Kopachuck State Park Public Meeting

A Public Meeting is scheduled for 6:00-7:00 PM tonight (Wed, June 22^nd) at Kopachuck Middle School in Gig Harbor. Sponsored by Washington State Parks, the meeting is being held to discuss the challenges facing Kopachuck Park due to trees suffering from root rot which have resulted in the closure of portions of the park. At the meeting, various prescriptions to address the issue will be discussed and public input will be received.

Tour: The parks commission has invited the public to attend a tour of Kopachuck State Park with Preserve Our Parks representatives at 3 p.m. Friday, June 24th.

More information: The link below will direct you to a recent News Tribune article discussing the root rot issue at Kopachuck Park: http://www.thenewstribune.com/2011/06/08/1698165/kopachuck-campground-area-closed.html

Harbor WildWatch & Shellfish Partners

Guided Beach Walk
at Purdy Sand Spit

Harbor WildWatch and Shellfish Partners will be hosting their Annual 2011 Guided Beachwalk, Saturday, June 18^th, 12:00-4:00 PM at Purdy Sand Spit on the shore of Henderson Bay off of Hwy 302 in Purdy, WA.

This fun FREE event for all ages provides a great opportunity to explore dynamic local tidelands, guided by marine experts from Harbor WildWatch. In addition, Mike Behrens, Professor of Biology with Pacific Lutheran University will provide a glimpse of what lives in and under the sand while demonstrating sand core sampling.

Come join us as we stroll the beach learning about the critters that dwell there and how to interact with them in a harmless way.

For information, contact Barbara Tripp, HWW Volunteer Coordinator, via email: Barbara@harborwildwatch.org

May 7th...Key Peninsula Livable Community Fair!

Be sure and stop by the Key Peninsula Civic Center, on Saturday, May 7, 2011 between 10 AM and 3 PM for the Key Peninsula Livable Community Fair where, "Together We Can Build a Better Tomorrow"! For ten years this fair has been showcasing the people, agencies and organizations that contribute in making the Key Peninsula more livable. A wide range of activities promises an interesting time for the whole family.

Outdoors you will find the Lakebay Fushia Society hosting their annual plant sale. Master Gardeners will be on hand to provide their expert advice. On site is the Key Peninsula History Museum where special tours and heritage plants will be available. In addition, Key Pen Parks annual Touch a Truck event will include Peninsula Light trucks, vintage tractors, Army vehicles and tow trucks. Local Firefighters, Emergency Medical Technicians and Sheriff's traditionally bring their equipment as well. Oh, and be sure and stop by the trout fishing pond!

Indoors booths representing forty or more local services and interest groups make for a well rounded afternoon. Providing background entertainment will be Local musician, Mike Sckweedler of Steel Impressions, the Minter Creek Elementary Marimba Band and Choir, and the Key Peninsula Middle School jazz ensemble. And last but certainly not least there are opportunities for some tasty treats!

Come on out, join in the fun, meet your neighbors and see what services are available in YOUR community. See you on the 7th!

Enjoy an Informative Evening April 25th at 7PM: No Charge

Looking for a no cost evening packed with good information about the permaculture process, stewardship, landscape management and reducing our impact? FIRST mark your calendar for April 25^th at 7PM and then… read on.

“Our Forested Commons: A Permaculture Perspective on Land-Use and Stewardship in the Pacific Northwest.” An evening with Kelda Miller, in association with the Pierce County Reads book of the year, The Big Burn.

Reading The Big Burn invites us to not just understand our history, but to think about our common resources going into the future. ‘Permaculture’ is the study and design of landscapes that sustainably meet (but don’t overreach) human needs. This talk by Kelda Miller will introduce the permaculture ‘zones of use’ and then focus on Zone 4. This ‘commons’ zone is where we hold forests and wildlands in trust for future generations, but also wisely steward, wildcraft, manage, harvest, restore, and learn from nature. Humans are intrinsically a part of ecosystems, as evidenced by sustainable ecologies from all over the world, many of them maintained through fire. We will talk about theory in landscape management, practical reduction of our ecological footprint, and projects in Pierce County that hold many possibilities. Encouraged reading before this talk, besides of course The Big Burn, is also 1491 by Charles Mann and The Woodland Way by Ben Law.

This event will be April 25 at Gig Harbor Library at 7pm.

Free event and no pre-registration is required. See you there!

http://www.divinearthgp.com

Timber Talk and a Park Tour - Tues, April 19th

The Key Peninsula, Gig Harbor and Islands Watershed Council will be at Homestead Park in Gig Harbor on Tuesday, April 19 from 4-6 PM. The Council will be hosting and informational meeting with a representative from the Natural Resource Conservation Service discussing the process and eligibility requirements for the Forestry Conservation Stewardship Program, now available for private forest landowners in the Puget Sound area. This is a voluntary program working with property owners to provide them with the tools and resources to improve, manage and develop a sustainable plan for their timber properties. A park tour will follow this discussion.

For directions or additional information, please contact Erin Ewald (253) 884-9474 or Barbara Ann Smolko at (253) 798-6156

A Big Change to Gig Harbor

As of Wednesday, March 16, 2011, the outfall from Gig Harbor's Wastewater Treatment Plant will no longer discharge to Gig Harbor but will, instead discharge into Colvos Passage.  It should be fun to see how the water quality and critters in the Harbor react to the change.

If you're interested, join city officials and staff for the ceremonial valve turning on Wednesday, March 16. The event will celebrate the completion of the Wastewater Treatment Plant Outfall Extension Project. It will be held at the Bogue Viewing Platform, 8803 N. Harborview Dr. at 3 p.m.

The City of Gig Harbor began planning for this $6.1 million, four-phase project more than 10 years ago.
Since 2008, the construction for new outfall pipe included replacing the old 10-inch pipe with 24-inch high density polyethylene pipes.

April is Puget Sound Starts Here Month!

Mark your calendars…April is Puget Sound Starts Here Month!

There are a host of workshops, events, volunteer opportunities and more planned for you and your family throughout the month. Visit this site www.piercecountywa.org/pssh to see the growing list of things to do. Be sure and save the link in your Favorites folder so you can check back often for updates and additions!