 Today another $200,000 was approved for purchase of land within North Creek Forest. The Snohomish County Council was unanimous. This opens the door to something that can only be called perfect timing. If you have been following this story you know we now have $600,000 committed toward this goal. The Boy Scouts of America is offering their 35 acres for $595,000. The City of Bothell is now in a position to conserve more than half of the 64 acres in perpetuity.  Most grants require that any amount awarded be matched dollar for dollar with a donation from another source. They accept "in kind" donations, meaning the value of a piece of donated property can match grant dollars.
So, we can use the 35 acres of BSA property to meet match requirements for future grants! Today everyone is a winner! Thank You, Friends of North Creek Forest
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 Another $200,000 is ready to land on North Creek Forest. If this vote is successful that will be $400,000 in seven days. The Snohomish County Council is moving quickly. On Tuesday they will vote to approve the $200,000 grant recommended by the Snohomish County Conservation Futures Board. Please come to this meeting to show your support and approval. There is no need to speak. But your presence is a way to show Council members we support their decision. Time: Tuesday May 31st, 10:30 AM Location: Henry M. Jackson Board Room 8th Floor, Robert J. Drewel Building (Administration Building East) 3000 Rockefeller, Everett. Please join us for this significant vote for North Creek Forest conservation. Thank you, Friends  photo by David Irons (see Endorsements) We are stunned. The Washington State Legislature has voted to provide $200,000 toward the purchase of North Creek Forest. We have waited for months to tell you this and today it is real. If you go to the Home Page of this web site and look at what people like you are accomplishing you will be pleased.
Representative Derek Stanford is responsible for this. Derek, we are in awe. At a time when financial pressures could be discouraging, you have guided this through to completion and it will benefit students for all future generations. These students will inherit a world where people in 2011 considered them and acted in their interests. On behalf of all Friends and supporters, we are grateful. Derek's own words understate his effort. Many thought it could not be done. “While future economic growth in our region will greatly benefit our community, we must also remember to protect our green spaces for recreation, education, and ecological benefits. Friends of North Creek Forest understands that responsibility, and they have worked tirelessly to preserve 64 acres of forest land in the heart of Bothell. That’s why I worked with them to secure capital project funds to help preserve this precious community resource that our kids will enjoy for years to come.” –State Representative Derek Stanford Well, what do you think? We would love it if you added your comment below. Friends of North Creek Forest  The power of many hands
Please help us win this grant. Friends of North Creek Forest are in the process of applying for an additional $500,000 grant. You can help. When grant approval Boards look at applications one of the key questions they ask is, “Who is going to take care of it?” The word they use is “Stewardship”. The Boards look favorably upon communities that are willing to work along with their local Parks Department to: · Build and maintain trails · Remove invasive plant species · Restore native vegetation Granting Boards count an hour of stewardship as $20. But even more… $100,000 of stewardship can help land a $500,000 grant. Counted this way, five hours of your time could have a $600 benefit for the forest. You are important. The work: Usually you only need to bring yourself. Tools, gloves, snacks, beverage and good humor are provided along with guidance from specialists. If you feel nurturing, you might plant trees. If you feel burly, you might build trails. And if you wake up ornery, you might take it out on some blackberries. Seriously, many of us have been on these teams elsewhere and the goal is to keep the pace friendly and enjoy just how much a team can do in one day. Recently three groups have offered a total of 2215 hours of labor per year. So we already have pledges for $44,300 worth of work. Please pledge. The pledge: You can pledge 5 hours or 20 hours per year or any amount you want. Just go to Explore/Contact/Events on this web site and add your pledge in our comment box. If it is a group pledge you can do the same. Or, if your group wants to write a letter to us, we will post it on our site to inspire others. Letters go to: Friends, 20111 108th Ave NE, Bothell, 98011 When? As soon as we get the forest conserved, we will start scheduling teamwork days, possibly by next summer. But we need your commitments now to help with the grant application. Ask your church, classroom, co-workers, baseball team, reading group, family and neighbors. Ask them to help conserve North Creek Forest by making a group or individual pledge. And ask them to send this to their friends. Pledges so far: Shawna McCann, Cascadia Community College Student President member of the National Society of Leadership and Success 1500 hours per year from Cascadia CC students Dan Paquette (our dedicated amateur botanist who has identified 106 species in the forest so far) Individual pledges from Central Puget Sound Chapter of the Native Plant Society 415 hours per year Maximilian Dixon, President Sustainability Organization of the UWB/CCC 300 hours per year Many hands make a miracle. Let’s make a lasting one… An urban forest for the child in all of us, And for all time. Friends of North Creek Forest  On May 9th The Snohomish County Conservation Futures Board recommended a grant award of $200,000 to be used for conservation of land withing the North Creek Forest. The grant must be formally approved by the Snohomish County Council but this is a big step for a well known and worthy cause. We will update you when they vote.
This award will be used toward purchase of 31 acres of the forest in Snohomish County. We want to give special thanks to David Gossett who has personally endorsed and championed our conservation effort and who alerted us to this opportunity. David is also a member of the Snohomish County Council. Also thank you to Dave Somers who offered good words about the North Creek Forest at the meeting. Dave is a Futures Board Member, Chair of the Snohomish County Council and, along with David Gossett, an early endorser of our goals. With the help of city staff and a quick vote by our Bothell City Council we completed the application in one week. On May 9th Friends of North Creek Forest appeared before the Conservation Futures Board and gave what might have been the most persuasive presentation yet for conserving North Creek Forest. Our spokespeople had significant standing: Woody Wheeler, owner of Conservation Catalyst is a professional nature guide and has worked with multiple organizations from Nature Conservancy to Seattle Parks. David Bain, PhD Biology, educator and Board member of Cascadia Environmental Science Center Jeanie Robinson, educator, counselor and the purchaser of 6 acres within the forest to protect it from development Patrick Ewing, who has personally endorsed our effort and advocated for conservation issues including North Creek Forest for many years. Patrick is also a member of the Bothell City Council. Thank you Friends. Great presentation! |
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