With the final purchase under contract, the City of Bothell is wasting no time and we are thrilled to announce that the master plan for North Creek Forest will start in early 2017! The City has posted the RFQ for a landscape architect to facilitate this exciting project.

July was a busy month for North Creek Forest! We had 2 visits each from the Woodinville Montessori School and YMCA Quest summer camps' youths, as well as hosting two of our regular forest restoration events.

We were honored to receive a Proclamation from Mayor Rheaume and the Bothell City Council last week in support of our work to protect and steward North Creek Forest! A huge thanks to all of our friends, volunteers and supporters who helped make this possible!

CITY OF BOTHELL
PROCLAMATION
 
BRAVO Award presented to the
City of Bothell and Friends of North Creek Forest

WHEREAS Friends of North Creek Forest have played an integral part assisting the City of Bothell in preparing grant applications for acquiring land at North Creek Forest; and
 
WHEREAS Friends of North Creek Forest has invested substantial resources on behalf of the City to support successful grant applications amounting to nearly $2.8 million, which allowed the City to purchase the Forest property, including preparing and presenting three successful Land and Water Conservation Fund grants; and 
 
WHEREAS the Recreation and Conservation Office notified the City of Bothell that the most recent Land and Water Conservation Fund grant application for North Creek Forest scored #1 in the state out of sixteen applications in the Land and Water Conservation Fund; and
 
WHEREAS the Director of the Recreation and Conservation Office presented the City of Bothell and Friends of North Creek Forest with a BRAVO Award on January 19, 2016 in recognition of receiving the #1 ranking in the state; and
 
WHEREAS Friends of North Creek Forest has expended over $221,600 for forest stewardship, and supported and coordinated over 1200 volunteers contributing more than 10,900 volunteer hours since 2011 (including over 4,300 just in 2015).
 
WHEREAS FNCF has purchased tools and funded staff capable of fielding over 60 volunteers at any given forest stewardship event, and developed educational programming in North Creek Forest; and
 
NOW THEREFORE, I, Andy Rheaume, Mayor of the City of Bothell, do hereby recognize

“FRIENDS OF NORTH CREEK FOREST”
 
We encourage all citizens in the City of Bothell to support the continued efforts of Friends of North Creek Forest to preserve and enhance North Creek Forest.
 
In witness whereof, I hereunto set my hand and official seal this 2ND day of February, 2016.
 
Andy Rheaume                                                                   Laura Hathaway
Mayor                                                                                  City Clerk                

OLYMPIA – The Washington State Recreation and Conservation Funding Board will give the City of Bothell a Bravo Award on Tuesday for its outstanding project to conserve the North Creek Forest.

The City’s grant application scored Number 1 of 16 projects competing for grant funding statewide in the highly competitive Land and Water Conservation Fund program. Funded by the federal government from the sale of off-shore drilling permits, the grant program is designed to build parks and trails and other outdoor recreation areas.

Bothell will use this grant to buy up to 22 acres to complete the acquisition of the 64-acre urban forest known as North Creek Forest, which runs along Interstate 405, just south of the King-Snohomish County line. The North Creek Forest is a mature forest that filters surface water above North Creek, which is used by Chinook salmon. The forest is home to at least two priority bird species – pileated woodpecker and band-tailed pigeon. People use the forest for hiking and walking.

“The City is conserving a beautiful forest that will be enjoyed by people and wildlife alike,” said Kaleen Cottingham, director of the Recreation and Conservation Office, which administers the grant. “This is a great project and a model of visionary thinking. The City and Friends of North Creek Forest have been working for a long time to preserve this special place in the midst of a growing city. Now, for years to come, the community will have a place nearby to relax, appreciate the natural environment and recreate.”