Earth Share of Washington

Earth Share of Washington News & Notes - October 2007

At a time of renewed public interest in our environment - nearly three-quarters of Americans (73%) consider global warming a threat to human life on earth, according to an August, 2007 Newsweek poll – this is an ideal time to support Earth Share of Washington through the workplace.

As you probably know, we are best known for helping build effective employee giving programs at government and corporate workplaces throughout the state. We expect to participate in more than 100 events this fall promoting our member organizations and their work. This year, Washington Mutual selected Earth Share as one of its featured charities in its giving program, and we’re thrilled that thousands of WaMu employees will learn more about outstanding conservation activities in their communities and around the planet.

It may surprise you to know our "administrative percentage" – the dollars we spend for management and fundraising vs. our revenue – is 3.1%, one of the lowest in the industry. We take pride in our efficiency. If your workplace conducts a giving program, please consider supporting Earth Share of Washington.

William Borden
Executive Director

A Record Year for Earth Share's Day in the Park

What began many years ago with a handful of volunteers at Luther Burbank Park on Mercer Island, Day in the Park 2007 hosted over five hundred volunteers working together at a record eight locations in the greater Seattle area.

Park restoration projects included a beach & dune clean up at Golden Gardens in Seattle, construction of a new hiking trail at Grand Ridge in Sammamish, and the ongoing battle to remove invasive plants like English Ivy & blackberry bushes at almost all of the parks. Volunteers accomplished in one day what would take weeks for the parks staff. "At Seward Park, we have very small staff and many ongoing [restoration] projects," said Seattle Parks Naturalist Christina Gallegos. "We rely on volunteer groups from Earth Share of Washington ... to care for the park."

Day in the Park invites volunteers to team up with leading non-profit conservation organizations and community groups for an honest day's work enhancing local parks.

"Earth Share of Washington is one of the only organizations bringing together businesses, community groups, and conservation organizations under its umbrella," remarks Earth Share of Washington Program Director David Manelski. "Inspiring people to volunteer at local parks is part of our mission… to support livable communities and a healthy planet."

Specific accomplishments and event photos from Day in the Park 2007 will soon be posted on the official website – www.dayinthepark.org.

Earth Share's Day in the Park is made possible by generous support from IKEA, the principal sponsor of the event for the past four years.

Conservation Group Works to Protect Mount St. Helen's National Monument

- Submitted by Kay Crider from Earth Share of Washington (ESW) organization Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics

The Mount St. Helen's National Monument, established by President Reagan in 1982, showcases the remarkable natural recovery of the landscape impacted by the famous May, 1980 eruption. The monument designation protects the cool, clean water that was choked by logs and sediment just two and a half decades ago.

The waters of the Mount St. Helen's Monument are threatened by a giant gold and copper mine recently proposed within the monument. The proposed mine site, located in the Green River Valley below Goat Mountain, was originally acquired by the Trust for Public Land as a conservation easement. The Trust later sold the land to the U.S. Forest Service, which purchased the site with money from the Land and Water Conservation Fund. That Fund is intended to protect lands from resource extraction and create a legacy of high quality recreation areas. See http://www.nps.gov/ncrc/programs/lwcf/

Mining in the Green River Valley risks impacts to threatened salmon and steelhead runs and drinking water for the nearby communities of Kelso, Longview and Castle Rock. The drainage methods proposed for this area also risk the release of toxins like sulfuric acid into rivers and streams. Mining activities, including truck traffic, will degrade popular recreation destinations like the Goat Mountain Trail and the Green River Horse Camp. Finally, the mine would spill over into the Tumwater roadless area, protected by the Clinton Roadless Rule.

The Green River Mine would be in operation for 5-30 years, but the potential environmental impacts could persist for more than a century, far longer than it took the forests and waters surrounding Mount St. Helen's to recover from a volcanic eruption.

Earth Share of Washington member group, Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE), recently filed detailed comments on the mining proposal, detailing the reasons why the mine does not conform to the National Monument Plan or the Northwest Forest Plan. In addition, FSEEE emphasized the primary purpose for the U.S. Forest Service’s acquisition of lands in the area: preservation of the integrity of the Green River and its recreation opportunities for Washington citizens.

Preserving the "great outdoors" in Sultan Basin

It's been years in the making, but now efforts by Friends of the Trail to clean up an area north of the town of Sultan in Snohomish County are beginning to pay off. And the real winners are campers, hikers and recreationists in Northwest Washington.

The area, known to locals as the Sultan Basin, was both used and abused as an illegal trash dumping area and shooting gallery. "It was a Wild West show out there for years... decades really." according to Wade Holden of Friends of the Trail. “People would bring old TV sets, computers, sofas—you name it--out as targets. They'd have their fun shooting this stuff into Olney Creek and just leave the junk and the gun shells to pile up."

It was a dangerous combination; glass and heavy metals from the computer monitors leaching into the soil and water, accompanied by occasional stray bullets. Said Holden "No matter how often Friends of the Trail came out to the basin to haul out trash, we just couldn't make a dent in the problem. And of course campers and picnickers felt like they were taking their lives in their hands just using the area."

Things took a turn for the better after the Snohomish County Council voted to ban shooting in the basin. The Washington Department of Natural Resources now regularly sends law enforcement officers to patrol the area to enforce the no shoot policy. A year ago, 30 to 40 persons might have been stopped for illegal shooting at the Sultan Basin on a typical Saturday. Now things have quieted down to the point where the patrolling DNR officer often goes the entire day without hearing a gun shot.

And good news for outdoor enthusiasts in the area--the piles of trash and debris are diminishing as well. As Holden comments, "Friends of the Trail will continue in our efforts to clean up the Sultan Basin. There's a great deal of satisfaction in finally seeing things getting better."

Upcoming Events & Volunteer Opportunities - October 2007

• October - all month long - Washington Trails Association Trail Work Calendar - Washington Trails Association (WTA) is the most active hiking trail restoration and advocacy organization in Washington State. In 2007, volunteers have already contributed more than 71,000 hours of volunteer service restoring hiking trails. Join that effort and be a part of protecting and maintaining trails around Washington State. This month, WTA hosts more than 30 trail work parties. To find a work party in your neck of the woods, please visit the Washington Trails Association website at www.wta.org and signup today!
• October 6 and every Saturday in October - Interlaken Park Volunteer Work Party – 9:30 am to 2:30 pm - Interlaken Park is one of the original "Olmsted" (An early landscape architectural firm responsible for many prominent park designs through out our country, such as Central Park N.Y) designed parks in Seattle. It is a hidden gem that is made up of 51.6 acres of forest habitat. Volunteers will remove invasive plants, rebuild hiking trails, and restore the native forest plant community along the trail corridor. Be sure to bring lunch, rain gear, long-sleeved shirts, and water. For more information, or to sign up, please contact Sean Bulthaup at Volunteers for Outdoor Washington at info@trailvolunteers.org or by calling 206-517-3019.
• October 13 - Duwamish Alive! – 10:00 am to 2:00 pm - Join the teams of enthusiastic volunteers who will roll up their sleeves to help restore the Duwamish River. Duwamish Alive! is a chance for people to reclaim the river by weeding invasive plants, mulching planting area, and picking up trash. Last year's Duwamish alive! Autumn event brought together over 210 volunteers at 6 riverfront sites. Join People for Puget Sound to make this year's event bigger and even better! Sites include: West Duwamish Greenbelt, Herring’s House Park, Gateway Park North, Duwamish Waterway Park, Duwamish Riverbend Hill with more to be added. For more information about the event or to sign up, visit www.pugetsound.org or email eghitis@pugetsound.org.
• October 15 - Pioneer Park Restoration Work Party - 2:00 pm to 5:00 pm - Work with EarthCorps and the City of Mercer Island Parks and Recreation Dept. to help restore Pioneer Park. at 113 acres the largest forested park on Mercer Island. This park is home to over 70 bird species and 12 different mammals, and offers the most extensive trail system on the island. The restoration goals for this park include planting native conifer trees; removing non-native plants, such as ivy, that prevent native plants from growing; and site maintenance activities. For more information, contact Lina Anne Rose, Project Manager at (206) 322-9296, ext. 225 or email lina@earthcorps.org
• October 18 – Lecture: Puget Sound Stormwater: What's all the shouting about? - 6:00 to 8:00 pm - REI Flagship Store, 222 Yale Avenue North, 2nd floor meeting - We know stormwater is one of the biggest issues affecting the health of Puget Sound, but what can be done about it? Two leading practitioners of stormwater management will lead a discussion on sustainable development solutions. Join Washington Foundation for the Environment to learn what is already happening around the region and what more needs to be done to address stormwater problems as we strive to restore the Sound by 2020. Bill Derry of CH2MHill will talk about landscape-level stormwater management. Peg Staeheli, president and co-principal of SvR Design Company, will discuss urban redevelopment techniques to manage stormwater. Come hear what innovative planners and designers can offer to move us beyond traditional source control. For more information and to RSVP, email info@wffe.org
• October 20 - NE Queen Anne Greenbelt Restoration Work Party - 10:00 am to 2:00 pm - Join EarthCorps, the Green Seattle Partnership and the City of Seattle Parks and Recreation Department as we work to restore NE Queen Anne Greenbelt. The Greenbelt is a combination of two new parks: Trolley Hill Park and MacLean Park. Trolley Hill Park is home to a P-Patch and picnic area while MacLean Park commands a terrific view of the Cascades and Mt. Rainer. These parks are home to beautiful and interesting native plants that are being threatened by non-native, invasive plants such as English ivy. Volunteers will be installing “Survival Rings” around trees covered with ivy, performing restoration site maintenance, and spreading woodchips. For more information, contact Chris LaPointe, Volunteer Program Manager at (206) 322-9296, ext. 217 or email chris@earthcorps.org.
• October 20 – Washington Native Plant Society's Fall Seed, Bulb and Plant Sale - 10:00 am to 4:00 pm - Building 30 - Sandpoint/Magnuson Park – For a complete list of native plants, seeds, and bolbs available, please visit the Washington Native Plant Society’s web site: www.wnps.org. Volunteers are needed to staff the event. For more information or to volunteer contact Jan Hunt at 425-806-0118 or by emailing janmaxwa@comcast.net.
• October 27 - Join CLC for a volunteer restoration event at Maple Creek Ravine – 10:00 am to 1:00pm - Maple Creek Ravine is an approximately 16-acre "Y" shaped tributary of the greater Thorton Creek drainage system. It is vegetated with mature Douglas Fir, Red alder, Western red Cedar, and Big Leaf Maple, as well as other native and introduced species. Maple Creek Ravine is situated in Wedgewood, a densely populated neighborhood in Northeast Seattle. The ravine is an important component of the extensive Thorton Creek wildlife corridor that continues to provide a significant vestige of habitat in an urban area. Volunteers will be removing invasive plants - The health of this beautiful area in Seattle is threatened due to invasive weeds overrunning the area. For more information or to RSVP contact stacyc@cascadeland.org or call (206) 292-5907 ext. 218.