We had great results from two previous projects removing invasives - blackberries and ivy, from Timberlake Park in Issaquah. Next is a logical follow up project - planting trees. Come and help out on Saturday, November 7.
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SAMMAMISH STEWARDSHIP SATURDAY
We had
great results from two previous projects
removing invasives - blackberries and
ivy, from Timberlake Park in Issaquah.
Next is a logical follow up project -
planting trees. Come and help out on
Saturday, November 7.
To sign up, go to the Mountains to Sound Greenway web site at http://www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer/events/copy_of_vol-restoration-form and complete the form for either a full day, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm, or Half Day, 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
. o O o .
KING COUNTY CHARTER AMENDMENT 4
SLS has endorsed King County Charter
Amendment 4, on the November ballot.
The Open Space Amendment will provide
enhanced protection for approximately
156,000 acres of natural open space
owned by King
County.
Through a new section in the county charter, the amendment strengthens protection of certain high conservation value properties by requiring a 28-day public comment period, a finding of facts, and a supermajority vote (7 of 9) of the County Council before the property could be sold or transferred. This public process will help to safeguard our most cherished green spaces for future generations.
These properties are among our most treasured conservation and recreation spaces. County lands to receive additional protection include Squak Mountain/Tiger Mountain Corridor, Cedar River Waterways, Cougar Mountain, the Upper Raging River Forest, and the Snoqualmie Forest.
The properties protected by the amendment are already owned or held in a conservation easement by King County – the amendment involves no new land purchases or direct costs.
The Open Space Amendment is unanimously supported by the King County Council, Executive, many environmental groups, and community leaders. You can see a full list of endorsements and learn more about the amendment at www.openspaceamendment.org
We urge you to vote for King County Charter Amendment 4, for Open Space!
. o O o .
GRANT FUNDS FOR SALMON RESTORATION
PROJECTS
Do you
have an idea for a salmon habitat
restoration or protection project in
King
County
that has a strong community involvement
component? If so, have you considered
applying for grant funds through the
King County Community Salmon Fund?
The King County Community Salmon Fund is a competitive grant program established by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) and King County to stimulate small-scale, voluntary action to support salmon recovery in King County. The goals of the King County Community Salmon Fund are to fund salmon habitat protection and restoration projects that have a substantial benefit to watershed health, are consistent with local salmon plans, and stimulate creativity and leadership in the community to address conservation needs.
Applications are currently being accepted for Round 13 of this semi-annual grant opportunity with a final due date of November 6. Interested parties with questions about the Community Salmon Fund are encouraged to contact Brian Ferrasci-O'Malley ( bferrasci-omalley@evergreenfc.com ) at (206) 691-0700.
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KC WEED News – OCTOBER 2009
To read about the topics below, go to:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/noxious-weeds/weed-news.aspx
TOPICS
Weed of
the Month: Reed Sweetgrass (Glyceria
maxima)
Weed Tips for October
Garden Loosestrife: just a weed or
GIANT MUTANT CLONE?
New Weeds for King
County
and Old Weeds in New Places
State Adds Species to Quarantine List of
Prohibited Plants
Nov. 4 to 6 – WA State Weed Association
Conference in
Yakima
Aquatic Weed and Saltwater Algae Grants
from Department of Ecology
Knotweed Workshops Popular, Will Be
Expanded Next Year
Collect Knotweed to Help with Biocontrol
Research
Knotweed Success on Lower Soos Creek
Knotweed Project Manager Moves On (But
Leaves Some of Her Know-How Behind)
. o O o .
MOUNTAINS TO SOUND GREENWAY TREE
PLANTING EVENTS
Join
Mountains to Sound Greenway volunteers
this fall as we plant over 25,000 native
trees and shrubs to enhance natural
areas in the region! To sign up
for any of the following events,
complete the form at:
http://www.mtsgreenway.org/volunteer/events/copy_of_vol-restoration-form
SAT, Nov
7
Tree Planting @ Lake
Sammamish
State Park (Issaquah)
Full Day: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Half Day: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
Tree
Planting @ Issaquah Creek (Issaquah)
Full Day: 9:00 am - 3:00 pm
Half Day: 9:00 am - 12:00 pm
. o O o .
SHORELINE MANAGEMENT PROGRAM UPDATES -
LAKE SAMMAMISH
The Cities of Bellevue, Issaquah and
Sammamish are in the process of updating
their Shoreline Management Programs (SMP).
In 1972 the State's Shoreline Management
Act was passed by referendum to "to
prevent the inherent harm in an
uncoordinated and piecemeal development
of the state's shorelines." It was an
attempt to protect the environmental
benefits of our rivers, lakes and
saltwaters for all citizens - see
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/sma/
(Note the City Council of Redmond
adopted its Shoreline Master Program
Update in August 2008.)
These regulations affect both the Lake's
health and how property owners use their
shorelines. Therefore, it is important
for us to let our City Councils know
that we continue to want to keep Lake
Sammamish fishable and swimmable for
this and future generations.
Save Lake Sammamish recommends the
following points be made to the
Councils:
1) Adopt strong standards for vegetated
buffers and building set backs:
a) vegetated buffers control runoff
into the Lake by capturing chemicals,
pollutants and sediment. Grass cannot do
that!
b) the view you save could be your
own - a neighbor's remodel waterward
could block your view and decrease your
property value
2) Limit percentage of impervious
surface on Lake Sammamish to:
30% Urban Conservancy, 40% Shoreline
Residential
30% lots less than 3,000 SF in size
a) lot line to lot line neighbor
houses diminish your privacy and
property enjoyment
b) runoff with pollutants goes
directly into the Lake - no room for
filtration
c) keeps houses in proportion with
neighborhood
3) Encourage bulkhead removal -
currently bulkheads may be constructed
to
protect a legally permitted structure
only from imminent danger. This has been
poorly enforced.
a) bulkheads destroy gradual beaches
damaging shallow water areas with
vegetation essential for the survival of
salmon fry
b) wave action against bulkheads
churns up sediment
c) water displaced by your neighbor's
bulkhead could damage your property
(concrete bathtub effect)
4) Retain 80% of significant trees
within shoreline buffer (non hazard
trees)
15% or 200 SF buffer area allowed for
access or active use, remainder
vegetated
Retain 70% trees in shoreline
jurisdiction
a) large trees frame views of the
Lake
b) provide habitat for bald eagles,
osprey, herron, kingfishers and others
c) intercept rainwater, hold
shoreline in place, prevent erosion and
produce oxygen
d) provide shade in summer - you save
electricity!
5) Mandate low impact development (LID)
techniques
a) insufficient room to filter
runoff and pollution from built hardened
surfaces along shoreline
b) over time you will save resources
and money
c) maintain your property value on a
clean, healthy Lake
6) Control dock size
a) little room is left for swimming
when docks are too close together
b) numerous docks destroy salmonid
habitat
Thank you for taking the time to get
involved at the following sessions!
-May 19, 2009 6-9pm Public Open House at
the Eagle Room, Issaquah City Hall
http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/News.asp?NewsID=1197
-May 21, 2009 at 6:30pm Bellevue City
Hall - Open House
http://www.bellevuewa.gov/shoreline-master-plan.htm
-May 28, 2009 at 6:30pm Issaquah
Planning Policy Commission Workshop and
Public
Comment at City Council Chambers, 135 E.
Sunset Way.
http://www.ci.issaquah.wa.us/News.asp?NewsID=1197
-May
29, 2009The Draft SMP Update for the
City of
The
City Council of
. o O o .
KOKANEE IN THE MEDIA
Check out the short
video telling some of the Kokanee story
and documenting Kokanee returns last
fall:
http://www.kingcounty.gov/environment/animalsAndPlants/salmon-and-trout/sammamish-kokanee-video.aspx
.
And check out page 64 of the current edition of the national Trout Unlimited magazine for a focus on the plight of our Kokanee and what TU is doing to pitch in on solutions: http://www.tu.org/site/c.kkLRJ7MSKtH/b.5067579/k.4220/2009_Archive/apps/nl/newsletter2.asp#e6470671
. o O o .
U S Fish and Wildlife accepts petition to study listing the late-run Kokanee as an endangered species
USF&W is initiating a 12-month status review process through which they will decide on the question of listing the population. For more info, see their Press release . To view the petition, go to: www.scn.org/savelake/Kokanee.Petition.pdf
. o O o .
kokanee op-ed
Following is an article that appeared in the August 3, 2007 Post Intelligencer.
Obscure salmon struggles to survive
MARK TAYLOR AND MATT MATTSON - GUEST COLUMNISTS
Beneath the surface of Lake Sammamish, a little slice of Washington's native salmon legacy is silently struggling to survive. Far from the minds of the water skiers and too few to register much of a blip on anglers' fish finders, the native run of Lake Sammamish kokanee salmon languishes in relative obscurity compared with the lake's other attractions.
Once so common that our ancestors harvested them to fertilize gardens, fewer than 1,000 remain today. The largest run of native kokanee in Issaquah Creek quietly blinked into extinction a few years ago, while the responsible federal agency did nothing to respond to citizen cries to protect them.
Today we have another chance to save a remaining native run of Lake Sammamish kokanee and, in doing so, preserve and restore another chapter in Washington's salmon tradition that would otherwise merely become a part of its history. We should not squander the chance to act this time.
Because of its acute need for cold, clean water and intact, healthy habitat, kokanee -- landlocked cousins of sea-going sockeye -- are indicators of a healthy watershed, and, conversely, their disappearance is among the first signals that something of ecological importance has gone wrong or has gone missing. That signal amplifies as it moves downstream toward Puget Sound. A healthy watershed fosters a healthy community and a functioning ecosystem that reaps economic and quality-of-life benefits throughout, for all its residents and visitors. That means not just the kokanee, but chinook, steelhead, whales and people.
The Lake Sammamish kokanee have survived this long facing much of the worst that human progress can dish out, even when it is exacerbated by Mother Nature's torrent. This past fall, it was amazing that a few of the little red fish made it up the rushing water to spawn, and even more surprising, their nests of eggs were not all washed away in the floods. They have hung on despite the worst of our land-use decisions, pollution and heating of the cool water they require, and now they are migrating to Lake Sammamish only to face ever-warmer waters and predatory warm water fish.
Rather than see how much more the kokanee can take, it seems like now would be a good time to offer these great fish some much-needed help.
Although a number of individuals and organizations in the basin are doing good things for kokanee, and the kokanee are responding, we can do more. Merely dodging their extinction for a few more years should not be the goal here; rather, real and lasting recovery should be.
Recently, a number of organizations, including ours, filed a petition with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to protect Lake Sammamish kokanee under the Endangered Species Act. Giving these fish that safety net will bring together current activities aimed at saving the fish, and encourage others to join us.
We failed to act sufficiently in time for the Issaquah Creek stock, and the result is that it is now a part of our unfortunate history with salmon. But we certainly have the time and the means to act to save the remaining stocks, and to keep another critical part of Washington's native salmon legacy going. This time, we should remember the Lake Sammamish kokanee in time to act, not just remember them in history.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mark Taylor is president of the Washington Council of Trout Unlimited. Matt Mattson is tribal administrator of the Snoqualmie Indian Tribe. Other authors of this essay are Joanna Buehler, president, Save Lake Sammamish, and Kathy Fletcher, executive director, People for Puget Sound.
. o O o .
petition submitted to list Sammamish late run Kokanee as an endangered species
Trout Unlimited has submitted a petition to place the Sammamish late run Kokanee on the endangered species list. SLS was a co-signer along with King County, the City of Issaquah, People for Puget Sound and the Snoqualmie tribe. Our thanks go to Trout Unlimited and all those who volunteered to count the Kokanee fry in Lewis Creek at night and in all kinds of weather to provide data for this petition. To view the petition, go to: http://www.scn.org/savelake/Kokanee.Petition.pdf
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past SLS summer newsletters
To read any of the following SLS newsletters, click on the corresponding date:
. o O o .
Is Lake Sammamish dying?
This is the headline of an excellent article on many facets concerning
the quality of Lake Sammamish. The article was written by Sarah Koenig and
published in the Redmond Reporter. This newspaper does not have its own
web site and gave permission to include it in the SLS site.
Go to article.
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