No question, support is growing.  A letter received today offers a great example. From the letter:

"Thus UW Bothell considers the conservation of North Creek Forest as a key asset to the region, city and UW Bothell's current and future students and faculty." Kenyon S. Chan, Chancellor

It is important to read the whole letter. It notes many of the attributes North Creek Forest makes available to students and the public if conservation is successful. Go to our 'Endorsements Page' for the full text. While you are there we highly recommend that you look through the expanding list.

The organization at the top, Northwest Earth Institute, offers classes designed for neighborhoods and communities. The classes are inspiring and a great way to meet others in your community.

The University of Washington Bothell is unique. One of the fastest growing campuses, UWB is poised to become a national leader is sustainability. And, with it's 52 acres of wetlands, a salmon stream and possible access to an upland forest habitat, it is a magnet for students and faculty who seek answers to some of our most pressing questions.

The Sustainability Organization of the UW Bothell and Cascadia CC is an organization of students who, with faculty guidance, are engaging a mission to create some of the most sustainable campus systems found anywhere. They have offered hundreds of hours of annual service to restore forest habitat damaged by erosion and invasive species. They recognize the value of a "walk to" outdoor laboratory.

The Tulalip Tribes letter from Derek Marks echos a history of sustainable living. We find ourselves today looking for ways to restore Chinook Salmon runs that were stable for 10,000 years. The 33 square mile watershed of North Creek is now 49% impervious to water. Negative effects on salmon begin at 15%. Conservation of North Creek Forest will protect filtering and cooling services nature offers us for free.

The Central Puget Sound Chapter, Washington Native Plants Society is a major source of information about diversity found in the forest. One of their members, Dan Paquette, lists 105 species of flora found in the forest so far. Members have offered a major pledge of annual labor to help restore native forest vegetation damaged by invasive species in North Creek Forest.

Friends of Hidden River are the people that brought Brightwater Environmental Education Center into reality. This is their Mission Statement:

The Friends of the Hidden River is an educational organization dedicated to developing and enhancing citizen understanding and action in community environmental education issues in the Puget Sound and surrounding regions. Our specific vision is to unite the community with the environment by developing viable answers to the following question, “How do we create solutions, sustainable and dynamic, that will balance the wants of our citizens with our need for a healthy environment?”  Our specific areas of emphasis are, but not limited to: Wastewater, Water, Environment and Ecology, Conservation and Stewardship, Technology, and Energy.

Take some time to see what our supporters are doing to make the world better for all of us. Go to the Endorsement Page look at the links to their work and you can see a community of interest that is broad and deep.

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Why comment here? We get lots of email offering great thoughts and ideas that should be shared. And your encouraging words are valuable to everyone so don't be shy about something you believe in! Select 'Comments' at the top right of this article.

Gratefully,
Friends of North Creek Forest

Good News!

On June 7 the Bothell City Council voted unanimously to move ahead with negotiations with the Boy Scouts of America for purchase of the first 35 acres of North Creek Forest. We are thankful to the council for their support.

The one concern expressed by some members of the council is that this be done without expending money from the city budget. Specifically, appraisal costs either need to be build in to the "deal" or must be covered by private donations. This amount is probably under $5000.

What's next?

While the city negotiates for the first 35 acres there is more work to be done. We are assisting the city's application for a grant for up to $500,000 and reaching out to the remaining land owners. The landowners have expressed interest in this work. We are seeking every possible creative solution so they can celebrate this conservation with us. This phase will now become the most active part of our work.

Please leave us a comment or ask questions by clicking on "comments" above.

Also: Check out our 'Events Page' for pending activities.

With Gratitude for Your Support,
Friends of North Creek Forest