Do you know how to properly fit a life vest?

We hope that you get outside and run and play this weekend, and if you are riding your bike or boating that you wear a properly fitted helmet or life jacket. The US Coast Guard has a lot of information on safety rules and how to select the correct life jacket, and here in Seattle there are a lot of resources available for bicycle safety.

The thought of losing these special places tugs at my heart.  As I sift through hundreds of photos capturing countless memories of special moments that I have spent in our parks, I am reminded just how important they have been, and continue to be, in my family’s lives.

Help Protect Our Parks!

Please share your own photos of your favorite moments at Washington’s State Parks so we can remind our leaders what’s really at stake!

How to Submit Your Photos:

1. Email
   Attach your photos to an email, put the name of the State Park in the subject line, and add a short description in the text body. Email your photos to sun63water@photos.flickr.com.
2. Facebook
   Upload your photo to the Pacific Regional Center’s Facebook page with a short description, and tag with #wastateparks.

Requirements:
Please only send us photos that belong to you, and note that by sending us photos, you give us permission to post them on our website (with attribution).

What’s at Stake

What’s at stake if our Washington State Parks were to close? The way I look at it, people and wildlife have a lot to lose. These stories and photos help me to remember that Washington State Parks are our legacy to our children and to their children, to our future:

Sucia Island State Park is a 564-acre marine park with 77,700 feet of shoreline. Sucia Island is considered the crown jewel of the state’s marine park system. It is consistently ranked as one of the top boating destinations in the world.

The fourth oldest park system in the country, Washington has 117 parks and 700 historic structures. These natural places are a delight to explore and learn about the history of our region and about nature and wildlife. With so many great state parks just a short road trip away, you are sure to find the perfect weekend destination.

Picnics and family gatherings, annual camping trips, wildlife and tranquil natural settings away from the city and immersed in nature is what you will find at State Parks.

Blake Island State Park is a 475-acre marine camping park with five miles of saltwater beach shoreline providing magnificent views of the Olympic Mountains and the Seattle skyline. The park is only reachable by tour boat or private boat. Indian-style salmon dinners and demonstrations of Northwest Indian dancing are offered at Tillicum Village, a concession on the island.

Our Parks: Where We Go to Play

Deception Pass State Park is a 4,134-acre marine and camping park with 77,000 feet of saltwater shoreline, and 33,900 feet of freshwater shoreline on three lakes. Rugged cliffs drop to meet the turbulent waters of Deception Pass. The park is outstanding for breath-taking views, old-growth forests and abundant wildlife.

There are so many beaches, hikes, mountains and natural places in our State Parks to walk and explore! You may discover marine debris from faraway places. Build elaborate drift wood forts, scoop up seashells, and pocket colored sea glass and shiny pebbles. Skip rocks on calm water, first one then three and sometimes five skips, and fly kites in a vast blue sky next to weathered war-time bunkers, where harmonicas make a sweet sound resonating off dark silent walls.

Play football, ride bikes and tend to scuffed knees and scraped hands. Hike along paths lined with tall trees that sway in the wind, and see bushes filled with birds eating berries, and bees buzzing in the heat of the day. Discover a deer hidden in the tall grass.

Jones Island State park is a 188-acre marine camping park with 25,000 feet of saltwater shoreline on the San Juan channel. The park features a beautiful loop trail down the center of the island then around the western shore. 

These treasured times, out in nature on our public lands, in our State Parks, cannot be taken for granted or forgotten. They are a place of discovery and learning about our natural world, they teach us to understand and respect our history and our land. They are a place for personal growth and of treasured moments with family and friends.

Cape Disappointment State Park (formerly Fort Canby State Park) is a 1,882-acre camping park on the Long Beach Peninsula, fronted by the Pacific Ocean. The park offers two miles of ocean beach, two lighthouses, an interpretive center and hiking trails. Visitors enjoy beachcombing, ship watching and exploring the area’s rich natural and cultural history. The nearby coastal towns of Ilwaco and Long Beach feature special events and festivals spring through fall.

Cathy and son Mac lobbying for Washington State Parks at the State Capital in Olympia

State Parks in Trouble

Over the past four years, the State Park Commission’s budget has suffered an 88% reduction in general fund support. In 2011, the Washington Legislature created the Discover Pass to replace general fund tax money, but not enough passes are being sold to make up for the deep budget cuts. This means there are not enough funds to cover the cost of operating and maintaining state-managed recreation lands.

It’s not too late to stand up for our State Parks! Here’s how you can help make sure these special places continue to protect wildlife and inspire the next generation of conservationists:

1. Send us your photos of you visiting Washington’s State Parks, and we will share them with legislators to remind them of what’s really at stake (see instructions at top of page).
2. Urge your state legislators to support critical funding to protect Washington’s state parks.
3. Get your Discover Pass! This vehicle-access pass allows you to enjoy millions of acres of Washington state-managed recreation lands – including parks, wildlife areas, trails, natural and wilderness areas, heritage areas and water-access points.

The Clean Water Act protects bodies of water across the country, like those in our National Parks. Yellowstone National Park photo by Flickr user Jeff Gunn.

This Thursday, we celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Clean Water Act. This landmark act has ensured, and will continue to ensure, that America’s waters are fishable, swimmable, and drinkable. Since its inception, the Clean Water Act has logged numerous successes: it has prevented pollution by providing assistance to publicly-owned wastewater treatment facilities, and maintaining the integrity of wetlands.

**Help us celebrate this milestone and tell everyone how important clean water is to you!**

Facebook: This week change you profile picture to the image below and share it with your friends. Remind people that October, 18th we celebrate four decades of the Clean Water Act and the historic results this keystone legislation has achieved: healthier water to drink; cleaner streams, rivers and lakes in which to swim, fish and play; and dramatically lower rates of natural wetland loss.

Twitter: Tweet a message showing your support for clean water. Feel free to use some of the samples we have provided below or create your own.

* When tweeting be sure to use #CleanWaterAct.

Sample Tweets:

• For 40 years the #CleanWaterAct has protected America’s waters and ensured that they are fishable, drinkable, and swimmable. Thank you!
• 79% of Sportsmen favor restoring Clean Water Act protections http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9 #CleanWaterAct
• For 40 years, @EPAgov has worked to restore #CleanWater and protect the #CleanWaterAct. Let’s keep it that way.
• The Chesapeake Bay is one of the most extraordinary places in America. Let’s  protect the #CleanWaterAct
• The #CleanWaterAct, has doubled the water safe for swimming & fishing. Let’s keep working to #ProtectCleanWater
• 73% of Republicans favor restoring Clean Water Act protections to wetlands and waterways. http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9 #CleanWater
• Sportsmen – regardless of political party – favor restoring Clean Water Act protections to wetlands and waterways http://bit.ly/Sj5ez9
• The Great Lakes are the largest system of surface freshwater on earth, they deserve adequate protection. Protect the #CleanWaterAct
• The #CleanWaterAct is under assault from the biggest polluters around. @WhiteHouse, we’re with you to #ProtectCleanWater
• 117 million Americans whose drinking water is at risk count on @WhiteHouse @USACE_HQ and @EPAgov  to continue to protect the #CleanWaterAct

Hashtags:

• Always use #CleanWaterAct in your tweets. 
• Whenever possible make sure @MittRomney, @BarackObama or @WhiteHouse are included in your tweets.  Where appropriate use @EPAgov, @LisaPJackson, or @USACE_HQ (many local Army Corps Districts have their own Twitter handles)
• Other hash tags to consider using, in addition to #CleanWaterAct (space permitting): #ProtectCleanWater, #DrinkingWater, #CleanWater
• Please tweet this at least once: “For 40 years the #CleanWaterAct has protected America’s waters and ensured that they are fishable, drinkable, and swimmable. Thank you!“

*Follow us (@NWFCleanH2O) and other organizations working to protect America’s waters!*

If you care about clean water and would like future generations to have fishable, swimmable and drinkable waters, take action and help restore clean water today!

Kayakers, SUPers and boaters join together for a Clean Water Act celebration on the Potomac River. NWF Photo by Jan Goldman-Carter.

Mike Bolinder, Anacostia Riverkeeper, speaks at the recent Clean Water Act rally on the Potomac River. NWF Photo by Jan Goldman-Carter.

Fast forward to 2012 and a beautiful September Saturday when ECC joined the National Wildlife Federation, Anacostia and Potomac Riverkeepers, and Water Keeper Alliance nationwide in honoring the 40^th Anniversary of the Clean Water Act–and recommitting ourselves to clean rivers and clean water for all—here along the Anacostia and nationwide.

Since Congress passed the Clean Water Act in October 1972, we have made incredible progress in cleaning up our rivers and streams. The Potomac River is our source for drinking water and many people are using the Anacostia and Potomac rivers to canoe, kayak and fish.

But we have much more work to do to restore the streams and wetlands that flow through the District of Columbia and on to the Chesapeake Bay.  Please join the Earth Conservation Corps, the National Wildlife Federation, and our local, regional, and national clean water partners in celebrating the 40^th birthday of the Clean Water Act and standing up for a strong Clean Water Act, and fishable swimmable waters for all.

Kellie Bolinder is Executive Director of Earth Conservation Corps. She has been working with the organization for over nine years. Earth Conservation Corps became the DC affiliate of the National Wildlife Federation in 2008, joining the network of 48 state and territorial affiliates across the country.

Jenny Lake in Wyoming's Grand Teton National Park. The Western Governors' Association recently met and released a report featuring recommendations on connecting more kids with the outdoors. (flickr | Yellowstone Gate)

“The Govs” (like “The Avengers”), led by chair Governor Chris Gregoire, were unanimous in their push to get kids outdoors.

As Colorado Governor  John Hickenlooper said: “[Y]ou can’t truly experience a state park or beautiful natural area until you actually go there and get dirty.”

We already know there are lots of good reasons to get kids off the couch.  It is better for their physical and mental health, and it makes them more likely to be conservationists when they grow up.

The Govs added another motivation: economics.  Tourism is a huge economic driver for the west.  If America raises a generation of kids who don’t care about the outdoors, our national and state parks, forests and recreational areas will get less use, and western communities will take a financial beating.

A Plan to Keep Outdoors Tourism Alive

The Govs aren’t just wagging fingers–they have a plan.  During the meeting, WGA released a report titled Connecting Kids and Families to the West’s Great Outdoors.  This report highlights the many ways that governors can reconnect people with nature.

Among other recommendations, the report encourages governors to create “Healthy Kids Outdoors Councils” to establish comprehensive statewide strategies for getting kids outdoors.  That strategy, which has already been implemented in Maryland and Kansas, will enable states to tap into resources from the federal Healthy Kids Outdoors Act once it passes in Congress.

The report also encourages Governors to create Children’s Outdoor Bills of Rights (the first such Bill was created in California), broker new partnerships, recognize youth leaders, promote the North American Conservation Education Strategy and promote fee-free days in parks.  At the meeting, several Western governors also agreed to participate in a pilot project that aims to increase park visits by creating a position of Youth Outdoor Recreation Outreach Coordinator in their offices.

NWF looks forward to working with WGA and our Western Governors to advance state policies that reconnect children with nature!  And we hope you will join us in supporting the Healthy Kids Outdoors Act in Congress, a bill that will support the “Healthy Kids Outdoors Councils” called for in the WGA report!

The prominent peaks of the Brother's in the Olympics

For some people, these outdoor experiences are grand and deliberate, seemingly epic and beyond what any of us can even imagine.

For others, there is a need to get to know what the region has to offer through organized outings, clubs, city and regional programs.

We are fortunate that here in the Pacific Northwest there are many organizations and programs that provide opportunities to connect with nature in meaningful ways.

Join Us at a Seattle Be Out There Event April 7th

On April 7, 2012, through the support of National Wildlife Federation’s national and regional partners, the Pacific Regional Center is presenting a Be Out There event at Lake Union Park. This is a free, family friendly event where partners and area youth service organizations will introduce participants to the Pacific Northwest’s regional wonders, resources and opportunities for connecting kids and families with nature.

Photo credit: Erinn J. Hale

What: “Be Out There, Explore, Learn Grow” a family-friendly event hosted by NWF’s Pacific Regional Center
When:  April 7th, 11 a.m. – 4 p.m.
Where: Seattle’s Lake Union Park,
860 Terry Avenue North
Cost: Free!

RSVP Today >>

During this exciting event a keystone partner, OAR Northwest, an adventure ocean rowing and education organization, will begin its Salish Expedition, title sponsored by the Canadian Wildlife Federation. At 1 p.m. the OAR Northwest crew will launch the specialized ocean rowboat from the park’s pebble beach, row across Lake Union and through the Ballard locks to begin the inspiring circumnavigation of Vancouver Island. Using pioneering satellite communications to deliver LIVE streaming video from the rowboat while underway, OAR Northwest connects families, students and classrooms to the extraordinary craft.

A Gaff-Rigged Schooner built in 1926

Boating and sailing activities at The Center for Wooden Boats will make this fun for the whole family!

This event also serves as the launch of the Robert Bateman Get To Know Art Contest which seeks to engage children in getting outdoors and building meaningful personal connections with nature through the expressive arts. Categories for the contest include original works of art, writing, photography, videography and music inspired by nature and is open to youth up to age 19.

Want to volunteer for the event? Contact me, Cathy Curley, at curleyc@nwf.org for more information!

The National Wildlife Federation is dedicated to inspiring families and individuals to get outside and connect with nature. The world is full of adventure and wonder to discover, but you don’t have to row around Vancouver Island to have an adventure. Inspiration, fun and discovery can be found as close as your own back yard. Please join us, Be Out There and get inspired!

Kayaking in the fall of 2009, Lake Wentworth NH

Many Northeastern game species are threatened by mild winters (also see NWF’s “Game Changers” report), not to mention that sportsmen and hikers are coming home with ticks on them or on their dog. A recent radio piece talked to the president of the Berkshire County League of Sportsmen, and he said they had to cancel all their ice fishing derbies this year.

Right here in Massachusetts, we are seeing impacts that are more severe, too: the Springfield tornadoes, the Halloween snowstorm and power outages, and increased flooding from extreme storms (100 year storms every few years) throughout the region.

There are economic impacts not only from cleaning up from those natural disasters, but also from things like a shorter and less sweet maple sugaring season from New York to Vermont, cancelled ice fishing derbies, and a bad ski year on the East Coast all add up to a drop in revenue for businesses not to mention a drop in fun.

For gardeners, the whole map has moved! Who knows when the last frost free date is in their area any more? I put corn and peas in at least a month too late last year, because I went by the zones on the packages. This year I am going in a month ahead, but who knows if some late freak storm will kill all my plants.

This kind of oddball winter weather is exactly what climate scientists say we can expect in a warming world. This is why it is more important than ever to stand up for clean air now. The more we cut down on mercury and industrial carbon pollution coming out of smokestacks, the better chance we have of being able to enjoy our fine New England winters as well as our beautiful New England summers, each in their own time.

Find out how you can help us fight for clean air and reduced emissions at www.nwf.org/cleanair.

Sea otters in Morro Bay, CA (via Flickr's MikeBaird)

Clean Water Act Faces Challenges

Murky Supreme Court decisions in SWANCC (2001) and RAPANOS (2006) and conflicting agency guidance are eroding the Clean Water Act and putting millions of acres of wetlands and streams at risk for contamination and destruction. Tributaries and wetlands that provide clean water to iconic systems like the Chesapeake Bay, Great Lakes and the Mississippi River Basin and Delta are at risk. These at risk waters supply at least some of the drinking water for 117 million Americans. These water bodies provide important fish and wildlife habitats that fuel local economies and support outdoor traditions across the country. As these resources are polluted and diminished, so are the tremendous natural and public health benefits they provide, including food, drinking water and flood protection.

Great Egret (via Flickr's MikeBaird)

We cannot protect our drinking water or restore the Great Lakes, Chesapeake Bay, or Florida’s clear springs and bays unless we commit to strengthen, not weaken, the Clean Water Act. It is time for the Administration to move forward and sustain that legacy by restoring longstanding Clean Water Act protections for the Nation’s wetlands, lakes, and streams.

The Time for Action is Now

New guidance from the Administration will clarify which waters are protected under the Clean Water Act, removing confusion for landowners, conservationists and state and local agencies. Providing a stronger, clearer definition of “Waters of the United States” through new guidance and rulemaking is a policy based on commonsense and common ground between conservation and industry interests.

The Corps and EPA took a positive first step this year by submitting draft guidance for public comment. Their proposal respects the Supreme Court’s rulings and related science. The agencies received over 230,000 comments on the guidance. To protect America’s waters, in keeping with the Clean Water Act, this guidance must be finalized quickly. The agencies must also initiate a vigorous and transparent rulemaking process to clarify and reinforce the safeguards and scope of the Clean Water Act for landowners, developers, conservationists and state and federal agencies.

The Corps and EPA are now prepared to take final action – but time is running out.

Send a message to the Obama Administration, urging them to act now to restore Clean Water Act protections to small streams and wetlands.

Clean water sustains lives and livelihoods and habitat for fish and wildlife. Renewing America’s commitment to a strong and effective Clean Water Act also strengthens our country, our quality of life and our commitment to our children and grandchildren.

Photo by Earthworks

Prior to this 2010 report, the national trend of toxic releases had been dropping significantly.  However, in 2010 Alaska’s toxic releases increased twenty percent, producing a total of 835-million pounds of toxic material being discharged in local air, water and land. 92.3 % of this total comes from metal mining. This fact joins the long list of reasons why the proposed Pebble Mine is the wrong mine in the wrong place.

For some perspective: Pebble Mine is estimated to dump 10 billion tons of hard rock mining waste at the headwaters of the greatest wild salmon fishery in the world. That’s twelve times more toxic waste than all toxic material released in Alaskan air, land and water the entirety of 2010. This is why the majority of Bristol Bay Natives oppose Pebble Mine. It is why commercial fishers, sport fishers and even seafood processors oppose Pebble Mine.

Aerial view of pristine Bristol Bay (Photo by William Bowen)

Take action now and help stop the Pebble Mine. For Pebble Mine campaign updates check out our Facebook page “Stop Mining Pollution” and follow us on Twitter @NWFSalmon.

ALL THE COMFORTS
When my kids were in their twenties I took them on a fall canoe trip in northern Minnesota’s amazing Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness (BWCAW).

One cool, damp afternoon, after paddling and portaging our way through five or six lakes, we were ready to find a good campsite for the night. The map showed several possible spots within a short distance along the left bank of a narrow bay.

Keeping your eyes, ears and other senses open increases your enjoyment of being outdoors far from crowds, calls and cars.

The first campsite we came to looked unoccupied, so I got out to survey it out for the key amenities: a good, flat, root-free spot to pitch our tent, a well-made stone fire pit, enough dead and fallen trees for firewood, a good branch for hanging our food pack beyond the reach of bears, and, of course, a decent Forest-Service-built latrine.

Following the path back into the woods, I found the wooden “throne” to be in good shape. On the way back to the landing, I realized I hadn’t had a “pit stop” all afternoon. Still out of sight of the kids, I stepped off the path, unzipped and watered a large, rotting, moss- covered stump. It’s always nice to have a target.

My kids had already decided the campsite merited only about three stars. So we hopped back into the canoe and paddled a few hundred yards down the shore to the next campsite. Unfortunately this one, with its lumpy tent site and poor landing area, rated only two stars. It was getting late and we were feeling the chill. So, instead of going on to check out a third site, we opted for the far-from-ideal, though certainly adequate, first campsite, and paddled back.

STEAMY SCENE
While the kids put up the tent and unpacked their sleeping bags, I headed into the woods to collect some firewood. In no time, I had a nice double armload and headed back toward the campsite to build the fire.

That’s odd, I thought. Just ahead, next to the trail, I thought I saw a wisp of steam.

On the way, I connected once again with the latrine path. After a few steps, my happy whistling came to an abrupt stop. That’s odd, I thought. Just ahead, next to the trail, I thought I saw a wisp of steam. I slunk a few steps closer. Could it be the breath of a small animal, I asked myself. No, it didn’t come and go like breathing would.

Wait…this looks familiar. I recognized the stump I’d just used as a urinal fifteen minutes earlier. And there on top, in the very center, was a fist-sized pile of still-warm bear scat.

What do you do when a North American black bear acknowledges you in this most personal way? You can run. You can feel insulted. You can ignore it. Or, as I did, you can look around for a big brown-and-black face peeking out from behind a tree and smiling. And then you just laugh out loud.