New Local Food Group of Sequim joins our network

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Al B.

Had a chat this morning with Gerry Christensen who is helping Carol Hull and others with the North Olympic Peninsula Local Food Access Network (L-FAN). (I’ve added their link to the NGO section of the left hand front page if you need to find it in the future).

http://localfoodaccessnetwork.wordpress.com/

In their words:

Our primary focus is North Peninsula local food ecosystems with an emphasis on developing and supporting increased and sustainable capacity for production, distribution, and consumption locally.

Our high-level goals are to educate, act, and facilitate the positive actions of others regarding local food related issues within the North Olympic Peninsula area of Washington. We will strive to do this in harmony with businesses, organizations, and citizens within the area.  Our goal is to communicate with all, seek cooperation when possible, and collaborate or partner with various entities concerned with local food.

As I know some of our readers are involved in this area of environmental activism, I recommend that you contact Gerry and introduce yourself and your organization. Gerry and his family are somewhat new to the Peninsula having come out from Colorado, so I’m sure he’d appreciate getting to know more of you that are working in the area of the local food movement.

His contact info is

Gerry Christensen <gerry.christensen@gmail.com>

 

Filed under: Bees, Clallam County, Jefferson County, Sequim | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

State Still Ignores Fish-Blocking Culverts -Billie Frank Jr.

Posted on September 7, 2012 by Al B.

Habitat is the key to salmon recovery, but ongoing loss and damage of salmon habitat is driving down salmon populations across western Washington and threatening tribal treaty rights. No matter how well we manage harvest and hatcheries, if there is no habitat, both the salmon and our treaty-reserved rights are lost.

Unfortunately, the state of Washington continues to ignore its obligation to enforce one of the first laws on its books that requires fish passage at culverts under roads. The state has been ignoring that obligation for more than 100 years. Today, hundreds of state-owned culverts block fish passage throughout western Washington. Meanwhile, the state has been unwilling to hold its own agencies accountable, refusing to enforce its own environmental laws.

Read the rest of the story at:

http://nwifc.org/2012/09/state-still-ignores-fish-blocking-culverts/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+nwifc+%28NWIFC+News%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Derelict Fishing Gear Funding Received – NW Straits Foundation News

Posted on July 16, 2012 by Al B.

The Northwest Straits Foundation received $660,000 to finish the job of removing derelict fishing nets from shallow subtidal waters of Puget Sound. The Foundation estimates there are 500 shallow water derelict nets left to remove. The Foundation is aiming to complete the work by December 31, 2013. Funding comes from the US Environmental Protection Agency through the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. This funding will be combined with current and pledged funding from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, NOAA Marine Debris Program, ConocoPhillips Migratory Bird Fund, US Fish and Wildlife Service Coastal Program, Lucky Seven Foundation, Tulalip Tribes and private donations.

The new funding also pays for a new response and retrieval program designed to prevent future re-accumulations of derelict nets by responding to reports of newly lost nets immediately. The Foundation will be developing this new program in close coordination with the Puget Sound fisheries co-managers.

Filed under: Derelict Gear Removal, Olympic Peninsula, Straits of Juan de Fuca | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

June 4th: Silence is not an option in Canada

Posted on May 23, 2012 by Al B.

Things are not going well for environmental protection on the north side of the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Since Canadian voters elected a majority conservative government and PM, an all out slashing of social and environmental programs is underway. Programs that have long supported environmental protection and science are falling away. The most immediate concern for those of us on this side of the Strait, is the removal of tanker monitoring to somewhere near Ottawa. This would be like moving our Coast Guard monitoring to Chicago. When governments let their guards down, is usually when mistakes happen, and get compounded. Given the ease by which oil spreads on water. We must be helping our friends on the other side to restore these disastrous cuts before we are cleaning up a mess that will be “our” mess too. Letting federal officials, like Patty Murray, Maria Cantwell, and others, know that you are concerned about this, would be a good start. On June 4th, Canadian environmental groups and others are planning a ‘black out’ day to alert the public to the threat.
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Georgia Strait Alliance writes: ‘In recent memory, there has never been such an open attack by our federal government on our environment and the civil society that is its voice. And that is why there has never been a more important time for us to speak up. So on June 4th Georgia Strait Alliance is joining organizations, businesses, unions, bloggers and individuals from across the country to “Black Out, Speak Out”.’

http://georgiastraitalliance.blogspot.ca/2012/05/june-4th-silence-is-not-option.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , , | Leave a Comment »

Fisheries Act changes introduced amid debate over new law’s intent

Posted on April 27, 2012 by Al B.

Canada’s new conservative government continues to strip away environmental protections…
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The Harper government unveiled a massive omnibus budget implementation bill Thursday that includes Fisheries Act amendments that will strip the term “habitat” from the most crucial section of the law. The government’s intent, according to a spokeswoman, to assist “everyday Canadians” in their dealings with federal fisheries bureaucrats.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/environment/Fisheries+changes+introduced+amid+debate+over+intent/6525454/story.html

Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: , , | Leave a Comment »

Jefferson County Draft SMP released

Posted on June 5, 2009 by Al B.

The latest version of the Jefferson County Draft Shoreline Management Plan was released Tuesday. It appears, at first glance, that many of the protections put in by the working science and citizens advisory groups were gutted. Included in the gutting were buffers beyond 50 feet in Shoreline Residential areas, and geoduck expansion concerns. Public comment period is now open. Assume that there will be considerable comment on this. The document is located at:

http://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/commdevelopment/Shoreline_PCRevisedDraft.htm

Filed under: Government | Tagged: , , , , | Leave a Comment »

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