| Electrify Your Home and Save with the Kicking Gas Project |
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Wednesday, January 22 at 6 pm online
If you are using propane, oil, "natural" gas, or wood for heating or cooking and if you live in Snohomish County or on Whidbey Island, this information session is for you.
Find out about subsidies to help you switch to comfortable, healthy electric heat pumps and stoves. We can offer 20-50% savings up to $7500 off the total project cost, depending on your income and location.
The Kicking Gas team will work with you every step of the way to make sure you have the support and resources you need. |
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Snohomish PUD Microgrid and Clean Energy Tour
Thursday, January 23 from 9:30 to 11:30
17601 59th Avenue NE, Arlington
A solar microgrid offers a unique emergency backup system for power. It is comprised of locally grouped electricity sources that can feed the main electrical grid or be disconnected to serve a specific location.
Learn how the microgrid functions, future plans, and the latest research at the Clean Energy Center. |
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State Legislature Lobby Day
Please join us in advocating for the Environmental Priorities Coalition’s four priorities for 2025. People power has fueled environmental progress in Olympia making Washington state a national leader on climate policy.
Join us on February 6th and take advantage of critical opportunities to rally in support of environmental justice bills. Speak with your lawmakers directly, virtually or in-person. |
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Save Snohomish County Wetland Buffers
Speak up before January 15 to protect buffers around critical areas. The Snohomish County Council could approve a proposal by developers that would greatly reduce the size of buffers around wetlands. They argue that putting up a fence provides protection, so the buffer can be reduced. This goes against all current science, as was stated at a December Council meeting by representatives from the Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Department of Ecology. |
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| Email your comments to the county council before the hearing on Wednesday, January 15, or better yet, attend the hearing at 10:30 am in the Jackson Board Room of the Drewel Building. Email comments to contact.council@snoco.org |
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Protect Snohomish County Legacy Forests
Our new Commissioner of Public Lands, Dave Upthegrove, gives us hope for more reasonable forest management on state lands. Forest champion Kate Lunceford is leading efforts to conserve 10 to 15% of mature forests in Snohomish County. Contact Kate if you can help testify on behalf of mature forests. Kate.Lunceford@lwvwa.org |
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Rescue Perrinville Creek
Sadly, a once healthy salmon stream was seriously degraded by ill-conceived efforts to control flooding. A flow splitter pipe is now killing salmon trying to get upstream to spawn.
To comment on this issue email
michael.clugston@edmondswa.gov at the Edmonds Planning Department.
A hearing about whether to continue maintaining this pipe is scheduled for Friday, January 24 at 9 am. You can Zoom in, though public comment will not be allowed. |
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15th Annual Sound Waters University
Saturday, February 1 from 8 am to 4 pm
Coupeville High School, Whidbey Island
Sound Waters Stewards presents this one day event, open to all. Faculty will speak as "Voices for the Salish Sea" addressing issues and challenges. Elective classes will focus on topics such as seabird migration, saving salmon, protecting estuaries, the future with sea level rise, and community science. Field trips are an option on Sunday. |
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What's Happening with Barred Owls?
Thursday, January 9 at 7 pm on Zoom
Pilchuck Audubon Society presents "Understanding the Barred Owl Invasion: Impacts on Spotted Owl Populations and Ecosystem Dynamics." Experts will explain the barred owls as an example of how human-induced range expansion harms native species. Discussion will include ways of managing such conservation issues, and audience questions will be welcomed. |
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| Learn About Predicted Flooding Along Puget Sound Coastal Areas |
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Thursday, January 16 from 11 am to 12:30 pm
Edmonds City Hall Brackett Room
Research Director for the USGS Climate Impacts and Coastal Process Team, Dr. Patrick Barnard, will talk about coastal flooding from combinations of sea level rise and storm events. The Coastal Storm Modeling System is now being expanded to support the 4.5 million coastal residents of the Puget Sound region. |
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Sustainable Gardening Speaker Series
Friday, January 17 and 31 at 9:30 am
Everett Station, 3201 Smith Ave
January 17 Richie Stephen will discuss gardening with early ephemerals.
January 31 Laura Watson will explain layering for a dynamic and beautiful garden.
The series is brought to us by Snohomish Master Gardeners Foundation.
The Winter Series continues through April.
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Go Birding With Audubon Society
Tuesday, January 7 at 9 am, Union Bay
Tuesday, January 14 at 8 am, Stillaguamish Delta
At Union Bay, the outing offers walking the extensive trails, starting with Yesler Swamp. A visit to Magnuson Park is included.
At Stillaguamish Delta, the outing explores fields and shoreline, plus a walk at the Nature Conservancy's Port Susan Bay preserve. |
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Everett Link Light Rail Update
Saturday, February 1, from 10 to 2 pm
Mariner Library and Royal Banquet Hall
520 128th St SW, Everett
Attend the Mariner Future Fest to learn more about the planned extension of the Link Light Rail into downtown Everett. Free food and drinks add to the fun, with activities and entertainment for the whole family. |
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Image source: Sound Transit
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| Snohomish County Urban Tree Canopy Policy |
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The Snohomish County Urban Tree Canopy Policy is in the books! County Executive Dave Somers signed it into the Comprehensive Plan in December. The policy creates a framework for an urban forest management plan to maintain 38% tree canopy in Snohomish County urban areas.
This success builds on many years of work, with the first draft of the plan being crafted in 2019. If you want to help develop more good ordinances and regulations, contact Kate Lunceford: Kate.Lunceford@lwvwa.org |
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| Snohomish County Comprehensive Plan
With a mixture of encouraging and concerning results, the long path to adopting the revised Comprehensive Plan for Snohomish County has concluded.
Wins include policies on urban tree canopy, wildfire mitigation, greenhouse gas reduction, farmland protection, and affordable transit-oriented accessible housing. Less successful were attempts to slow the growth of urban expansion, rural road construction and protections for rural lands.
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High Speed Rail Progress
A federal grant was recently obtained to fund the further planning of potential high speed rail connecting Portland, Oregon, and Vancouver B.C. As visualized, this rail system would cut commute time between Seattle and Portland to one hour and would shorten train travel time from Everett to Seattle to15 minutes. |
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Forest Stewards Needed in Parks
If you want to remove invasive plants from Snohomish County parks and plant native ones, there are plenty of opportunities. This month, we feature the Edmonds Ivy League.
Every Saturday from 9 am to noon, the Edmonds Ivy League works at Southwest County Park removing ivy and other invasive plants. No experience necessary to join them. The group can be reached at:
EdmondsIvyLeague@gmail.com |
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I have never felt that anything really mattered
but the satisfaction of knowing that
you stood for the things in which you believed
and had done the very best you could.
Eleanor Roosevelt
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