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.”

If you have been following along you probably know a $500,000 King County Conservation Futures (KCCF) grant was awarded over a year ago to help save remaining forest land in North Creek Forest. Within the last week KCCF reallocated additional funds of $181,000 and $303,000. This brings the total commitment from King County to $984,000.

All dollars from King County require a 1:1 match from another source. Toward this end the city has a Recreation and Conservation grant of $197,500 from the Land and Water fund. This enables $395,000 in purchase funds with $786,500 remaining to be matched. Our Capital Campaign to find these matching funds is about to launch.

February 26th

The Tulalip Higher Education Program brought over 40 students from the Marysville School District to meet with UW Bothell Admissions department staff Rachael Meares, Admissions Advisor and Native American Outreach, to participate at a restoration site with Friends of North Creek Forest and the UWREN program.

This event was to inform high school students from the Tulalip Tribes and Marysville School District about the UWREN program.

Prior to arrival Professor Warren Gold met with past and present members of UWREN, Friends of North Creek Forest and a Bothell City Council member. We each reflected on the value of UWREN from our unique perspectives.

Up next was a tour of UWREN sites finished in 2011-2012 and 2012-2013. Students were able to see planting designs and get a hint of the science behind those designs. They were also able to see changes from year to year.

It is not lost on some of us that up until 1855 the Sammamish People occupied this area from Kenmore to Lake Sammamish. After smallpox and a treaty halved their numbers and dislocated the rest, most Sammamish People were absorbed into the Tulalip Tribes.

We wonder if great great grandchildren of the Sammamish People were among these students, restoring native vegetation where it was once complex, rich and balanced... where Chinook salmon, once plentiful, have all but vanished.

Tulalip Higher Education and Marysville School District chaperones were pleased with the activity, “It was great to see the students learning outside of the classroom,” comments Matt Remle (Lakota), Native Liaison for the Marysville School District. UW Bothell Admissions Department’s Rachael Meares describes reaching out to community partners to collaboratively develop programs for high school student visits, “The students will remember UW Bothell because it was an experiential visit – usually, they just get flooded with PowerPoints and pamphlets at most college visits.”

We can't think of a better example of North Creek Forest serving students. It was a fulfilling day.  FNCF

Spreading mulch and rooting out the last of the Himalayan blackberries, often in mud, was our chore for the day.


We logged 127.5 hours.


Thank you for coming out. Now you know about restoration at it's most difficult stage. If you return in two weeks you will be surprised at the changes. Plants are going in and mulch is going down.

March 7

Soundview International Baccalaureate School is back. These 5th and 7th grade kids mowed down some of the last remaining blackberries on the three sites.

They are getting really good at pacing themselves. And they are very aware of safety.  Our number one responsibility to not get hurt or hurt someone else.

With a little creativity who knows...

We might discover the world is much more interesting that we realized.


[The photographer had to try this himself after everyone left. Couldn't see much but you don't know unless you try.]


From the FNCF Ranger Team:
Thank you students for your hard work!

Today was an open event and it was fit for a swimming competition. Still, we knocked down a total of 52 hours of work.

Lisa Johnson (foreground) from UWB Professor Atkinson's class has been a regular. Today Josh Lassatt (background) and Tyler Robertson showed up too.


Thanks all for your hard work in tough conditions.
FNCF

NEWS
 Today Dr. David Bain, Maximilian Dixon, UW Bothell student  and Clark Meek, Bothell Facilities and Parks Capital Project Manager approached 99% completion of a complex Land and Water Conservation grant application Due on May 2nd. It can be applied to any part of the forest in King or Snohomish County. The money for this grant comes from a tax on off shore oil wells. This was a lot of work in a very short time span. Thanks friends.

Last week we decided to apply for a Snohomish County Conservation Futures grant too. With only a week before the application deadline we at first decided it could not be done. Silly thinking.... so we worked with Bothell and assembled the whole application in a few days creating a second stir in the city in as much time. Assistant City Manager Steve Anderson was able to get a critical document approved and signed in a few hours. Clark Meek reviewed the entire application, a thick document, and we made the deadline. As in the Land and Water application the city responded to a critical time sensitive issue decisively. Thank you everyone. But don't exhale yet...

On Tuesday one more item needs to be addressed. The Land and Water grant requires the city to pass a resolution stating that land purchased with the grant will be held in conservation in perpetuity. It's more than a technicality. Failure to pass the resolution would disqualify us from the grant process. If you go to our endorsement page you will notice there are now 5 council members who have endorsed our goals including our Mayor. So please show your support for our council members as they take this next step.

EXPLORE
Go to the endorsement page and look at the second from the top endorsement that came in today. Be sure to download and read the letter. Thank you Derek Marks. This endorsement carries a lot of weight.

EVENT
Friends will be at Bastyr Earth Day Event Saturday April 30th, 9:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Come, visit and enjoy the show organized by Cascadia Environmental Science Center.

ACTION REQUEST
Come to the City Council meeting. You don't need to talk and clapping is inappropriate. You just need to be one of the people who nods approval when the vote is taken. Please join us.

Thank you Friends!
Don't forget...

May 3, 2011
6:00 PM
City Council Meeting
Municipal Court Building
10116 NE 183rd St