Tuesday, September 30, 2008

New Meeting Location

We will not be meeting at Gordy's for our October meeting and will instead be meeting at the Port Angeles Library in the Raymond Carver room. Click here for a map. The meeting will start at 6:30 and is open to the public.

Meeting Agenda:
  1. Introductions
  2. Meeting orientation - add agenda items
  3. Treasurer’s Report
  4. Secretary’s Report
  5. Twins workgroup report
  6. Washington Coordinator Events and Issues
  7. Washington Policy Events and Issues
  8. Port Angeles Swimming Pool Closure

See you there,
Olympic Peninsula Chapter

Thursday, September 11, 2008

Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary is updating their management plan!

Since its designation in 1994, Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary has combined innovative ocean research, progressive management and policy, and inspiring education programs to protect one of America's most significant ocean treasures. This fall, the sanctuary is beginning a thorough re-examination of their management priorities. This is a pubic process and will be greatly enhanced by the input of people who use and care about Washington’s outer coast.

Please attend an upcoming public meeting:
  • Port Angeles: 9/29/08, 6-9pm, Peninsula College Longhouse South Campus
  • Neah Bay: 9/30/08, 6-9pm, Makah Marina Conference Center, Makah Reservation, Bayview Ave
  • La Push: 10/1/08, 6-9pm, A-Ka-Lat Center, Quileute Reservation on La Push Road
For more information, visit: http://olympiccoast.noaa.gov/protection/mpr/welcome.html

Puget Sound Partnership

The Puget Sound Partnership is developing an Action Agenda that will guide state, federal, and local efforts to save the Sound by 2020. Development of this Agenda presents an enormous opportunity to effect change on behalf of the water quality and the overall health of Puget Sound.

You can help ensure that the Chapter’s priorities, including PUBLIC ACCESS, are captured in the Partnership’s final Action Agenda by contacting the Partnership NOW. The Partnership is expected to release a draft Agenda this October.

Shoreline access
Public access to Puget Sound shorelines is limited. Let the Partnership know that you would like to see more money available for acquiring shoreline property and opening it up to the public. Enhancing recreational opportunities along the Sound will connect people to the very resource we need to protect. Public shoreline parks offer education and restoration opportunities that can help get people engaged and committed to doing what’s necessary to save Puget Sound.

Other priority actions to consider including in your comments:
  • Restore to health 500 miles of shoreline by 2020.
  • Create more shoreline public parks.
  • Require and increase incentives for low-impact development to help control stormwater.
  • Upgrade sewage treatment plants and infrastructure.
  • Station a permanent year round rescue tug at Neah Bay to help prevent oil spills.
  • Establish a regional water quality monitoring system that captures environmental impacts as well as program effectiveness.
  • Help Elwha Dam Removal and restoration of the nearshore by confirming a realistic timeline for removal and implementing accountability measures that hold partners to this timeline.

TO SEND COMMENTS, you can...

Email to actionagenda@psp.wa.gov

Mail them to:
Puget Sound Partnership
P.O. Box 40900
Olympia, WA 98504-0900
800.54.SOUND or 360.725.5444

Or submit via this weblink: http://www.psp.wa.gov/aa_contact.php

To learn more about the Puget Sound Partnership, please visit:
http://www.psp.wa.gov

Saturday, September 6, 2008

September Meeting

The OPC held it's September 08 meeting this past wendesday at Gordy's Pizza where we had a larger than normal group of participants. You can get the September 2008 meeting minutes by going to the following URL (http://docs.google.com/Doc?docid=dct5rctg_4zp7cb3g4&hl=en).

Check out the updated calendar of events for all the up and coming dates this month.

Call to action!
There are several opportunities to get involved and take action this month. There is the Outer Coast Marine Sanctuary Management Review meetings coming up on September 29th in Port Angeles and 30th in Neah Bay. The Puget Sound Partnership needs to hear from you regarding access to our public beaches along the Strait of Juan de Fuca. Grab a postcard, give some to friends and bring the filled out postcards to the next meeting.

Location Change for our next meeting
Our next meeting will be held on October 1st at the Port Angeles Library in the Ramond Carver room. at 6:30

Tuesday, September 2, 2008

Washington Paddle Out for Clean Water

Join Thw Surfrider Foundation's Washington Chapters as they Paddle Out for Clean Water

The Surfrider Foundation's Washington Chapters are organizing a Paddle Out for Clean Water on September 13th 2008 at Golden Gardens Park in Seattle WA. You are invited to paddle out on surfboards, kayaks, standup paddleboards, canoes, and etcetera. The purpose of this event is to raise awareness of the state of our water quality, the issues that are making it so, and what we can do to help rectify the situation. We will also be showing our support to Save Sand Point.

We have a goal of getting 100 people in the water on this afternoon. It would be hard for the public to ignore such a large gathering of water lovers and the messages we want to send. This will be an all day green event. From 10am-1pm we will have a beach cleanup, then the 2pm-4pm paddle out and circle formation, followed by a 5pm potluck and bonfire. Everyone is asked to please bring your own reusable eating tools (plates, forks, cups, etcetera). We also ask that you please bring your food item in a reusable-serving dish. We are aiming to join fun and awareness into one event.

Event Contacts