Quite a few of us have been to meetings this year about potential Marine Recovery Areas and Sensitive Areas. These are parts of the county where there are water quality issues of one sort or another. Common to all of them are large numbers of septic systems about which nothing is known.
At the meetings we have seen these neato maps of an area where every property parcel is shown and color-coded. White means no dwelling. Red means a dwelling with no county information about the septic system. Yellow means a dwelling with county records of a septic permit and/or pump record. Green means a dwelling with county records of a valid and current septic system inspection showing it to be in good working condition.
Most of the map areas have lots of red! So, here is the fun! Dig In!
http://www.skagitcounty.net/Common/Asp/Default.asp?d=HealthEnvironmental&c=General&p=marinerecovery.htm
Hit that site and scroll down to find the Marine Recovery Area or Sensitive Area that you live in. (There are 5 of each.) Click on yours and there comes that slick color-coded map with current data. Find your parcel. Find your neighbor’s. Find your friend’s or that big mouth down the street. What is your color????? What is theirs???
Do as you please with the data, just please don’t do anything dangerous! And, if yours is not green, find a certified inspector at http://www.skagitcounty.net/HealthEnvironmental/Documents/MaintenanceSpecialistList.pdf and get that inspection done; every three years for a gravity system, every year for a mechanical deal.
Our waters will thank you!
The Local-Organization-You-Might-Want-To-Be-Involved-With this week is The National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) http://www.nols.edu/courses/locations/pacificnw/about_pnw.shtml That link takes you to the section of the NOLS website that describes the Pacific Northwest campus on Bulson Rd, just north off the Conway/Lake McMurray Rd.
NOLS founder Paul Petzoldt’s idea was simple: take people into the wilderness for an extended period of time, teach them the right things, feed them well and when they walk out of the mountains, they will be skilled leaders. The core of his idea was the extended expedition, one of sufficient length that a person could learn and practice the skills over and over again. That is the backbone of every NOLS course and today the school is widely recognized as the world’s leader in the extended expedition, from two weeks to twelve.
Since running its first expedition in 1971, NOLS Pacific Northwest has settled permanently in Conway — and you’ll quickly see why. This is the first facility designed and built specifically for NOLS courses. The spacious equipment and rations rooms, the open-air student pavilion, cozy kitchen and dining hall complete with rock wall and ping-pong table all lie under one long series of roofs to best serve expedition planning. Across the lawn, you can duck into the library to grab a book, meet other instructors prepping for a course, look at maps or check your e-mail.
When the dinner bell rings, everyone joins together from all corners of the facility – including the boat barn and shower building – to gather around the tables in the dining pavilion and discuss past, present and future adventures. The community you become part of at NOLS Pacific Northwest feels more like an extended family, largely due to the Newbury family, who have been outfitting, feeding, supporting and eating with students here since 1983.
NOLS Pacific Northwest has grown to include sea kayaking, canoeing, rock climbing, and keelboat sailing and logistical support for NOLS India.
Whether you’ll be climbing in the Oregon desert, sea kayaking the Salish Sea, hiking on the Olympic coast or mountaineering in India, NOLS Pacific Northwest offers some of the most diverse skills and environments available at the school, as well as a friendly, laid-back community who all gather to wave goodbye as your course drives away toward the wild. Quite a place and program out there in Conway.
Here are some near-term activities to consider:
Sat. August 2 Beach naturalists at Washington Park 11:00am – 1:00pm Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
Thur. August 7 104th Annual Skagit County Pioneer Association Picnic 11:00 am. Pioneer Park in LaConner BBQ Salmon Dinner-$10-at 11:15, program begins at 12:30pm. No charge or $2 annual membership fee.
Sat. August 9 Geology and History of Washington Park 10:00am – Noon Friends of Washington Park Walk and Talk Meet at new restrooms by start of loop road.
Sat. August 16 Beach naturalists at Washington Park 10:00am – Noon Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
Sat. August 16 Skagit Land Trust Annual Picnic Noon – 3:00pm Bowman Bay/Deception Pass State Park RSVP Diane by Aug 13. 360 428 7878 Optional 10:30 – 11:30 walking tour of Anacortes Community Forest Lands – call for directions.
Sat. August 16 At The Water’s Edge 11:00am – 2:00pm Rasar State Park (15 miles east of Sedro-Woolley on Cape Horn Rd.) River exploration, education and demonstrations for all ages with the Park staff and Skagit Fisheries Enhancement Group..
Sun. August 17 Beach naturalists at Bayview State Park 11:00am – 1:00pm Beach education with the WSU Beachwatchers.
Tuesday August 19 Marine Recovery Area Proposal Public Hearing 9:30 a.m. at the Skagit County Commissioners Hearing Room, 1800 Continental Place, Mount Vernon.
Sat. August 23 Anacortes Community Wildlife Habitat Certification celebration 11:00am Fidalgo Backyard Wildlife Habitat Group At the Snag Boat Center!
Many similar events and activities and opportunities are posted on the GoSkagit Event Calendar. Check it often!
(This blog is a service of the Skagit Conservation Education Alliance (SCEA) http://www.skagitwater.org Your comments will be helpful. New ideas to consider, and changes we should make are especially welcome. Corrections and further enlightenment will help as well. You can email to . Thank you.)
