OPINION: Updated: 2/9/2011 The Great Blue Heron is the City of Redmond's Species of Local Importance. This designation does not "protect" the species from the Critical Areas Ordinance. Development regulations still apply. The SOLI designation raises awareness of the cultural and natural value
of the species to Redmond residents and city government. B.Y.
Letter to Council President Nancy McCormick
Hi Nancy - I agree with the lady who complained at the last Council meeting that the Great Blue Heron (GBH) is indeed important to the city....for many reasons. Personally, though common across the country, I like the bird a lot and even did my senior Biology project on it in college.
My only request is the city issue a formal proclamation the heron is our "Species of Local Importance." AND, to amend the Critical Area Ordinance designation regulating the Species as law. In the three years since inception of the heron law, the ordinance has proven to have no "teeth"; yet it causes a bottleneck in land use progress on projects like the Bear Creek Pkwy Extension. If anyone watched your tortured deliberations about the Parkway extension they'd have seen the how the heron law created havoc and total confusion in your final vote. Everyone appeared to be stepping around the "heron law" - even Kim Allen and Hank Margeson.
Richard Cole told me he loves the heron and couldn't believe we no longer have active rookeries in Redmond, including the Leary Rookery across from the Saturday Market. But, without a rookery, our heron have no nest where they can "come home" and have chicks. When our city consultant from Berger Associates, Guy Michealson, told us that the Leary Rookery had no active nests, I was shocked too. I asked Cathy Beam, our environmental planner and she concurred with Guy. She said it wasn't the higher densities but the crows and eagles from Lake Sammamish that drove heron away. Sad. But, what law can stop that? I asked about the Safeway "rookery" and the one east of Avondale. Richard Cole asked about Keller Farm. No active nests there either, according to Cathy. In disbelief, I visited all the sites. They looked "dead" with no white excrement, no heron visible in the trees and few if any inactive nests. If anyone doubts me contact cbeam@redmond.gov. "Our" heron migrates to Redmond waterways and forests from rookeries outside the city limits to forage for food. They come to forage for fish sand small mammals, not to nest. Please ask Mr. McGruder of the the Audubon Society, too.
Guy, our consultant from Berger Associates sees the Leary "rookery" absent of heron colonies and as a uniform forest remnant. I see it as having potential for a trail tying the Burlington Northern Corridor trails to the Haida House Park. Wouldn't that be nice to walk through a forest to a city park in downtown Redmond after shopping at the Saturday Market? This city feature is out with the heron law.
Finally, I think we are fooling ourselves to ask developers to trace a heron sighting on a plat back to a "nest" in a Redmond rookery that doesn't exist e.g. Pearce PRD. Everytime council discusses any property or project near a heron siting they have to do a political tap dance. Let's take our officials off the hook and be honest with ourselves!
The bottom line is we can still honor our beautiful, graceful "Great Blue" and symbol of our city without having to be burdened by agency regulations and law. Nancy, I ask you to proclaim our Great Blue Heron as a Species of Local Importance and amend the ordinance.
Beside our heron, I hope you will honor the green riparian habitat bordering our creeks and Sammamish waterways in which our Great Blue Heron (and salmon)forage for food. The city spends millions of dollars restoring our riparian habitat. Millions. Our urban forest habitat is being decimated. Nancy, proclaim Riparian habitat as Locally Important, too!
OPINION by Bob Yoder
Internet photo
of the species to Redmond residents and city government. B.Y.
Letter to Council President Nancy McCormick
Hi Nancy - I agree with the lady who complained at the last Council meeting that the Great Blue Heron (GBH) is indeed important to the city....for many reasons. Personally, though common across the country, I like the bird a lot and even did my senior Biology project on it in college.
My only request is the city issue a formal proclamation the heron is our "Species of Local Importance." AND, to amend the Critical Area Ordinance designation regulating the Species as law. In the three years since inception of the heron law, the ordinance has proven to have no "teeth"; yet it causes a bottleneck in land use progress on projects like the Bear Creek Pkwy Extension. If anyone watched your tortured deliberations about the Parkway extension they'd have seen the how the heron law created havoc and total confusion in your final vote. Everyone appeared to be stepping around the "heron law" - even Kim Allen and Hank Margeson.
Richard Cole told me he loves the heron and couldn't believe we no longer have active rookeries in Redmond, including the Leary Rookery across from the Saturday Market. But, without a rookery, our heron have no nest where they can "come home" and have chicks. When our city consultant from Berger Associates, Guy Michealson, told us that the Leary Rookery had no active nests, I was shocked too. I asked Cathy Beam, our environmental planner and she concurred with Guy. She said it wasn't the higher densities but the crows and eagles from Lake Sammamish that drove heron away. Sad. But, what law can stop that? I asked about the Safeway "rookery" and the one east of Avondale. Richard Cole asked about Keller Farm. No active nests there either, according to Cathy. In disbelief, I visited all the sites. They looked "dead" with no white excrement, no heron visible in the trees and few if any inactive nests. If anyone doubts me contact cbeam@redmond.gov. "Our" heron migrates to Redmond waterways and forests from rookeries outside the city limits to forage for food. They come to forage for fish sand small mammals, not to nest. Please ask Mr. McGruder of the the Audubon Society, too.
Guy, our consultant from Berger Associates sees the Leary "rookery" absent of heron colonies and as a uniform forest remnant. I see it as having potential for a trail tying the Burlington Northern Corridor trails to the Haida House Park. Wouldn't that be nice to walk through a forest to a city park in downtown Redmond after shopping at the Saturday Market? This city feature is out with the heron law.
Finally, I think we are fooling ourselves to ask developers to trace a heron sighting on a plat back to a "nest" in a Redmond rookery that doesn't exist e.g. Pearce PRD. Everytime council discusses any property or project near a heron siting they have to do a political tap dance. Let's take our officials off the hook and be honest with ourselves!
The bottom line is we can still honor our beautiful, graceful "Great Blue" and symbol of our city without having to be burdened by agency regulations and law. Nancy, I ask you to proclaim our Great Blue Heron as a Species of Local Importance and amend the ordinance.
Beside our heron, I hope you will honor the green riparian habitat bordering our creeks and Sammamish waterways in which our Great Blue Heron (and salmon)forage for food. The city spends millions of dollars restoring our riparian habitat. Millions. Our urban forest habitat is being decimated. Nancy, proclaim Riparian habitat as Locally Important, too!
OPINION by Bob Yoder
Internet photo
Hi Bob,
ReplyDeleteIn response to your request at our August 19th meeting to declare riparian habitat of local importance I have been talking with Rob, Cathy, and the Mayor. All are in agreement that we can do a proclamation as a follow-up to your request and our shorelines update and I believe Cathy is working on that for a future meeting.
I don't see Council amending the critical areas ordinance as it pertains to the Blue Heron, even though for now the birds seem to have left our city for Issaquah. From Cathy: The CAO does not required an "extra" level of protection because of this designation. However, Great Blue Heron are a State Priority Species, and as such, we defer to WDFW PHS Management Recommendations.
By the way, I did receive your notes several weeks ago -- thank you. Also, Don Norman is the expert we use for herons.
Nancy
Council President Nancy McCormick