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Summer
Grace Cole Nature Park Volunteer Work Party
July 20th, 9am-12pm
November
LFPSF Community Event / Fall Fundraiser
Saturday, November 2nd
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| LFP Stewardship Foundation Board Members |
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Mamie Bolender,
Co-President Kim Josund,
Co-President Doug Mitchell,
Vice President
Jean Reid,
Secretary / Treasurer
Jim Halliday
Doug Hennick
Ed Kowalski
Jed Marshall
Dale Sanderson
Jack Tonkin
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Rain Gardens = Cleaner Water
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Together  with Seattle's Stewardship Partners and the 12,000 Rain Garden Campaign we are working to bring rain gardens to Lake Forest Park! The LFP Stewardship Foundation (LFPSF) hosted two well-attended workshops about rain gardens, and presented at several public events in LFP and Shoreline about the benefits of storing and filtering rain water on-site to reduce polluted runoff into our waterways. Through negotiations with the City and presentations to the Council, we hope to soon have a program in place to promote citizen installation of rain gardens.
We are also promoting the building of demonstration rain gardens at the Town Center, local businesses, and schools. We provide information and resources to both the City and citizens about other forms of low impact development, such as bio swales, alternatives to hardscape like permeable pavement, and water catchment systems.
To learn more about Rain Gardens, click here and about Low Impact Development, click here.
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We Love Our Parks
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As other groups have stepped up to help with several City parks, LFPSF has focused our efforts on maintaining and improving LFP's largest park, Grace Cole Nature Park on 30th Ave NE. Through monthly volunteer work parties and coordinated programs with other groups, we remove non-native plants, build trails and tend to the well-being of this local natural space. Have you been there? Grace Cole is worth a visit! Our volunteer work parties are a fun way to make a difference and meet neighbors, please join us!
We have our next work party this Saturday, 7/20 from 9am-12pm (see our website for details).
For more information about Grace Cole click here.
We are also participating in the design of the City's newest park, along 44th Ave NE behind the Town Center, which we hope will enhance natural wetland features along Lyon Creek (click here).
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Making the Best of the Bypass
| Board members have commented extensively and met with the City regarding the major project underway to build a High Flow Bypass on Lyon Creek near 178th St. and 44th Ave NE. This bypass will divert stormwater out of the natural channel into a pipe to be built beneath Ballinger Way. If designed, implemented, and maintained correctly, the pipe will divert peak water flows during storm events to control flooding in the Town Center area. The stormwater will re-enter Lyon Creek and likely cause flooding at Waterfront Park near Lake Washington, next to the Civic Club.
We have advocated for a more natural solution to flooding, including widening riparian areas, removing obstructions, replacing culverts, and improving fish habitat. LFPSF is greatly concerned about the environmental impacts of the bypass project, and will continue to provide input to mitigate as much as possible the potential damage to natural stream functions and wildlife.
You can read our LFPSF comments on the Bypass (click here).
For more information about the project, please visit the City's website (click here).
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Ivy Out
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 English Ivy kills trees! The battle against non-native plants like English ivy is ongoing. Do you have ivy in your yard? It's important to prevent it from growing up tree trunks, as that eventually will cause the trees to fall. Our tree canopy is one of the things that makes LFP special. In addition to our continuing Ivy Out efforts at Grace Cole, this spring LFPSF provided planning and oversight for a grant from WA Department of Natural Resources for 3-weeks of invasive plant removal by Conservation Corps crew at several sites around the City. It was highly successful and we plan to do it again.
Watch for our public awareness campaign coming soon to share information on how English Ivy damages trees, and what you can do to help (click here).
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Sensitive Areas Need Protection
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LFPSF monitors local development, promotes compliance with environmental regulations, and consults with landowners who are interested in improving riparian areas. We have sought funding for projects to remove fish barriers and restore natural stream bank along Lyon and Brookside creeks. We are currently working with Adopt-A-Stream to place large woody debris (logs) in McAleer Creek to improve instream habitat. LFPSF supports the City's efforts to secure funding for much-needed culvert replacements throughout the watershed, including replacement of a malfunctioning bypass pipe at Brookside Elementary school.
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LFP Secret Garden Tour
& Garden Party
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 LFPSF supports one of our town's fun annual traditions, the Secret Garden Tour, and hosts the pre-function Garden Party for presenters and supporters each June. As always, this year's event was a great success! Keep an eye out early next summer if you missed it.
For more information on the Secret Garden Tour, click here.
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Trails = A More Walkable Town  We are monitoring progress by the City and the LFP Water District to develop a public trail in the McKinnon Creek ravine, between Ballinger Way and the Horizon View neighborhood. LFPSF's position is in favor of public access, but in a way that's environmentally responsible, protects the watershed, and is sensitive to the neighborhood.
We also are actively investigating key properties for potential walking trails in other neighborhoods. If you have ideas for trails in your neighborhood, please contact us!
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Working for Water Quality
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LFPSF members have attended public meetings, submitted comments, and monitored the results of sediment testing for dioxins and other contaminants in north Lake Washington, and urged testing to include sites along LFP's shoreline. We have joined with our neighboring environmental group, People for Environmentally Responsible Kenmore (PERK), in requesting that proper environmental review be done as required under the Endangered Species Act for industrial activities disturbing sediment in Kenmore. We are investigating the status of past clean-up efforts involving toxic chemicals from previous dry cleaning businesses at two sites at the Town Center, and whether a current threat remains to groundwater or the public health.
To read an earlier news article about this, click here.
For information on joining local volunteers monitoring our water quality, click here.
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Celebrating Salmon in the Schools
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 LFPSF supports the rearing, care, and release of Coho salmon in three local elementary schools. We provide educational materials and supplies as needed to teachers, and bring in Native American storyteller and artist Roger Fernandez for educational assemblies and classroom workshops, as well as assisting with the salmon releases each spring. This program inspires the next generation of environmental stewards with the hopeful message of bringing salmon back to the streams of Lake Forest Park.
To read about the Salmon in the Schools program, click here.
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What YOU can do:
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Join Us Volunteer opportunities abound, from pulling weeds, planting, or building trails in our parks, to staffing a display table at local events, helping with a mailing, or serving on the Board.
Are you a graphic artist, or do you enjoy writing? We're looking for help with our website, newsletters, and publications.
Please forward this email to your friends and neighbors,
and help us spread the word about what's going on here in LFP.
Donate Be assured that your contribution makes a direct impact here in LFP. You may designate LFPSF as a recipient from the WA State Combined Fund if you are a State employee or through Boeing's Designated Giving program and many other employers will match your donation.We accept donations by mail or via PayPal; please see our website for details. |
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*SAVE THE DATE*
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The Stewardship Foundation will again host
a fun fall fundraiser on
Saturday, November 2nd, at the LFP Civic Club.
Watch for more details including your chance to be a Table Captain, Sponsor or silent auction donor!
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Thank you for your support!
For more information, to volunteer or donate, please visit our website:
www.lfpsf.org
And LIKE us on Facebook!
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