MUKILTEO — Snohomish County Business Watch plans to offer training this spring for business professionals about what to do in case of a mass-shooting.
The training costs $5 and is planned for 11:30 a.m. April 16 at Mukilteo City Hall,11930 Cyrus Way.
“The training is geared toward businesses but has an overall common theme that is applicable to everyone,” Mukilteo crime prevention officer Cheol Kang said.
Speakers are set to include Everett police officer Eddie Golden and Stillaguamish tribal police officer Matt Nelson.
People interested in attending should RSVP to rsvp@thescbw.org or via the group[‘]s Facebook page. Lunch is included.
Additional training is planned later this year regarding disaster preparedness and preventing cybercrime and identity theft.
Some neighbors have used barges and boats to remove salvaged materials from their houses at Mission Beach. The residents have to remove their homes and be off the Tulalip Tribes property by the end of March. Photo: Dan Bates / The Herald
TULALIP — For 50 years, Jaime Erickson’s family has been spending summers and weekends at their cabin on scenic Mission Beach.
Bruce Agnew’s family has had a cabin on the beach since 1925.
Mike Carey’s in-laws have had a place there for 90 years.
None of them own the beachfront property on which their cabins sit, however. They’ve been leasing the land from the Tulalip Tribes, and the tribes want it back.
The 24 tenants had to be out by the end of December and the cabins have to be gone by the end of March. The buildings — some basic, some funky, some quaint — are being taken apart and torn down, one by one.
“We’re all real sad. It’s a lot of memories,” said Erickson, 55, whose full-time home is in Everett.
The quarter-mile section of beach is located southeast of Tulalip Bay, below 59th Street NW, also called Mission Beach Heights Road.
The cabins are built right on the beach, up against a steep slope. Most of the bank has been eroding for years and slides have been an issue, Tulalip spokeswoman Francesca Hillery said.
The tenants, most of them on long-term leases of up to 30 years, were given notice in 2005 that they had to be out by the end of 2012 — more than seven years ahead of time, Hillery said. They were sent reminder notices again in June, she said.
The leases stipulated that any structures on the property be removed at the renters’ expense when the lease expires, Hillery said. The leases also were intentionally timed to end simultaneously, she said.
The tribes haven’t yet decided what to do with the beach but the most likely choice is to restore it to a natural state, Hillery said.
“The likelihood of doing anything other than restoring the beach doesn’t look good because of the instability of the slopes” and because of salmon recovery efforts, she said.
Hillery declined to comment on whether the public would have access to the beach if it is restored.
Erickson said the leases had been renewed so many times over the years that few thought they’d actually have to leave.
“Everyone’s in denial,” she said. “I never believed it.”
Residents said there is some anger about the situation, but at the same time, they understand the property isn’t theirs.
“A lease is a lease, unfortunately,” said Carey, who lives in Bellingham. “It is what it is.”
Only a few of the tenants live at the beach full time, Erickson said. For most, the homes are part-time dwellings. Still, the families have spent so much time at their cabins over the years that leaving and tearing them down is difficult.
“The tribe has been working with us very closely but the reality is my family has been there since 1925,” said Agnew, a former Snohomish County Council member. “Tribal members who are very family-oriented can certainly understand the tragedy in losing a place we’ve had since 1925 with irreplaceable family memories.”
The beach has a significant, colorful history.
The beach was named for a Catholic missionary church established nearby in the earliest years of the reservation, in 1858 by the Rev. E.C. Chirouse, according to Snohomish County historian David Dilgard.
In later years, the atmosphere at the beach was anything but pious.
Agnew, who grew up in Everett, said that early in the 20th century, his great-grandfather and others frequented fishing shacks on Mission Beach.
“The mining and fishing barons of Everett would go over and play cards and get away from their families,” he said. “They’d take tugboats out there and drink and gamble and carouse away from the watchful eye of their families on Rucker Hill.”
That tradition did not quite die out, according to Erickson.
The wooden decks on most of the homes ran together.
“It was just one big family. Everybody walked the deck and had cocktails with each other,” she said. “It was a fun, fun beach.”
The strip of sand boasts southwestern exposure with sweeping views of Whidbey Island, Hat Island, Possession Sound and Everett.
“The best time to be out there was with the storms and the connection with nature, the wild storms and tides,” said Agnew, who now lives on Mercer Island. “Where else do you find white sandy beach 45 minutes from downtown Seattle without railroad tracks in front and without a ferry to take? There’s no substitute for it.”
Some of the tenants are paying Carey, who has a construction business, to tear down their cabins with an excavator. He said most are paying him between $9,000 and $11,000.
Friends, relatives, acquaintances and charity groups have been salvaging fixtures and appliances, according to Erickson.
“It’s kind of a free-for-all. Everyone’s just coming out here and taking what they want,” she said.
Some are having their places taken down piece by piece and hauled away by boat.
“I’ve worked down here for 30 years on people’s places that I’m tearing down,” Gary Werner, of Lake Stevens said.
“I’m taking apart stuff I built for people.”
Agnew said it will be easier for tenants to accept their loss if the beach is restored to a natural condition.
“Anything other than that would be really sad,” he said.
Hillery said the tribes understand the families’ emotional connection to the beach. Tribal members also feel a connection, she said.
“It’s ancestral land,” she said. “It’s a very important cultural area to the tribe.”
Indian Country Today Media Network Staff, February 13, 2013
Having mentioned climate change in his inaugural address, President Barack Obama devoted a brief section to the crisis in his State of the Union message on February 12. Though cloaked in talk of energy independence, it did put the issue of Mother Earth’s changing climate squarely on the shoulders of Congress and the presidency.
The news stories are legion by now: melting ice and liquefying glaciers; fierce nor’easters and hurricanes moving farther north than ever before; drought in the southwest and the heartland; dropping water levels in the Great Lakes and major rivers; increased wildfires, with more to come; certain diseases increasing in both humans and animals; rising waters in the Pacific Northwest and in Alaska, and a proliferation of greenhouse gases fueled partly by melting permafrost.
“Now, it’s true that no single event makes a trend,” President Barack Obama said in his State of the Union speech on February 12. “But the fact is, the 12 hottest years on record have all come in the last 15. Heat waves, droughts, wildfires, floods—all are now more frequent and more intense. We can choose to believe that Superstorm Sandy, and the most severe drought in decades, and the worst wildfires some states have ever seen were all just a freak coincidence. Or we can choose to believe in the overwhelming judgment of science—and act before it’s too late.”
He exhorted Congress to put partisan politics aside and tackle the issues emerging in this changing environment.
“I urge this Congress to get together—pursue a bipartisan, market-based solution to climate change, like the one John McCain and Joe Lieberman worked on together a few years ago,” Obama said. “But if Congress won’t act soon to protect future generations, I will. I will direct my Cabinet to come up with executive actions we can take, now and in the future, to reduce pollution, prepare our communities for the consequences of climate change, and speed the transition to more sustainable sources of energy.”
Environmentalists lauded the speech and its attention to climate change, citing the decisive nature of the actions that Obama will take if Congress sits by. But it was not lost on them that his speech, by focusing mainly on energy independence, left open the door to approval of the Keystone XL pipeline.
“The Sierra Club thanks President Obama for his strong words in his State of the Union address, and we applaud his vow to prioritize innovative climate solutions, including investments in jobs-producing solar and wind energy as well as a focus on energy and fuel efficiency,” Sierra Club executive director Michael Brune said in a statement.
“These are critical steps forward in the fight against climate disruption, but that progress would be rolled back by more destructive oil drilling and gas fracking, and the burning of toxic tar sands,” Brune said. “President Obama has the authority to create a robust clean energy economy and lead the world on climate solutions. He also has the executive power to reject the dirty Keystone XL pipeline, stop natural gas exports, reject trade agreements that put our air and water at risk, put an end to destructive Arctic drilling, and hold polluters accountable for their pollution. He has our full support to wield that power, and we will push him every step of the way to ensure a safer future for Americans.”
The Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) noted the way Obama made adapting to and preventing climate change a cornerstone of economic policy. NRDC President Frances Beinecke applauded Obama’s “assertive agenda for reducing dangerous carbon pollution more broadly, promising to lead a national effort to cut energy waste in half by 2030 and advance our use of renewable power,” she said in a statement.
“Unchecked climate change endangers our environment, our communities, our health, and our economy,” Beinecke added. “It demands a comprehensive approach, and President Obama laid out some of the most critical elements of such an approach on Tuesday night.”
All Nations Rising in Indian Country (Save Wiyabi)
Jessica Danforth, February 14, 2013; Source: Indian Country Today Media Network
February 14 has significance for many different people—Valentine’s Day, V-Day (a global activist movement to end violence against women and girls), and now 1 Billion Rising. But in Indian Country for more than 20 years, it’s always been a strategic day to organize, resist and unite in song to demand action.
The year 2013 marks the 22nd annual Women’s Memorial March, started in the downtown Eastside of Vancouver to honor the lives of missing and murdered women. Now with a global reach and ripples of determination to organize that can be felt across Turtle Island, the marches have become critical in ensuring violence from the state, including systemic, structural, and institutional violence, does not go unaccounted for.
Audrey Huntley, one of the founders of No More Silence who have been organizing the memorial marches in Toronto for the last 8 years shared this context on a recent blog for Battered Women’s Support Services: “We choose to come together at police headquarters in order to highlight the impunity that Canada affords killers of poor and marginalized women—women not deemed worthy of state protection and Indigenous women targets of the genocidal policies inherent to a settler state. We do not ask for the state’s permission in doing so and instead honour the sovereignty of the Indigenous peoples that have shared the caretaking responsibilities of this land for thousands of years.”
“Indigenous women remain targets for violence(s) as we have been since the European invasion. For me and for Families of Sisters in Spirit, the focus always starts with and goes back to the voices of Indigenous women and families and what is happening in our everyday lives under colonialism. We are the ones living it, and we are the ones who know what is best for our families, communities and Nations. It is meaningless if our actions are not led by us.” Colleen Cardinal, Plains Cree from Treaty 6, Saddle Lake Alberta, with Families of Sisters in Spirit (FSIS).
As Colleen Cardinal says, it is crucial that events on February 14 realize this historical legacy but also the long legacy of Indigenous women leading, organizing and mobilizing events to rise up against the violence. And with that, 2013 has also seen the creation of “All Nations Rising in Indian Country” started by the Save Wiyabi Project:
“My co-founder; Jessa Rae Growing Thunder, decided we needed to put out a call to action to Indian Country to rise on V-day, because what better way for us as people to stop violence against us than to dance it away. Dancing is how we heal, pray, socialize and tell stories so it’s important for us to include our voice in 1 Billion Rising. All Nations Rising was created so people could find out what events were happening in their community, or post their events for others to see.” Lauren Chief Elk, co-founder of Save Wiyabi Project.
So whether you’ve been marching for the last 22 years or are just beginning to dance this year, may the love, legacy and actions of February 14 be a time to remember that you are not alone. We’re rising with you.
Jessica Danforth is the founder and executive director of the Native Youth Sexual Health Network that works across the United States and Canada in the full spectrum of sexual and reproductive health by and for Indigenous youth.
The Atlanta Braves have announced that the team won’t be wearing hats featuring the “screaming Indian” logo in the upcoming baseball season after all.
When designs for the batting practice caps for all 30 Major League Baseball teams were released in December, the Braves’ cap instantly drew criticism for its use of a logo many Native Americans find offensive. The “screaming Indian” or “screaming savage” image had not been seen on a Braves uniform since 1989, and most baseball fans considered it retired, for understandable reasons.
Word I’m hearing through the grapevine is that last week’s ESPN column on MLB’s new BP caps generated so much controversy and backlash against the Braves’ “screaming Indian” design that the team may end up switching to another cap logo. If that happens, expect MLB to issue lots of revisionist-history talking points about how the Indian design was just “one option we were exploring” and that it was “in development but never finalized” and that the Braves simply “opted to go in another direction” or some such. But take it from me: That design was (and, for now, still is) good to go. As of today, it’s listed in the MLB Style Guide. If the Braves ultimately abandon it, it’ll be because they responded to the backlash, period. Which, of course, is precisely what they should do. Here’s hoping.
An article posted to the Braves official site on MLB.com yesterday makes it official: The batting practice cap will be adorned with the script “A” logo, not the Indian head. Although the Braves did (as Lukas predicted) say that the design given to the sports press was not final, the MLB.com reporter acknowledged that the design was controversial. In a post at ESPN.com, Lukas says the Braves explanation “doesn’t ring true.”
(Everett, WA) — On Feb. 7, over 80 United Way volunteers and staff attended the 7th annual United Ways of Washington Lobby Day. United Way of Snohomish County had more than 20 volunteers and staff travel to Olympia to participate in the annual event. “This is going to be a challenging legislative session,” said Katrina Ondracek, Vice President of Public Policy and Community Initiatives for United Way of Snohomish County. “By lobbying, we are ensuring that our priorities are heard, and the issues facing our county are addressed.”
This year’s legislative agenda focuses on early learning, hunger, homelessness and seniors.
The group encouraged lawmakers to support several programs related to its agenda, including:
The Washington Kindergarten Inventory of Developing Skills (WaKIDS)
Increasing the number of ECEAP slots
Protecting and funding the Housing Trust Fund
Ensuring long-term care options for the aging population
Promoting financial education by creating financial education standards for the common core standards for English language and math
The delegation also urged lawmakers to maintain Senior Citizens Services Act funding, restore funding to State Food Assistance Program (SFA), and increase funding for Emergency Food Assistance Program (EFAP).
The delegation, in addition to Ondracek and United Way staff included Rich White, Patrick Pierce and Dennis Kendall, members of United Way’s Public Policy Committee; board members Josh Estes, Jackie Rae and Jim Litz; and community volunteers Tiffany Litz and Donna Wilson.
The group met with Senators Rosemary McAuliffe, Kirk Pearson, Barbara Bailey, Steve Hobbs, Nick Harper, and Paul Shin, as well as Representatives Norma Smith, Mike Sells, Hans Dunshee, Ruth Kagi, Derek Stanford, John McCoy, Elizabeth Scott, Cindy Ryu, Dan Kristiansen, Marko Liias, and Dave Hayes. The group also shared information with the legislative assistants for Sen. Maralyn Chase and Representatives Mary Helen Roberts and Mike Hope.
OLYMPIA, Wash. — A measure modeled on a new Utah law would add a potential drug testing requirement to those seeking family welfare benefits in Washington state, but would allow them to continue receiving money while seeking treatment as long as they stay drug-free.
The bill will have its first public hearing before a Senate committee Thursday. It would require applicants whom case workers have determined have a drug problem to undergo a drug test and participate in a treatment program to receive the monthly cash grant that is part of the state’s temporary assistance for needy families program, known as TANF.
“I think taxpayers want to make darn sure the money is going for groceries for the kids and not for dope,” said Sen. Don Benton, a Republican from Vancouver who is sponsoring the Senate bill. “I think the taxpayers have a right to confirm that. “
Though the numbers vary year by year, as of June, between 121,000 and 134,000 people received an average monthly payment of $373 through TANF. To be eligible, applicants must either have a child or be pregnant and meet certain income requirements. For example, a family of three that has earnings of less than $955 each month would be eligible for cash assistance from TANF.
Washington is among nearly two dozen states that have introduced bills this year to require some form of drug testing for public assistance recipients, according to Rochelle Finzel with the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Seven states have such laws on the books, but some that have passed blanket welfare drug-testing laws have faced legal challenges amid constitutional concerns.
Florida passed a welfare drug-testing program in 2011, but it’s on hold after a challenge from the American Civil Liberties Union. The 11th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is reviewing the case. The implementation of a law passed by Georgia last year also is on hold, with officials there saying they’re awaiting the outcome of the Florida case.
In 1999, a drug-testing program in Michigan was halted after five weeks and eventually ended with an appeals court ruling it was unconstitutional.
Additional states require individuals with felony drug convictions to comply with drug-testing requirements to be eligible for assistance. Others, including Washington State, have an interview screening process that does not include a drug test, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures.
Republican Rep. Jan Angel of Port Orchard has introduced a companion bill to the Senate measure in the House. She said that because of the constitutional issues raised in other states, she modeled her bill on the measure approved last year in Utah, which requires only those shown through a questionnaire to have a “reasonable likelihood” that they’re using drugs to take a drug test.
As in the Washington state measure, applicants in Utah who fail the drug test can continue receiving benefits while seeking treatment. Utah’s law took effect in August.
“I look at this as two sides of a coin,” Angel said. “Help the family be able to meet their needs and feed their children, and get help to the person who needs it because of the drug addiction.”
Currently, the state Department of Social and Health Services determines during a face-to-face interview whether an applicant has a drug problem. If so, the applicant is given a referral they must attend where a determination on treatment is decided, said Babs Roberts, director of the DSHS community services division.
If the applicant fails to follow up with the referral or treatment plan, they receive reduced benefits for up to four months, during which time case managers continue to work with them. If they still don’t comply after four months, their benefits are terminated.
Roberts said some clients are drug-tested if they’re in a treatment program where testing is part of that plan.
Angel said that because there’s no state requirement for an initial drug test, “people can fall through the cracks.”
Under her measure, the Department of Social and Health Services must create a drug-testing program that would be paid for by the state.
If the applicant is assessed as having a drug problem and refuses to take the test, they are put on a probationary status and receive only a portion of their benefit for four months. After that, if they still refuse to take the drug test and receive treatment, benefits are ended and they can’t reapply for 28 days.
Applicants who agree to take the initial test and treatment would be subject to subsequent drug tests and face the same probationary period and possible termination of benefits if they fail or refuse to take the test.
Democratic Gov. Jay Inslee opposes the measure, as does the state ACLU.
Alison Holcomb, drug policy director for the ACLU of Washington, said the bill is unclear on exactly what triggers the drug testing requirement, which she says raises questions about adequate due process.
Rep. Ruth Kagi, a Democrat from Shoreline who is chairwoman of the House Early Learning and Human Services Committee, wrote in a House Democratic blog post that the measure was a “solution looking for a problem.”
“Our state can and does cut people off assistance if they have a substance abuse problem and do not get treatment,” she wrote. “Adding an actual drug test would only add cost and bureaucracy – neither of which is in the taxpayers’ best interests.”
Because Angel said her bill would not receive a hearing in the Democratic-controlled House, Benton said he offered to introduce it in the Senate, which is controlled by a Republican-leaning majority coalition that includes two Democrats.
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The drug testing measures are Senate Bill 5585 and House Bill 1190.
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Online:http://www.leg.wa.gov Follow Rachel La Corte at http://www.twitter.com/RachelAPOly or http://www.facebook.com/news.rachel
Members of the Washington Stealth lacrosse league introduce the game of lacrosse to members of the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club.
By Kim Kalliber TulalipNews writer; photo by Jeannie Briones, TulalipNews staff
The sound of clashing sticks echoed throughout the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club as kids, club staff and members of Everett’s Washington Stealth lacrosse league took part in the exciting sport of lacrosse. Members of Washington Stealth paid a visit to the club on February 11th to teach the kids not only the game of lacrosse, but its history and Native American cultural identity, along with the importance of staying physically fit in order to combat obesity, an issue that is prominent in children across America.
The history of Lacrosse
Lacrosse, a word that means “stick,” is one of the oldest team sports in North America, and can be traced to tribal games played by eastern tribes and some Plains Indian tribes in what is now known as Canada. The sport was well established with Europeans by the seventeenth century, and was documented by Jesuit priests.
Traditional lacrosse games were often major events, lasting several days, with as many as 100 to 1,000 men from various villages or tribes playing against each other in a single game. These large number of players would swarm a ball, which could not be touched by hands, and maneuver it across an open field.
Medicine Men served as coaches and women traditionally served refreshments. Games were followed with a ceremonial dance and a large feast to honor the hungry players.
Early lacrosse balls were often made of wood or deerskin stuffed with hair, and the sticks resembled a giant wooden spoon, without netting. No protective gear was worn during traditional lacrosse games.
Blue Pony Lacrosse
Washington Stealth have partnered with Blue Pony Lacrosse, a program dedicated to rejuvenating lacrosse in Native American culture and teaching the history and importance of the game to Natives.
“It is grounded in tradition. It is an Indigenous Native sport, originally part of the medicine game of the Iroquois. We want to start a foundation of understanding more than just the sport, but the spiritually and cultural history behind the sport itself,” said Dave Waterman, Native American Liaison for Washington Stealth. “We will move on to contemporary lacrosse, which is what you see today. Hopefully this will initiate some interest in the youth and in the community.”
For centuries the Iroquois have played the “Creators Game,” sending the message that the game is a symbol of unity, health, and the power of the good mind; it’s message transcends territory, boundary and time, manifesting through the players, representing honor and respect of all people, generating a gift of healing so all people may have peace of mind.
Blue Pony co-sponsored a resolution at the 1996 National Congress of the American Indian, which designated “The Creator’s Game.” Part of this resolution states, “the involvement of Indian Lacrosse with young people may go a long way towards solving the problems faced by Indians in dominant culture schools, the lack of respect for Native culture and history, coupled with racism and an expectation of failure.”
Sticks 2 Schools
Not only are they working to teach the origins and culture of lacrosse, members of Washington Stealth are also educating children about the dangers of obesity, through a partnership with Sticks 2 Schools.
Sticks 2 Schools is a non-profit corporation that helps combat child obesity by motivating youth to increase their level of physical activity while learning to play lacrosse. Since many schools can’t afford additional physical education programs and equipment, Sticks 2 Schools, through corporate sponsors and private donors, has introduced co-ed lacrosse in over 100 elementary, middle and high schools in the Greater San Francisco Bay Area of California, and since 2010, twenty schools in the Greater Seattle area.
Tulalip Boys & Girls Club member Dakota Fisher has fun learning the game of lacrosse.
“The overlying message is to fight childhood obesity, but so much more comes out of it. They learn leadership skills and communication within their own peer groups,” said Chris Kelley, Manager of Service and Retention for Washington Stealth and lacrosse coach for Mukilteo High School.
“I think the game of lacrosse is a great outlet for the kids to promote the importance of an active, healthy lifestyle while celebrating the history and heritage behind the sport in Native culture,” said Chris
McElroy, Washington Stealth team member.
Let the games begin
Washington Stealth members arrived at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, packing equipment, knowledge and team spirit to share with Club kids and staff. Kids were taught the importance of wearing proper helmets and elbow and chin pads and were introduced to the latest sporting equipment. Thanks to modern technology, sticks now increase the pace of the game.
After a pre-game warm-up, the kids got to test their newly learned skills on the court.
Tulalip Boys & Girls Club member Andrea Parrish learns she’s a natural at lacrosse.
The objective of the game is to score by shooting the ball into an opponent’s goal, using the lacrosse stick to catch, carry, and pass the ball. The defense tries to keep the opposing team from scoring and to gain control of the ball through the use of stick checking and body contact or positioning. The game can be played on an outdoor field or indoor court.
“I was born to do this!” said Tulalip Boys & Girls Club member, Andrea Parrish, who proved to be a natural at the game.
As a special surprise, the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club received a gift of 50 lacrosse sticks. The sticks were originally donated to the Sticks 2 Schools program, which passed them on to Tulalip in order to increase the interest in lacrosse among Native American youth.
Unsure of what the future holds for lacrosse at the Tulalip Boys & Girls Club, Don Hatch III, Athletic Director for the club said, “I hope our kids grasp onto this sport; I want them to give it a shot. We are more than just a basketball club now; we have soccer, t-ball, baseball, and football.”
A gray whale has been sighted near Mission Beach at Tulalip, about a month before the first of a group of migratory whales usually shows up.
Kathie Roon, who lives at the beach, said she saw a whale offshore Monday morning while walking her dog. Roon saw several spouts and the fluke come out of the water, she said.
Gray whales visit Possession Sound and Port Susan on their annual trip from Mexico to Alaska, usually between March and May, experts say. Normally about a dozen stop over, according to John Calambokidis of Olympia-based Cascadia Research. About six of them are the same whales every year and about six are different, as identified by photos, he said.
Mansion in Mukilteo recalled: The history of Mukilteo’s first mansion is the topic for a meeting of the Mukilteo Historical Society on Thursday.
The home’s current owner, Alan Zugel, is to talk about his house at the meeting, scheduled for 7:15 p.m. in the Fowler Room at the Rosehill Community Center, 304 Lincoln Ave. The house was built in the early 1900s for the manager of the Crown Lumber Co., according to the historical group.
The meeting is open to the public and refreshments are planned.
Alpacas on display: The Alpaca Association of Western Washington plans to hold their second annual Valentine’s weekend Herdsire Review from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday at the Evergreen State Fairgrounds, 14405 179th Ave SE, Monroe. Some of the best alpaca herdsires available for breeding in Western Washington will be on display for local alpaca farms to observe and schedule breeding dates for their females.
This year’s event has expanded to include an Alpaca Pen Sale and Fiber Market so that the public can see and buy alpaca products as well as alpacas. Admission is free. For more information, go to www.alpacawa.org or call 206-510-0434.
The public provided more than 124,000 comments on the scope of an upcoming environmental impact statement (EIS) for a proposed bulk-cargo shipping terminal and rail spur improvements at Cherry Point, according to a preliminary count by the three agencies that conducted a recently-concluded four-month public comment period.
Form-letters or e-mails made up approximately 108,000 of the total, submitted by people who responded to 24 organized comment campaigns identified so far. The agencies received more than 16,000 uniquely worded comments. Work continues on a final comment count and breakdown.
The 121-day comment period ran from Sept. 24, 2012, to Jan. 22, 2013.
The official website, http://www.eisgatewaypacificwa.gov/, provides additional details about the scoping process, project proposals, and displays comments received.
Pacific International Terminals, a subsidiary of SSA Marine Inc. (SSA), proposes to build and operate the Gateway Pacific Terminal between Ferndale and Blaine. The terminal would provide storage and handling of exported and imported dry bulk commodities, including coal, grain, iron ore, salts and alumina. BNSF Railway Inc. proposes to add rail facilities and install a second track along the six-mile Custer Spur.
Whatcom County, the Washington Department of Ecology (Ecology), and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) together are conducting the EIS process for the proposed terminal projects and jointly will produce one EIS. Whatcom County and Ecology must follow the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA), and the Corps must follow the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA).
Scoping is a preliminary phase of the EIS process when the agencies identify potential adverse impacts and decide which of these to analyze in the EIS. The three lead agencies gathered input from other agencies, tribes and the public. After considering comments, the lead agencies will decide what should be included in the EIS.
The EIS will evaluate a reasonable range of alternatives, potentially affected resources, significant unavoidable adverse impacts of various alternatives, and explore possible means to avoid, minimize and mitigate effects of the proposals.
The three co-lead agencies hosted seven public meetings during the comment period, which drew total attendance of more than 8,700. People at the meetings submitted 1,419 hand-written comments and 1,207 verbal comments. Of the verbal comments, 865 were given in front of audiences, and 342 were recorded individually.
The agencies consider all comments on an equal basis, regardless of how people submitted them.
The joint NEPA/SEPA EIS process enables the co-lead agencies to avoid duplicated efforts where the two laws overlap, while meeting each statute’s separate requirements. Parts of the joint EIS process described on the website apply to both statutes and parts apply to one or the other.
The scoping process does not address whether the proposal should receive permits. Scoping only helps define what will be studied in the EIS. Decisions about issuing permits to construct the proposed projects will not be made until after the EIS is complete.
The co-lead lead agencies plan to issue a scoping report in the next few weeks with a thorough assessment of the comments. Then, they will review that input and issue plans later this year for a draft EIS, which may take at least a year to prepare. The lead agencies will seek public comment on the draft EIS, and then produce a final NEPA/SEPA EIS.
