Salmon and Art On The Central Connector Trail

double click to enlarge

When walking across the Redmond Central Connector railroad trestle bridge we heard and saw salmon splashing in the Sammamish River below us. They were hard to see but persistence paid off. They migrate from August to November so there's plenty of time to see them. 

Eight panels of iron art are attached to the bridge. As you walk down the trail towards the Overlake Church these colored "boulders" welcome you for a rest. (Public Works Art?)  The entire trail is pervious and awesome for the environment but very expensive.  Low profile "street" lights line the trail.  

It was 4:15 and there was plenty of traffic.  An electric scooter zoomed by.  We saw three Limes.  Two were parked and one with a rider.  He told us he rides the Connector to Overlake then over the river and as far as the Burke-Gilman Trail.  He said it's fun!  We also saw about 3 bicyclists, a few joggers, some hikers and a couple dog walkers.  

Get out and watch those fish flip and flap!  We saw a 2 footer  jump completely out of the water!

-- Bob Yoder, 8/31/2021

"Evans Creek Relocation Project" Benefits Fish, Offers Land Use Opportunities (Part One)

 

The dotted blue line is the proposed, new channel.  The relocation increases buffer width benefiting
the fish and offers land-use development opportunities. King county lands are involved.

Project Overview

Evans Creek is a Class I stream that has been impacted by adjacent industrial development. Narrow vegetated buffers expose the stream channel to sunlight, and untreated runoff may be entering the channel. 

This project is listed in the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan.The large upstream watershed supports good wild Coho runs, provides important Chinook habitat and contains quality riparian habitat and corridor connectivity for other wildlife. The open space proposed for the new channel also contains the well-used Bear-Evans trail, and the stream project will benefit passive recreation opportunities. 

The proposed stream relocation solution involves the following:

• Reconstruct the channel to the north and east of industrial properties in open space where adequate buffers can be established.
• Reconnect the channel with floodplain wetlands and restore riparian buffer function by controlling invasive weeds and planting native riparian vegetation along the new channel.
• Install in-stream habitat structures, streambed sediment and bioengineering in the new channel to enhance hydraulics and fish habitat.
• Coordinate as needed with underlying private property owners, adjacent industrial development, and WSDOT. 
• Retain and improve the Bear Evans Trail, accommodating future expansions of the trail network to the west fostering passive recreation opportunities in the area.

-- redmond.gov

U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Assesses Fish Impact From "Evans Creek Relocation Project" (Part Two)

Upper Evans Creek
Photo/ Yoder

MAP 

The Evans Creek Relocation Project is intended to improve overall riverine processes in the lower portion of Evans Creek, increase habitat complexity within the channel, increase riparian habitat functions, and separate the lower portion of Evans Creek from existing, incompatible land uses. The City addressed potential impacts to Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) due to the project in the November 2020 Biological Assessment that was submitted with the JARPA package:

EFH for Pacific salmon, including Chinook and Coho, is present in the project action area.During construction activities in phase 2 when the new channel is connected to the existing channel, the Project would result in a temporary and localized turbidity plume. Active construction within Coho and Chinook freshwater EFH, dewatering the existing channel, and loss of less than 1 acre of rearing habitat during phase 2 construction activities resulted in an EFH effect determination of “may adversely affect EFH for Coho and Chinook salmon” in the Biological Assessment. This adverse effect is temporary and will only occur during the construction phase, when the newly constructed channel would be connected to the existing creek.

UPDATED: City Leadership Leads the Way as Redmond Solar Champions

 

Internet image:  Puget Sound

Redmond, WA –The City of Redmond launched an investment campaign this week inviting the community to purchase solar panels at the new Redmond Senior & Community Center. Community members who invest in the new building help move the building toward the carbon neutrality and environmental sustainability goals identified during the community feedback for this project.

Leading the way in this sustainability initiative and purchasing the first solar panels are Mayor Angela Birney, City Council President Tanika Padhye, Council Member Vanessa Kritzer, Chief Operating Officer Malisa Files, and city directors Carrie Hite (Parks), Dave Juarez and family (Public Works), and Carol Helland (Planning).

There are 500 solar panels available to be sponsored as an individual, family, group, or business. This gift is tax deductible and will leave a green legacy helping Redmond meet its sustainability goals. Additional opportunities to become a Founding Member in this project will launch on August 9.

“The Redmond Senior & Community Center is a legacy project that will meet a multitude of Redmond’s priorities and needs for community recreation and gathering space,” said Mayor Angela Birney. “We invite you to join us in the opportunity to be a Solar Champion and commit to Redmond’s sustainable future for generations to come.”

For additional information on the Redmond Senior & Community Center project and how to become a partner in this Community Investment Campaign, visit www.redmond.gov/RSCC.

For questions and more information, contact Communications Manager Jill Smith at jesmith@redmond.gov or 425-556-2448.

The following is financial information from a renewable energy solar company:   Sunbridge Solar of Washington State: 

• 9.4 year payback - not counting sales tax exemptions, 26% federal tax credit, and net metering potential.

-- Bob Yoder, 7/16/21

Restoring A Place Where Salmon And People Can Live Together

 Dear WRIA 8 Salmon Recovery Council and interested parties,

 We’re excited to announce that the 2020 WRIA 8 Progress Report is now available online. 

 

Jason Mulvihill-Kuntz

Salmon Recovery Manager

Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed
206-477-4780 /jason.mulvihill-kuntz@kingcounty.gov

WRIA 8 website:https://www.govlink.org/watersheds/8/

 

Please click the above Progress Report.  It is an incredible site!  Bob

Green Rooftop And Vertical Garden Building Incentives

Overlake Medical Center Pavilion

Note the patio furniture and benches

Redmond is committed to initiatives that preserve our natural resources and enhance the long-term environmental sustainability of our community. The City’s environmental programs and initiatives are concentrated in four key areas to cultivate a thriving environment; two of which are: *stormwater runoff management  and preserving and enhancing green space, the tree canopy and *natural habitat.  

Despite being a biologist and knowing the benefits of green rooftops Mayor Birney states "staff are not presently advancing policy or code development work specifically related to green roofs. The staff are focused on updating the Comprehensive Plan in its entirety....)  2/17/2021  Why is the Mayor leaving green roof policy up to staff?  Doesn't the Council set policy?  With each passing year, projects are developed in Redmond yielding literally acres of rooftop that will never be green. For a City that prides itself in environmental sustainability, the Administration is leaving the citizens behind as it races to accommodate growth. 

Incentives:  Just as we use art, height, courtyard architecture, trees and other features for project incentives we can do the same for green rooftops and vertical gardens. In the Quadrant/Proctor 10-minute community site on Willows & 124th, the Administration offered four Green development incentives.  The four options offered:  1) electric vehicle charging, 2) green roofs, 3) solar panels on the townhomes, and 4) solar panels on the community buildings. Quadrant was required to use two of the four options. If green incentives can be used at this development why not others?

It's my hope our Mayor will support Green policy guidance from our representatives and not leave everything up to the Development and Engagement office.  

-- Bob Yoder, 3/4/2021

   Sources:  Note from Mayor Birney, 2/17/2021

   Blog piece on Proctor development

   redmond.gov 

   Photo, Bob Yoder

Cackling Geese Seen On Sammamish River

Just north of the 90th Street bridge I saw a fair number of folks walking and riding bikes up and down the trail, but these "Cackling geese" paid no attention to them as they munched away on the grass.  Some folks approached fairly closely to take photos, as I did also.  The geese didn't object or scuttle away.

I had come upon them as I headed north along along the Sammamish River.  After taking a number of photos, I turned around and walked back south.  As I did so, I kept an eye on the grass growing between the trail and the river, on which the geese had been feeding.  I discovered lots of goose poop spread along this area for at least 100 yards south from where I had first encountered them.  I would guess they must have already been on the scene for close to an hour to have chewed their way through this stretch of land.

Conclusion:  Free grass clipping and free fertilizer!  What more could we ask from our feathered friends?

FYI: Cackling geese are a separate species that closely resemble Canada Geese, but are smaller in size.

[ to learn about cackling geese, go to this link: https://www.audubon.org/news/learn-tell-cackling-goose-canada-goose ]  

-- Picture and story by John Reinke, 1/17/2001

Redmond's Woonerf

This Living Street abuts Mr. Pantley's artfully painted Apartment Building "162-TEN." The street runs south on 162 Ave NE towards the Downtown park from 81st Street.

A Living Street is a street designed primarily with the interests of pedestrians and cyclists in mind.  Robert Pantley, an Eastside developer, built Redmond's first Living Street. These roads are still available for use by motor vehicles, however their design aims to reduce both the speed and dominance of motorized transport.  Vehicles drive at the same speed as pedestrians walk. This is often achieved using the shared space approach, with greatly reduced demarcations between vehicle traffic and pedestrians. These street design principles first became popularized in the Netherlands during the 1970’s, and the Dutch word “woonerf” (Living Street) is often used as a synonym for living street.

Living streets protect water quality in rivers and streams by removing up to 90% of pollutants. They replenish groundwater supplies, absorb carbon, improve air quality and neighborhood aesthetics, and provide green connections between parks and open space.  An abundance of rain gardens and trees on this street remove pollutants.  Vegetated curb extensions improve pedestrian and bicycle safety, and calm traffic. 

###

Robert Pantley is a Pacific Northwest native and deeply focused on making the region a better place for all people to live. He is a strong supporter of neighborhoods and has a focus in expanding the affordable housing options on the Eastside.

He served as a Kirkland City Council Member, Kirkland Park Board Chair, on the Redmond Code Rewrite Commission, is the past president of OneRedmond and currently focused on how to help small business recovery from Covid-19 challenges while helping current residents with the “We Care Team” that has them working on site to help cover rent and buy food while they make each property shine more from new flowers to painting doors and helping to deep clean each community. The benefits are more together communities with residents able to get to the other side of this pandemic ‘debt free’ with pride in their hearts and more smiling faces than one could imagine.

Robert’s companies, Natural and Built Environments LLC, and Muse Management have grown into a front runner in green building, becoming the Eastside’s key sustainable building company with expertise in transit use and parking realities as integral parts of successful Ten Minute Communities-TM. His companies built the Eastside’s first residential suite communities in Redmond – Tudor Manor and Vision 5, which brought very needed affordable housing to the city. Arete community that was honored to be the LEED Multifamily Project of The Year (Worldwide) in 2017, has been a two time winner of the Washington Governor’s Smart Communities Award, and an ARCH Award recipient.

He has been married to his wife Elizabeth for over 30 years and they raised their four children in Kirkland along with “Grandma.” He is a member of the Audubon Society and enjoys bird watching in his neighborhood parks, reading, and fishing with his family.

Sources:  Robert Pantley's website

                Wikipedia, 12/31/2020

"How Can We Build Greener Roads?" By Jeralee Anderson, TEDx Everett

 

Redmond Councilmember Jeralee Anderson is the CEO and Co-Founder of Greenroads International, a globally recognized nonprofit organization leading the green transformation of the transportation industry and infrastructure through education and the independent third-party sustainability certification of transportation projects. Dr. Anderson is a licensed professional engineer in Washington State and California, and was recognized in 2013 by the Obama White House as a Transportation Champion of Change for the 21st Century. In 2018, Jeralee was elected to the Redmond City Council, serves as Council Vice President, and in 2019 was appointed to serve on the Washington State Public Works Board by Governor Jay Inslee.  

-- LinkedIn, 12/19/2020

It's Salmon "Seeson!"

Excellent article and Youtube from Army Corps of Engineers.

Sockeye or Chinook? (photo, Army Corps)

You may be able to see adult coho, sockeye, and Chinook salmon in September and October from the 90th Street bridge when they migrate up the Sammamish River to their spawning grounds in Bear Creek. For best viewing, visit in the early morning or late afternoon to avoid glare and bring polarized glasses.  No. Bear Creek at Juel Park is another excellent viewing location.

The 2020 sockeye run returning through the fish ladder at the Ballard Locks is the third lowest return on record, after last year’s record low return. Sockeye are affected by the changing climate, with variable ocean conditions and warming of streams and lakes. Warmer water increases predator metabolism and consumption of juvenile salmon and makes salmon more susceptible to disease.

 

Rearing sockeye:

Juvenile sockeye rear for one or two years in a lake (Lake Sammamish and Lake Washington) although they are also found in the inlet and outlet streams of the lake. Sockeye fry are often preyed on by resident lake fish, and because they use freshwater year-round, they are susceptible to low water quality. (John Reinke.)

While average annual Chinook returns fluctuate and are well below population recovery goals, 2017 saw the second highest return to the Cedar River since before 2000 and this year, as of mid-August 2020, the count through the Ballard Locks was almost double the 10-year average. Lake Sammamish’s native kokanee population has also been in decline for the last few decades and King County and partners have recently taken emergency actions to prevent possible extinction.

Salmon are tasty and great for your health! We are so blessed to have fresh, wild salmon in our "backyard.".A quick and easy way to cook it is: place the fillet on a pan, skin down, sprinkle with olive oil and salt.  Bake for 325 degrees for about 14 minutes depending on its size.  Simply amazing!

-- Bob Yoder

Redmond Officials Urged To Declare A State Of Climate Emergency

 Dear Mayor Birney and esteemed council,

 First, while I am a member of the Redmond Parks and Trails Commission, I'm writing solely in my capacity as a resident of Redmond and a concerned parent.

 

This past week, we have seen climate catastrophe fall upon the west coast. What we saw in Australia in January is here now. Entire towns are being burned to the ground, and others evacuated due to fire danger or deadly air quality. 10% of the entire state of Oregon has either been evacuated or put on some form of evacuation notice.

 

What is worse is that climate scientists are telling us that today’s disasters will pale in comparison to what will come. We no longer have the luxury of time. We can no longer think that this is an issue for the future, that we can take small steps. The timeline for action, not just planning, needs to be months instead of years or even decades.

 

Therefore, I urge in the strongest possible words and in no uncertain terms for the mayor and council to take immediate action and declare a state of climate emergency.

Bear Creek/ Keller Rehabilitation Expenses To Improve Salmon Habitat

 

Project Overview

"The City of Redmond will be constructing log jams in Bear Creek to improve salmon habitat. The project is located adjacent to the Keller Wetland Mitigation Bank (KWMB) project on the former Keller farm. In the fall and winter, the City’s Washington Conservation Corps crew will plant 3 acres of the Bear Creek buffer.

Restoring habitat in this stream reach is important for Chinook salmon recovery. It is identified in the WRIA 8 Chinook Conservation Plan, along with the adjacent KWMB project. The Bear Creek project is funded by City stormwater fees and by a $340,000 award from the Cooperative Watershed Management grant program."

redmond.gov/ sign photo by John Reinke.  

Bear Creek Restoration At Friendly Village

The restoration is intended to improve Chinook breeding habitat 

click to enlarge

The Adopt A Stream Foundation (AASF) has launched a major project to restore chinook salmon breeding habitat in the portion of Bear Creek that flows through Friendly Village, a forty plus acre manufactured home residence park operated by the King County Housing Authority in eastern Redmond.

click to enlarge

The project involves modifying the banks of the stream in ways that create pools and backwaters that encourage salmon to spawn and provide safe habitats for salmon fry, while they mature enough to be able to migrate back downstream to the ocean.  Stream modification is accomplished by using boulders to stabilize woody debris and logs securely into the banks in pre-designed patterns. (click image to enlarge.) 

The first phase of the project began in the last week of August and is expected to last about a month.  The idea is to recreate the salmon-    favorable stream conditions that existed before the land was cleared and cultivated.

AASF received grant funding for this project from the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, which was created by the Washington State Legislature to protect and restore salmon habitat. In the near future, native shrubs and trees will be planted along the banks to cool instream temperatures and provide future woody debris.

-Reported and photos by John Reinke

Click pictures to enlarge.

$526,284 Funded For Environmental Sustainability Program

The Environmental Sustainability Action Plan (ESAP or Plan) creates a 30-year roadmap for Redmond’s environmental sustainability work. It was developed through robust stakeholder engagement and builds on the 2014 Climate Action Implementation Plan and Environmental Initiative of the Community Strategic Plan, as well as integrates best practices from climate and sustainability planning documents. The Plan also aligns with the updated King County-Cities Climate Collaboration (K4C) Letter of Joint Commitments signed by the Mayor on May 19, 2020. During that meeting, staff and the City’s technical consultant reviewed the Plan’s key strategies and actions, the monitoring and reporting framework, and the approach to Plan implementation. The July 14, 2020, Study. Councilmembers posed several questions, and Council requested a second Study Session to review the Online Open House feedback and the associated proposed changes to the draft Plan.

$526,284 was included in the 2019-2020 biennial budget for the City’s Environmental Sustainability Program. This funding was used to hire a consultant that assisted the City in developing the Environmental Sustainability Action Plan and to hire an Environmental Sustainability Program Manager. Costs to implement the Plan will be dependent on future budget actions.

Council Study Session, 8/11/2020 /Memo excerpts

Monofilament Fishing Line Recycling Container For Idylwood Park

Internet photo

During "Council Talk Time," at the end of the 8/4/2020 Regular Business meeting, Councilmember David Carson said it's common birds, fish and turtles can get caught in monofilament fishing line and die.  He noted Idylwood Park has a monofilament recycling container.  I couldn't find it even when looking in the fishing areas of Idylwood Creek shoal.  I've seen Asian fishermen there frequently.  The WSDFW doesn't have any requirements for recycling containers. I'll report this to the City at Info@Redmond.gov.

-- Bob Yoder

Northeast Recycling Transfer Station Project

70% of King County garbage is recyclable. Of 120 truckloads, 90 could be filled with recyclables. Food, waste and organics account for most of the recyclables.  -- Pat McLaughlin, Solid Waste Division Manager.

King County manages solid waste for 37 cities located within the County as well as all the unincorporated areas of the County. King County’s 2019 Comprehensive Solid Waste Management Plan (Plan) sets strategies for managing solid waste in King County on a 20- year planning horizon and is updated every six years. The Plan sets policies for operation of the solid waste system including long-range disposal options and identifies required upgrades to the County system including transfer stations. The Plan was most recently updated and approved by the cities (including Redmond) in 2019. King County’s transfer station system includes six urban transfer stations geographically located throughout the County along with four rural transfer stations. Of the six urban transfer stations, the Houghton station (the station used by Redmond) is the last station that is planned to be replaced or upgraded with a modern design to include compaction and recycling facilities by 2027.  The Plan recommends providing a new, modern recycling and transfer facility in the Northeast part of the county, to serve Kirkland, Redmond, Sammamish, Woodinville and unincorporated areas and to replace the aging Houghton Transfer Station that was built in the mid 1960’s. Recyclables can be replaced back into the economy. This King County Project is being managed by the King County Solid Waste Division.

Regular Business Meeting memo, 7/28/2020

Downtown Redmond Marymoor Link Extension Light Rail To Begin Construction

Starting soon: Sound Transit's light rail project near Marymoor Park

---

As soon as the week of August 3rd, Sound Transit will begin construction on the segment of the Downtown Redmond Link Extension Light Rail that goes along SR 520 at the northern boundary of Marymoor Park.

This construction activity will not directly affect the park nor require closure of any Marymoor facilities.

Sound Transit will install fencing around the construction zone along the north boundary of the park and expects to start removing trees within the construction zone as soon as September 1.

Sound Transit expects light rail construction near Marymoor Park to continue through summer 2023.

For more information

Sound Transit’s Downtown Redmond Link Extension

Ryan Bianchi, Community Outreach Specialist

Comment:  This is an environmentally sensitive project with a section of the rail running about 5 feet over Bear Creek. Scores of trees will be removed (most of them small.) Off site mitigation will be employed with higher ratios of tree replacements than normal. Also, there is a wetland downstream that will be dredged into a back-channel. This will be good for the salmon. Myself, a City engineer, a City planner and Redmond resident Susan Wilkins made the site visitation. -- Bob Yoder

Our Tour Of The Keller Farm Mitigation Bank

Victor Woodward, Credit Habitat Bank LLC

The Keller Farm Wetland Mitigation Bank is directly east of Avondale Road, south of 180th Street in Redmond. It was completely flooded during the early February storm. The Keller's live nearby, and are protective of the land. The City of Redmond owns the Bank; it's approximately 75 acres of land located along Bear Creek. Find an excellent picture and description of the Bank here. Three Watertenders: Gary Smith, Dick Schaible, myself and a Redmond Parks Commissioner were toured by Victor Woodward, the Bank manager.

The Bank is devised to ensure that wetland and tree loss resulting from select developments  are compensated for by installation of native shrubs, trees and large woody debris on the Bank.  Compensation is calculated in the form of "credits" up to $100,000 or more.

Washington Department of Transportation (WSDOT,) Sound Transit, large pipeline projects and various small residential developments are planned for Bank mitigation "servicing." Other project works will be forthcoming during a 12-year lease.

Victor Woodward, the manager, operator and sponsor of the Bank gave a fascinating 2.5 hour tour of the Bank on February 17th.  He's an impressive man, towering and outdoorsey.  We walked the whole perimeter, stumbling on the soaked clods of the 125 year-old has been dairy farm. Several farm ditches will be restored and maintained for aquatic and hydrology purposes. After the city permit for grading is approved Victor will level the land and kill off  various grasses and other invasives (with Roundup.) He was especially disturbed by the stubborn presence of Poison Hemlock.

We spent a lot of time hiking along Bear Creek.  Coyotes were seen in the distance, Canada Geese flew overhead, we walked by a Swan carcass; trees chewed by Beaver were everywhere. Victor chortled that his design plans for the creek area might be altered by Beavers, though they are welcome. Their feeding activity (at times dropping trees into the creek) provides excellent stream habitat and shelter for the salmon.

Towards the end of the tour we hiked along a wide ditch south of  the "Friendly Village" housing park. Ditch restoration and maintenance is required there for flood control. Victor's Habitat Bank LLC is fully insured and bonded. We lamented about the low populations of Chinook and coho this year. 

*The Bank's "service area" is far reaching. It includes all the streams that drain into the northern portion of Lake Washington, extending to development projects in south Everett, Lynnwood, Redmond, Woodinville, Kirkland, Bellevue, Sammamish and Issaquah.  This large service area will do much towards meeting Redmond's goal of a 40% tree canopy by 2050. It appears Willows are the tree of choice. 

Forterra oversees the City and Habitat Bank performance activities. Indian tribes have interest since the Bank accounts for 5% of the water entering into Bear Creek upstream. The water coming off the site is important for keeping Bear Creek cool especially in the summer.  This is critical for the salmon coming up the Sammamish River from Lake Washington and spawning in the many tributaries such as Bear and Evans Creeks.

After going through a 5-year permitting process, the Keller Wetland Mitigation Bank was approved for operation by the Army Corps of Engineers in late December, 2019 and was one of Mayor Marchione's last acts before retiring.

-- Bob Yoder
    2/21

Above, is my story of the tour.  Click READ MORE for Victor's additions and how to contact him. 

Bear Creek Enhancement Site

Updated: Last week Tom Hardy, the City of Redmond's stream and habitat planner, gave me a tour of the 95th Street Bear Creek Enhancement Site. It's an exciting place. (Find the project site here.) The project extends 600 feet south of the 95th Street bridge. Tom's plan is to improve as much of Bear Creek habitat as possible.

A few years ago he restored Mackey Creek, a tributary on the northern border of Ferrel-McWhirter Park; and years before that he was involved in the restoration of Lower Bear Creek. His next stop is to enhance Bear Creek adjacent to the Keller Farm Habitat Bank using woody debris.

The construction of this 95th Street enhancement project was very involved.  Six log jams and "alcoves" had to be anchored into the banks with large woody debris (logs.)  3,000 native plants, trees and willow cuttings were planted. Watch the video to learn more. The project was expensive but a $140,000 "Cooperative Watershed Management" grant from King County more than paid for the design.

Bear Creek has enormous environmental value to Redmond. One could say "it makes Redmond, Redmond."  Federally protected Chinook and other salmon spawn here. In fact, on the tour Tom pointed out a spawning area a Chinook used. The vegetation and trees boarding the creek (riparian habitat) provide excellent birding and wildlife opportunities. We saw a young Pileated Woodpecker actively foraging 15 feet away from us!

Bear Creek is part of our culture. Thousands of years ago Snohomish indians lived and fished on its banks. These days, residents view the natural wonder of Bear Creek salmon during "Salmon Seeson."

-- Bob Yoder
   2/24/2020

King Conservation District Elections - Vote For Our Environment

I'm endorsing Chris Porter, B. Yoder

A little-known election is now here in King county! Normally your ballot will arrive in the mailbox when it’s time to vote, but for Conservation District Elections you have to remember to request a ballot, show up in person to vote, or use a new online voting system that will allow you to cast your vote through your smartphone or computer.

Voting for the King Conservation District Elections begins online today, January 22, through February 11. 

Check out King Conservation District’s website for more information, updates on how to vote, and to learn about the candidates running this year. 

Districts offer a range of voluntary services including assistance with erosion control, habitat restoration, manure management, wildfire prevention and mitigation, stormwater management, forest plans, irrigation efficiency, noxious weed control, fish barrier removals, livestock stream crossings, and more.

Conservation districts also  offer a range of voluntary services including assistance with erosion control, habitat restoration, manure management, wildfire prevention and mitigation, stormwater management, forest plans, irrigation efficiency, noxious weed control, fish barrier removals, livestock stream crossings, and more.

Conservation Districts are locally-led. Each district is directed by a five-member board of supervisors. There are 45 Conservation Districts in the state of Washington. Check out the list of all Conservation District Elections in Washington.

-- Emily Krieger
   Political and Civic Engagement Manager