Environmental Watch: Landau Associates adds staff

Mikhail

Kenton

EDMONDS — Landau Associates added Joan E. Kenton as a federal program manager and Reda A. Mikhail as an associate geotechnical engineer. Kenton has 20 years of federal environmental program experience and will lead business development. Mikhail has 12 years of geotechnical engineering experience, including work on Northwest waterfronts and ports.

Additional new hires include: Jonathan J. Brown, staff geotechnical engineer, Kenneth L. Stephens, III, CAD operator, Rebekah J. Stephenson, environmental staff engineer, and Plinio F. Crow, project coordinator.

Landau is a geotechnical engineering and environmental sciences consulting firm headquartered in Edmonds.

Dahl Playfield may get a skate park

SEATTLE — The Seattle Board of Park Commissioners will hold a public hearing on Thursday on a proposal to create a small skate park at Dahl Playfield, 7700 25th Ave. N.E.

The meeting will be at the Park Board Room at 100 Dexter Ave. N at 6 p.m. A group of Wedgwood skateboard supporters called Boarders for Parks is proposing the project.

Also on Thursday's meeting agenda is a discussion on managing vegetation. For more information, see http://www.cityofseattle.net/parks/parkspaces/Viewpoints/VMP.htm.

The seven-member citizen board advises the Parks and Recreation Superintendent, the mayor and the city council on parks and recreation matters. For more information, contact Sandy Brooks at (206) 684-5066 or sandy.brooks@seattle.gov.

Wetland bank proposed near Lebanon, Ore.

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the Oregon Department of State Lands are considering a proposal to create a wetland mitigation bank north of Lebanon, Ore.

Al Sullivan and R.P. Novitzki have proposed a 123-acre bank, which would be used to meet wetland mitigation requirements for wetland losses on future projects.

The site includes the North and South Santiam watershed, part of the Calapooia watershed, the Mary's River and Luckiamute watersheds on the west side of the Willamette River. Efforts would involve converting the site to wet prairie, shrub and forested wetlands.

Written comments must be received by Aug. 26, 2005, and should be addressed to U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, ATTN: CENWP-OP-G (Corrie Veenstra), P.O. Box 2946, Portland OR, 97208-2946.

A copy of the proposed mitigation bank is posted at: https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/op/g/docs/notices/One_Horse_Slough.pdf_.

Nooksack River cleanup gets $242K

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently awarded a $252,000 grant to the Nooksack Tribe to help clean the northern bank of the Nooksack River in Whatcom County.

EPA, the Nooksack Tribe and the Bureau of Indian Affairs will be partners in the initial stage of the cleanup. Work will involve relocating solid waste to an onsite storage area. The Nooksack Tribal Public Works Office will complete the work, and the tribe's natural resources department director will oversee it.

One goal is to meet the statutory authority of the Indian Environmental General Assistance Program Act of 1992, by building tribal capacity to address solid waste cleanup activities and start creating a plan to stabilize a major river bank.

Another objective is to build a security fence between the road and the property to prevent people from using the area as an illegal dump site.

Free car wash kits for nonprofits

SEATTLE — King County has free car wash kits available for school, club or nonprofit groups holding charity car wash fundraisers.

Soapy, polluted water that washes off cars and pavement gets routed to a water treatment facility instead of drains where it would otherwise get into streams, lakes, rivers and Puget Sound.

Businesses are not eligible. Kits are available for schools, special districts such as utility districts, tribes, local governments, private nonprofits and individuals.

For more information, see http://www.dnr.metrokc.gov/carwash or contact Ken Pritchard at (206) 296-8265 or ken.pritchard@metrokc.gov.

Ecology issues $835K in penalties

BELLEVUE — Washington state Department of Ecology recently issued penalties of $835,080, bringing the total penalties issued since the beginning of this year to $1.3 million. The following were fined $10,000 or more in April, May and June, according to the state:

• GK Construction was penalized $10,000 for mishandling hundreds of gallons of toxic and flammable wastes.

• Foss Maritime Co. was fined $577,000 for spilling 4,700 gallons of heavy oil from a tank barge in Indianola and Woodway.

• I.P. Callison failed to monitor wastewater discharges to a Chehalis sewer plant, and was penalized $31,330.

• Burlington Environmental/Philip Services did not correctly analyze waste, causing an explosion in a hazardous-waste tank. This resulted in a $43,000 fine.

• Harris Transportation Co. spilled 2,244 gallons of gasoline to Scriber Creek wetlands from a tanker truck. The penalty was $24,500.

• Jansen got a $82,000 fine for repeatedly discharging muddy water into a salmon-spawning tributary, violating a stormwater and construction permit.

• McEvoy Oil Co. spilled 2,995 gallons of gasoline and diesel fuel into a wetland when a tanker truck overturned on state Route 9. The penalty was $12,000.

Environmental Watch: Ridolfi adds staff, moves office

Bowden

Chan

Ridolfi

SEATTLE — Ridolfi added new staff to its Seattle office, which recently moved to a new downtown location several blocks away.

Tom Bowden is a scientist and geologist with 24 years of experience doing studies on hazardous waste, sediment quality and geology. Jina Chan is an ecologist. She interned for Ridolfi while earning a master's in environmental horticulture and urban forestry from the University of Washington. Joseph S. Mathieu joined as a civil engineer. His expertise is in preparing plans, specifications and cost estimates for site development and drainage improvement projects. Senior engineer Sheila M. Fleming has 14 years of experience, including work on site investigations, human health and ecological risk assessments, and litigation technical support.

The company's president and principal engineer Callie Ridolfi recently received a master's in sustainable business from the Bainbridge Graduate Institute.

Ridolfi's new office is at Waterfront Place, 1011 Western Ave., Suite 1006 in Seattle. It moved from 1411 Fourth Ave.

Anchor expands natural resources staff

SEATTLE — Anchor Environmental added six people to its staff. In its Seattle office, Calvin Douglas will work on natural resource planning and environmental permitting, Brad Thiele will focus on environmental planning for Interstate 405 and Robert Hannon will do accounting.

Pat Powers was a fisheries engineer with the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, and is now working in Anchor's Olympia office. Ben Hung joined the company's Portland office to work on sediment projects in Portland Harbor. Jason Kase is in Ocean Springs, Miss., where he is working on projects along the Louisiana and Texas coasts.

Anchor is an environmental science and engineering firm that focuses on shoreline projects.

New hires join EnviroIssues in Seattle

SEATTLE — EnviroIssues, a local public involvement and facilitation firm, added staff in Seattle.

Molly Edmonds and Toby Crittenden have joined as project coordinators. Edmonds was an intern at APCO Worldwide, and Crittenden was a legislative intern for Seattle City Councilmember Peter Steinbrueck. New associate Emily Fishkin has worked with nonprofits based in Washington, D.C.

Graphic designer Danielle Johnson was with Minuteman Press. Marshall Aune is a graphics intern working on a degree in design and multimedia. Intern Lauren Stensland was a transportation and legislative intern at the Washington Public Interest Group.

EnviroIssues consults with government and industry on technical and regulatory projects. Offices are in Seattle, Richland and Portland.

Huckell/Weinman Associates adds two

KIRKLAND — Environmental and economics planning firm Huckell/Weinman Associates added two to its Kirkland headquarters.

Amy Harrison Keenan is a land use planner with four years of experience in public sector planning. She has worked on planning projects within city and county jurisdictions and has reviewed land use applications for compliance with zoning and critical areas regulations. Keenan is working on campus master plans for Shoreline Community College and Yakima Memorial Hospital.

Jack Middleton is an associate planner with experience in natural resource economics, environmental law and policy, and forest planning. He is working on a master plan for South Seattle community college and other projects in DuPont and Connell.

Huckell/Weinman specializes in land use, regulatory compliance, and environmental planning and economics.

SCS doing waste plan for NW tribes

BELLEVUE — Solid waste management firm SCS Engineers is working on a document for Northwest tribal governments to use in managing solid waste. The Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network got a $60,000 grant from the Environmental Protection Agency and hired SCS to prepare the template. A draft is set to be complete by late fall.

"Nonpermitted illegal dumps is one issue they're trying to address," said SCS spokesman Scott W. Lester. Reservations are often in remote areas, he said, which makes it expensive to hire private haulers to move waste to large regional facilities.

The Bellevue office of SCS is working with its Long Beach, Calif., headquarters to write the template document on managing solid waste. It will cover options for recycling and ways to handle hazardous waste, for example, as well as case studies of other municipal and tribal solid waste programs. Users can customize it based on specific regulations and desired results.

Lester said tribal representatives, regulatory agencies and waste haulers are also helping create the document.

The Tribal Solid Waste Advisory Network represents tribal governments in Washington, Idaho, Oregon and Alaska. Members can use the document on a voluntary basis. No deadline is set to put it into practice.

PUD offers $35 for your old fridge

EVERETT — Snohomish County PUD and a company called Jaco Environmental are offering customers $35 for old refrigerators and freezers.

This program is designed to help customers get rid of older, inefficient units that can use up to three times the energy newer models use, PUD officials say. It will run through the end of this year, or when 3,700 units are collected, whichever occurs first.

Jaco is an appliance recycler. It will pick up units and bring them to its recycling facility in Portland. More than 90 percent of each refrigerator or freezer will be recycled there, through a process Jaco uses to dispose of toxins and CFC-11, ozone-destroying chloroflourocarbon gases. These are released from foam insulation.

Appliances must be 1995 models or older, in working condition and between 10 and 27 cubic feet in size. For more information, Snohomish County PUD customers can call (877) 577-0510.

Environmental Watch: Tri-Cities groups buy land for park

Photo courtesy of the Trust for Public Land People can keep hiking on Badger Mountain near the Tri-Cities, recently bought to be kept as a park.

SEATTLE — Governments, individuals and a group with money for Hanford-related mitigation work recently pooled $685,000 to buy land that will be preserved as a park.

The 574-acre site includes the sides of Badger Mountain, which is near Richland, Pasco and Kennewick, but excludes 20 acres on top. The deal closed at the end of last month. Plans call for the area to be protected as a hiking area, to be called Badger Mountain Centennial Preserve.

Funds came from individuals, the city of Richland, and Benton County, but most came from a group called the Washington Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council. This group has $3.5 million set aside as mitigation for impacts caused by a Hanford facility, according to Peter Dykstra of the Trust for Public Land. He managed the project to buy the Badger Mountain site.

A landowner there allowed people to hike on unpaved trails, Dykstra said, but development pressures could have changed that. Large houses might have been built on the ridge, which he said is the longest scenic ridgeline in the Tri-Cities area.

The city of Richland recently acquired an adjacent site, he said, a hiking access point for the park will be located there. Community groups are working to come up with a plan to manage the site.

Farallon Consulting adds geochemist

Cammarata

BELLINGHAM — Thomas Cammarata has joined Farallon Consulting as a senior environmental geochemist.

Farallon is an environmental consulting firm specializing in site characterization and remediation services, litigation support and engineering services.

Cammarata has 25 years of experience in geological and environmental sciences, including work negotiating federal and state Agreed Orders, Consent Decrees and determinations for No Further Action.

Cammarata is a geologist and hydrogeologist and has worked on contaminated properties with upland areas and marine sediments. At Farallon, he will manage contaminated property projects and oversee new approaches to mitigation. The company has a professional staff of 33 people, and offices in Issaquah and Bellingham.

Stormwater companies launch new identity

PORTLAND — Two stormwater management companies have combined and have rebranded themselves as Stormwater360.

Stormwater Management and Vortechnics launched their new identity last week at StormCon, a North American Surface Water Quality Conference & Exposition in Orlando.

The companies joined earlier this year when Vortechnics became a wholly-owned subsidiary of Contech Construction Products. The Middletown, Ohio-based Contech offers civil engineering site solutions products and services.

Stormwater360 offers stormwater treatment technologies, including: filtration, hydrodynamic separation, screening, and oil/water separation.

Renewable energy seminar here August 11-12

SEATTLE — Law Seminars International will hold a seminar in Seattle August 11-12 on renewables and energy efficiency. It will be at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

Federal and state policymakers are expected to attend, along with developers of renewable energy and people who invest in these technologies.

Speakers will talk about federal policies on renewables and energy efficiency, federal investment in related research and development, and the role utilities play in clean energy. Program co-chairs are Robert D. Kahn of Mercer Island-based Robert D. Kahn & Co. and Peter D. Mostow of the Portland office of Stoel Rives.

Puyallup group to talk about flood plains

TACOMA — Experts in flood plains will talk Wednesday to business and property owners about which areas in the Puyallup River watershed are especially vulnerable to floods.

This is part of a series of meetings Puyallup River Watershed Council holds on the fourth Wednesday of every month except in November and December. It will be in Sumner at City Council Chambers, 1104 Maple Street, Suite 205, from 5 to 7 p.m.

Flood plain specialist Kevin Farrell of the Washington Department of Ecology will talk about state flood plain regulations and resources to support county and city programs, such as offering grants and technical assistance. Civil engineer Dennis Dixon with Pierce County Water Programs will cover the county's recent work to update flood plain maps for the first time since 1987. A computer-based map which will allow everyone to more easily see where they are in relation to the flood hazards. He will review how levees below the city of Puyallup affect people living in these areas.

Jeff Johnson, a principal at Northwest Hydraulic Consultants, will answer questions about technical studies required to prepare the new maps.

For more information, call Linda T. Burgess at (253) 863-1860 or Barbara Skinner at (253) 299-5790. Also see www.prwc.org.

Environmental Watch: Landau Associates promotes staff

EDMONDS — The Northwest engineering and environmental consulting firm Landau Associates promoted the following in its Edmonds office: Jerry R. Ninteman to principal, Michelle L. Ramos to senior geotechnical engineer, Dana L. Olcott to senior staff engineer, Mario Lòpez-Ramos to staff engineer, Erik R. Gerking to senior staff geologist, Evalyn A. Albright to senior staff scientist and April C. Wallace to staff scientist.

In Tacoma, Edward J. Heavey was promoted to senior associate geotechnical engineer and Brian A. Bennetts to senior staff engineer. Shannon E. Moore was added as a project scientist to manage the firm's noise and traffic air quality services.

Landau offers consulting on natural resources, environmental permitting, and environmental and geotechnical engineering.

Jones & Stokes names energy director

SACRAMENTO — Dail Miller has joined Jones & Stokes as an energy services director. Miller has 20 years of project management experience in the energy, telecommunications and construction fields. He has consulted on energy-related issues with regulatory agencies in the United States, Europe, Central America and the Caribbean.

He has supervised fossil fuel power plants, electrical transmission lines, gas pipelines and renewable energy projects.

Jones & Stokes is a Sacramento-based environmental consulting firm with Washington offices in Bellevue and Vashon.

Corps plans Willamette dredging

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will hold a public meeting this week on a management plan it is preparing for how to handle dredge material on the Lower Willamette River.

This plan would guide maintenance activities on the 40-foot deep federal navigation channel for the next 20 years.

The first public meeting on this project will be held Thursday in the Port of Portland Commission Room at 121 N.W. Everett St., in Portland from 7 to 9 p.m. Topics will include dredging methods and disposal options, cultural and environmental impacts, channel maintenance requirements and engineering studies.

The plan must comply with state and federal regulations. Federal funding to complete the plan is authorized under the Rivers and Harbors Act.

The Corps is coordinating with the Environmental Protection Agency, National Marine Fisheries Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife, Oregon Division of State Lands and Oregon Department of Environmental Quality.

Brownfields conference in Portland

PORTLAND — The fifth annual Oregon Brownfields Conference will be Aug. 23-24 in Portland.

Speakers include consulting firm Elesco's president Leland (Lee) Smith, who was an executive member of the Urban Land Institute and worked as a marketing director for San Francisco's Grubb & Ellis Real Estate Co.

Public and private-sector groups will share brownfield success stories and the tools they used in assessing a site, doing cleanup, designing remediation and doing construction.

Sponsors are the Oregon Department of Economic and Community Development, the Oregon Department of Environmental Quality, and the Northwest Environmental Business Council.

Registration costs start at $100. See http://www.nebc.org. For more information call Cara Bergeson at (503) 227-6361.

Firms to show their energy technology

SEATTLE — Seven Northwest energy technology companies will present products they are set to launch on Aug. 23 at the Northwest Energy Technology Showcase in Portland.

Representatives from utilities, governments, venture firms and the industry in Western Canada and around the Northwest are expected to attend.

Hydrogen Power of Seattle will show new ways to produce hydrogen and Seattle-based Prometheus Energy will demonstrate how it can turn methane into high-purity liquid natural gas. ADI Thermal Power of Woodinville has a technology to produce stirling engines, and Stecher Proprietary of Gig Harbor can process sulfur into hydrogen and other energy sources. Carmanah Technologies of Victoria, B.C., will show its solar-powered LED lighting products. First American Scientific of Delta, B.C., does work on producing biomass power. Novus Power of White Rock, B.C., will show efficient electric motor technology.

Northwest Energy Technology Collaborative is the event sponsor, and is working with groups including Puget Sound Energy, Avista Corp., Bonneville Power Administration, Tacoma Power and BC Hydro.

Environmental Watch: County report: cleaner air, fewer fish

SEATTLE — People in King County have been recycling more in the last 10 years and small lakes here are in good condition, according to an environmental benchmarking report the county released last week. But more development and people here means some areas have declined beyond repair.

Here are some of the report’s findings.

• Air quality. Up slightly in the last five years, with 257 high quality air days last year, 16 more days than in 2000.

• Stationary sources of greenhouse gas emissions. These climbed 7 percent from 1999-2003. The bulk of these emissions came from stationary combustion, such as generating energy.

• Lake quality. Small lakes have improved in the last 10 years. Other lakes in King County are in moderately good shape.

• Residential recycling is up.

• The number of vehicle miles traveled in King County has continued to rise. Each person drives about the same amount as 10 years ago, but drives nearly 44 percent more miles than 20 years ago.

• Diesel use keeps going up, in part because of high levels of commercial traffic.

• Urban stream and habitat. Conditions are generally poor.

• Mobile sources of greenhouse gas emissions. Emissions from cars and trucks dropped 5 percent from 1999-2003.

• Energy use. Per capita consumption of residential and commercial energy, electricity and natural gas, has declined by nearly 7 percent since 1996.
• Gasoline use. Per capita gasoline consumption peaked in 2002, and has declined in the past two years.

• Water use. Citizens in King County continue to use less water.

Find the report posted at www.metrokc.gov/budget/benchmrk. For print copies or a CD call Rose Curran of the King County Office of Budget at (206) 205-0715.

Rainwater harvesting event July 14-16

SEATTLE — Exhibits and tours will be part of the American Rainwater Catchment Systems Association's rainwater harvesting conference July 14-16 at Seattle Center.

Organizers say more people are getting interested because of limited water supplies in urban areas. They say 500,000 people in the United States and its territories harvest rainwater for indoor and outdoor domestic supplies.

The association is based in Austin, Texas. For more information, see www.arcsa-usa.org.

Tacoma's Clover Creek to be restored

TACOMA — Pierce County will hold a public meeting July 19 on Clover Creek restoration efforts in the Parkland area. The meeting will be at the Parkland/Spanaway Library, 13718 Pacific Ave. S., from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

Volunteers are needed to take out invasive plants along the creek this fall.

That work will be followed by restoring the creek channel and associated flood plains, and replanting native vegetation.

Restoration will occur along the creek between A Street East and the Brookdale Golf Course, flood-prone land the county bought, as well as land owned by the Cascade Land Conservancy and interested property owners.

Pierce County is creating a Habitat Restoration Plan for Clover Creek. For more information, see www.piercecountywa.org/cloverrest or call Dick Ferguson at (253) 798-3979.

New rules on critical areas in Snohomish

EVERETT — Snohomish County will hold three public meetings this month on proposed changes to critical areas regulations:

Mill Creek on July 19 at Heatherwood Middle School, 1419 Trillium Blvd.

Monroe on July 27 at Monroe Junior High School, 1408 W. Main St.

Arlington on July 28 at Post Middle School Commons, 1220 E. Fifth St.

Meetings will be from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m.

For more information, call public involvement specialist Mary Hurner at (425) 388-6430. Find out about the critical areas update by contacting criticalareasupdate@co.snohomish.wa.us.

Newsletter out on developing brownfields

OLYMPIA — A government-funded monthly newsletter on redeveloping contaminated land is posted at www.buildingonbrownfields.com.

The Environmental Protection Agency's Region 10 created "Building on Brownfields" with Washington state's Department of Ecology. Ecology and the Department of Community, Trade and Economic Development are funding the project.

Sharon Kophs, brownfields program manager for Washington, said property owners, developers and lenders still fear they might be liable for leftover contamination.

So the newsletter is intended to describe in everyday terms the environmental and economic benefits of redeveloping contaminated land. Its focus is on brownfields in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Alaska.

Grant to help cut construction pollution

SEATTLE — The Oregon Environmental Council recently won a $26,000 grant from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency to reduce diesel emissions from construction equipment in the Portland metro area.

Ron Kreizenbeck, acting regional administrator for EPA's regional office, said in Multnomah County diesel emissions are reported to be the leading cause of air pollution-related cancers and are a major trigger of asthma and other respiratory illnesses.

Oregon Environmental Council officials say they will work with businesses, local and state agencies, community leaders to reduce diesel emissions.

Renewable energy fair July 29-31

JOHN DAY, Ore. — Fifty workshops on renewable energy will be offered at the SolWest renewable energy fair, July 29-31 at Grant County Fairgrounds in John Day, Ore.

Organizers say about 2,000 people visit SolWest each year to see and buy solar power systems, home-scale wind generators, hydro systems for small streams, and biodiesel processors and fuels.

There will be an "Electrathon" to race mini-electric cars, and workshops on green energy, solar water pumping and small-scale hydropower.

One workshop instructor will be Kent Osterberg, who has 14 years of experience putting in photovoltaic power systems. He works with Sunlight Solar in Bend, Ore. A home will be fitted with a 2-kilowatt solar electric system.

For more information, see www.solwest.org or call (541) 575-3633. Also, e-mail info SolWest/EORenew, PO Box 485, Canyon City OR 97820.

Environmental Watch: JD White Co. adds staff

Cooper

Brown

Stalberger

VANCOUVER — The JD White Co. added Kathleen C. (KC) Cooper as its public involvement program manager. JD White is a land use and natural resources planning firm, with offices in Portland and Vancouver.

Cooper has 23 years of experience in public involvement and project management, with a focus on the transportation industry. She will succeed Karen Ciocia, who manages marketing and client services.

Research assistant Sean Watkins also joined the company, and will work on planning for parks, ports and transportation projects.

JD White also promoted Kyle Brown and Jessica Stalberger, who work on public involvement. Stalberger focuses on transportation, community development and master planning projects. Brown is working on a noise study for the Port of Portland and an EIS for an airport runway in Sitka, Alaska.

Local mold expert gets certification

Knutson

KIRKLAND — The American Board of Industrial Hygiene recently certified Dianne Knutson of Kirkland-based company AMEC as an industrial hygienist.

Knutson is a senior mold and indoor-air project manager. She has investigated hundreds of commercial, public, medical and residential spaces for mold and is called on for expert witness testimony in mold litigation cases.

The American Board of Industrial Hygiene gives the certification to experienced professionals with a thorough knowledge of toxicology, air sampling, epidemiology and industrial ventilation.

Celebrate the Denny Way CSO Thursday

SEATTLE — After 12 years of planning and four years of construction, the biggest combined sewer overflow project in King County is complete. More than 30 engineering and consulting firms worked on the project.

A dedication ceremony will be held Thursday at 545 Elliott Ave. W. in Seattle from 10 to 11 a.m. There will also be a tour of the Elliott West control facility.

The $140 million Denny Way Combined Sewer Overflow, or CSO, project began operation in April of this year.

For more information about the ceremony, call John Phillips at (206) 263-6543. Also see http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wtd/dennyway.

NEBC, Hart Crowser hold mixer July 14

PORTLAND — The Northwest Environmental Business Council and Hart Crowser hold their annual mixer July 14 on the rooftop of Hart Crowser's Seattle office at 1910 Fairview Ave. E., from 5 to 7 p.m.

NEBC members, colleagues and guests are invited. Cost is $35 for members and guests, or $45 for nonmembers. Sponsors are Instrumentation Northwest, Integrated Marketing Systems and Med-Tox Northwest.

For more information contact NEBC at (503) 227-6361 or e-mail cara@nebc.org. Also see http://www.nebc.org.

July 13 talk on overwater structures

SEATTLE — The city of Seattle and People for Puget Sound will hold the first in a series of brown bag lunches on July 13.

The topic of the talk will be ways to build environmentally sensitive overwater structures. Speakers will be John Feit and Brian Court of Miller/Hull on design of the Northwest Maritime Center demonstration dock in Port Townsend.

This 300-foot-deep water pier is a prototype for overwater structures that are sensitive to habitat. It was developed with funds from a NOAA grant, using computer lighting simulations that led to the use of light reflective technologies and materials on the underside of the dock.

This talk is the first of a lunch series the city of Seattle and People for Puget Sound will hold on the second Wednesday of each month. Talks will be in Room 1940 of Seattle's Municipal Tower, 700 Fifth Ave., from 12 to 1:30 p.m. The goal is to present new ideas and techniques that could be used to redevelop Seattle's central waterfront.

For more information, call John Arnesen at SDOT at (206) 684-8921, or Heather Trim at People For Puget Sound at (206) 382-7007 ext. 215.

EPA settles with tribe on pesticides

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency recently settled an administrative complaint with Yakama Land Enterprise for a $5,664 penalty.

Yakama Land Enterprise buys land, does development and operates on behalf of the Yakama Nation. It is located on the Yakama Indian Reservation in Toppenish, Yakima County.

The group and EPA agreed to collaborate on a plan to reduce pesticide drift.

EPA officials say last year pesticide drifted onto a nearby organic cherry orchard, as well as onto a Pacific Power and Light employee reading electrical meters on nearby properties. It said there were no warning signs posted about the use of the pesticide, and workers weren't trained to handle it or know which medical facility to go to in case someone was hurt.

The EPA has primary enforcement responsibility over federal pesticide laws on Indian reservations. In other parts of the state this is the responsibility of the Washington Department of Agriculture.

Seminar on green materials July 13

EVERETT — People can find out where to buy sustainable materials in this area at a July 13 seminar in Everett.

The Sustainable Development Task Force will hold the brown bag event at the Snohomish County PUD Building, 2320 California St., from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Vendors will be on hand to talk about specifications and project applications. A presentation will focus on the cost of green materials, as well as how they can be used to earn credit under programs such as LEED and Built Green. There will also be information on jobsite recycling.

The organizers will post the names of vendors attending the session at www.snoedc.org/ssc.

Environmental Watch: Action Team picks communication head

SEATTLE — The Puget Sound Action Team appointed Linda Elliott Farmer as its new communications director.

She will oversee communications, and public education and involvement efforts around Puget Sound. Farmer has five years of experience working on environmental services and communication at the city of Tacoma.

She also was an editor for The Federal Way News and worked in the news office at Pacific Lutheran University.

Farmer can be reached at (360) 725-5445 or (253) 232-2891 (cell), or by e-mail at lfarmer@psat.wa.gov.

Utility to remove tar from Willamette

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has decided on a cleanup option to remove tar deposits from Willamette River sediment. Portland-based gas utility NW Natural will do the cleanup, scheduled to begin in August and finish in October.

Last year NW Natural agreed to an early action to clean tar residues at the site where an oil gasification plant operated in the early 20th century. The tar deposits are high in benzene and total polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon.

Cleanup work will involve dredging, a cap and a curtain.

About 15,000 cubic yards of tar-laden sediment will be dredged and covered with a protective cap. A silt curtain is designed to keep fish from getting into the dredge area and contain contaminated sediments loosened during dredging. The curtain will be engineered to withstand boat wakes and high river flows.

Contaminated materials will be disposed at a hazardous waste facility in Arlington, Ore.

This will be the first in-water cleanup along a six-mile length of the river known as Portland Harbor, which was identified as a Superfund site in 2000.

Island County OKs watershed plan

COUPEVILLE — The Island County commissioners last week approved a watershed plan to guide decisions on managing fresh water on Camano and Whidbey islands.

Twelve citizens worked with the cities of Coupeville, Langley and Oak Harbor to create the plan. It outlines county efforts to protect areas where rainwater recharges aquifers and keep saltwater from getting into groundwater.

Island County is eligible for $450,000 in Department of Ecology grants in the next five years to put this plan into action.

For more information, call Larry Altose, Ecology public information, at (425) 649-7009 or Island County Water Resource Planner Sheilagh Byler at (360) 678-7888. Also see www.islandcounty.net/health/Envh/wrac/WRAC%20Main.htm.

Company to pay $42K lead penalty

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency said G.B. Enterprises, operating under the name Alpha Technologies, will pay a $42,300 penalty for failing to report the use of lead at its Arlington facility.

G.B. Enterprises supplies power systems for the cable television and cellular phone industries. Companies that manufacture, import or process certain quantities of potentially harmful chemicals or substances have to report these to state and federal agencies. Reports are compiled each year for the public as part of EPA's Toxic Release Inventory.

The EPA said G.B. failed to report the use of lead after EPA lowered its reporting threshold in 2001. Children ages six and younger are most at risk to lead exposure's adverse effects, which include behavioral problems and learning disabilities.

Web site shows toxins near you

OLYMPIA — The state Department of Ecology has a Web site with information people can use to find out about toxic chemicals in their communities.

Idell Hansen of Ecology's Hazardous Substance Information & Education Office says the Web site is a one-stop shop for facts on toxic substances. People can see which buildings in their areas have asbestos, what chemicals community businesses use and how much mercury local manufacturers release into the air. Tips on how to recycle hazardous materials are also posted.

The Web site address is www.ecy.wa.gov/hsieo. A link goes to the Environmental Defense Fund Scorecard, which lists toxic-substance details by to zip code. See www.environmentaldefense.org/go/scorecard.cancer. For information by phone, call (800) 633-7585.

Zero-VOC paint coming to Seattle stores

PORTLAND — A paint company in Portland has introduced a new shade of "green." Yolo Colorhouse has a line of Green-Seal certified paints that will be available closer to Seattle in July.

The company says its paints do not emit volatile organic compounds, or VOCs. Using zero-VOC paint means no noxious fumes and toxic chemicals are emitted.

Artists and custom paint designers Virginia Young and Janie Lowe founded Yolo this year. The company's "earth color" collection has 40 colors and is based on a natural palette. An $80 design kit comes with large samples of each color.

Yolo's paint will be in Rodda Paint Stores in Bellevue and Seattle. In Vancouver, Yolo is stocked at Rodda Paint on Fourth Plain Boulevard. Orders can be made through the company's Web site, www.yolocolorhouse.com.

Environmental Watch: Aspect Consulting adds staff

Carlson

SEATTLE — Soil physics expert Tyson Carlson has joined the Seattle office of Aspect Consulting as a project hydrogeologist.

Carlson joins Aspect's growing groundwater-related practice and will work with the Port of Seattle and Department of Ecology on a contract for water rights processing. His expertise is in analyzing saturated soils and doing groundwater models.

Aspect specializes in earth science and engineering services, with a focus on water resources, remediation and geotechnical engineering. The staff of 35 is in offices in Seattle and on Bainbridge Island.

GLY recycles on Kirkland project

SEATTLE — King County recently recognized GLY Construction for using recycled-content materials on a 100,000-square-foot, five-story medical building at the Evergreen Plaza site in Kirkland.

GLY is using high-grade reusable concrete forms as well as recycled-content building material such as wallboard, concrete, carpet and ceiling tiles. Of 13,000 cubic yards of native soil that crews removed, 11,000 cubic yards will be used for backfill.

GLY has a sustainable construction manual for its employees, which lists resources for recycling and waste management planning. Three of its employees are LEED accredited.

GLY is participating in King County's Construction Works program, which is designed to help builders learn about the benefits of recycling and using recycled-content materials. For more information see http://www.metrokc.gov/dnrp/swd/construction-recycling/constructionworks.asp. Or call Kinley Deller at (206) 296-4434 or Karen Price at (206) 389-7281.

WWU to buy only green electricity

BELLINGHAM — Western Washington University will buy all its electricity from renewable energy sources in the upcoming school year, thanks to a new student fee the university's board of trustees approved this month.

The $10.50 fee per quarter for full-time students will generate $355,000 each year, enough for Western to buy about 35 million kilowatt hours of electricity from Puget Sound Energy for the 2005-06 school year. That's enough electricity to run 3,200 homes.

(Note: An earlier version of this article gave incorrect information on fee amount.)

Director of facilities management Tim Wynn said students felt using green power was important and introduced the initiative. Now the university is looking at alternate forms of transportation, sustainable cleaning products and ways to dispose of food from dining facilities.

"You could say the green power initiative kind of spurred everything else on," Wynn said.

University officials say Western's purchase makes it the second biggest purchaser of renewable power in higher education and the 15th biggest buyer of green energy in the country.

Ecology honors 44 treatment plants

OLYMPIA — The state Department of Ecology recognized 44 of Washington's 305 wastewater treatment plants for perfect compliance with wastewater discharge permits. These plants had no spills last year in Washington's waters.

In addition to treating the water, plant operators must conduct thousands of water-quality monitoring tests during the year. Award winners passed all environmental tests and analyzed samples according to Ecology's standards.

Treatment plants honored this year in King County are those in Lakota, Miller Creek and Redondo. Kitsap County's Manchester Wastewater Treatment Plant got special recognition as the only treatment plant with a perfect record, having complied with its permits each year since the county began its program to honor plants 10 years ago.

Hanford open for tours this weekend

RICHLAND — This weekend the Department of Energy is making parts of the Hanford site available for public tours for the first time since Sept. 11, 2001.

On Friday and Saturday visitors can trace a route that shows how plutonium was produced. Guides will explain cleanup efforts at places where fuel was manufactured for irradiation in Hanford's reactors. There will be a walking tour of B Reactor, the world's first large-scale plutonium production reactor.

The free, four-hour tours begin at the Volpentest Hammer Training & Education Center, 2890 Horn Rapids Road, Richland. Tours start at 7:30 a.m., 9:30 a.m. and 12:30 p.m.

Register at http://www.hanford.gov/information/sitetours/registration. Participants must be U.S. citizens and must show a photo identification at security check.

Web site shows toxins near you

OLYMPIA — The state Department of Ecology has a Web site with information people can use to find out about toxic chemicals in their communities.

Idell Hansen coordinates the Ecology's Hazardous Substance Information & Education Office and says the Web site is a one-stop shop for facts on toxic substances. People can see which buildings in their areas have asbestos, what chemicals community businesses use and how much mercury local manufacturers release into the air. Tips on how to recycle hazardous materials are also posted.

The Web site address is http://www.ecy.wa.gov/hsieo. For information by phone, call (800) 633-7585.

A link on the Web site goes to the Environmental Defense Fund Scorecard, which lists toxic-substance details by to zip code. See http://www.environmentaldefense.org/go/scorecard.cancer.

Environmental Watch: Spokane may try more natural drainage

SPOKANE — The city of Spokane is considering bigger natural drainage projects than the swales alongside some parking lots, according to Spokane-based architect Tom Angell.

Angell heads the Northwest Eco-Building Guild's inland chapter. He said surface drainage in the Spokane area has been low priority for many years. In some parts of the city, basements are getting flooded, Angell said, because when water can't seep into soils, it moves laterally instead.

He said this is happening in places where the city has been expanding in the last 15 years. The city is looking at ways to manage stormwater runoff aside from putting in gutters and pipes.

Natural drainage could be used around Hazel's Creek, for example. If it gets approval by the city council and the City Planning Commission, a new master plan for Hazel's Creek would guide development there.

Elise LeBarron is on the team writing the master plan. She is working on a master's in landscape architecture that focuses on stormwater issues in Spokane's Five-Mile Prairie area.

LeBarron will give a talk on the topic Thursday in Spokane. The Northwest EcoBuilding Guild's inland chapter is the sponsor of this event, which will be at the Global Credit Union office, 1530 W. Third Ave. from 7 to 9 p.m. For more information call Bruce Gage at (509) 924-8803 or see www.ecobuilding.org.

EPA settles with county over PCBs

SEATTLE — The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has settled with King County on cleanup of toxic substances from leaky flourescent lights at a Bellevue daycare.

An investigation last year of polychlorinated bi-phenyls, or PCB, contamination from the fixtures led to the daycare being closed. King County owned the facility located at 609 112th Ave. S.E. and a lessee named Surrydowns Children Center ran the daycare.

Surrydowns has not responded to an offer from EPA to settle penalty claims. EPA has issued a complaint against Surrydowns carrying a proposed $44,925 penalty.

A King County health inspector notified EPA last July about the leaky light ballasts. EPA lab results confirmed there was substantial leakage of liquid PCBs throughout the main office and in pre-school, kindergarden and after-school areas. Levels of PCBs were well above the regulated 50 parts per million.

The daycare was closed and King County spent $81,500 to clean and dispose of the PCBs under an EPA-approved plan. EPA officials say Surrydowns elected not to participate in the cleanup.

Scott Downey, an EPA toxic substances control enforcement manager, says those who own and run schools and daycares should ensure any PCB contamination is recognized and cleaned up immediately.

Talk today on fighting invasive weeds

SEATTLE — Today noxious weed expert Sasha Shaw will present a slideshow on invasive plants that are threatening urban areas, focusing on weeds that infiltrate community parks, waterways and natural areas.

King County will hold the workshop at Olympic View Elementary, 504 N.E. 95th Street in Seattle from 6:30 to 8 p.m.

Participants can find out how invasive weeds spread, where they come from and what communities can do to stop them. To register, contact Sasha Shaw at sasha.shaw@metrokc.gov or (206) 263-6468.

Last year King County's noxious weed program staff worked with 3,500 property owners and land managers to control noxious weeds on 5,100 properties. For more information, see http://www.dnr.metrokc.gov/weeds.

Nearly 50,000 get rebates for washers

SEATTLE — Sometime before the middle of next month, the 50,000th person to come in to buy an efficient washing machine will get it for free.

People who buy approved models of the energy- and water-efficient machines, branded WashWise, have been getting $100 rebates since a program started eight years ago.

"A decade ago, water and energy efficient washers represented less than three percent of the market," said Seattle Public Utilities program manager David Broustis. Today more than 125 models are eligible for rebates.

The rebates are funded by Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light and 17 local water districts. SPU is the first water utility in the country to offer washer rebates, according to officials at the city of Seattle. The Seattle-area has saved over one billion gallons of water thanks to the program.

Customers can save as much as $144 a year on some models, which use up to 55 percent less energy and water than other machine brands. WashWise is expected to give rebates on more than 6,000 washers sold locally this year.

Kent site could be taken off toxic list

BELLEVUE — The Department of Ecology proposes to remove a Kent property from the statewide list of contaminated sites. The 3.1-acre lot is located in an industrial and commercial area on North Fourth Avenue, just north of state Route 167.

It was formerly the General Electric Apparatus Service Center, but is now occupied by Brundage Bone Concrete Pumping Corp.

Cleanup work took place intermittently from 1990 to 1992. Contaminated soil was excavated, treated and disposed off-site at a hazardous waste landfill. Crews removed underground storage tanks and oil/water separator tanks, installed monitoring systems for soil and gas, took out sludge from catch basins and monitored groundwater wells. In April 2002 Ecology issued a letter for No Further Action.

Contamination remained, but the site was clean enough for industrial use. Ecology signed a restrictive covenant with the property owner, which put limits on the use of the site to industrial purposes and prohibits disturbance of soil and groundwater.

Ecology invites public comment on the delisting through July 1. For details and contact information, see http://www.ecy.wa.gov/pubs/0509081.pdf. Documents can be reviewed at Ecology's Northwest regional office 3190 160th Ave. S.E. in Bellevue. Call (425) 649-7190 for an appointment.

Environmental Watch: Pioneer Industries wins waste award

SEATTLE — King County recently recognized Seattle sheet metal manufacturer Pioneer Industries for its industrial waste program. The county gave 51 certificates to big users of the industrial waste system that have gone for at least a year without violations at one of their industrial sites.

Pioneer has more than 100,000 square feet of manufacturing space in two facilities, where it assembles commercial and aerospace machinery. Work includes laser and water jet cutting, punching, shearing and welding.

King County officials talk with business people about ways to prevent pollution, as well as cut waste and water use. For more information, see http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/indwaste/map.htm.

Ecology issues penalties of $500K

BELLEVUE — The Department of Ecology has issued penalties of $508,501 this year to companies for pollution. A quarterly list of companies penalized more than $1,000 came out recently. Here are those fined $10,000 or more in January, February and March.

• Shelton’s D&E Septic Services was issued a $268,740 fine for illegally dumping septic tank waste and sewer sludge in Mason County.

• Auburn’s Safeway got a $96,000 fine for releasing polluted water from a construction project.

• Asotin County’s Rock’N J Properties got a $25,000 fine for damage to the Grande Ronde River shoreline. Construction work was done without proper permits.

• Lakewood’s Specialty Products mishandled tons of highly flammable hazardous materials and failed to report spills, resulting in a $16,000 penalty.

• Clark County’s Tomasos Brothers was issued a $12,000 penalty for spilling an estimated 519 gallons of bunker oil into the Columbia River from the vessel M/T Rosa Tomasos.

• Kelso-based Stowe Woodward Co. got a $12,000 fine for violating pollution limits of its water discharge permit.

• Gary Correll of Nine Mile Falls in Spokane County got a $10,000 fine for violating the terms of his shoreline conditional-use permit.

$200K to help fish during drought

OLYMPIA — The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife has set aside about $200,000 to carry out projects designed to help fish survive this year's drought.

The emergency funding will pay for about two dozen projects to save and move fish. Money will be used to get more water for four state hatcheries, treat fish disease and extend boat launches. Poor water quality and high temperatures can lead to more fish diseases in hatcheries. The department is also is getting ready to move any fish that get stranded in shallow streams.

Projects are set to happen in southeast and south-central Washington, with more now being planned for late summer and early fall.

"We are most concerned about July, August and September, when adult fish return," said Steve Keller, the department's drought-response coordinator. Teams will track weather conditions and stream flows.

Citizens are being asked not to pile rocks in streams in ways that form small dams. The practice is illegal and could devastate local fish populations, especially during a drought year.

Survey finds 391 fish barriers in 8 streams

EVERETT — The Adopt-A-Stream Foundation will hold a press conference Wednesday to release results of a study on barriers to salmon migration. The talk starts at 8:30 a.m. at the Northwest Stream Center, 600 128th St. S.E. in Everett.

For five years, the foundation looked for barriers in creeks: McAleer, Lyon, Swamp, North, Little Bear, Bear, Quilceda and Allen. They found 391 barriers in just eight small streams. Undersized culverts and concrete dams are among the items blocking fish passage.

More than half of the blocked passages were on private property. "We knew from past experience that people have created a lot of obstacles for salmon," said the foundation's senior ecologist Tom Hardy. "But even we were surprised by how many we found in these small stream systems."

Funds for the study came from the Washington State Department of Ecology, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife, Washington State Department of Natural Resources and King and Snohomish counties.

For more information see http://www.streamkeeper.org or call Tom Murdoch, AASF Director, at (425) 316-8592.

Stimson Marina wins EnviroStar award

SEATTLE — King County officials recently gave Seattle's Stimson Marina its highest rating under EnviroStars, a program that rewards businesses that volunteer to reduce their pollution.

Two other Seattle-area marinas are also EnviroStars: Shilshole Bay Marina and Elliott Bay Marina.

Stimson got the highest five-star rating on the EnviroStars Clean Marina scale. Stimson is at 5265 Shilshole Ave. N.W. in Ballard.

Several groups helped Stimson get certification: Puget Soundkeeper Alliance, King County's Local Hazardous Waste Management Program and the Northwest Marine Trade Association.

For more information about the EnviroStars Cooperative, call King County's Laurel Tomchick at (206) 263-3063, or Chris Wilke at Puget Soundkeeper Alliance at (206) 297-7002. Also see www.envirostars.org and www.pugetsoundkeeper.org.

Environmental Watch: Pierce County airs surface water plan

TACOMA — At meetings set for today and June 7, Pierce County's Water Programs Division staff will talk about surface water management in the Bonney Lake, Fife, Orting, Puyallup and Sumner areas. Today's meeting will be held at the Orting Multi-Purpose Center, 202 Washington Ave. S. June 7's meeting will be at Sumner City Hall, 1104 Maple St. Both will be from 7 to 9 p.m.

Pierce County staff will go over recommendations of the draft mid-Puyallup basin plan and DSEIS, and take public review and comment.

The talks are part of the county's efforts to update storm management, surface water management and capital improvement programs. Work on the update started in 2002 and is set to be finished this summer.

June 16-17 conference on tribal energy

SEATTLE — Seattle-based Law Seminars International is offering a conference on ways to develop tribal energy in the Northwest. It will be held June 16-17 at the Renaissance Seattle Hotel.

Organizers say tribes are seeking ways to boost resources for power generation in order to meet growing demand. Co-chairs are Eric Eberhard of Dorsey & Whitney in Seattle, and William H. Rodgers Jr. of the University of Washington School of Law.

Steve Grey, the U.S. Department of Energy's Director of Indian Affairs, will cover Indian provisions on proposed energy regulation. Susan M. Williams of Williams & Works will give a talk on regulation.

Among those expected to attend are tribal leaders, governmental and industry representatives, lawyers and consultants. For more information, call Law Seminars at (206) 567-4490 or (800) 854-8009.

Conference on climate change June 28-30

PORTLAND — New dates for the Portland conference on "Bringing Climate into Natural Resource Management" have been set for June 28-30.

The conference will cover developments on climate change impacts. Topics include climate change policy, natural resources, variability, ecological and infrastructure changes, and management options.

For more information, call Richard Zabel at (503) 226-4562 or contact The Western Forestry and Conservation Association, 4033 S.W. Canyon Rd., Portland OR 97221 or richard@westernforestry.org.

Cascade Land Conservancy gives awards

SEATTLE — Cascade Land Conservancy recently recognized several groups for their land conservation work.

Harvey Manning, Brian Boyle, Randy Revelle and Bruce Laing won a lifetime achievement award for their work to conserve a 3,000-acre area of Issaquah Alps, which the Conservancy says is one of the biggest wildland parks in the country that's close to an urban center. A stewardship award went to Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust.

Steve Dean was recognized for community service. He helped form the Stillaguamish Citizens' Alliance, which led a drive to protect Snohomish County's Robe Canyon Historic Park. Shared Strategy for Puget Sound won an award for innovative conservation. Shared Strategy brings citizens, tribes, technical experts and policy makers together to create a salmon recovery plan for Puget Sound.

An education award went to Judit Molnar-Logan of White Center Heights Elementary School. She had her students collect data that was used to help clean Hicks Lake. Students monitored the lake weekly, cleaning trash, planting trees and taking data on water temperature and turbidity.

A new directions for livable communities award went to Starbucks Coffee for its $1 million commitment to improve parks in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties.

UW gets $2.4M for Alaska salmon study

SEATTLE — The University of Washington received nearly $2.4 million to study Alaska salmon from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation to expand monitoring and pay for new sampling techniques.

UW officials say its Alaska salmon program is the longest-running effort to monitor salmon and their ecosystems.

Alaska's Kvichak River is the world's most important salmon-producing river, with past runs of 50 million sockeye. But Kvichak stocks have declined for a decade, despite an almost complete halt to harvesting, according to Ray Hilborn, UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences. Hilborn is leading the Alaska Salmon Program with Thomas P. Quinn and Daniel Schindler, faculty in UW's School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

Yet 20 miles from the Kvichak are similar lakes and rivers with record production. UW researchers will look at reasons for those differences, as well as harvest strategies that provide better economic benefit.

"The Kvichak sounds a lot like Columbia River or Puget Sound stocks," Hilborn said.

The three-year grant is part of a Wild Pacific Salmon Ecosystem Initiative, which focuses on salmon conservation in pristine areas.

King County funds habitat work

SEATTLE — King County gave four local organizations environmental stewardship grants this month for habitat restoration, natural resource conservation and education projects.

For ongoing work at the Kiwanis Wildlife Corridor, the Heron Habitat Helpers got $10,000 to restore native plants along Burlington Northern Santa Fe rail tracks near Kiwanis Ravine in Magnolia, home of Seattle's largest nesting colony of great blue herons.

Lake Geneva Property Owners Association got $17,000 to remove noxious weeds in Lake Geneva. Eurasian water milfoil and non-native water lilies are a problem there.

For a creek restoration at Lake Sammamish State Park, Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust got $50,000 to restore several hundred feet of the creek bank and two acres of riparian buffer by taking out knotweed and blackberries. They'll replant the site with native vegetation.

A partnership between the City of North Bend, the Mountains to Sound Greenway Trust and local farmer Ron Crouch, got $35,000 to restore habitat along Ribary Creek on the publicly owned Tollgate Farm. They'll fence 1,000 feet of Ribary Creek to limit cattle access, take out invasive weeds and plant native trees and shrubs.

King County is taking grant applications for a second round of funds for similar projects. Call Ken Pritchard at (206) 296-8265 or see dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/pi/grants.htm.