Dear Sky Valley Residents,
- SVENA stands for Skykomish Valley Environmental & Economic Alliance. Our
Logo of SVENA
mission is to protect an environmentally and economically sustainable future of the Skykomish River Valley. We are working towards a safer, cleaner, healthier, more beautiful and economically sustainable place to live, work and visit. You can find more information at our website svena.org.
CONTENTS:
> March 9, 2017 is a deadline for a very-important public-comment period concerning endangered Marbled Murrelet, a bird that is native to the Pacific Northwest;
> February 22, 2017 Snohomish County Council adopted Joint Resolution 17-006 that is supporting recreation and tourism industry in Sky Valley;
> Hampton Lubmer Company, Hampton Lumber Company of Darrington, Darrington Collaborative;
> Protect your health with a reverse osmosis (RO) water filter for $167;
> Tree farming practice of aerially spraying an assortment of herbicides with possibly negative effects for human health, water quality, and the environment, laws prohibiting contamination of drinking-water sources and whom to contact;
> New page at our website Eco-friendly Products and Practices;
> Latest FPAs for Sky Valley (Forest Practice Applications for tree farms) and more info for FPAs.
- March 9, 2017 is a deadline for a very important public-comment period concerning
Marbled Murrelet of the Pacific Northwest
endangered Marbled Murrelet, a bird that is native to the Pacific Northwest. A final decision will not only impact survival of this endangered species but also the future use of public lands as well as the economy, recreation, education, and more. It is our responsibility to insure that we have done our best to understand this issue and offer comments that will help create the best plan for all interests.
Audobon page for Marbled Murrelet
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service page for Marbled Murrelet
Marbled Murrelet Long-Term Conservation Strategy (WA State Department of Natural Resources – DNR)
Webinar
Explore the DEIS and alternatives using this interactive story map
A single chick of Marbled Murrelet that a pair of birds has each nesting period.
Please do the following:
> Send your comments to sepacenter@dnr.wa.gov or SEPA Center, PO Box 47015, Olympia, WA 98504-7015. Only written comments are being accepted in this process.
> Include the “file # 12-042001“ in the subject line of your e-mail and on letters and postcards;
> If you are short on time, please simply write this: I would like to request that DNR analyze the Conservation Alternative in a Supplemental EIS before a preferred alternative is selected;
> If you have another few minutes and would like to add more, here are some suggestions.
- On February 22, 2017 Snohomish County Council adopted Joint Resolution 17-006 for Singletary Timber Sale requesting that the Singletary Timber Sale be postponed while Snohomish County initiates reconveyance proceedings for 25 acres out of 189 acres of the sale area. Singletary Timber Sale is adjacent to famous and popular Wallace Falls State Park (WFSP). The reconveyance area includes old growth forest and new hiking trails. 25 acres will protect about half of new trails. The rest of the trails will be in clearcuts.
Council Members Sullivan, Wright, Ryan and County Executive Somers voted for the resolution. Please send them a thank you note! brian.sullivan@snoco.org, stephanie.wright@snoco.org, terry.ryan@snoco.org, dave.somers@snoco.org.
Council Members Low and Nehring voted no.
Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive dave.somers@co.snohomish.wa.us
Nate Nehring, Rep of District 1 nate.nehring@snoco.org
Brian Sullivan, Rep of District 2, County Council Chair brian.sullivan@snoco.org
Stephanie Wright, Rep of District 3, Council Vice-Chair stephanie.wright@snoco.org
Terry Ryan, Rep of District 4 terry.ryan@snoco.org
Sam Low, Rep of District 5 (includes Sky Valley and WFSP) sam.low@snoco.org
Snohomish County, Map of Districts
Singletary Timber Sale is public land owned by the Snohomish County and currently managed by DNR (WA State Department of Natural Resources). It is next to the famous and popular Wallace Falls State Park (WFSP) which brings over 170,000 visitors year after
Famous Upper Wallace Falls, Skykomish River Valley, WA
year. Those visitors bring business to the Valley. Singletary Timber Sale has old growth forest and new hiking trails. If logged, it will be a gateway to about 1500-2000 acres of proposed future clearcut logging next to Wallace Falls State Park.
Public land that is used for tourism and recreation can not be brown. Instead of clearcutting of old forests, there is an urgent need for more recreational infrastructure in the area of Wallace Falls State Park that can relieve the overcrowded park, and also for support of local small rec and tourism businesses. Every single business in the Skykomish River Valley benefits directly or indirectly from tourism and recreation.
More info is in Clearcut Logging page at our website svena.org.
MAP OF TIMBER SALES NEXT TO WALLACE FALLS STATE PARK
PLANNED LOGGING NEXT TO WALLACE FALLS STATE PARK 2017-2020, part 1
PLANNED LOGGING NEXT TO WALLACE FALLS STATE PARK 2017-2020, part 2
“Agreement sets aside 25 acres from planned DNR timber auction”, article in HeraldNet 2-23-2017 and PDF 2-23-2017
Snohomish County Joint Resolution 17-006, Singletary Timber Sale 2-22-2017
Requesting that the Singletary Timber Sale be postponed while Snohomish County initiates reconveyance proceedings for a portion of the sale area.
Joint Resolution 17-006, Snohomish County Statement 2-22-2017
Snohomish County to Protect Singletary Property to Secure Vital Recreation Land.
Twenty-five acres involved in Wallace Falls compromise are included.
- Hampton Lumber Company has headquarters in Portland, Oregon. One of its
A typical landsape after clearcut logging, Skykomish River Valley, WA
affiliates Hampton Lumber Company of Darrington, WA is in Stillaguamish Valley which is a neighbor of our Skykomish Valley. Same Snohomish County, but different county districts. Below is some information about Hampton of Darrington, that has a big significance for Wallace Falls State Park (WFSP) in Skykomish Valley:
> ”Hampton Lumber of Portland acquires Banks Lumber mill”, article in Oregonian/OregonLive 6-30-2016: “Access to ‘a reasonably priced timber supply’ in publicly owned forests will be essential to survival for the Banks mill”, Hampton chief executive Steve Zika said in the news release. The same applies to Hampton’s every affiliate.
> “Timber barons as Robin Hoods? Not a chance”, article in Oregonian/OregonLive 6-31-2016: “…a 20 percent increase in state forest harvest and revenue would increase the county budget by less than 1 percent. Oregon Employment Department data indicate that increasing harvest does not proportionally align with an increase in timber jobs. This is in large part due to timber mill mechanization but also the choice by many logging companies to ship raw logs overseas for processing.”
> Darrington Collaborative brings together stakeholders from the community of
A closer look at a more ecologically resilient forest and ecologically sustainable timber harvest, Skykomish River Valley, WA
Darrington, WA, the conservation community, members of the local Darrington timber industry, Darrington STEM youth education programs and representatives from federal, state and local government around shared goals of increasing ecologically sustainable timber harvest under the Northwest Forest Plan on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest in the Darrington vicinity while improving the ecological functioning of our forests and watersheds. Ultimately, the purpose is to show we can simultaneously create a more ecologically resilient forest, provide for increased, sustainable timber harvests on the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest near Darrington, and provide economic benefits to the community of Darrington and educational opportunities for Darrington’s youth through the STEM program.
Recreation and tourism industry is as important for the local economy as the lumber industry. If you have concerns for Hampton Lumber Company or any other company overriding recreational and tourism priorities in the area of Wallace Falls State Park (WFSP) in Skykomsih Valley, please direct your concerns to:
Dave Somers, Snohomish County Executive dave.somers@co.snohomish.wa.us
Nate Nehring, Rep of District 1 (includes Darrington) nate.nehring@snoco.org
Brian Sullivan, Rep of District 2, County Council Chair brian.sullivan@snoco.org
Stephanie Wright, Rep of District 3, Council Vice-Chair stephanie.wright@snoco.org
Terry Ryan, Rep of District 4 terry.ryan@snoco.org
Sam Low, Rep of District 5 (includes Sky Valley and WFSP) sam.low@snoco.org
Dan Rankin, Mayor of Darrington darmayordan@gmail.com
Snohomish County, Map of Districts
- Latest research shows that reverse osmosis (RO) is the best and only water-filtration
method for removal of pharmaceuticals, pesticides and other contaminants. An under-sink RO system costs $150-350. It can save you thousands of dollars in medical bills and improve your quality of life.
iSpring RCC7 WQA Gold Seal Certified 5-Stage Reverse Osmosis Drinking Water Filter System – 75 GPD $167 on Amazon. Free shipping. 5 out of 5 stars. 2400 reviews.
- Every year tree farming companies aerially spray herbicides similar to Roundup on tree farms in Skykomish Valley and beyond to control unwanted vegetation. These toxic sprays take place after clearcutting, in the spring and in the fall. They can cause toxic air and water drift and potentially contaminate drinking water sources. You can find more information at our website Chemical Spraying page. There are Washington State laws against pollution of drinking water sources:
Chapter 35.88 RCW “Water Pollution—Protection From”
RCW 70.54.010 “Polluting Water Supply – Penalty”
What to do before, during and after toxic aerial spraying
If you have concerns about toxic aerial sprays, pollution of drinking water sources, and/or suspect toxic water/air drift, please look for contact information for authorities at our website svena.org.
- In order to move towards our goal of safer, cleaner, healthier, more beautiful Skykomish River Valley, we started a new page at our website Eco-friendly Products and Practices. At this moment it has a recipe for an alternative to toxic yard-care products such as Roundup. Your ideas are welcome. We will include them on this page. Please send your suggestions to svenaofsky@gmail.com.
- Please take a couple of minutes and check the latest FPAs for Sky Valley (Forest Practice Applications) and more info for FPAs. Please look out for your neighborhood in terms of logging and toxic chemical spraying that can affect your and your family’s health, safety, and value of your property and business. More info is in three simple steps for becoming an FPA reviewer.
- SVENA is working to bring a substantial value and benefit to the Skykomish Valley. Please support our efforts and visit SVENA website, become a sponsor or a member, join our Facebook Group, or simply click on a “Like” button on our Facebook page. Please spread the word, share this page with your family, friends and neighbors, let us know if you have questions / economic, public health or environmental concerns / interesting facts or photos, if you would like to add
someone to the mailing list or to opt out of receiving SVENA updates.
Warm regards,
Inessa Pearce
President
SVENA (Skykomish Valley Environmental & Economic Alliance)
svena.org
Welcome to SVENA! 