Call For Nominations 2009
James Andersen Award:
Honoring an individual or organization that has done something extraordinary to advance the efforts of the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
Nomination form available onlie at: www.washingtoncog.org/awards/ja_nomination.pdf
Deadline for James Andersen Award nominations is June 30, 2009.
Save the Date:
The award ceremony will be held on Friday, September 18, 2009
For more information:www.washingtoncog/awards.html
Phone: 206.782.0393
Email: info@washingtoncog.org
Showing posts with label Community Education Public Service Announcement. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Community Education Public Service Announcement. Show all posts
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Friday, March 6, 2009
Is My Bank Safe?
With recent bank failures, like Washington Mutual and Horizon, many consumers are seeking advice about how to evaluate the strength of their financial institution.
CNBC has a crated a slideshow on the world's safest banks: Slideshow: The World's Safest Banks
Bankrate provides ratings information for businesses and consumers to use as one factor in connection with banking decisions. Please note that Bankrate's rating information should not be exclusively relied on in making banking decisions. If you have questions about your lending institution, please contact the bank for additional information.
To access Bankrate, please click on the title of this article. The link will take you directly to Bankrate's website.
Consumers can also pull up a bank's FDIC call report. The FDIC keeps these quarterly financial reports on every U.S. financial institution. For a guide on how to read them, check out "How To Tell If Your Small Bank Is In Trouble."
Again, if you are worried that your bank might be struggling,don't panic. Talk at length with a trusted financial advisor and think about diversifying your risk by making additional deposits in other banks.
Seattle Times article on Washington Mutual by Drew DeSilver: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008204758_wamu26.html?syndication=
Seattle Times article on Horizon Bank by Drew DeSilver: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008803142_webhorizon02.html
CNBC has a crated a slideshow on the world's safest banks: Slideshow: The World's Safest Banks
Bankrate provides ratings information for businesses and consumers to use as one factor in connection with banking decisions. Please note that Bankrate's rating information should not be exclusively relied on in making banking decisions. If you have questions about your lending institution, please contact the bank for additional information.
To access Bankrate, please click on the title of this article. The link will take you directly to Bankrate's website.
Consumers can also pull up a bank's FDIC call report. The FDIC keeps these quarterly financial reports on every U.S. financial institution. For a guide on how to read them, check out "How To Tell If Your Small Bank Is In Trouble."
Again, if you are worried that your bank might be struggling,don't panic. Talk at length with a trusted financial advisor and think about diversifying your risk by making additional deposits in other banks.
Seattle Times article on Washington Mutual by Drew DeSilver: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008204758_wamu26.html?syndication=
Seattle Times article on Horizon Bank by Drew DeSilver: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/businesstechnology/2008803142_webhorizon02.html
Monday, February 9, 2009
Ask President Obama to post Stimulus Bill Online
Dear Sunlighter,
Sunlight has long advocated that all legislation be posted online for at least 72 hours before consideration, and we've also been supportive of President Obama's campaign pledge to post all legislation online for five days before he signs it into law.
Now that Congress is on the verge of passing the Stimulus Bill, I need you to tell President Obama to post it online for five days before he signs it. (It looks like Congress will ignore our call to post the Stimulus Bill online before their consideration.) This important legislation will dramatically affect all of us, which is why we are asking you to help us demand a measured and transparent process for making this bill law.
Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ to urge President Obama to post the final bill as approved by the House and Senate approve on WhiteHouse.gov.
Please do it today, as this bill is moving very quickly. We issued a statement urging President Obama to post the final version of the bill passed by both the House and Senate for at least five days on WhiteHouse.gov. Additionally, we called on Congress to post the Stimulus legislation online for at least 72 hours bill before consideration.
The statement is online here: http://bit.ly/RDyr
Thanks,
Ellen Miller & the Sunlight team
Sunlight has long advocated that all legislation be posted online for at least 72 hours before consideration, and we've also been supportive of President Obama's campaign pledge to post all legislation online for five days before he signs it into law.
Now that Congress is on the verge of passing the Stimulus Bill, I need you to tell President Obama to post it online for five days before he signs it. (It looks like Congress will ignore our call to post the Stimulus Bill online before their consideration.) This important legislation will dramatically affect all of us, which is why we are asking you to help us demand a measured and transparent process for making this bill law.
Go to http://www.whitehouse.gov/contact/ to urge President Obama to post the final bill as approved by the House and Senate approve on WhiteHouse.gov.
Please do it today, as this bill is moving very quickly. We issued a statement urging President Obama to post the final version of the bill passed by both the House and Senate for at least five days on WhiteHouse.gov. Additionally, we called on Congress to post the Stimulus legislation online for at least 72 hours bill before consideration.
The statement is online here: http://bit.ly/RDyr
Thanks,
Ellen Miller & the Sunlight team
Thursday, January 29, 2009
In Defense of Government
Is Government inherently bad?
Are all politicians and bureaucrats self-interested and/or self-serving?
Of course not. But bloggers and the media tend to write stories that focus on controversial government decisions and political corruption.
In fact, government routinely provides citizens with an organized system that allows elected officials, bureaucrats and citizens to work together for the common good of all.
In defense of government and the good work it does, Douglas J. Amy, Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College writes,
"democratic government is one of the greatest institutional inventions of modern Western civilization. It allows us to pool our resources and to act collectively to address the serious social, economic, and environmental problems that we are unable to deal with as individuals. The public sector is also how we provide for essential human needs that are neglected by the market – such as a clean air and water, safe workplaces, and economic security. What’s more, government serves as an essential instrument of moral action – a way for us to rectify injustices, eliminate suffering, and care for each other. In short, democratic government is one of the main ways we work together to pursue the common good and make the world a better place.
This is not to deny that American government has its problems. There are incidents of waste, some regulations are poorly designed, and some politicians abuse their power.
More importantly, our government is certainly not as democratic and accountable as it could be, and special interests have way too much political power. Such problems need to be fixed, and this site identifies several needed reforms. Nonetheless, whatever drawbacks this institution has right now are far outweighed by the enormous benefits that we all enjoy from a vast array of public sector programs. On the whole, government is good for us."
Amy's site can be accessed here: http://www.governmentisgood.com/
*The New York Times Editorial Board says this site is worth checking out and I concur!
Are all politicians and bureaucrats self-interested and/or self-serving?
Of course not. But bloggers and the media tend to write stories that focus on controversial government decisions and political corruption.
In fact, government routinely provides citizens with an organized system that allows elected officials, bureaucrats and citizens to work together for the common good of all.
In defense of government and the good work it does, Douglas J. Amy, Professor of Politics at Mount Holyoke College writes,
"democratic government is one of the greatest institutional inventions of modern Western civilization. It allows us to pool our resources and to act collectively to address the serious social, economic, and environmental problems that we are unable to deal with as individuals. The public sector is also how we provide for essential human needs that are neglected by the market – such as a clean air and water, safe workplaces, and economic security. What’s more, government serves as an essential instrument of moral action – a way for us to rectify injustices, eliminate suffering, and care for each other. In short, democratic government is one of the main ways we work together to pursue the common good and make the world a better place.
This is not to deny that American government has its problems. There are incidents of waste, some regulations are poorly designed, and some politicians abuse their power.
More importantly, our government is certainly not as democratic and accountable as it could be, and special interests have way too much political power. Such problems need to be fixed, and this site identifies several needed reforms. Nonetheless, whatever drawbacks this institution has right now are far outweighed by the enormous benefits that we all enjoy from a vast array of public sector programs. On the whole, government is good for us."
Amy's site can be accessed here: http://www.governmentisgood.com/
*The New York Times Editorial Board says this site is worth checking out and I concur!
When Perplexing Questions Arise, here's your Chance to be the "GO-TO" person your Colleagues Turn To!
Deadline for applications is February 16, 2009.
YES, YOU CAN:
Be one of 36 participants selected to attend a weekend-long intensive training conducted by a prestigious faculty.
Be assigned a mentor who will guide you in avoiding costly legal and public relations problems in the future.
Meet and interact with your peers from all levels of government around the state through activities designed to stimulate discussion of practical solutions to dilemmas you face on a daily basis in the workplace.
Receive a framed "Open Government Leader" certificate that you can proudly display upon completion of the Institute.
Presentations and Instructors:
The Press and Public Records: A Case StudyPresenter: David Seago
Navigating the Pitfalls of Washington’s Open Government Laws
Presenter: Tim Ford
An Introduction to Open Government
Presenter: Toby Nixon
Proactive Best Practices for Open Government
Presenters: Chris Leman and Donna McKereghan
Navigating the Public Records Act
Presenter: Duane M. Swinton
How Non-Disclosure Can Serve the Public Interest
Presenter: Ramsey Ramerman
For more information about the presentations and instructors please go to http://washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm
Apply now for the Open Government Leadership Institute May 1-3, 2009 at the Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way presented by the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
Tuition is $250 for WCOG members, $275 for non-members, including two nights lodging and four meals.
Application forms and complete details are available at:www.washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm or by mail from
WCOG:6351 Seaview Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107-2664
Questions? Please contact Patience Rogge:rogge@olympus.net, or by phone at (206) 782-0393.** Sponsorships for this event are available.
Please click here to contact Jim Walker for more information.
The Open Government Leadership Institute is supported by grants from the Norcliffe Foundation and the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation through the National Freedom of Information Coalition.
YES, YOU CAN:
Be one of 36 participants selected to attend a weekend-long intensive training conducted by a prestigious faculty.
Be assigned a mentor who will guide you in avoiding costly legal and public relations problems in the future.
Meet and interact with your peers from all levels of government around the state through activities designed to stimulate discussion of practical solutions to dilemmas you face on a daily basis in the workplace.
Receive a framed "Open Government Leader" certificate that you can proudly display upon completion of the Institute.
Presentations and Instructors:
The Press and Public Records: A Case StudyPresenter: David Seago
Navigating the Pitfalls of Washington’s Open Government Laws
Presenter: Tim Ford
An Introduction to Open Government
Presenter: Toby Nixon
Proactive Best Practices for Open Government
Presenters: Chris Leman and Donna McKereghan
Navigating the Public Records Act
Presenter: Duane M. Swinton
How Non-Disclosure Can Serve the Public Interest
Presenter: Ramsey Ramerman
For more information about the presentations and instructors please go to http://washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm
Apply now for the Open Government Leadership Institute May 1-3, 2009 at the Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way presented by the Washington Coalition for Open Government.
Tuition is $250 for WCOG members, $275 for non-members, including two nights lodging and four meals.
Application forms and complete details are available at:www.washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm or by mail from
WCOG:6351 Seaview Ave NW
Seattle, WA 98107-2664
Questions? Please contact Patience Rogge:rogge@olympus.net, or by phone at (206) 782-0393.** Sponsorships for this event are available.
Please click here to contact Jim Walker for more information.
The Open Government Leadership Institute is supported by grants from the Norcliffe Foundation and the John L. and James S. Knight Foundation through the National Freedom of Information Coalition.
Wednesday, January 28, 2009
Senator Ranker sponsors Response Tug Bill to Prevent Oil Spills in Juan de Fuca Strait
Legislation introduced on January 20, 2009 in Washington’s Senate and House would require the oil, cargo and cruise industry to pay for a year-round response tug to stand by at Neah Bay to prevent vessel oil spills.
Senate Bill 5344 and House Bill 1409 would require all oil tankers, cargo vessels and large cruise ships to form a cooperative to contract for standby response tug service at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.“These bills are fair because they are based on the principle that those who create the risk to our ecosystem should be responsible for paying for preventing damage,” said Bruce Wishart, policy director of People For Puget Sound.
“The burden of paying for the tug should be taken off the shoulders of the taxpayers and assumed by industry.”A rescue tug has been stationed at Neah Bay since 1999 on a part-time seasonal basis and paid for by state and federal funds.
Since July 2008, the legislature has funded a full-time rescue tug to stand by at Neah Bay. That funding ends on June 30, 2009.Since 1999, the rescue tug has been responsible for 40 rescues or assists of oil tankers, cargo vessels, and other vessels in the region. Similar success stories surround tugs stationed in Alaska, Japan, France, Great Britain, and across the globe.
SB 5344 is sponsored by Senator Kevin Ranker(40th) and cosponsored by Senators Swecker, Rockefeller, Marr, Hargrove, Pridemore, and Fraser.HB 1409 is sponsored by Representative Kevin Van De Wege(24th) and cosponsored by Representatives Kessler, Upthegrove, Rolfes, Blake,Dunshee, Campbell, Jacks, Orwall, Seaquist, Appleton, Nelson, Roberts, Morris, Takko, Cody, Carlyle, McCoy, Goodman, Quall, Sullivan, and Liias.
People for Puget Sound memo on Oil Spill Prevention
http://www.pugetsound.org/programs/policy/action-agenda/oil
Seattle PI Article: "State not ready for oil spill," commission reports
Senate Bill 5344 and House Bill 1409 would require all oil tankers, cargo vessels and large cruise ships to form a cooperative to contract for standby response tug service at the mouth of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.“These bills are fair because they are based on the principle that those who create the risk to our ecosystem should be responsible for paying for preventing damage,” said Bruce Wishart, policy director of People For Puget Sound.
“The burden of paying for the tug should be taken off the shoulders of the taxpayers and assumed by industry.”A rescue tug has been stationed at Neah Bay since 1999 on a part-time seasonal basis and paid for by state and federal funds.
Since July 2008, the legislature has funded a full-time rescue tug to stand by at Neah Bay. That funding ends on June 30, 2009.Since 1999, the rescue tug has been responsible for 40 rescues or assists of oil tankers, cargo vessels, and other vessels in the region. Similar success stories surround tugs stationed in Alaska, Japan, France, Great Britain, and across the globe.
SB 5344 is sponsored by Senator Kevin Ranker(40th) and cosponsored by Senators Swecker, Rockefeller, Marr, Hargrove, Pridemore, and Fraser.HB 1409 is sponsored by Representative Kevin Van De Wege(24th) and cosponsored by Representatives Kessler, Upthegrove, Rolfes, Blake,Dunshee, Campbell, Jacks, Orwall, Seaquist, Appleton, Nelson, Roberts, Morris, Takko, Cody, Carlyle, McCoy, Goodman, Quall, Sullivan, and Liias.
People for Puget Sound memo on Oil Spill Prevention
http://www.pugetsound.org/programs/policy/action-agenda/oil
Seattle PI Article: "State not ready for oil spill," commission reports
"Storming the Sound" Educator Workshops Begin
"Storming The Sound" brings together environmental educators to share environmental resources to further environmental education. The 9th annual North Sound session is January 30. Read more here.
"Storming The Sound" is co-organized by People For Puget Sound and brings together environmental educators to share environmental resources to further environmental education.
The 9th annual North Sound session is January 30 in LaConner.
A Central Sound workshop is scheduled for April 3 and a South Sound workshop will be held in late spring. Last year's web site gives an idea of what to expect.Stay in touch with teachers and educators on the "EE" listserve, moderated by People For Puget Sound. Details here.
"Storming The Sound" is co-organized by People For Puget Sound and brings together environmental educators to share environmental resources to further environmental education.
The 9th annual North Sound session is January 30 in LaConner.
A Central Sound workshop is scheduled for April 3 and a South Sound workshop will be held in late spring. Last year's web site gives an idea of what to expect.Stay in touch with teachers and educators on the "EE" listserve, moderated by People For Puget Sound. Details here.
Environmentalists Dismayed over Lack of Sewage and Drinking Water Infrastructure Funding in Proposed Economic Recovery Plan
Albany, NY— Proposed language in the economic recovery package from the House Appropriations committee contains disappointing figures for essential clean water infrastructure. Over the next 20 years, Connecticut needs at least $5 billion and New York will need at least $36 billion for wastewater infrastructure. The national proposal contains only $6 billion.
“The economic, environmental, and public benefits of investing in clean water cannot be overstated. With national needs in excess of $202 billion for clean water infrastructure, proposing only $6 billion dollars doesn’t cut it,” said Adrienne Esposito, CCE Executive Director.
New York has 412 wastewater projects and 497 drinking water that have been reviewed, ranked and are ready-to-go as soon as funding is available. These projects serve over 11 million citizens.
Investing in clean water infrastructure to fix failing sewage treatment plants and to ensure delivery of high quality, clean drinking water is good for economic and public health. As Congress and the new administration finalize the economic recovery package, investing in upgrading wastewater and drinking water infrastructure must be a priority. Additional resources are needed to fund clean water projects to create more jobs, ease burdens on municipalities, and address the clean water infrastructure crisis facing New York, Connecticut, and our nation.
Between 30,000 and 47,500 jobs are created for each $1 billion of federal investment in infrastructure projects, which provide an unparalleled opportunity for economic recovery and long-term growth in our local communities.
While the nation’s clean water infrastructure need continues to grow, federal investment has shrunk. Since 2004, the federal government has reduced funding for New York State’s vital wastewater infrastructure by 50%, while funding for drinking water infrastructure has been cut by 40%, shifting the burden of paying for this infrastructure onto local governments. The lack of federal support for essential infrastructure is crippling, resulting in sewage contaminating our beaches, urban communities unable to remove lead drinking water pipes, and over-burdening already cash-strapped municipalities. ”Failing and aging clean water infrastructure threatens public health, weakens our economy, and will not fix itself,” said Dereth Glance, CCE Executive Program Director. “Congress must allocate adequate resources to restore our core water infrastructure."
It is our hope that the new administration and Congress will uphold the promise of clean water for everyone by delivering more meaningful investments in our clean water infrastructure,” Esposito concluded. Supported by over 80,000 members, Citizens Campaign for the Environment empowers communities and advocates solutions to protect public health and our shared environment. www.citizenscampaign.org
“The economic, environmental, and public benefits of investing in clean water cannot be overstated. With national needs in excess of $202 billion for clean water infrastructure, proposing only $6 billion dollars doesn’t cut it,” said Adrienne Esposito, CCE Executive Director.
New York has 412 wastewater projects and 497 drinking water that have been reviewed, ranked and are ready-to-go as soon as funding is available. These projects serve over 11 million citizens.
Investing in clean water infrastructure to fix failing sewage treatment plants and to ensure delivery of high quality, clean drinking water is good for economic and public health. As Congress and the new administration finalize the economic recovery package, investing in upgrading wastewater and drinking water infrastructure must be a priority. Additional resources are needed to fund clean water projects to create more jobs, ease burdens on municipalities, and address the clean water infrastructure crisis facing New York, Connecticut, and our nation.
Between 30,000 and 47,500 jobs are created for each $1 billion of federal investment in infrastructure projects, which provide an unparalleled opportunity for economic recovery and long-term growth in our local communities.
While the nation’s clean water infrastructure need continues to grow, federal investment has shrunk. Since 2004, the federal government has reduced funding for New York State’s vital wastewater infrastructure by 50%, while funding for drinking water infrastructure has been cut by 40%, shifting the burden of paying for this infrastructure onto local governments. The lack of federal support for essential infrastructure is crippling, resulting in sewage contaminating our beaches, urban communities unable to remove lead drinking water pipes, and over-burdening already cash-strapped municipalities. ”Failing and aging clean water infrastructure threatens public health, weakens our economy, and will not fix itself,” said Dereth Glance, CCE Executive Program Director. “Congress must allocate adequate resources to restore our core water infrastructure."
It is our hope that the new administration and Congress will uphold the promise of clean water for everyone by delivering more meaningful investments in our clean water infrastructure,” Esposito concluded. Supported by over 80,000 members, Citizens Campaign for the Environment empowers communities and advocates solutions to protect public health and our shared environment. www.citizenscampaign.org
Monday, January 19, 2009
County conducting Scientific public opinion survey on long range vision
County Executive Pete Kremen and Whatcom Legacy Project co-chair Roger Van Dyken announced that a public opinion survey will be conducted this month on what Whatcom County residents want their county to look like in the distant future.
The multi-question survey will be conducted from January 20 to 23, using random digit dialing throughout Whatcom County. It will be conducted by DHM Research of Portland, OR and will have a reliability rating of +/- 4.9% at the 95% confidence level.
“I want to personally encourage the 400 people who will receive phone calls to give us the benefit of their ideas,” Kremen urged. “I know everyone is busy these days, but that 15 minutes or so can help mold the future of Whatcom County. For those who aren’t telephoned but who would like to register their opinions, we’ll have the survey posted on our Whatcom County website, www.co.whatcom.wa.us, so citizens can print it, fill it out and send it in to us. Everyone’s opinion is important to us.”
Van Dyken noted that DHM Research is well-versed in this type of public opinion research.
“Local governments in the greater Portland area have used DHM repeatedly to gauge public opinion on growth issues, and we liked the objectivity and yet the difficult choices their questions present. They mirror the tradeoffs that our elected officials wrestle with in making tough land use decisions.”
“This will be an invaluable tool to see what kind of Whatcom County today’s citizens would like to leave as a legacy for tomorrow’s citizens,” Kremen said. “We know that job growth and population growth are coming to Whatcom County. It’s just such a beautiful place for people to live, work and raise families. We want to know what people value as they tell us where people and jobs should be located in our long range future.” “We enjoy a wonderful place now and we want it to be even better in the future,”
Van Dyken added. “The key is to get people’s ideas on how to improve that future. Where should people live? Should we plan another city? Should growth be along the I-5 corridor or in our farming communities? What do we protect as we grow? What value should agricultural and rural areas have in the future? What should be our transportation links and where should they be?”
The survey is a cooperative project funded by the county and by donations to the Whatcom Legacy Project, Van Dyken said. He described it as an important step to help the county, both as it plans for 2031 under the Growth Management Act, and also to help paint a picture of the Whatcom County that today’s residents would like to leave as a legacy for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Van Dyken said that later in the Whatcom Legacy Project process, residents will be invited to get together with their neighbors in small groups to paint a more detailed picture of what they want Whatcom County to look like for future generations.
He noted that Legacy is developing a fun, hands-on process by which people can decide where they want people to live and work, where they want parks to be, what agricultural, environmental and forestlands should be protected, and how it should all be linked together with transportation.
The vision developed by the people would then become a long range “strategic plan” to guide future development through the shorter range Comprehensive Plans.“Predictability is critical for business,” Van Dyken said, “so that they get clear signals where commerce, industry, agriculture and residential areas should be located.”
“Predictability also keeps taxes down,” noted Kremen. “It allows properly sized utilities and transportation to be put in the right place the first time.”Both Kremen and Van Dyken stressed that they hoped that by “looking over the horizon” a consensus would develop among the people of Whatcom County regarding the future development of our community.“Fundamentally, we think the people of Whatcom County all want a beautiful, prosperous, community-oriented place – a home – for future generations,” they said. “The process of helping the people of Whatcom County to project the kind of future they would like for our county will, we hope, bring people together and reduce the sometimes contentious growth conflicts that arise. If people create the ‘big picture’ together, they are more likely to agree on the smaller pieces of that picture.”
Kremen and Van Dyken encouraged the community to participate in the important survey. For more information about the Whatcom Legacy Project or to make a contribution, please call (360) 738-2786.
Contact: Mauri Ingram 739-8039
The multi-question survey will be conducted from January 20 to 23, using random digit dialing throughout Whatcom County. It will be conducted by DHM Research of Portland, OR and will have a reliability rating of +/- 4.9% at the 95% confidence level.
“I want to personally encourage the 400 people who will receive phone calls to give us the benefit of their ideas,” Kremen urged. “I know everyone is busy these days, but that 15 minutes or so can help mold the future of Whatcom County. For those who aren’t telephoned but who would like to register their opinions, we’ll have the survey posted on our Whatcom County website, www.co.whatcom.wa.us, so citizens can print it, fill it out and send it in to us. Everyone’s opinion is important to us.”
Van Dyken noted that DHM Research is well-versed in this type of public opinion research.
“Local governments in the greater Portland area have used DHM repeatedly to gauge public opinion on growth issues, and we liked the objectivity and yet the difficult choices their questions present. They mirror the tradeoffs that our elected officials wrestle with in making tough land use decisions.”
“This will be an invaluable tool to see what kind of Whatcom County today’s citizens would like to leave as a legacy for tomorrow’s citizens,” Kremen said. “We know that job growth and population growth are coming to Whatcom County. It’s just such a beautiful place for people to live, work and raise families. We want to know what people value as they tell us where people and jobs should be located in our long range future.” “We enjoy a wonderful place now and we want it to be even better in the future,”
Van Dyken added. “The key is to get people’s ideas on how to improve that future. Where should people live? Should we plan another city? Should growth be along the I-5 corridor or in our farming communities? What do we protect as we grow? What value should agricultural and rural areas have in the future? What should be our transportation links and where should they be?”
The survey is a cooperative project funded by the county and by donations to the Whatcom Legacy Project, Van Dyken said. He described it as an important step to help the county, both as it plans for 2031 under the Growth Management Act, and also to help paint a picture of the Whatcom County that today’s residents would like to leave as a legacy for their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Van Dyken said that later in the Whatcom Legacy Project process, residents will be invited to get together with their neighbors in small groups to paint a more detailed picture of what they want Whatcom County to look like for future generations.
He noted that Legacy is developing a fun, hands-on process by which people can decide where they want people to live and work, where they want parks to be, what agricultural, environmental and forestlands should be protected, and how it should all be linked together with transportation.
The vision developed by the people would then become a long range “strategic plan” to guide future development through the shorter range Comprehensive Plans.“Predictability is critical for business,” Van Dyken said, “so that they get clear signals where commerce, industry, agriculture and residential areas should be located.”
“Predictability also keeps taxes down,” noted Kremen. “It allows properly sized utilities and transportation to be put in the right place the first time.”Both Kremen and Van Dyken stressed that they hoped that by “looking over the horizon” a consensus would develop among the people of Whatcom County regarding the future development of our community.“Fundamentally, we think the people of Whatcom County all want a beautiful, prosperous, community-oriented place – a home – for future generations,” they said. “The process of helping the people of Whatcom County to project the kind of future they would like for our county will, we hope, bring people together and reduce the sometimes contentious growth conflicts that arise. If people create the ‘big picture’ together, they are more likely to agree on the smaller pieces of that picture.”
Kremen and Van Dyken encouraged the community to participate in the important survey. For more information about the Whatcom Legacy Project or to make a contribution, please call (360) 738-2786.
Contact: Mauri Ingram 739-8039
Please report Flood Damage to Whatcom County Emergency Management
Report home and business flood damages
Online at Whatcom County Emergency Management website
Or call (360) 778-8500 starting 12:00 p.m. on Jan 13th
As the flood waters recede, home and business owners in Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County are encouraged to report damages and economic losses experienced during flooding in early January.
Whatcom County and its local jurisdictions have established a shared system to collect damage reports from city, county and tribal residents and business owners.
For more information about reporting flood damage and losses, call (360) 778-8500 or visit the Whatcom County website at www.whatcomcounty.us, where you’ll find forms, instructions and FAQs.
Damage reports will be forwarded to the State for verification, and may lead to a request for Federal disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration.
Flood recovery: safety, health and other tips
Were you impacted by early January floods? Whatcom County Emergency Management has posted a comprehensive website with health and safety tips, reporting instructions and forms, FAQs and more.
Whatcom County Emergency Management website
City of Bellingham flood updates
City Council flood update meeting video - Jan 12, 2009 (WMV)
City Council flood update meeting video - Jan 7, 2009 (WMV)
City of Bellingham news releases
Online at Whatcom County Emergency Management website
Or call (360) 778-8500 starting 12:00 p.m. on Jan 13th
As the flood waters recede, home and business owners in Bellingham and throughout Whatcom County are encouraged to report damages and economic losses experienced during flooding in early January.
Whatcom County and its local jurisdictions have established a shared system to collect damage reports from city, county and tribal residents and business owners.
For more information about reporting flood damage and losses, call (360) 778-8500 or visit the Whatcom County website at www.whatcomcounty.us, where you’ll find forms, instructions and FAQs.
Damage reports will be forwarded to the State for verification, and may lead to a request for Federal disaster assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Small Business Administration.
Flood recovery: safety, health and other tips
Were you impacted by early January floods? Whatcom County Emergency Management has posted a comprehensive website with health and safety tips, reporting instructions and forms, FAQs and more.
Whatcom County Emergency Management website
City of Bellingham flood updates
City Council flood update meeting video - Jan 12, 2009 (WMV)
City Council flood update meeting video - Jan 7, 2009 (WMV)
City of Bellingham news releases
Thursday, January 8, 2009
City, County form a joint emergency operations center
Before and After
THINK before you attempt to drive through water covering a road. People drown in washouts like the one pictured above because they don't see the damage hidden by the water running across the road. If the road is closed, it's because the road has been damaged by flood waters. Obey road closed and cautionary signs.
Thursday: Whatcom County and City of Bellingham set up a joint emergency operations center at 9 pm last night to respond to flooding and other hazards resulting from the heavy rains and snow.
Small creeks and drainages swelled overnight and overtopped numerous roads forcing city, county and state authorities to close them and reroute drivers around the hazards.
There has been no report of injuries, however there are residents sheltering in place and authorities are in contact with those residents to make sure they remain safe.
Whatcom County residents are asked to avoid driving through any water. The force of this water can be extremely strong and dangerous.
*
Watch out for workers in the roadway.
Watch out for workers in the roadway.
*
Please be Courteous to workers.
*
I have lost count of how many times I have been hit with a wall of water caused by a passing motorist who has no respect for someone working in a flood zone.
*
I'm beginning to think that Bellingham drivers are the rudest people in the world.
*
Remember, your neighbors, county and city workers are cleaning ditches and culverts to protect property and streets from flooding.
*
Give us all a break!
Report landslides, flooded roadways or other hazards to the Joint
Emergency Operations Center at 676-6681
Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies
Whatcom County Emergency Management Website: http://www.co.whatcom.wa.us/dem/index.jsp
If you need sandbags, call the county or city. They can tell you where to pick them up.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
Happy Holidays from the Sunlight Foundation
Elisabeth received this note from the Sunlight Foundation: She is an active member of several open government and transparency organizations.
Happy Holidays Sunlighters!
Though the weather outside is frightful, this holiday season we have more reason to spread cheer after all you've DONE to help the Sunlight Foundation spread transparency across the country.
We want to take just one moment to say "thank you."Over the past year, you've been invaluable help in our task to make government more open: you've helped us dig through piles of data and push for real transparency in Congress. You've blogged, commented, tweeted, edited wikis, and spread the word of "sunlight" -- all in the name of greater transparency.
To thank you for everything over the past year, the Sunlight Labs team put together this Holiday card:http://sunlightfoundation.com/holiday2008/
As an added HOLIDAY bonus, Sunlight recently launched a new version of our Congress word-of-the-day site, Capitol Words. Take a look at it over the holidays. The new Capitol Words (http://www.capitolwords.org) provides extensive new features including pages for individual lawmakers and whole state-wide delegations and the words they use the most.
We are excited about 2009. The New Year will bring a lot of new opportunities for you to join with us to work for even more transparency. We have a lot planned and hope that you will join us, as we will join you, in pushing for an open, honest, and connected government.
Happy Holidays from the ENTIRE Sunlight Foundation team!
Happy Holidays Sunlighters!
Though the weather outside is frightful, this holiday season we have more reason to spread cheer after all you've DONE to help the Sunlight Foundation spread transparency across the country.
We want to take just one moment to say "thank you."Over the past year, you've been invaluable help in our task to make government more open: you've helped us dig through piles of data and push for real transparency in Congress. You've blogged, commented, tweeted, edited wikis, and spread the word of "sunlight" -- all in the name of greater transparency.
To thank you for everything over the past year, the Sunlight Labs team put together this Holiday card:http://sunlightfoundation.com/holiday2008/
As an added HOLIDAY bonus, Sunlight recently launched a new version of our Congress word-of-the-day site, Capitol Words. Take a look at it over the holidays. The new Capitol Words (http://www.capitolwords.org) provides extensive new features including pages for individual lawmakers and whole state-wide delegations and the words they use the most.
We are excited about 2009. The New Year will bring a lot of new opportunities for you to join with us to work for even more transparency. We have a lot planned and hope that you will join us, as we will join you, in pushing for an open, honest, and connected government.
Happy Holidays from the ENTIRE Sunlight Foundation team!
Monday, December 22, 2008
Severe Weather Updates
Commuting to work and traveling is dangerous after the weekend's snowstorm.
If possible, try to take the bus or carpool to work with neighbors or co-workers. You can attempt to walk if you don't have bus service. But I can verify that the sidewalks themselves are difficult to navigate in many parts of town because the snow plows are throwing snow on top of them from road clearing.
This link is to the City of Bellingham Severe Weather Page. It proves info on a number of topics in regards to being prepared and even the sanding routes within Bellingham.
http://www.cob.org/issues/severe-weather.aspx
Also, warming will make icicles unstable. Every year, dozens of men, women and children are injured or killed by falling icicles around doors and under the eves of houses. Take a few moments to talk to your children about the danger of icicles.
Here is the link to the Washington State Department of Transportation or DOT web page. It will provide you with a number of links of info on road condition, including cameras located throughout Washington State.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov
Check www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts, for more detail about statewide highway incidents and closures.
Whatcom County does not have any notifications up regarding road conditions or hazards.
If possible, try to take the bus or carpool to work with neighbors or co-workers. You can attempt to walk if you don't have bus service. But I can verify that the sidewalks themselves are difficult to navigate in many parts of town because the snow plows are throwing snow on top of them from road clearing.
This link is to the City of Bellingham Severe Weather Page. It proves info on a number of topics in regards to being prepared and even the sanding routes within Bellingham.
http://www.cob.org/issues/severe-weather.aspx
Also, warming will make icicles unstable. Every year, dozens of men, women and children are injured or killed by falling icicles around doors and under the eves of houses. Take a few moments to talk to your children about the danger of icicles.
Here is the link to the Washington State Department of Transportation or DOT web page. It will provide you with a number of links of info on road condition, including cameras located throughout Washington State.
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov
Check www.wsdot.wa.gov/traffic/trafficalerts, for more detail about statewide highway incidents and closures.
Whatcom County does not have any notifications up regarding road conditions or hazards.
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
Message from People for Puget Sound
I hope everyone is staying warm and cozy, and enjoying the brilliant white of the snow and blue of the Sound.
I am writing to remind you that we only have 15 days to raise our goal of $200,000 to receive a matching gift of an additional $100,000. This will not be a windfall. This is an amount of money that will help us meet a bare-bones budget as we deal with a very difficult economic situation.
This is also crucial time for the Sound. As we wage battles such as the fight to protect Maury Island's whale and salmon habitat, we are also - finally - at a point when the state has adopted a new action agenda for the Sound.
We will be there in the legislature to make sure that the Sound isn't forgotten amidst all of the state's important issues. Seven of our resident orcas died this past year, suffering from insufficient salmon to eat and excessive toxic pollution in their bodies. We - and they - don't have a lot of time left. We’ve raised $101,007 as of December 15th (track our progress at pugetsound.org). You can help us close the gap by donating today.
Every dollar helps - if every member of this cause donated just $5 that would raise an additional $1205 to help Save Our Sound. I know I can count on you, friends. Donating on facebook is 100% secure through Network For Good.
If you prefer to give directly just go to pugetsound.org/donate or call me at the office: 206.382.7007
Thank you VERY much.
Troy Coleman
Creative Director People For Puget Sound
911 Western Avenue, Suite 580 Seattle, WA 98104
View Announcement
Thanks,The Causes Team
I am writing to remind you that we only have 15 days to raise our goal of $200,000 to receive a matching gift of an additional $100,000. This will not be a windfall. This is an amount of money that will help us meet a bare-bones budget as we deal with a very difficult economic situation.
This is also crucial time for the Sound. As we wage battles such as the fight to protect Maury Island's whale and salmon habitat, we are also - finally - at a point when the state has adopted a new action agenda for the Sound.
We will be there in the legislature to make sure that the Sound isn't forgotten amidst all of the state's important issues. Seven of our resident orcas died this past year, suffering from insufficient salmon to eat and excessive toxic pollution in their bodies. We - and they - don't have a lot of time left. We’ve raised $101,007 as of December 15th (track our progress at pugetsound.org). You can help us close the gap by donating today.
Every dollar helps - if every member of this cause donated just $5 that would raise an additional $1205 to help Save Our Sound. I know I can count on you, friends. Donating on facebook is 100% secure through Network For Good.
If you prefer to give directly just go to pugetsound.org/donate or call me at the office: 206.382.7007
Thank you VERY much.
Troy Coleman
Creative Director People For Puget Sound
911 Western Avenue, Suite 580 Seattle, WA 98104
View Announcement
Thanks,The Causes Team
Thursday, December 11, 2008
Judical Campaign Funding Research
"Special interest money continues to pollute our democracy and trump every policy decision." (Washington Public Campaigns).
"Campaign finance laws can be crafted to promote more open, honest, and accountable government and to bring the constitutional ideal of political equality closer to reality." (The Brennan Center).
Governor Rod Blagojevich's recent arrest for bribery just highlighted what's wrong with the American electoral system: Government is auctioned off publicly and sometimes behind closed doors to the highest bidder.
The high bidder in any political campaign wins power to influence the appointment of public officials and influence legislation. Do we really need any more proof of this fact than the unfolding Blagojevich scandal?
In the state of Washington, Washington Public Campaigns (WPC) tells citizens, "Justice is not for sale."
The Judicial Selection Coalition recently sponsored a conference that examined the way the state elects judges at the University of Washington. Speakers included James Sample from the New York based Brennan Center who talked about extreme efforts to "buy" elections in other states such as W Virginia, Michigan and Alabama. David Brady, A WSU researcher reported that he conducted opinion polling that shows public support for using some kind of a commission system for electing judges.
WPC is working hard to pass legislation that will require campaigns for supreme court to be financed by citizens - not by special interests. In support of this effort, they offer voters the following analysis of judicial elections:
In 2006, $4.5 million was spent trying to win just 3 seats for the Washington state supreme court. It's outrageous! We must change the system - so that judges are never suspected of influence by financial backers.
Read "Justice for Sale" Wall Street Journal, by James Sample, at the Brennan Center for Justice (NY University School of Law).
State Representative Mark Liias is drafting a bill that will provide a foundation for a public financing system for court races. He plans to introduce it during the 2009 legislative session.
Alex Hayes of Justice for Washington told attendees that trial lawyers and other left leaning interests have too much influence on Washington Courts. (In fact, author John Grisham, a former state legislator, recently wrote a book called The Appeal that discusses in detail the corrupting influence of Special Interest money in state supreme court judicial races).
To date, Maine, Arizona and North Carolina have adopted some version of a public financing system for campaigns and The Olympian reports that Governor Christine Gregoire embraced the concept for judicial races in 2006 after that year's nasty court campaigns. But the Governor was unable to find a funding source, even in good economic times.
Connecticut is the only state to enact a program of full public financing for statewide and legislative races through legislative action (rather than through citizen initiative, as in Maine and Arizona).
WPC said, let's have public funding for supreme court campaigns. Washington Public Campaigns - together with the League of Women Voters and many other organizations - is proposing a bill to the 2009 legislature, for public financing of campaigns for the state supreme court. DETAILS
We know the state faces a budget shortfall, but we cannot afford justice for sale. Together with sponsors in the Senate and House, we are proposing a modest-cost bill, that will achieve our goals: integrity for the supreme court, through public financing of campaigns.
It won't be a cakewalk, and we need all hands on deck for a grassroots movement. We must educate the public, and lobby our legislators, with a disciplined and powerful grassroots advocacy campaign. Join the movement: Become a citizen lobbyist! Write to: wpc@washclean.org, with your offers to help."
Resources:
Washington Public Campaigns: http://www.washclean.org/blog.htm#not4sale
Voting for Judges: http://www.votingforjudges.org/
Committee for Ethical Judicial Campaigns: (Washington State). http://www.judicialselection.us/uploads/documents/WA_Judicial_Oversight_Committee_pur_C8A394361F451.pdf
The Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/v-print/story/672311.html
The Brennan Center for Justice:http://brennancenterevents.com/
"Campaign finance laws can be crafted to promote more open, honest, and accountable government and to bring the constitutional ideal of political equality closer to reality." (The Brennan Center).
Governor Rod Blagojevich's recent arrest for bribery just highlighted what's wrong with the American electoral system: Government is auctioned off publicly and sometimes behind closed doors to the highest bidder.
The high bidder in any political campaign wins power to influence the appointment of public officials and influence legislation. Do we really need any more proof of this fact than the unfolding Blagojevich scandal?
In the state of Washington, Washington Public Campaigns (WPC) tells citizens, "Justice is not for sale."
The Judicial Selection Coalition recently sponsored a conference that examined the way the state elects judges at the University of Washington. Speakers included James Sample from the New York based Brennan Center who talked about extreme efforts to "buy" elections in other states such as W Virginia, Michigan and Alabama. David Brady, A WSU researcher reported that he conducted opinion polling that shows public support for using some kind of a commission system for electing judges.
WPC is working hard to pass legislation that will require campaigns for supreme court to be financed by citizens - not by special interests. In support of this effort, they offer voters the following analysis of judicial elections:
In 2006, $4.5 million was spent trying to win just 3 seats for the Washington state supreme court. It's outrageous! We must change the system - so that judges are never suspected of influence by financial backers.
Read "Justice for Sale" Wall Street Journal, by James Sample, at the Brennan Center for Justice (NY University School of Law).
State Representative Mark Liias is drafting a bill that will provide a foundation for a public financing system for court races. He plans to introduce it during the 2009 legislative session.
Alex Hayes of Justice for Washington told attendees that trial lawyers and other left leaning interests have too much influence on Washington Courts. (In fact, author John Grisham, a former state legislator, recently wrote a book called The Appeal that discusses in detail the corrupting influence of Special Interest money in state supreme court judicial races).
To date, Maine, Arizona and North Carolina have adopted some version of a public financing system for campaigns and The Olympian reports that Governor Christine Gregoire embraced the concept for judicial races in 2006 after that year's nasty court campaigns. But the Governor was unable to find a funding source, even in good economic times.
Connecticut is the only state to enact a program of full public financing for statewide and legislative races through legislative action (rather than through citizen initiative, as in Maine and Arizona).
WPC said, let's have public funding for supreme court campaigns. Washington Public Campaigns - together with the League of Women Voters and many other organizations - is proposing a bill to the 2009 legislature, for public financing of campaigns for the state supreme court. DETAILS
We know the state faces a budget shortfall, but we cannot afford justice for sale. Together with sponsors in the Senate and House, we are proposing a modest-cost bill, that will achieve our goals: integrity for the supreme court, through public financing of campaigns.
It won't be a cakewalk, and we need all hands on deck for a grassroots movement. We must educate the public, and lobby our legislators, with a disciplined and powerful grassroots advocacy campaign. Join the movement: Become a citizen lobbyist! Write to: wpc@washclean.org, with your offers to help."
Resources:
Washington Public Campaigns: http://www.washclean.org/blog.htm#not4sale
Voting for Judges: http://www.votingforjudges.org/
Committee for Ethical Judicial Campaigns: (Washington State). http://www.judicialselection.us/uploads/documents/WA_Judicial_Oversight_Committee_pur_C8A394361F451.pdf
The Olympian: http://www.theolympian.com/legislature/v-print/story/672311.html
The Brennan Center for Justice:http://brennancenterevents.com/
Monday, December 1, 2008
Observing your government in action
The League of Women Voters has published a primer titled, Observing Your Government in Action. The League of Women Voters actively monitors public meetings to ensure that local governments are conducting public meetings transparently. It was funded by a grant from the Herb Block Foundation.
"Protecting our right to know is integral to the health of our democracy. Decisions that determine how our schools will be run, at what level community safety programs will be funded, and how land in our towns will be used impact our lives and are vital to our well-being. These kinds of decisions need to be made with public input and oversight. One important way to ensure that is to observe government meetings."
A copy of Observing Your Government in Action can be found here: http://www.lwv.org/Content/ContentGroups/Projects/OpennessinGovernment/ObserverCorps/observercorps2007.pdf
"Protecting our right to know is integral to the health of our democracy. Decisions that determine how our schools will be run, at what level community safety programs will be funded, and how land in our towns will be used impact our lives and are vital to our well-being. These kinds of decisions need to be made with public input and oversight. One important way to ensure that is to observe government meetings."
A copy of Observing Your Government in Action can be found here: http://www.lwv.org/Content/ContentGroups/Projects/OpennessinGovernment/ObserverCorps/observercorps2007.pdf
Sunday, November 30, 2008
Restoring our Nation's Estuaries (A Petition to President Elect Obama)
People for Puget Sound is collecting signatures to send to President elect Obama to remind him how important estuaries are to it's citizens. Here's a note I received via e-mail.
Healthy coasts and estuaries are essential to the nation's economy and wellbeing. The aesthetic beauty of coasts and estuaries inspires us, provides opportunities for recreation, and teaches us about the natural environment.
Estuaries provide unmistakable economic value to our nation, supporting a disproportionately large share of economic output and population. Coasts and estuaries protect more than $800 billion of trade each year, tens of billions of dollars in recreational opportunities annually, and more than 45 percent of the nation's petroleum refining capacity.
In addition to their economic value, healthy estuaries provide critical ecological functions. They provide habitat for plants, fish and wildlife, support threatened and endangered species, and filter pollutants from water. Healthy estuaries and coasts also enable our shorelines to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Restored salt marshes protect communities from storms and floods and may reduce the need to build seawalls to protect developed shoreline areas against sea level rise. Estuaries also help counter climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it.
Our nation's coasts and estuaries are in serious trouble. Pollution has rendered 44 percent of tested U.S. estuaries and 12 percent of ocean shoreline waters unfit for uses such as swimming, fishing, or supporting aquatic life. An estimated two million U.S. dams block 600,000 miles of passage for thousands of coastal fish that try to reach native spawning grounds. And, the United States has lost 55 million acres of coastal and estuarine habitat along its coastline due to development, pollution, and other human-made and natural causes, and its coastal habitat continues to disappear at a rate of between 1.2 percent and 9 percent a year.
Our Vision for the Future We envision healthy and abundant coastal and estuarine ecosystems on every coast of the United States, and a shared and common national effort to protect and restore these irreplaceable resources, and the communities and livelihoods that depend on them. We also envision a habitat restoration community that is a vibrant, diverse collection of tens of thousands of individuals, organizations, businesses, and government agencies working together to restore our coasts and vital estuaries. Together, this group of scientists, practitioners, engineers, volunteers, and others will have the capacity, support, knowledge, and expertise necessary to restore the health of our nation's coasts and estuaries.
How Do We Get There? We the undersigned call on the new Administration and the 111th Congress to strengthen the nation's ability to restore and protect estuarine ecosystems by taking the following critical actions:
1. Increase the Pace and Scale of Restoration The new Administration and the 111th Congress should provide capacity and funding to significantly increase the pace and scale of coastal and estuarine habitat restoration. The myriad of federal programs aimed at protecting and restoring coasts and estuaries has been underfunded. We urge the new Administration and Congress to show strong federal commitment to adequately invest in habitat restoration programs, and also to create innovative ways to support the management, protection, restoration, and understanding of coastal and ocean resources, such as through a national ocean trust fund.
2. Fulfill the Commitment to make Restoration a National Priority The new Administration and the 111th Congress should fulfill the commitment to make coastal and estuarine habitat restoration a national priority. When Congress passed the Estuary Restoration Act in 2000, they recognized the importance of addressing the problems plaguing our nation's estuaries and restoring estuary habitat. This commitment, however, has not been fulfilled and the new Administration and Congress should ensure that restoration is a national priority, aggressive restoration goals are established, and funding is committed to achieve those goals. We also urge the new Administration to strengthen interagency coordination with the many federal agencies that play a role in habitat restoration.
3. Increase and Foster Restoration Partnerships The new Administration and the 111th Congress should identify ways to increase and foster effective restoration partnerships that include diverse public and private organizations and agencies to maximize effectiveness at the federal, state, and local levels. Participation and coordination among diverse pubic and private groups and community and volunteer involvement are necessary components of successful habitat restoration, and they should be fostered by the new Administration and Congress.
4. Counter Climate Change Impacts through Restoration The new Administration and the 111th Congress should actively pursue strategies to increase coastal and estuarine habitat restoration to strengthen the resilience of our coastlines to withstand and recover from climate change impacts and to increase carbon sequestration. Healthy estuaries help counter climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it. Additionally, communities that adequately protect the health of their natural coastal environment will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
5. Increase Support for Restoration Science, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management The new Administration and the 111th Congress should increase support for restoration science, monitoring, and adaptive management. The habitat restoration community has the scientific knowledge to undertake complex restoration projects, but with a better understanding we will restore the health of our estuaries and coasts more effectively. The new Administration and Congress should provide support for restoration science and monitoring, which is critical to assessing restoration progress and success. An adaptive management approach should be encouraged and results should be communicated so that the restoration community can gain from collective experience.
Let Your Voice Be Heard! The coastal and estuarine habitat restoration community needs your support.
Join the Call to Action today by clicking here.
Healthy coasts and estuaries are essential to the nation's economy and wellbeing. The aesthetic beauty of coasts and estuaries inspires us, provides opportunities for recreation, and teaches us about the natural environment.
Estuaries provide unmistakable economic value to our nation, supporting a disproportionately large share of economic output and population. Coasts and estuaries protect more than $800 billion of trade each year, tens of billions of dollars in recreational opportunities annually, and more than 45 percent of the nation's petroleum refining capacity.
In addition to their economic value, healthy estuaries provide critical ecological functions. They provide habitat for plants, fish and wildlife, support threatened and endangered species, and filter pollutants from water. Healthy estuaries and coasts also enable our shorelines to be more resilient to the impacts of climate change and sea level rise. Restored salt marshes protect communities from storms and floods and may reduce the need to build seawalls to protect developed shoreline areas against sea level rise. Estuaries also help counter climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it.
Our nation's coasts and estuaries are in serious trouble. Pollution has rendered 44 percent of tested U.S. estuaries and 12 percent of ocean shoreline waters unfit for uses such as swimming, fishing, or supporting aquatic life. An estimated two million U.S. dams block 600,000 miles of passage for thousands of coastal fish that try to reach native spawning grounds. And, the United States has lost 55 million acres of coastal and estuarine habitat along its coastline due to development, pollution, and other human-made and natural causes, and its coastal habitat continues to disappear at a rate of between 1.2 percent and 9 percent a year.
Our Vision for the Future We envision healthy and abundant coastal and estuarine ecosystems on every coast of the United States, and a shared and common national effort to protect and restore these irreplaceable resources, and the communities and livelihoods that depend on them. We also envision a habitat restoration community that is a vibrant, diverse collection of tens of thousands of individuals, organizations, businesses, and government agencies working together to restore our coasts and vital estuaries. Together, this group of scientists, practitioners, engineers, volunteers, and others will have the capacity, support, knowledge, and expertise necessary to restore the health of our nation's coasts and estuaries.
How Do We Get There? We the undersigned call on the new Administration and the 111th Congress to strengthen the nation's ability to restore and protect estuarine ecosystems by taking the following critical actions:
1. Increase the Pace and Scale of Restoration The new Administration and the 111th Congress should provide capacity and funding to significantly increase the pace and scale of coastal and estuarine habitat restoration. The myriad of federal programs aimed at protecting and restoring coasts and estuaries has been underfunded. We urge the new Administration and Congress to show strong federal commitment to adequately invest in habitat restoration programs, and also to create innovative ways to support the management, protection, restoration, and understanding of coastal and ocean resources, such as through a national ocean trust fund.
2. Fulfill the Commitment to make Restoration a National Priority The new Administration and the 111th Congress should fulfill the commitment to make coastal and estuarine habitat restoration a national priority. When Congress passed the Estuary Restoration Act in 2000, they recognized the importance of addressing the problems plaguing our nation's estuaries and restoring estuary habitat. This commitment, however, has not been fulfilled and the new Administration and Congress should ensure that restoration is a national priority, aggressive restoration goals are established, and funding is committed to achieve those goals. We also urge the new Administration to strengthen interagency coordination with the many federal agencies that play a role in habitat restoration.
3. Increase and Foster Restoration Partnerships The new Administration and the 111th Congress should identify ways to increase and foster effective restoration partnerships that include diverse public and private organizations and agencies to maximize effectiveness at the federal, state, and local levels. Participation and coordination among diverse pubic and private groups and community and volunteer involvement are necessary components of successful habitat restoration, and they should be fostered by the new Administration and Congress.
4. Counter Climate Change Impacts through Restoration The new Administration and the 111th Congress should actively pursue strategies to increase coastal and estuarine habitat restoration to strengthen the resilience of our coastlines to withstand and recover from climate change impacts and to increase carbon sequestration. Healthy estuaries help counter climate change by capturing carbon from the atmosphere and storing it. Additionally, communities that adequately protect the health of their natural coastal environment will be more resilient to the impacts of climate change.
5. Increase Support for Restoration Science, Monitoring, and Adaptive Management The new Administration and the 111th Congress should increase support for restoration science, monitoring, and adaptive management. The habitat restoration community has the scientific knowledge to undertake complex restoration projects, but with a better understanding we will restore the health of our estuaries and coasts more effectively. The new Administration and Congress should provide support for restoration science and monitoring, which is critical to assessing restoration progress and success. An adaptive management approach should be encouraged and results should be communicated so that the restoration community can gain from collective experience.
Let Your Voice Be Heard! The coastal and estuarine habitat restoration community needs your support.
Join the Call to Action today by clicking here.
Friday, November 14, 2008
Update on Puget Sound Partnership
The Puget Sound Partnership tells us that "Human activities generate far more toxic chemicals than natural sources. People have typically released into our Puget Sound environment three to 30 times as much heavy metals -- such as copper, lead, (mercury) and zinc -- as flow naturally from regional streams and rivers. Some toxic chemicals that wash into the Sound come entirely from human activities, such as phthalates at a rate of about 100,000 pounds a year."
"Pollution from highways is complicated. Although a portion of some contaminants come directly from highways, roads act primarily as conduits for contaminated surface runoff to flow more quickly into Puget Sound."
Recently, the Washington State Department of Ecology released two new reports on human generated toxics and stormwater runoff from streets and highways.
For more information and to see full copies of the reports, visit Ecology’s Control of Toxic Chemicals website at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pstoxics/index.html
Document Downloads: http://www.psp.wa.gov/documents.php
"Pollution from highways is complicated. Although a portion of some contaminants come directly from highways, roads act primarily as conduits for contaminated surface runoff to flow more quickly into Puget Sound."
Recently, the Washington State Department of Ecology released two new reports on human generated toxics and stormwater runoff from streets and highways.
For more information and to see full copies of the reports, visit Ecology’s Control of Toxic Chemicals website at www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/pstoxics/index.html
Document Downloads: http://www.psp.wa.gov/documents.php
Monday, November 10, 2008
Want to go to work for President Obama?
Heads up political wonks and wonkettes --
Inspired by Barack Obama's campaign?
Want to join the President as he embarks on a journey to create a world for our children that is just a little bit better than it is today?
There are thousands of presidential appointments, staff and volunteer positions available in President Obama's new administration. But you need to get started today.
You can head over to the newly minted Web site for the Obama transition team and fill out an application for a job right on the site. But like traditional job sites, this strategy probably won’t get you very far. Getting a job with the new administration is pretty much like getting any job: It’s all about connections." excerpt from msnbc's Eve Tahmincioglu's article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27476450/
Best of luck to each of you!
:)
Inspired by Barack Obama's campaign?
Want to join the President as he embarks on a journey to create a world for our children that is just a little bit better than it is today?
There are thousands of presidential appointments, staff and volunteer positions available in President Obama's new administration. But you need to get started today.
You can head over to the newly minted Web site for the Obama transition team and fill out an application for a job right on the site. But like traditional job sites, this strategy probably won’t get you very far. Getting a job with the new administration is pretty much like getting any job: It’s all about connections." excerpt from msnbc's Eve Tahmincioglu's article. http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/27476450/
Best of luck to each of you!
:)
Open Government Leadership Institute scheduled for May 1 - 3, 2009
The Washington Coalition for Open Government today announced that several expert presenters will comprise the faculty at its Open Government Leadership Institute planned for May 1 to 3, 2009 at the Dumas Bay Centre in Federal Way.
"Each instructor is a leader in his field. Participants in the Institute will receive theoretical as well as practical information on open government issues that they can take back to their agencies. This knowledge will help government bodies avoid costly lawsuits and bad public relations by stopping problems before they start," stated Institute coordinator Patience Rogge.
Instructors for the Institute include attorneys Duane Swinton of Spokane, Ramsey Rammerman of Seattle, Assistant Attorney General Tim Ford of Olympia, William J. Crittenden of Seattle; WCOG president and former 45th District Representative Toby Nixon of Kirkland; political scientist Chris Leman of Seattle; and journalist David Seago of Tacoma.
Richard M. Sepler, Port Townsend Planning Director will serve as facilitator. State Auditor Brian Sonntag will deliver the keynote address.
The Institute is designed to provide intensive training to 36 selected government officials from all levels of Washington government agencies in dealing with open meetings and public records issues. Each participant will receive an "Open Government Leader" certificate on completion of the Institute.
Deadline for applications is January 15, 2009 and details are available on the web at http://washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm
The Washington Coalition for Open Government is a non-partisan, non- profit organization of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting accessible and accountable government in Washington through the observance of the state's open meetings and public records laws and regulations. For more information, contact Elly Snow, executive director at WCOG 6351 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107-2664, phone 206.622.8425 or by email at info@washingtoncog.org
"Each instructor is a leader in his field. Participants in the Institute will receive theoretical as well as practical information on open government issues that they can take back to their agencies. This knowledge will help government bodies avoid costly lawsuits and bad public relations by stopping problems before they start," stated Institute coordinator Patience Rogge.
Instructors for the Institute include attorneys Duane Swinton of Spokane, Ramsey Rammerman of Seattle, Assistant Attorney General Tim Ford of Olympia, William J. Crittenden of Seattle; WCOG president and former 45th District Representative Toby Nixon of Kirkland; political scientist Chris Leman of Seattle; and journalist David Seago of Tacoma.
Richard M. Sepler, Port Townsend Planning Director will serve as facilitator. State Auditor Brian Sonntag will deliver the keynote address.
The Institute is designed to provide intensive training to 36 selected government officials from all levels of Washington government agencies in dealing with open meetings and public records issues. Each participant will receive an "Open Government Leader" certificate on completion of the Institute.
Deadline for applications is January 15, 2009 and details are available on the web at http://washingtoncog.org/ogli.htm
The Washington Coalition for Open Government is a non-partisan, non- profit organization of individuals and organizations dedicated to promoting accessible and accountable government in Washington through the observance of the state's open meetings and public records laws and regulations. For more information, contact Elly Snow, executive director at WCOG 6351 Seaview Ave NW, Seattle, WA 98107-2664, phone 206.622.8425 or by email at info@washingtoncog.org
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
