January 6, 2010 Olympic Peninsula Chapter Meeting

Our first meeting of the new year will be on January 6th, at 6:30 pm, at the home of Mike and Lindsey Wheeler, at 426 West 4th Street, in Port Angeles WA 98362.

We will be electing new Chapter Officers, setting a schedule for the year, and discussing new issues that need to be addressed.

I hope you will join us.

Please give me a call at 360-480-7312 if you have any questions.

Thanks

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles WA 98362

December 4th Meeting

We will be meeting on December 4th at Dave Parks house for the December meeting. This will be a Mexican pot luck gathering so bring your favorite Mexican dish and thoughts of warm waves.

November Meeting Minutes

At our November meeting we discussed the upcoming Winterfest event at the Vern Burton Center in Port Angeles on Friday November 20th.

Treasurer's Report

• $ 3937.59 (October Balance)
• - 1192.00 (Sanikans and Makah Project)
• 2745.59 Current Balance
  

New Business

We discussed the coming year's events including:

• LaFarge Monitoring in (December)
  
• Chapter Elections in (January)
• Movie Night in (February)
• Twins Planting and Bird Box work (March)
• Coastal Cleanup, Neah Bay (April)
• Cleanwater Classic, Westport (May)
• International Surfing Day (June 20th)
• Surfing and Traditions (July 4th weekend)

Next meeting will be held on December 4th at Dave's house. See more information above.

November Meeting - Wednesday November 11th

The November Chapter Meeting will be on Wednesday, November 11th, at 6:30 pm, at the Washington Department of Natural Resources Workcenter located at 311 McCarver Street,
Port Angeles WA 98362.

Agenda Items

• Winterfest Participation
• Twins Monitoring
• Access Projects

Please call me at 360-480-7312 if you have any questions prior to the meeting.
Hope you can make it.

Thanks,
Surfrider Foundation
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Map to October 7th meeting location

View Washington Department of Natural Resources Workcenter in a larger map

October 7, 2009 Chapter Meeting

The October Chapter Meeting will be on Wednesday, October 7, at 6:30 pm, at the Washington Department of Natural Resources Workcenter located at 311 McCarver Street,
Port Angeles WA 98362.

Agenda Items

• October Movie Night
• Winterfest Participation
• Twins Monitoring
• Access Projects

Please call me at 360-480-7312 if you have any questions prior to the meeting.
Hope you can make it.

Thanks,
Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles, WA 98362

Map to October 7th meeting location

View Washington Department of Natural Resources Workcenter in a larger map

Puget Sound Shoreline Armoring Conference Proceedings

Below is a link to a recent conference (May 2009) on the effects of shoreline armoring in Puget Sound and Strait of Juan de Fuca.

http://wa.water.usgs.gov/SAW/abstracts.html

Check it out.

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation

September 2nd Chapter Meeting

The Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will meet on Wednesday, September 2nd at 6:30 pm at the home of Mike and Lindsey Wheeler, located at 426 West 4th Street in Port Angeles, Washington.

Please bring your own refreshments and something to share.

Please call me at 360-480-7312 if you have any questions.

Thanks

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles WA 98362

No Meeting in August

The Chapter voted to skip meeting in August so our next meeting will be the first Wednesday of September 2nd at 6:30pm. We do not yet know the location so stay tuned and enjoy the nice summertime weather.

Surfing and Traditions 2009 at La Push, Washington

This year's Surfing and Traditions event at La Push will be held on Friday July 3 and Sunday July 5, 2009.

Friday-July 3rd, Surfing and Traditions Kids Camp- North end of 1st beach in front of the school. Set up 8:30 am. Volunteer check in at 9:00 am. First Shift Kids Check-in at 10:00 am. Respect the Beach Class at 12:00 pm, Coast Guard rescue demonstration at 1:00 pm. Second Shift Sign in at 1:15 pm. 3:00 pm, Breakdown Kids Camp.

Saturday-4th of July- No Surfrider Activities Planned

Sunday-July 5th- Beach Clean-up 11:00 am, 1st Beach in front of Lonesome Creek RV Park

Expression Session Surf Contest 1:00 pm, 1st Beach in Front of Lonesome Creek RV Park, BBQ to follow.

Have Fun

International Surfing Day 2009 @ La Push

International Surfing Day, June 20, 2009, at La Push, was a good day.
Mostly clear and warm weather, good waves, and good feelings.
Picked up trash, had a hot-dog, went for a surf, met some new friends, got caught up in a Quileute wedding procession, what it's all about.

This young volunteer was the big prize winner with 11 bags of trash hauled in from First Beach

Thanks to all the Surfrider members and public volunteers who helped clean up First Beach. You are making a direct improvement to our surfing environment.

Special thanks to OPC members Frank Crippen, Darryl Wood, & Charlie Parks, for organizing logistics, hauling stuff, hustling up new members and generally helping out.

We especially want to thank the Quileute Tribe and Lonesome Creek RV Park for sharing their home with us and letting us hold ISD 2009 on their land.

Sincerely,

Dave Parks-Chair

Olympic Peninsula Chapter

The Surfrider Foundation

International Surfing Day at La Push, WA, June 20th, 2009

June 3rd Chapter Meeting

Our next Olympic Peninsula Chapter meeting will be on June 3rd, 2009, at 6:30 pm, at the home of Mike and Lindsey Wheeler, located at 426 West 4th Street, Port Angeles, Washington. You can contact Mike directly at 206-406-5671.

We will have a barbeque so bring a dish to share. We will be discussing plans and logistics for upcoming events including:

International Surfing Day at La Push, June 20th.
Surfing and Traditions, La Push, 4th of July weekend.
Water Quality Sampling at the Elwha, weekly through August.

And, Tony Polizzi from Clallam County will give a presentation on recent activites regarding shoreline development.

I hope you will join us!

Thanks

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles WA 98362

June 3rd Meeting Location

View Larger Map

Elwha Rivermouth Closure June 1-October 31, 2009

Hello Surfrider's
My name is Ross Tyler and I am the County Engineer for Clallam County. Having perused your web site, it appears that you are most current with your information regarding the soon to be removed Elwha Dams. Although I did not see this item identified in my quick review of your site, my National Park Service contact has informed me that you are aware of the pending work on the levy's on both the East and West side of the Elwha River.
Not wanting to inadvertently leave anyone out of the information loop, I just wanted to let you know, or remind you that the National Park Service has requested that the Elwha Dike Road be closed to public access from it's intersection with Place Road, easterly to it's terminus at the levy. The length of closure requested is from June 1, 2009 to October 31, 2009. This closure is necessary to allow improvements to the levy prior to removal of the Elwha River dams.Property owners who access their properties from the Elwha Dike Road will allowed continued access, subject to minor delays.
During holidays, weekends, evenings, or other periods when equipment is not operating, foot access to the river and, presumably the beach may be possible. However, as most of you know, this is an area of very limited work size and if there is any equipment working at all then it is considered an area of extreme danger and the contractor will be supported in requesting a person or people to leave the work area. The contractor may also be staging equipment and material in the small parking areas therefore areas available for parking may be non-existent even during periods when the contractor is not working.
While it is only speculation on my part, I believe that it may be possible for the contractor to complete this project in less time that we will be approving in this road closure. If that is the case, I (and perhaps even the NPS) will notify that the area is again fully open and ready for the enjoyment of all users.
Again, thank you for your cooperation. Spreading the word would be much appreciated. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact me at this e-mail address or at (360) 417-2448.
Sincerely,
Ross Tyler, P.E.
County Engineer
Clallam County Public Works Department

June 3rd, 2009 Chapter Meeting-Barbeque

Our next Olympic Peninsula Chapter meeting will be on June 3rd, 2009, at 6:30 pm, at the home of Mike and Lindsey Wheeler, located at 426 West 4th Street, Port Angeles, Washington. You can contact Mike directly at 206-406-5671.

We will have a barbeque so bring a dish to share. We will be discussing plans and logistics for upcoming events including:

International Surfing Day at La Push, June 20th.
Surfing and Traditions, La Push, 4th of July weekend.
Water Quality Sampling at the Elwha, weekly through August.

And, Tony Polizzi from Clallam County will give a presentation on recent activites regarding shoreline development.

I hope you will join us!

Thanks

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation
PO Box 2263
Port Angeles WA 98362

Office: 360-417-1405 ext. 225
Cellular:360-480-7312

Water Quality Training In Port Angeles

We will be hosting a Water Quality Sampling training session with representatives from the Washington Department of Ecology (B.E.A.C.H.) program, Tuesday, May 19, 2009, at 6:00pm at the Department of Natural Resources Workcenter, located at 311 McCarver Street, Port Angeles, Washington.

If you would like to attend please R.S.V.P. to Dave Parks at opcsurfrider@gmail.com or give a call at 360-417-1405 ext. 225.

The training is free and anyone interested in learning how to collect water quality samples is invited to attend.

Thanks a lot.

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation

April Meeting Minutes

Here are the meeting minutes from our April 1st, 2009 meeting. We will be changing the location of the upcoming May meeting so stay tuned.

April 09 Meeting Minutes

Thanks Volunteers! 2009 Coastal Cleanup

The Olympic Peninsula Chapter wants to thank all the hundreds of volunteers who spent time this weekend to contribute to a healthier Washington by removing trash from coastal beaches.

Our Chapter was located at Hobuck Beach at Neah Bay and provided lunch for the hardworking volunteers.

Special Thanks to Mike Wheeler and Darryl Wood for organizing the logistics and doing the cooking. Great Job guys!

Additional thanks to Chapter members Arnold and Debbie Schouten, Lindsay Wheeler, Eric and Sarah Waterkotte, Kendra Parks, Charlie Parks, Nick and Sally Parry, and Jody Kennedy and family, for participating in the cleanup.

Finally, thanks to the Makah Nation (especially Officer Butterworth) for sharing their resources and welcoming us to their wonderful home.

Great Job Everyone.

Meeting Minutes - March 2009

We had a mellow March meeting with lots of news and ideas to dicuss. Our next meeting will be held on April 1 at the current location provided by Arnold at 1210 East Front Street, Port Angeles, WA If you would like to view the meeting minutes from the March 2009 Olympic Peninsula Chapter meeting click here

Navy Keyport Range Expansion Comments Due March 11, 2009

The Navy is proposing to expand it's Pacific Northwest Training Range Complex to include the Olympic Coast Marine Sanctuary and the Strait of Juan de Fuca, Hood Canal and Puget Sound.

Activities proposed for the range include the use of sonar, bombs, new weapons systems, an undersea minefield, manned and un-manned vehicles, multi-million dollar aircraft, guided missle submarines, explosive ordnance disposal and more.

If implemented, the Navy's plans will intensify the level of noise, violent explosions and hazardous materials released into the marine environment. Pollutants that will be expended in the proposed excercises include a long list of heavy metals and chemicals such as depleted uranium, lead, mercury and perchlorate. The Navy also wants to increase its use of active sonar, which has been implicated in marine mammal injuries and deaths.

A draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for this proposal was released by the Navy in December, 2008. The public comment period ends March 11, 2009.

Here are links to the Navy's documents, EIS, and comment form:

http://www.nwtrangecomplexeis.com/Documents.aspx

http:// www.nwtrangecomplexeis.com/

http://www.nwtrangecomplexeis.com/NtrcCommentForm.aspx

Please take the time to voice your opinion on the Navy's proposed expansion into our coastal waters.

Thanks to OPC Volunteers-Twin Rivers Cleanup

OPC Surfrider wants to thank the following chapter members for donating their time and labor to clean up the beach at Twin Rivers this weekend:

Sarah and Eric Waterkotte
Darryl Wood
Arnold Schouten
Kendra Parks

Altogether they collected 15+ bags of garbage, glass, plastic and aluminum that will now not end up in the surf zone.

We owe a huge debt of appreciation for these volunteers for improving our local surf environment. Thank you.

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter

Twin Rivers Beach Cleanup-Saturday, February 21, 2009 at 10:00 am

The Olympic Peninsula Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation will be having a beach cleanup at Twin Rivers on Saturday, February 21, 2009, at 10:00 am.

We will meet at the parking lot between East and West Twin Rivers at 10:00 am and walk the beach and parking area picking up trash.

We will then move up to the adjacent La Farge property and have an orientation on our monitoring points and inspection route. We will also cover the data reporting forms.

Please dress appropriately (rain gear, mud boots, gloves) and bring lunch and water.

It should be good time!

Hope to see you there. If you have any questions please give Dave Parks a call at 360-480-7312.

Westport Jetty Renewal Project

The Army Corps of Engineers has published a report on the basics of the Westport Jetty Project. Click here to see the Army Corps' presentation on the Westport Jetty Project.

Meeting Minutes - February 2009

We had another active meeting at another new location in February. Thanks to Arnold, we will be meeting at the same spot for our next meeting, March 4th 2009. If you would like to see the full minutes from our February 2009 meeting please click on the link below.

Surfrider Foundation, Olympic Peninsula Chapter Meeting Minutes: February 2009

Joint Ocean Commission Initiative report

The Joint Ocean Commission Initiative has published its report (1.15.2009). The report is titled One Coast, One Future: Securing the Health of west coast ecosystems and economies and is available for your reading pleasure. Please click here to download your own copy and happy reading!

Full URL to the report: http://www.jointoceancommission.org/resource-center/1-Reports/2009-01-15_One_Coast_One_Future.pdf

February 2009 Chapter Meeting: New Location

Our February 4th, 2009 meeting, will be held at a new location at 1210 East Front Street, Suite A. This office is located directly south of and adjacent to Domino's Pizza and east of Susan Parr Travel in Port Angeles.

Arnold Schouten, our vice-chair, has graciously made this space available for our Chapter meetings on a month-to-month basis.

The main agenda item for the February meeting will be to go over our LaFarge Twin Rivers monitoring project and get task assignments scheduled for the rest of the year.

I will send out a draft agenda with more detail in the next few days.

Please give me a call at 360-480-7312 if you have any questions.
Thanks

Dave Parks
Chair
Olympic Peninsula Chapter
The Surfrider Foundation

Meeting Minutes: January 2009

We had a great meeting to start off 2009. Brian Winter from Olympic National Park gave a great presentation on the Elwha River Restoration project. Here is a link to the meeting minutes and presentation notes for those who could not attend.

Click to see the January 2009 meeting minutes