State resurrects Miller Peninsula plans -PDN

Posted on January 31, 2020 by Al Bergstein

A new “Destination Park” at Miller Peninsula. Seems on the surface like a good idea. More public beach access is needed, along with trails. Funding though is questionable and erratic. More on this, including public meetings, is coming in late spring. We’ll keep an eye out and let you know when they are happening.

A proposal to create a destination park on Miller Peninsula is back on the planning table. Staff with the Washington State Parks system are moving forward with a master plan to develop a state park on more than 2,800 acres on the peninsula between Sequim and the Clallam/Jefferson county boundary. In 2005, the Washington State Parks system began a six-year project to establish one of Washington’s next destination state parks, shelved those plans with a lack of secure funding. Michael Dashiell reports. (Peninsula Daily News)

State resurrects Miller Peninsula plans

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Working to save the North Olympic Peninsula Skills Center Natural Resources Program

Posted on April 22, 2015 by Al Bergstein

Ed Chadd has sent this out and I thought I would share it with our readers. Please help save this great program that is educating kids in our natural resources.

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Dear supporters of the NOPSC Natural Resources program,

It appears that there will be one final and very reasonable chance to save the Skills Center Natural Resources program at the upcoming NOPSC Administrative Council meeting:

Tuesday, April 28 at 9 am at the Skills Center (905 W. 9th St., Port Angeles)

You can do any or all of the following:

1. Attend the meeting and invite as many other people as you can.

  1. Be prepared to speak if the opportunity presents itself.
    3. Write statements in support of the NR Program and email them to Tara Morrow (tmorrow1008@gmail.com– cc’d here). Please include your name and physical address.
    4. Send those same statements directly to the NOPSC Administrative Council and PASD School Board (email addresses below).

    If you have any questions or time to contribute in ways beyond the items listed above, please respond.

Some interesting recent developments include these:

* The State AG’s office has informed PASD and NOSPC that the Administrative Council meetings should but have not been following the Open Public Meetings Act. One penalty is that all actions taken at out-of-compliance meetings are null and void.
* This upcoming week, PASD’s Business and Finance Director plans to produce the official Natural Resources program financial report and have it available at the 4/23 PASD School Board meeting in case any School Board members ask to see it (she has never been asked to create a financial report for the NR program).
* A very reasonable solution that could be pursued, if decision makers are willing, is to run the NR program as “CTE Instructional Worksite Learning” instead of “Alternative Learning Experience (ALE).” The current program structure fits both of these sets of state rules, but in 2010, NOPSC decided to run the NR Options and NR 2 classes through the ALE rules.  Changing to CTE would address a concern about ALE, namely that CTE is funded at a higher rate than ALE, and it would allow all parties to compromise while still offering this valuable program.

Thanks, Ed Chadd

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Olympic National Park seeks comments on wilderness stewardship plan options – PDN and OFC

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Al Bergstein

Your opportunity to tell the ONP what changes you would like to see to their Wilderness Plan.

The public is invited to mix and match elements of four preliminary alternatives outlined for managing wilderness in Olympic National Park. Park staff are seeking public input on preliminary alternatives for the park’s first Wilderness Stewardship Plan before it puts together its draft environmental impact statement. The final plan, expected to be put into effect in late 2015, will guide management of most of the 922,650-acre park for the next 15 to 20 years. Comment can be made in person at meetings in Port Angeles and Forks this week and in Port Townsend next week. Comments also can be made in writing by mail or online by May 17. Arwyn Rice and Leah Leach report. (Peninsula Daily News)

Read the rest of the story.

http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140317/news/303179990/olympic-national-park-seeks-comments-on-wilderness-stewardship-plan

From the Olympic Forest Coalition a bit more detailed viewpoint. The National Park Service has released a range of preliminary draft alternatives for the Olympic National Park Wilderness Stewardship Plan. The preliminary draft alternatives were designed to reflect key topics raised during the initial public scoping process last spring. “The public’s review and comment at this key stage of the planning process will ensure that we are developing the best possible future for the Olympic Wilderness,” said Olympic National Park Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum. “Moreover, we want to ensure that we have accurately heard and addressed the public’s comments as we move forward in developing the plan.” This planning process applies only to lands within Olympic National Park and when complete, will guide the preservation, management and use of the park’s wilderness area. “In accordance with the Wilderness Act of 1964, the goal of this wilderness stewardship plan is to restore, protect and enhance the overall wilderness character of the wilderness area within Olympic National Park,” Creachbaum emphasized. The preliminary draft alternatives and maps, along with extensive background information and a copy of the public comments submitted during last year’s public scoping period, can be reviewed online at http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild. Comments may also be submitted at that website. Six public workshops will be offered and are scheduled as follows:

Ninety-five percent of Olympic National Park was designated as wilderness in 1988, and is part of the National Wilderness Preservation System. The Wilderness Act of 1964 established the National Wilderness Preservation System and established a policy for the protection of wilderness resources for public use and enjoyment. For more information or to be added to the Olympic National Park Wilderness Stewardship Plan, people should visit http://parkplanning.nps.gov/olymwild or call the park at 360-565-3004.

Here is the full document if you are interested:

ONP Draft Alternate

 

Six public workshops will be offered and are scheduled as follows:

Tues., March 18, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Port Angeles Library

2210 S. Peabody St.

Port Angeles, Wash.

Phone: 360-417-8500

 Wed., March 19, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Dept. of Natural Resources

411 Tillicum Lane

Forks, Wash.

Phone: 360-374-2800

 Mon., March 24, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Cotton Building

607 Water Street

Port Townsend, Wash.

Phone: 360-379-4412
Wed., March 26, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Quinault Lake School

Amanda Park, Wash.

Phone: 360-288-2260

 

 Tues., April 1, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Civic Center (Meeting Room 1)

525 W. Cota St.

Shelton, Wash.

Phone: 360-426-4441

 Thurs., April 3, 2014

5:00-7:00 p.m.

Seattle Public Library

Wright/Ketcham Room; Level 4, Room 2

1000 4th Ave., Seattle, Wash.

Phone: 206-386-4636

Public comments may also be mailed or delivered to:

Superintendent Sarah Creachbaum

Attn: Wilderness Stewardship Plan
Olympic National Park
600 E Park Ave
Port Angeles WA 98362-6757

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‘Tides of Change’ explores the health of ocean waters off North Olympic Peninsula – PDN

Posted on March 17, 2014 by Al Bergstein

“Tides of Change” is a new Science Minute Movie by the North Coast and Cascades Science Learning Network that takes viewers behind-the-scenes of Olympic National Park with coastal ecologist Steve Fradkin as he traverses “one of the most wild, scenic coastlines in North America” to monitor the health of the park’s rocky intertidal community. (Peninsula Daily News)

Read the whole story:

http://peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140317/NEWS/140319981/video-8212-tides-of-change-explores-the-health-of-ocean-waters

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Controversial Olympic Peninsula Timber Sale Pits Environment Against Education – Earthfix

Posted on March 5, 2014 by Al Bergstein

The battle to protect remaining stands of timber, that are home to the endangered marbled murrelet, continues. The State has decided to log off the stand, which are home to some pairs. A lawsuit is imminent. This is another good example of the environmental battle that happens as resources dwindle and we don’t have a proper modern taxing mechanism to fund our schools. The idea of cutting timber to fund schools was once a simple one, but now, it’s become a trade off of rare species vs. schools. It will take a brave legislator(s) to really end this practice and come up with a funding mechanism that properly funds our schools. It’s ironic, because the very district (Jefferson County) that probably thought this was a great idea once a 160 or so years ago, now is the one that brought the lawsuit demanding proper funding. And we are one of the most environmentally supportive counties in the state. I don’t see any legislators of the calibre to offer a new way forward. In fact, in conversations with them, they feel like they are unwilling to do anything more for the schools than they already have. Would love to be proven wrong.

SEATTLE — The Washington Board of Natural Resources voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the sale of 200 acres of the Olympic Peninsula that are home to the threatened marbled murrelet. The money from the timber sale will go to the University of Washington.

http://earthfix.kcts9.org/flora-and-fauna/article/controversial-olympic-peninsula-timber-sale-pits-e/

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Derek Kilmer on why he is supporting Wild Olympics – PDN

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Al Bergstein

I’m proud that we have a representative that is willing to climb into the trenches and work on these issues. Regardless of the outcome, we need more representatives like Derek, from both sides of the aisle.

I reject the proposition that we must choose between economic growth and environmental protection.

As long as we define success in our region as a zero-sum game between those who want to protect our environment and those who want to create jobs, we’ll be as dysfunctional as Washington, D.C.

Read the whole story at:

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20140117/NEWS/301179978/point-of-view-in-his-own-words-kilmer-explains-why-hes-backing

Support local journalism. Subscribe to the PDN.

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Today only – PDN poll of Wild Olympics

Posted on January 17, 2014 by Al Bergstein

If you are supporter of Wild Olympics, you might want to make your position known. The PDN is doing an open unscientific survey of it’s online readers. Lower right of the front page.

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/

Support local journalism, subscribe to the Peninsula Daily News

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Enrollment now open for environmental project work for high school to 21 year olds

Posted on December 26, 2013 by Al Bergstein

imageThe Skills Center Natural Resources program gets you outside doing real work in the environment.  We offer project-based classes to high school-aged students (up to 21 years old without a diploma) across the North Olympic Peninsula.  All classes include hands-on field work, offer high school and college credit, and help students transition to the next step of internship, college or career.

Enrollment is open now for second semester, which starts at the end of January.

Classes in Port Angeles include the new ‘Cultural and Natural Resources 1’ class, which meets after lunch daily, and 5 different ‘Natural Resources Options’ that meet after school one day per week.  Sequim and Forks each have three different ‘Natural Resources Options’ that meet after school one day per week.

For more information or to enroll, please contact teacher Dan Lieberman at 360-565-1892, dlieberman@portangelesschools.org, or www.nopsc.org/naturalresources.

 

image

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Peninsula salmon projects get $4.5 million – PDN

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Al Bergstein

Lots of good projects that are going to give jobs to folks here on the Peninsula, and help restore salmon habitat. The work is far from being completed, but it’s good to see these projects and land purchases get funded. Tying this together with the work described by Earth Economics over the weekend on this site, it’s worth it to note that there is value in these ecosystem renewal projects. Slowing the rivers by putting in log jams, for example, do not just provide scientifically proven habitat for salmon (especially young salmon migrating downstream), but they also aide in flood protection among other benefits. Flood plain protection is a value that lowers the cost to repairing damage from floods over multiple decades.

The state has awarded $4.5 million in grants for new salmon restoration projects on the North Olympic Peninsula. ….

Rob Ollikainen reports.

There’s quite a bit more to the story at:

http://www.peninsuladailynews.com/article/20131208/NEWS/312089997/peninsula-salmon-projects-get-45-million

 

Support local journalism, subscribe to the Peninsula Daily News.

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