Earth Share of Washington

Becoming a Native Plant Steward

- Submitted by Catherine Hovanic from Washington Native Plant Society

“There was life before the Stewardship training program and then there is life after. They are wildly different. I cannot sufficiently express how valuable the experience was for me. So many new doors opened. Learning about native plants has been thrilling. At the risk of being too dramatic, I can report frequent flushes of glee at new discoveries and an insatiable appetite for more …” - Cleveland Hall, Native Plant Steward

The Native Plant Stewardship Program is one of the Washington Native Plant Society’s (WNPS) major outreach programs. Begun in 1996 in response to numerous requests for public information about native plants and native plant habitats, the program has graduated 288 stewards who have contributed over 50,000 volunteer hours promoting the awareness, appreciation, education and restoration of native plants in Washington State. Thousands more volunteer hours are diligently contributed but not reported. According to WNPS records, Native Plant Stewards have made over 236,000 outreach contacts with the public concerning native plants by teaching, leading walks, supervising other volunteers, and training or advising citizens in the Puget Sound region since the beginning of the program.

The success of the Stewardship Program has largely resulted from its ability to recruit citizens who have a potential passion for native plants and to nurture that passion so the individuals become motivated ambassadors and leaders in the preservation and conservation of native plants and their habitats. This is a unique cadre of people from all walks of life - housewives, educators, doctors, landscapers, master gardeners, and retired professionals - who band together for about 10 weeks training and become lifelong native plant advocates.

Stewardship Programs
There are currently two stewardship programs within the Central Puget Sound Chapter: a Spring Program taught in King County and a Fall Program taught in Snohomish County. In exchange for approximately 100 hours received for training, stewards make a commitment to return at least 100 volunteer project hours in the year following training. Restoration of degraded habitats, native plant conservation and environmental education are the activities that Stewards become involved in to return their hours in service projects. WNPS encourages Stewards to take leadership roles in community restoration projects and the average trainee puts in 172 volunteer hours.

The training and curricula for both Stewardship Programs are similar. Twenty-five trainees are selected to receive instruction in basic botany, native plant identification, Puget Sound ecosystems, the use of native plants in gardens and landscapes, and habitat restoration methods and techniques. Field trips are required in addition to classroom instruction.

In Kind Support
No discussion of the Native Plant Stewardship Program would be complete without recognition towards the phenomenal support this program has received from professionals who so generously give of their time and expertise to teach classes and to lead field studies. Calculation of in kind support from professionals for this program averages about $18,000 per class. What a gift to the Washington Native Plant Society and all those Stewards whose minds have been engaged through this program!

To learn more about native plant stewardship or get involved with their program. Please contact the Washington Native Plant Society at 206-527-3210.

Posted in the August 2005 Earth Page

Washington Wilderness Coalition Teams Up With School Kids to Support Wild Sky Wilderness

- By Tom Uniack of ESW organization Washington Wilderness Coalition

In May, the Washington Wilderness Coalition worked with the Seattle Meridian Elementary School and the Index Elementary School to give students and opportunity to weigh in on the importance of protecting our wild forests and then go out and get their boots dirty on the trail. The result was a picture/essay/poetry contest focused on the importance of protecting special wild places like the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness. More than 100 entries by students from kindergarten to seventh grade were submitted

The partnership underscores perhaps the biggest selling point of the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal, which is now moving through Congress. The historic proposal would protect 106,000 acres of lowland forest and salmon habitat less than 2 miles from the small rural community of Index in the Skykomish River Valley as well as preserving a prime recreational destination for millions of families in Seattle and throughout the Puget Sound who live less than 90 minutes away.

Student entries were judged by a panel of noteworthy local judges including Seattle Times columnist Nicole Brodeur, Snohomish County Executive Aaron Reardon, Everett Herald reporter Jim Haley, Monroe Mayor Donnetta Walser, Monroe Monitor Columnist Steve Higgins, local Index artist Patrick Woods and Rick McGuire, author of 55 Hikes around Stevens Pass, Wild Sky Country.

The contest culminated in a group hike and trailhead awards ceremony to Barclay Lake, which sits at the foot of Mt. Baring, surrounded by the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness. Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA02), the House sponsor of the Wild Sky Wilderness Act, was on hand to present the winners in each grade with prizes generously donated by REI, Alpine Lakes Protection Society, Index Elementary School and Rick McGuire.

The Wild Sky Wilderness bill has garnered strong local and bipartisan support from more than 120 local elected officials, including more than 60 mayors and 20 Republicans, as well as strong support from hunting and fishing groups, businesses and religious leaders. The bill has passed a key Senate committee in March and is awaiting a vote by the full Senate.

More than 50 parents and students from Seattle and Index showed up for a wet but enjoyable hike through the Wild Sky proposed wilderness. As Nicole Brodeur put it in her June 5 column in the Seattle Times, “we all headed onto the trail, chattering for a while, then falling silent as the trees surrounded us like a cool green comforter. It was contemplative. It was wet. And it was special.”

To read more about the contest and hike and to view all of the student submissions visit http://www.wawild.org/admin/wild_sky_hike.html.

Posted in the July 2005 Earth Page

1.5 million Americans Send Mandate to Forest Service to Protect Roadless Areas

- submitted by Tom Uniack from Earth Share of Washington organization Washington Wilderness Coalition

Diverse Local Coalition Energizes Washington Citizens during public comment period

Four months after the U.S. Forest Service proposed a controversial plan to effectively repeal protections for nearly 60 million acres of roadless federal forests, the comment period closed with a bang.

Nationwide, more than 1.5 million Americans weighed in to oppose the plan, supporting the existing protections for roadless forests that were put into place in 2001. In Washington State, alone, more than 60,000 citizens wrote, faxed or e-mailed their comments into the Forest Service. Washington's total is expected to be as high as the third largest of any state.

The Forest Service's proposal fails to guarantee existing protections for two million acres of wild and roadless national forest land located in Washington State. If finalized, the proposal would require governors to petition the U.S. Forest Service to "re-protect" national forest roadless areas located in their state.

The original Roadless Rule was finalized in January 2001 after years of scientific study, 600 local public meetings. The balanced policy protects 58.5 million acres of national forests across the country, while allowing temporary road construction in order to fight wildfires, ensure public safety, and protect forest health. Roadless areas provide habitat for more than 1,600 threatened and endangered species and safe and clean drinking water for 60 million Americans.

In Washington a local coalition of sportsmen, religious leaders, businesses, recreational users and conservationists capped off an impressive visibility and grassroots campaign with three-quarter-page ads in the Seattle Post Intelligencer and Seattle P-I.

Washington Wilderness Coalition led the diverse coalition which included Cascade Chapter of Sierra Club, Washington Trails Association, The Mountaineers, Trout Unlimited, Washington Wildlife, Republicans for Environmental Protection the Outdoor Industry Association and the Washington Association of Churches.

To learn more about the Roadless Forest issue visit Washington Wilderness Coalition's web site at http://www.wawild.org/.

Posted in the December 2004 Earth Page

In Brief: Roadless Rule, Green River Study, 1892 Mining Law Challenged

Washington Wilderness Coalition Organizes to Save Roadless Rule
WWC has been working full time to stop the repeal of the Roadless Area Conservation Rule, which protects over 58 million acres of roadless forests in the United States, including 2 million acres in Washington State, from road building, logging, mining and drilling. In an effort to protect roadless areas, WWC has helped organize events around the state in 2004, including a rally in Seattle featuring Senator Maria Cantwell and Representative Jay Inslee. Four full time organizers and numerous volunteers have been working on public outreach and gathering comments on the Roadless Rule. Organizers and volunteers, armed with comment cards, stickers, buttons and t-shirts, have talked to thousands of people and were seen by thousands more throughout Puget Sound including local festivals such as Bumbershoot and Hempfest. To learn more about the Roadless Are Conservation Rule or WWC's efforts to designate the Wild Sky Wilderness, please visit their website - http://www.wawild.org/.

Trout Unlimited Conducts Innovative Insect Study on the Green River
Washington Council of Trout Unlimited (WCTU) has been working for the past five years to provide a database on habitat health, the affects of development, habitat restoration, and carcass distribution, affecting Salmonid production in the Green River located near Auburn, Washington, 15 miles south of Seattle. This project started when volunteer Hal Boynton observed that King County was doing considerable work on tributaries of the Green River, but no data were being collected on the main stem where 85% of the Salmonids live and feed (primarily on aquatic insects) during their freshwater lifecycle. One of the most notable findings from the study is that the overall quantity of insects in increasing on the river, thanks in large part to nutrient enhancement work on the part of Trout Unlimited. Hal's involvement in starting this collection of data on salmon food provides a key element of the scientific database necessary for restoring local fish habitats. It is the hope of WCTU, that Hal's study will become the means for future studies of this nature by the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife.

1892 Mining Law Challenged
Sometimes, the best way to get a bad law changed is to insist that it be enforced vigorously. Earth Share organization, The Lands Council of Spokane, is doing just that to get the nation's mining laws overhauled. The group has staked a mining claim on public land near a posh development in Hayden Lake, Idaho.

The group staked its claim under an 1892 law that said mining and other extractive industries were the highest and best use of land.

"We just have to pay $165 and that allows us to explore for minerals," Mike Peterson, director of the Lands Council, told reporters. With its claim staked, the council can bring in heavy equipment and begin digging for minerals and precious metals. It's a prospect that has rattled residents in the upscale neighborhood who prize the trail system leading to the nearby national forests.

The group is doing this to illustrate the dangers of allowing mining to occur near sensitive lands. The Lands Council hopes the publicity generated from this venture will cause the community and government to take notice, and update this outdated law.

Posted in the November 2004 Earth Page

Time Frame to Comment on Roadless Rule Repeal Extended

- submitted by Kay Crider from Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics

On September 8, 2004, the U.S. Forest Service extended its public comment period two months, partly in response to action by Earth Share of Washington organization - Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE). Comments were to be received by Sept. 15--the new deadline is now November 15.

Under the current Roadless Area Conservation Rule, road building, and most logging and development, is banned in national forest roadless areas. In July, the Forest Service announced its intention to revise the Roadless Rule. Under the proposed revision, the roadless ban would be lifted. State governors would then be allowed to petition the Forest Service to establish specific roadless areas within their state.

The proposed rule is on the web at www.roadless.fs.fed.us. Comments on the proposal can be made by calling the Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and asking for your congressperson. Direct numbers for congressional representatives can be located at www.congress.org. Written comments may be mailed to: Content Analysis Team, ATTN: Roadless State Petitions, USDA Forest Service, P.O. Box 221090, Salt Lake City, UT 84122; faxed to (801) 517-1014; or e-mailed to statepetitionroadless@fs.fed.us.

Roadless Rule Act Provides Protection of Crucial Habitat
- submitted by Terry Turner, President of Washington Council of Trout Unlimited

A recent proposal to overturn the Federal Roadless Rule will put at great risk the 58 million acres of the nation's forests and grasslands, roadless areas that are presently protected under the Roadless Rule Act established in January, 2001, by the U.S. Forest Service. Washington State alone contains more than 2 million acres of these roadless areas.

The new proposal would result in increased pressure from the timber and mining industries to operate in roadless areas that provide necessary habitat for fish and wildlife that is so vital for their survival.

With so many Northwest stocks of steelhead, salmon and trout already listed as either threatened or endangered under the Federal Endangered Species Act, the habitat within the roadless areas is critical to their very existence, to say nothing of countless other species of endangered birds and mammals. The following are but a few examples of potential impacts on fish habitat, of which there are many:

• 61 percent of Idaho's historic steelhead habitat has been lost, but 74 percent of the remaining habitat is in roadless areas.
• Oregon's Lahontan cutthroat populations have been reduced from eight watersheds to just two, and both are within roadless areas.
• 83 percent of bull trout spawning and rearing habitat in Oregon is found in areas with roadless lands.
• 74 percent of Idaho's chinook salmon habitat is roadless.
• Oregon's remaining westslope cutthroat trout populations are found in roadless areas of the John Day River Basin.

Millions of dollars have been spent and are presently being spent on recovery efforts to restore the Northwest's weakened stocks of fish. The results of those efforts will be greatly compromised if the rollback of the Roadless Rule occurs.

Posted in the October 2004 Earth Page

In Brief: Wildfire Coalition formed in Eastern Washington, No-Shooting Zone Expanded, Northwest Exposure Photo Contest

Wildfire Coalition formed in Eastern Washington
Concerns about wildfire continue to drive management of National Forests in Eastern Washington. The passage of the Healthy Forest Restoration Act has given the green light to the Forest Service to move forward on fuel reduction projects.

The Lands Council's (TLC) work on wildfire education issues has led to a collaborative effort known as the Colville Community Forestry Coalition. TLC Executive Director Mike Petersen sits on the Board of this diverse rural group - along with timber companies, a ski area owner, and fire protection agencies. The Coalition will help establish community wildfire plans which provide opportunities to build cooperation with local government, fire districts, public agencies, and community organizations. Community fire plans identify and prioritize hazardous fuels treatment projects, which make it important for the conservation community to be involved. The Lands Council helped create a template for wildfire planning that is being used throughout Oregon and Washington, contributing to the effort to encourage rural communities to co-exist with the forest around them.

No-shooting Zone Expanded
Firearm use is often overlooked as a form of environmental degradation, but in Sultan Basin, it is a major environmental and safety hazard. Wade Holden, founder of Friends of the Trail, a group that cleans up public lands, has asked for more land to be restricted from gun enthusiasts. "The shooters have been using dumped trash for target practice, creating environmental hazards for nearby Olney Creek, and endangering people in the woods," according to Holden. Department of Natural Resources officials said as much as 80 percent of the logs sold by the state several years ago had bullet holes in them. The Snohomish County Council passed the expanded ban unanimously.

Northwest Exposure Photo Contest
Washington Trails Association (WTA) is hosting its annual photo contest called Northwest Exposure. The contest seeks to exhibit the splendor of Washington's wild areas while providing a forum for both aspiring and experienced nature photographers. This annual outdoor photo contest has four unique categories: People in the Wild, Washington Landscapes, Flora & Fauna, and Offbeat Outdoors. So hit the trail with your camera or gather together those images -- a deer on the trail at Mount Townsend, that amazing sunset from Skyline Divide, or hikers in the Goat Rocks Wilderness. WTA will award a grand prize (which will be pictured on the cover of the January/February 2005 issue of Washington Trails) plus first, second, and third prizes in the four categories. You can submit up to one photo in each of the four categories.

For more information, entry forms, and submission guidelines, call (206) 625-1367 or visit www.wta.org. The submission deadline is Sunday, October 31, 2004.

Posted in the September 2004 Earth Page

In Brief: Native Plant Appreciation, Trout Unlimited Events, Toxic Body Burden, & Wildlife Volunteers Needed

Native Plant Appreciation
The results are in from the Native Plant Appreciation Week that we mentioned in the May Edition of The Earth Page. Over 70 activities in 19 counties were organized by Washington Native Plant Society Chapters and others throughout the state. People could participate in cleaning up a native prairie in Port Townsend, visit a Native Plant Stewardship project, learn about beach plants, tour a native plant garden, take a lichen walk, identify native plants in one of our state parks, visit a prairie on a military base, or listen to some great talks on shrub-steppe, ethnobotany and pollination ecology. At least thirty-eight cities and three counties declared May 24-30 Native Plant Appreciation Week, along with Governor Locke and the State of Washington. It may have been mostly symbolic, but it's nice to know that cities and counties throughout the state took the time during a council meeting to proclaim: native plant species are an important part of Washington's heritage ... our state enjoys an amazing diversity of over 3,000 native plant species ... preserving native plant ecosystems is critical to the long-term health and use of our natural resources ... over 360 of our native plant species are listed as rare ... invasive plant species present a threat to sustaining Washington's native ecosystems ... and urge all our citizens to learn more about our native plants, their habitats, and how to protect them.

Trout Unlimited Activities Around the State
The Des Moines Salmon Chapter of Trout Unlimited is actively working on stream restoration, including projects intended to improve in-stream habitat and produce high-quality riparian zones along these severely impacted urban salmon streams. To date, nearly a half-acre of invasive plants have been removed and more than 400 native plants have been planted near Sea-Tac Airport.

The Tacoma Chapter of Trout Unlimited has sponsored and assisted eight kids' fishing events this year, along with their fish-ins for disabled veterans at the American Lake Veterans' Hospital. Recently, the Army National Guard joined Trout Unlimited in their effort to restore Murray Creek, joining the battle against invasive plant species. Work continues and, thanks in large part to Trout Unlimited, the creek will continue to be an angling destination.

The Rainshadow Chapter of Trout Unlimited, in cooperation with the Greywolf Fly Fishing Club and Jefferson County Parks & Recreation, sponsored its fourth annual kids' fishing day at Lake Leland in June. Rainbow trout at the derby ranged from frying pan size to more than five pounds. The Rainshadow Chapter also supervised another year of the Salmon in the Classroom program at Grant Street Elementary School in Port Townsend.

Toxic Body Burden
Many U.S. residents carry toxic pesticides in their bodies above government assessed "acceptable" levels, according to a report released today in May by Earth Share of Washington organizations Pesticide Action Network North America (PAN) and Washington Toxics Coalition. Chemical Trespass: Pesticides in Our Bodies and Corporate Accountability, presents a first-time analysis of information on pesticides in the bodies of more than 2,000 people, collected by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

The Washington State Department of Ecology has a program to eliminate persistent toxic chemicals, but the 2004 legislature exempted pesticides from the program. The Toxic Free Legacy Coalition, which includes the Washington Toxics Coalition, is using the study results to urge the Department of Ecology to include pesticides in its program to eliminate persistent toxic chemicals.

PAWS Wildlife Seeks Volunteers
Every summer the PAWS Wildlife Center receives hundreds of sick, injured and orphaned baby songbirds. Their goal with each of these animals is to restore them to full health, raise them until they are old enough to fend for themselves, and return them to suitable habitat in the wild. Reaching this goal is extremely challenging and labor intensive. During the months of May, June, and July they may have 100 or more young birds in the center at once. The majority of these birds require hand feeding once every half hour for 12 hours per day. 100 birds X 2 feedings per hour X 12 hours = 2,400 feedings per day! This quickly adds up to hundreds of hours of care given to ensure that these young birds have the best possible chance for survival when they are released. If you would like to receive training and firsthand experience in the field of Wildlife Rehabilitation, volunteering is an excellent way to do so. More information on volunteering with PAWS can be found at this link: www.paws.org/help/vol/

Posted in the August 2004 Earth Page

The Lands Council's Mike Peterson Recommends Forest Health

Last week Mike Peterson, Executive Director of the Spokane-based Lands Council, an Earth Share of Washington member organization, presented a pro-conservation review of forest health conditions to the Washington State Forest Health Work Group. Peterson, the only representative from the environmental community, serves on this 17-member panel, which is charged with offering the state's recommendations to manage national forest lands in Washington.

He discussed how logging, grazing and fire suppression has caused dramatic degradation of Washington's forests, and that these activities had increased fire danger and insect problems. Forest health, he said, involves intricate relationships among soils, water, and creatures of all varieties. Peterson outlined a watershed-based strategy to reduce wildfire risk in and around communities, while using prescribed fire in the backcountry to restore healthy forests.

The panel will issue its report to the Washington legislature and State Lands Commissioner by December 31.

Posted in the July 2004 Earth Page

Governor Declares Native Plant Appreciation Week - May 24-30

Governor Locke has declared the week of May 24-30, 2004 in Washington as Native Plant Appreciation Week. This week is intended to be a celebration of the amazing diversity of Washington's over 3000 native plant species that range from desert plants to rain forest species and of the native plant ecosystems that are so important to sustaining the quality of Washington's environment.

The Native Plant Appreciation Week is intended to encourage citizens to become involved in learning more about native plant species and their habitats and how they can help to protect them. It is an opportunity to encourage public involvement in everything from a plant walks and visits to our natural areas, to active involvement in habitat restoration projects.

Native Plant Appreciation Week is an opportunity for governmental agencies, non-profit groups and environmental organizations to highlight their work in protecting native plant species and restoring native plant habitats. There is a great deal of extraordinary work being done that is not fully appreciated by the general public.

It is also an opportunity to increase public understanding of the critical role that native plant ecosystems play in providing suitable habitats for birds, fish and other animals, and in protecting water quality.

Finally, it is an opportunity to articulate the tremendous threat invasive exotic pests - insects, plant diseases and invasive plant species - are to native plants and ecosystems, and the work being done in both the public and private sector to combat that threat.

Although it is an opportunity to educate, Native Plant Appreciation Week, is primarily an opportunity to celebrate native floral abundance, amazing bio-diversity, and all the good work being done to protect and preserve it. To learn more about what is being done to protect and enhance native plants in Washington, please visit the website of Earth Share of Washington member, Washington Native Plant Society - www.wnps.org.

Posted in the May 2004 Earth Page

Sustainable Lumber Available at Local Stores

- submitted by Kathy Malley from ESW member Washington Environmental Council

Washington Environmental Council, Seattle Audubon, and Northwest Natural Resource Group are working with the Environmental Home Center and Dunn Lumber to promote Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified wood products. Consumers now have the option to purchase FSC-certified wood and support good forestry.

FSC certification, like an organic label for food, assures consumers that wood products stamped with the FSC label come from well-managed forests. FSC-certified wood products protect important wildlife habitat and clean water in our forests by ensuring that logging is done in an environmentally-sustainable way. To become FSC-certified, forest landowners must also show that they are meeting standards of economic and social sustainability, including addressing the needs of local communities, tribes, and workers.

Historically, FSC-certified wood has been difficult to find in stores. Retailers had a difficult time finding it and keeping it in stock, so when the public or building contractors went to find it, they were often frustrated. With more Northwest landowners becoming FSC-certified - like Fort Lewis and the Warm Springs Tribe in Oregon - supply is becoming more readily available.

In exchange for retailers committing to keep a variety of FSC products in stock, WEC is asking people to go to these stores and choose FSC-certified products for their lumber needs.

WEC supports FSC products because of the critical link between the health of our region's forests, the way they are logged, and the products you buy.

The goal is to use this pilot project to help make the FSC-certified wood market more successful. Increasing demand for FSC-certified wood will make FSC certification more appealing to Washington's forest landowners such as the state Department of Natural Resources (which manages over 2 million acres of state forests) and private landowners.

For more information about where to purchase FSC-certified wood and what wood products are being offered, please contact Environmental Home Center at 206-682-7332 or Dunn Lumber at 206-632-2129.

Posted in the May 2004 Earth Page

Environmental Gains Achieved in 2004 Legislative Session

- submitted by Tom Geiger from ESW member Washington Environmental Council

Olympia, WA -- The 2004 Legislative Session was marked by environmental gains and no losses, making a successful year in the state capitol for Washington's environmental community. Progress was made in the areas of toxics reduction, old growth protection, water clean up and stream flow restoration.

"This is the second consecutive year in which bi-partisan support was essential to passing environmental priorities," said Clifford Traisman, state lobbyist for Washington Environmental Council/Washington Conservation Voters. "Lawmakers from both parties increasingly understand that clean air, land and water are important to all Washington citizens."

At the outset of the 2004 Session, the environmental community elevated four Priorities [featured in the February 2004 Earth Page]. Results included the following:

• Toxics: Funding for the state's Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxics (PBTs) program was restored, ensuring that the most harmful chemicals in our society, such as mercury, dioxin and PBDE (the fire retardant polybrominated diphenyl ethers), will ultimately be reduced in our environment.
• Forests: An important study to look at certifying state forests--which would have delayed the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) from increasing logging state forests until the study was completed--was not included in the final capital budget, but a provision was included that requires the DNR to inventory and map old growth in state forests and notify the public before it is logged.
• Water: A bill to restore and protect stream flows (SHB 2396) did not make it through the legislative process, but neither did other water legislation, which would have eliminated the state's law aimed at preventing the hoarding and speculation of the public's water. However, $1 million was included in the supplemental budget to improve stream flows and water management.
• Energy: Although legislation to promote energy efficiency and renewable energy development did not pass the full legislature, the bill did pass two House committees. Fortunately, the legislature did pass a bill requiring new power plants to mitigate 20 percent of their emissions of carbon dioxide, the principle pollutant responsible for global warming (SHB 3141).

Other important environmental bills included oil spill prevention (SSB 6641), electronic recycling (ESHB 2488), and significantly, improved safeguards for stormwater management (ESSB 6415). Governor Locke is expected to sign all of the bills and support the proposed funding.

"This is the first time in memory that the legislature provided all wins and no losses for the environment," said Joan Crooks, WEC Executive Director. "The environmental community intends to continue this record of success in the 2005 Session with a new governor and new legislature."

Posted in the April 2004 Earth Page

Sierra Club Campaign to Save Our Wild Heritage; In the Footsteps of Lewis & Clark

- submitted by Lisa Dekker from ESW member Sierra Club Foundation

Much has changed since the days of Lewis and Clark 200 years ago. The Columbia River is no longer, in Meriwether Lewis' words, "crouded [sic] with salmon." To recognize what's lost and celebrate what's left, the Sierra Club has launched a five-year campaign commemorating the Lewis and Clark bicentennial by conserving and restoring our wild heritage.

Sierra Club's hope is to use the bicentennial of Lewis and Clark to help America rediscover these incredible lands and urge Americans to advocate the protection and restoration of our remaining wild places. Its goal is to permanently protect millions of acres of remaining wildlands in Lewis and Clark country, preserve and restore key wildlife habitat and protect threatened and endangered species like bison, wolves, grizzly bears and salmon. The Club proposes: wilderness designation, hands-on conservation, lands acquisition, smart growth and ending commercial logging on our National Forests and public lands.

Here in Washington, thirty miles north of the Columbia River and nestled between Mount. St. Helen and Mount Adams, lies the Dark Divide Roadless Area. With approximately 57,000 acres of intact roadless land, it represents a unique topographic region unduplicated by any other protected roadless area in Washington's southern Cascades. The southern portion of the area drains into the Lewis River, named for Meriwether Lewis.

Despite recent logging, the area provides prime terrain for horseback riding, hunting, hiking and backpacking. Sierra Club organizers have worked to focus public attention on the benefits of Dark Divide by tabling at farmer's markets, home and garden shows and on college campuses.

For more information about the Sierra Club's Lewis & Clark Wild America campaign or to find out how you can help, go to www.sierraclub.org/lewisandclark/ or email lewisandclark@sierraclub.org.

Posted in the February 2004 Earth Page

2004 Environmental Legislative Priorities - Forests, Streams, Energy and Toxins

Groups stress need to protect current safeguards

OLYMPIA, Wash. - At the start of the 2004 Washington legislature, 14 conservation organizations representing tens of thousands of residents joined together to encourage elected representatives to pass important new measures and to continue safeguards of our health and the environment.

The groups have given highest priority to four issues involving forests, streams, power and toxic pollution, and made "No rollbacks" a special priority for this legislative session.

The four main priorities are:

• Certified stewardship for state-owned forests, including the preservation our remaining old growth.
• Safeguarding water levels in Washington streams for vital fish habitat, water quality, irrigation, power and recreation.
• Fostering more reliable and sustainable energy by encouraging electric utilities to include energy-efficiency savings and reasonable amounts of renewables such as wind, biomass and solar in their mix of power sources.
• Funding to eliminate and clean-up persistent toxic chemicals such as mercury, dioxin and PCBs.

In addition, the state's environmental community will encourage legislators to keep Washington "a national leader on environmental health and stewardship," said Bruce Gryniewski, executive director of Washington Conservation Voters.

Groups backing the priorities are Earth Share of Washington members 1000 Friends of Washington, American Rivers, Audubon WA, Center for Environmental Law and Policy, NW Energy Coalition, People for Puget Sound, Sierra Club, Transportation Choices Coalition, Washington Environmental Council, Washington Toxics Coalition and other Washington environmental groups -- NW Ecosystem Alliance, League of Women Voters, Washington Conservation Voters, and WashPIRG.

Posted in the February 2004 Earth Page

Northwest Forest Plan - In Focus

As 2003 draws to a close, it will be remembered by some as one of the most prolific wildfire years in history. Whether it was caused by global climate change or poor forest management practices remains up for debate, but what is certain is a call to action, and reform of the Northwest Forest Plan (NWFP). The plan, created in 1994, was designed to strike a balance between habitat and species preservation, and logging. Specifically, it ended the ongoing standoff between old-growth logging and spotted owls. Today, spotted owl populations continue to decline, wildfires run amok across the Western United States, and logging harvests sit at a fraction of their early 1990's level.

Amendments to the Northwest Forest Plan are currently under review, which would result in increased logging and thinning of Western forests. Under the new plan, time consuming surveys and monitoring would be significantly limited. Earth Share of Washington member group Forest Service Employees for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) recently submitted detailed comments on a proposal to remove the Survey and Manage Standards from the Northwest Forest Plan. What the current standards do is require an analysis of whether a particular proposed activity, such as building a road, logging, prescribed burning, building a campground or other ground-disturbing activity, will have a significant impact on plant and animal species in old-growth areas.

FSEEE focused on the following issues with the proposed amendments to the NWFP. First, the changes would make certain important activities optional that could help avoid extinction of at least 47 and as many as 77 species, substantially affecting species diversity and violating the Endangered Species Act. Second, the changes to the NWFP do not take into account the environmental effects that the changes could have on species that live in or near water. Finally, the elimination of the Survey and Manage Standards does not require agencies to take any action in lieu of the Standards, such as putting "at risk" species in Special Status/Sensitive Species Programs or taking steps to stop further degradation or extinction of a species. The environmental analysis performed to support the proposed changes assumes that the Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management will take steps that are, in fact, discretionary. Any of these proposed changes to the NWFP, if approved, will likely have profound effects on forest and ecosystem health.

Posted in the December 2003 Earth Page

Warning: Dangerous Art Ahead

Local photographer, activist wins National Sierra Club Award

Bellevue resident and former Boeing engineer, Subhankar (pronounced "shoe-BANK-ar") Banerjee, recently received the National Sierra Club's Special Achievement Award, which recognizes a single act of particular importance dedicated to conservation. He left his job and overcame immense obstacles, in order to spend 14 months taking photos in one of the most remote and beautiful areas of Alaska. The result was Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Seasons of Life and Land. The book was the product of his field research documenting life in this harsh but fragile arctic ecosystem and contains stunning images of wildlife and daunting landscapes. Along with the photos are essays by people like President Jimmy Carter, Peter Matthiesen, and David Sibley, which further illuminate us as to the hidden values and timeless qualities of this "sacred place where life begins" according to the Gwich'in people who live there.

Banerjee was catapulted into the national prominence this spring when an exhibition of his Arctic Refuge photos at the Smithsonian Institution's Museum of Natural History was mysteriously moved from a prominent place in the rotunda to the basement. That happened right after Senator Barbara Boxer held up an advance copy of the book during a debate on opening the Refuge to oil drilling. She urged her peers to read the book before making any decision on the drilling. There was speculation that political pressure caused the Smithsonian to move the exhibit. A flurry of articles in the New York Times, Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Newsweek, and on National Public Radio told the tale to the nation and kept the Refuge and its threatened status in the public eye.

In addition to writing the book, Subhankar tirelessly tours the country to educate people about the beauty, vitality and hidden life dramas that abound in this wilderness. It has to be part of the reason the public continues to tell Congress that the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge should remain undrilled, unspoiled, and magnificent.

For information on protecting the Refuge, contact Kathleen Casey at Kathleen.casey@sierraclub.org. The book was published in both hard and soft-cover editions by Mountaineers Books. To purchase a copy go to www.mountaineersbooks.org.

Posted in the December 2003 Earth Page

Audubon Protecting Species of the Shrub-Steppe

YAKIMA, WA - The U.S. Army may be the Greater Sage-Grouse's best friend.

In recognition of the vast Yakima Training Center's abundance of native shrub-steppe landscape and the birds like the Greater Sage-Grouse that depend on that habitat, the center was dedicated as an Important Bird Area (IBA) on August 1st.

"The Yakima Training Center contains one of the largest remaining expanses - 360,000 acres - of shrub-steppe landscape in the Pacific Northwest, which is home to 40 percent of the statewide population of these spectacular creatures," said local naturalist Andrew Stepniewski, who noted that the Greater Sage-Grouse exists only in one other place in Washington.

The abundance of sage-grouse and 157 other native species - 68 of which breed here - are the reasons that Audubon Washington designated the Yakima Training Center as an Important Bird Area, or IBA, a critical place that supports significant numbers and species of birds.

According to Leslie Wahl, president of the Yakima Valley Audubon Society, the IBA program is a voluntary worldwide effort that identifies key places with significant bird populations in an effort to help private and public landowners provide sound stewardship for bird conservation and their property. This non-regulatory program, headed in the U.S. by Audubon and worldwide by BirdLife International, provides sound scientific information to help build conservation partnerships and public awareness.

Once found everywhere across the west's arid plains, Greater Sage-Grouse and many other native bird species now survive in isolated populations only in specific landscapes like the Army's training center. Other birds closely associated with native sagebrush and bunchgrass ecosystem that rely on the center land include Ferruginous Hawk, Short-eared Owl, Loggerhead Shrike, Sage Thrasher; and Brewer's, Vesper, and Sage Sparrows.

"The Yakima Training Center IBA is the only site in the region to support widespread and abundant numbers of all the shrub-steppe-dependent migratory species," said Wahl.

Posted in the September 2003 Earth Page

Sagebrush to Tumbleweeds – The Decline of the Shrub Steppe and the Loss of the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit

- by David Manelski

One of the world's smallest rabbits, and the only known burrowing rabbit species, was placed on the Endangered Species List March 5th. Only 12 Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbits remain left in the wild, living in the Sagebrush Flats area of Douglas County, Washington. On the verge of extinction, these rabbits, and their fate, are inexorably linked to the fate of the shrub-steppe ecosystem.

Defined by superlatives, the shrub-steppe is the largest grassland in North America, and also considered the most threatened. It extends from eastern Washington and eastern Oregon, through Idaho, Nevada, and Utah, and into western Wyoming and Colorado. Home to not only the smallest rabbit species, but also the largest hawk in North America, the Ferruginous Hawk. Dependant on one another for survival, these animals once thrived in this land of sagebrush and perennial grasses that stretched across over 200,000 square miles of the western United States. In Washington State and other areas of the west, more than 60% of that habitat is now gone, lost to agriculture and invasive plant species. It is this drastic change and loss of habitat over the course of the past 100 years that is driving these species to the brink of extinction.

"When people think about conservation in Washington State," remarks Earth Share of Washington Executive Director William Borden, "we think of the majestic mountain wilderness, the lush forests, and the diversity of sea life in Puget Sound. Not often enough do we consider the grassland species of the shrub-steppe."

Four Earth Share of Washington member groups are actively involved in conservation efforts in the shrub-steppe ecosystem. These include Washington Native Plant Society, The Nature Conservancy, World Wildlife Federation, and Audubon Washington. Large tracts of land that make up the pygmy rabbit habitat now fall under federal protection and groups like Washington Native Plant Society are working to selectively restore native plant habitats. Through education and political action, hope remains for the shrub-steppe.

What will become of the Columbia Basin Pygmy Rabbit and the Ferruginous Hawk is still uncertain. It would be a great tragedy to lose the largest hawk and the smallest rabbit right in our own backyard. A captive breeding program is under way for the pygmy rabbit and with life breeds hope. To find out more about how to help volunteer for these Earth Share of Washington members, please contact them directly:

Audubon Washington
www.audubon.org/chapter/wa/wa
(360) 786-8020

The Nature Conservancy
www.nature.org
(206) 343-4344

Washington Native Plant Society
www.wnps.org
(888) 288-8022

World Wildlife Fund
www.worldwildlife.org
(202) 293-4800

Posted in the April 2003 Earth Page

Devil's Lake Gets Protection

- Submitted by Amy Zarrett, from ESW member group Washington Environmental Council - http://www.wecprotects.org/

In a state with spectacular wildlife areas and magical wild places, chalk up one more of them that your grandchildren will have the chance to experience. Earlier this year, Washington Environmental Council (WEC) succeeded in its long-term effort to get permanent protected status for the wonderful Devil's Lake wetland system.

Located on the northeast corner of the Olympic Peninsula, on the east side of Mt. Walker, Devil's Lake is a pristine wetland system containing superb examples of forest, bog, shrub and marsh wetland types and approximately 12 acres of open water. At the south end of the lake is a five-acre forest stand with 300-year-old trees and old growth characteristics. Also well established as a fishing and day use recreational spot, Devil's Lake contains exceptional habitat and botanical values. The state land is contiguous with National Forest land to the west, and together, the two ownerships encompass the entire Devils Lake basin.

WEC's Policy Associate, Jerry Gorsline, was instrumental in the success of the transfer. He originally proposed the transfer to deflect a state timber sale proposed in 1992, and then tracked and advocated the transfer process of Devil's Lake from that time to its enrollment as a Natural Resources Conservation Area under the Trust Land Transfer Program in May 2002.

About The Trust Land Transfer Program:
The Department of Natural Resources (DNR) manages nearly 3 million acres of state-owned trust land to provide revenue for specific trust beneficiaries and benefits for the public. However, not all of the trust lands are best suited for income production. Some have high ecological and/or recreation values of statewide significance that render them inappropriate for harvesting timber. Such is the case with the Devil's Lake property, with its pristine and highly sensitive wetland system. The Trust Land Transfer Program provides an innovative way to put money into trust beneficiary accounts while protecting properties with significant natural, park or recreation attributes and better manage trust assets for income production. Contact WEC's Jerry Gorsline for more details at jerry@wecprotects.org

Posted in the November 2002 Earth Page

Another Opportunity For New Washington Wilderness!

- Submitted by ESW member group Washington Wilderness Coalition

Within a one-to-two hour drive of the Puget Sound region, the backcountry wonders of the scenic roadless forests along the Cle Elum River help form the southern border of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness. These areas are known for cathedral-like groves of ancient forests, secluded lakes, and wild, rushing rivers. Families can take small children to walk along an incredible network of popular trails through giant Douglas firs and cedars, picnic along the refreshing waters of the Cooper River, and watch the bull trout break through the surface as they swim their way upstream.

In 1998 the Forest Service was directed to study these 15,000 acres and make a recommendation as to the suitability of these lands for permanent protection as Wilderness. Congress is required to make a decision on their protection by December 31, 2002. This fall, the Forest Service may recommend to Congress that this set of small National Forest roadless areas - left out of the Alpine Lakes Wilderness Area when it was established in 1976 - should receive formal Wilderness designation. The Forest Service is expected to release their proposed recommendations (Draft Environmental Impact Statement, or DEIS) shortly. Following the release of the DEIS, the public will have 45 days to submit comments about the need for permanent protection of the Cle Elum Additions as Wilderness.

Greg Wieting of Washington Wilderness Coalition has more information: (206) 633-1992, x 103 or email him at greg@wawild.org

Posted in the November 2002 Earth Page

The Wonder of the Rainforest

- Written by Joelle Robinson, Campaign Director of Earth Share of Washington, about her summer trek to the Amazon. Upon completing her month long journey, Joelle has returned with these impressions.

The sounds at night were deafening. Crickets, cicadas, birds, and frogs - oh the frogs - and monkeys. Their symphony gently guided me to dreamland.

Earlier that day I saw toucans, a Jesus lizard that really did walk on the water, two beautiful--in an ET sort of way--sloths, and the most brilliant huge fluorescent blue butterflies...

The dragonflies danced ahead of our canoe beckoning us to go deeper into the flooded forest. The pink dolphins leaped to greet us, and the yellow fruit burst in a sour explosion in our mouths.

In the forest there was every shade of green I've ever imagined. From the highest part of the canopy to the forest floor, green, green, green...delicious green. Poisonous vines, poisonous ants and poisonous frogs. Nice froggy... Balanced with myriad medicinal plants and trees - from those they apply to heal cataracts, cure colds, and tame Dengue Fever.

The forest whispers to me. It's alive. It's complete. Everything has a purpose. Nothing is wasted. It provides for the people, insects, plants and animals that call it home. It provides for people all over the world. It's a miracle built on thousands of years of evolution.

Tropical rainforests like the Amazon region I visited in Brazil, account for more than 1/2 of the world's animal species and countless insect and plant species. In the U.S., more than 25% of our medicines are derived from rainforest plants.

If the current rate of deforestation continues, most of the tropical rainforests will be destroyed by 2029. Today, over 100 kinds of plants and animals will go extinct.

Many Earth Share of Washington member organizations, including The Nature Conservancy, are working to protect the rainforests and safeguard their precious, invaluable, flora and fauna. The Nature Conservancy recently helped purchase the last unprotected parcel within Costa Rica's Corcovado National Park, where jaguars roam the lowland tropical rainforest.

Rainforest Alliance, World Wildlife Fund and Conservation International are just a few other Earth Share of Washington members who working to protect our global treasures.

Posted in the October 2002 Earth Page