a new Executive Director. We will keep you posted as more news is available.

Frank Mendizabal
Communications Director
PUGETSOUNDPARTNERSHIP

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A friend shared an interesting story with me, of a Japanese man who apparently has created a machine that converts plastics back into oil. I don’t know the specifics of this or possible downsides, but it’s an interesting video, with no local specific content. He currently is using it to teach children about recycling plastics. Worth a few minutes.

Lg_kvLaAM&feature=player_embedded

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I’ve created a new ‘channel’ on the video site, Vimeo. http://vimeo.com/channels/salishseavideos

The goal of this site is to be the equivalent of Olyopen.net, and act as a gateway to videos on the Salish Sea. I’m putting out the call to any and all video producers, whether pro or amateur, to publish your videos onto Vimeo (it’s free), and then subscribe to this channel and publish them there.

Hope to see you on Vimeo!

Al

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Since Derelict Gear Project is about to run out of money, with dozens of submerged nets still needing to be removed, Ray Troll, the great fish artist who’s work  you have probably seen on many tee shirts etc, will be in PT to benefit the cause. Here’s the details

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If you are wondering about seeing this treasure, start here.

Protection Island Video

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