Kirk Kirkland has been an environmental advocate for over 30 years. He has worked with Tahoma Audubon, Sierra Club and Futurewise as an environmental advocate, appearing before such bodies as the Washington State Legislature and the Pierce County Council. He retired from Tahoma Audubon in 2023 when they were considering changing their priorities.
While active in local politics, he has partnered with many groups and together the local environmental community has preserved wildlife habitat, used the Growth Management Act to limit suburban sprawl, and preserved open space through Conservation Futures funding.
This year the agenda before the state legislature and the county is at a turning point, providing opportunities to move the environmental agenda forward. In the past, our Tahoma Audubon Society conservation committee’s newsletter informed members about important issues in the community and included the activities of some of our partners.
Since February 2024, the Tahoma Audubon Society has not published a conservation committee newsletter as they have changed their name to Tahoma Bird Alliance. They also changed their mission from from political activism to “partner with other environmental organizations for local habitat stewardship and restoration projects that require tools and material costs,” according to their website. In addition they are mounting “an effective education campaign to teach our children why it is so important to protect birds and nature.”
This Coalition website is intended to fill the communications void with relevant Pierce County-oriented news articles, endorsements of local candidates, and ways to take action. In today’s divided political atmosphere, it is easy to turn a deaf ear to the political discussion. But in Kirk’s experience, political change has not been that divisive. Rather, politics is very personal, and success comes from building relationships. Here are the words that guide our advocacy:
“Oppose in such a way that unites.”
Before us this year is an important update of the county’s Growth Management Plan in the state and the county. It is an opportunity to limit carbon emissions, protect working farms and forest lands, and make cities more livable. At first, the process is confusing, but as it becomes more familiar, significant changes become possible by writing letters and attending hearings.
On this site you can learn about current environmental and political issues. This includes efforts to protect shorelines, keep the water in our streams clean, create livable communities in our county, and preserve wildlife corridors along our streams in urban areas. This site is not intended to compete with any existing environmental group like Tahoma Bird Alliance or Sierra Club. We do not offer memberships, meetings, or fundraising. We are a small group of volunteers with political experience who know how to get things accomplished.
Working together, we can create a better future. A few dedicated people who work together with allies and county and state officials can truly make a difference!
Brett Johnson chairs our political committee, focusing on key local races in Pierce County. He also revises and contributes content for the newsletter and website. Endorsements are an important way to identify strong candidates with environmental goals and introduce them to advocates and donors. A complete slate of candidates encourages people to not just vote for President and Governor, but also farther down the ballot to elect folks who can make a difference and get things done right here in our own community.
Brett has volunteered for over 25 years with campaign efforts in Pierce County and northern Colorado. He canvasses neighborhoods and connects with voters. As a habitat steward, he started with the Pierce Conservation District Stream Team, coordinated Scotch broom removal on several large properties, and later served with the Poudre Wilderness Volunteers weed crew out of Fort Collins, Colorado. More recently, he coordinated the Ivy League at Point Defiance and the Legion of Broom at Parkland Prairie, where most of the English ivy and Scotch broom has been removed for native habitat restoration. He was named the 2002 Pierce Conservation District Volunteer of the Year and the 2016 Outstanding Adult Volunteer by Pierce County Parks & Recreation. He has served on several local boards, including the Metro Parks Nature & Environment Advisory Council and the Pierce County Arts Commission. Prior to joining the Coalition, he chaired the former Sierra Club Tatoosh Group Political Committee, which endorsed and supported environmentally-minded candidates throughout Pierce County for several years.
Brett grew up in Puyallup and graduated from Rogers High School. As a student at the University of Puget Sound, he earned the college’s first interdisciplinary degree in Environmental Policy. He then joined the Peace Corps in Nepal for two years as a Soil & Water Conservation Volunteer. He is grateful for this time living and working with local villagers, learning to speak fluent Nepali, and traveling daily by foot in the Himalayan foothills. Upon returning home, he taught pre-license courses to pesticide applicators, developed the first wave of online courses, and assisted with diagnosing plant diseases, insect problems, and invasive plants at WSU Puyallup. Nowadays, he works and lives in Tacoma with his wife, daughter and dog.