	SPRING is for... Environmental Advocacy Planting Salmon in the Schools Earth Day

IN THIS ISSUE:

Calendar Items

Board of Directors

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY

PLANTING

SALMON IN THE SCHOOLS

EARTH DAY

Mark Your Calendars:

See details at right

March

Rain Garden Workshop
March 22nd, 1-3pm

April

Grace Cole Nature Park Volunteer Work Party

April 19th, 9am-12pm

LFP Stewardship Foundation Board Members

Mamie Bolender,

President

Jean Reid,

Co-Vice President

Rick Purn,

Co-Vice President

Kim Josund,

Secretary / Treasurer

Jim Halliday

Doug Hennick
Ed Kowalski
Dale Sanderson

Jack Tonkin

We will have WA Conservation Corps workers battling ivy on public land this spring. To learn what you can do on your property, see our website.

Request a copy of the Noxious Weeds guide from www.nwcb.wa.gov

Quick Links:

LFPSF Website

ENVIRONMENTAL ADVOCACY

With your help, the Stewardship Foundation works to address the many environmental challenges facing our watershed. Here, we are blessed with urban forest, wetlands and streams, and lake shorelines, but without diligence and thoughtful actions, these features will be degraded. Will we someday look around and wonder how Lake Forest Park was named?

"A Residential Park, Unlike Any Other"

From its inception in 1909 until today, the community has paid great attention to its natural surroundings. It has created a marriage of residential dwellings and wooded terrain quite unlike many other suburban cities. "The Park," as many still call it today, was laid out along the contours of the hillsides. The pristine topography and the trees received prime consideration in determining lot size and location. Even the name "Lake Forest Park" stressed the three rustic elements of the new community.

By 1912, developer and early LFP Mayor Ole Hanson created a stunning promotional brochure, calling attention to the benefits of buying a home in Lake Forest Park:

"Here the laughing waters will forever make gladsome the hearts of the sylvan dwellers," proclaimed the text, which was interspersed with photos by noted photographer Asahel Curtis. The original prospectus for lot sales poetically declared: "...the strict fiat has gone forth that all the natural beauty must be preserved; that no tree must unwittingly be cut down; that the natural wild flowers must remain; that the streams, the springs, the lake front, the nodding willows, the stately cedar, the majestic fir, the quivering cypress and the homelike maple and all the flora and fauna with which Nature has blessed this lakeshore, must not be defiled by the hand of man."

PLEASE JOIN US, KEEP INFORMED and BE INVOLVED

in local actions relating to development

and environmental policies, and support restoration projects, parks and open space.

Planning is underway for many projects that will impact our local streams, particularly Lyon Creek, which flows through the Town Center. The City has not publicly announced what is being planned for Lyon Creek flood control (their website still lists a major Bypass project but they are apparently not moving forward with that plan). Your help is needed to urge the City's staff, commissions, and Council members to advocate for sound environmental policies and projects, and improved public information and input about upcoming projects.

Toxins Concerns Increase for North Lake Washington

The Stewardship Foundation (LFPSF) is collaborating with PERK (People for and Environmentally Responsible Kenmore) regarding toxic dioxins and the disruptions of sediments in the area of Kenmore Harbor. The toxins are of concern to all people and animals who may be in contact with the water, whether wading, swimming at the beaches, boating or fishing. The original source of the dioxins has not been determined, but last year test samples were taken in the area of Kenmore Harbor, all the way to Lake Forest Park Civic Club, and the dioxins were found to be present.

Read the full article here about recent actions and efforts to get environmental review of water and air quality concerns related to industrial activities in Kenmore.

The next time you walk, jog, bike ride or drive through "The Park," truly appreciate what we have, and think about what you can do to help.

Every small action helps.

SPRING ahead with these ideas:

Utilize and promote Low Impact Development (such as rain-permeable landscaping surfaces, and replacing lawn with native plants or a rain garden );
Pick up garbage and pet waste to protect our streams;
Remove invasive plants such as English ivy, Himalayan blackberry, Holly and Knotweed;
Plant a tree! Or hire an arborist to evaluate and take care of your large trees.

In order to keep our urban forest, we need to take care of our trees, and replace those that are removed. The cumulative impact of losing a tree here and there will completely transform our landscape if we don't pay attention. Replacement needs to be of appropriate native species and in great enough numbers so we can continue to enjoy the benefits of trees for many years to come.

For information and ideas, please visit "Trees Are Good" at

www.treesaregood.com/treecare/tree_benefits.aspx

Lake Forest Park's Tree Canopy Preservation & Enhancement Ordinance and more resources

can be found on the City's website:

www.cityoflfp.com/index.aspx?nid=163

PLANTING

Spring weather draws us outside and

inspires us to grow things!

VOLUNTEER

Come on out and help us plant native plants at Grace Cole Nature

Park. This jewel of wetlands, ponds and forest is located at 30th Avenue NE and NE 166th Street. To reach, turn south off NE 178th Street onto 28th Avenue NE, travel 1/2 mile, the park is on your right.

We are having a volunteer planting party on

Saturday, April 19th

9am-12noon

We'll be putting in new plants again and/or taking out more invasive weeds, as people prefer. Perhaps some trail grooming, as well. Gloves, some tools, snacks will be provided. Feel free to bring your own equipment if you prefer.
Some Trillium are starting to bloom and they should be making a good display when we arrive in April! A special invitation to students who are fulfilling Community Service hours.

All are welcome!

For more information, please contact Mamie at 206-364-4410

GARDEN FOR SALMON

If you're working in your own yard, click here for a great resource for Salmon Friendly Gardening.

PLANT A RAIN GARDEN

Rain gardens are a proven way to prevent flooding, reduce water

pollution and beautify your yard. Every year, heavy rains lead to massive flooding across Seattle and Puget Sound, wiping out roads, flooding homes and waterways with sewage. Rain gardens are very affordable options for homeowners compared with traditional pipe and drain systems, and require minimal time or skill to maintain each year.

Learn about RAIN GARDENS, how they work, how to make them, and what to plant in them at the

Diggin' Shoreline Spring Equinox Gardener Gathering
Saturday, March 22nd
1pm-3pm
(Cromwell Park, 18030 Meridian Avenue N, Shoreline)

For more information about Rain Gardens, please visit: www.lfpsf.org/articles/12k_raingardens.html

SALMON IN THE SCHOOLS

In three area elementary schools, children are carefully tending tanks of baby salmon. These are Coho salmon, hatched from eggs, and the tiny fish provide a valuable learning experience about human impacts on nature and what we can do to improve our streams and waterways.

From January to April, students keep the tank water clean and cool, and feed and count the fish, nurturing them to grow big enough so the salmon can be released to our local streams. Release days are celebrations, when the salmon begin their lifetime journey to the sea, sent off with the students' hopeful wishes for a safe return.

For more on Salmon in the Schools, please visit: www.lfpsf.org/articles/SalmonInSchools.html

To learn more about the life cycle of salmon, please visit:
www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/pugetsound/species/salmon_cyc.html

EARTH DAY

We like the motto, "Every Day is Earth Day" but upcoming events in April bring awareness and a reason to get out and do your part to celebrate natural wonders all around us. Check our website in coming weeks for lists of Earth Day events near LFP.

To read more about the history of Lake Forest Park,
please click here.

In conjunction with the City's 50th Anniversary, the Lake Forest Park Planning Commission developed an interactive historical timeline of the City, emphasizing land use events. For more information, please click here.

Thank you for your support!

For more information, to volunteer or donate, please visit our website:

www.lfpsf.org

And LIKE us on Facebook!

The LFP Stewardship Foundation Newsletter is committed to keeping you informed about environmental concerns and opportunities in LFP WITHOUT inundating your inbox.