by Kirk Kirkland How would you like to make the suburban sprawl around you into a real livable community? The Environmental Coalition of Pierce County invites you to share your ideas at their Environmental Conference this September. With a Democratic majority on the Pierce County Council, we are living at an opportune time to make […]
Expansion of DuPont gravel mine calls for dewatering the aquifer and long-term destruction of Edmond Marsh — a favorite bird habitat. Protecting and restoring the wetlands was a part of the original lawsuit and agreement with mine owners until the city produced this recent Draft Environmental Impact Statement. _____________________________________________________________________ Edmond Marsh has been the focus […]
How to turn suburban sprawl into a Community by Kirk Kirkland How would you like to make the suburban sprawl around you into a real livable community? The Environmental Coalition of Pierce County invites you to share your ideas at their Environmental Conference in September. With a Democratic majority on the Pierce County Council, […]
Hearing Examiner’s Decision on Spanaway Marsh is Flawed by Kirk Kirkland The Pierce County Hearing Examiner’s decision last week granted Tacoma Rescue Mission a permit to build a tiny homes village and parking spaces for recreation vehicles. It will cut down over 700 trees in an old growth forest near Spanaway Marsh and Audubon Springs, […]
By Kirk Kirkland Raising the groundwater high enough to return the summer flow of Clover Creek was the focus of three meetings with members of the County Council in May and June. Few people are available who would drive from Olympia to Tacoma and sit through a 2-hour County Council meeting to only speak for […]
Tiny Home Village Conflict over Wetland Determination by Claudia Riiff Finseth Recently, the Tacoma News Tribune carried some interesting articles related to the Hearing Examiner meetings that had just wrapped up on the proposed use of the Spanaway Marsh for a high-density development. The plan is for a tiny home village for people experiencing chronic […]
Recent Hearing examiner decision called for cutting forests of Oregon white oak and destroying habitat of Western Gray Squirrel, an endanger species. Spanaway Group Files for Reconsideration of Tiny Home Village The Spanaway Concerned Citizens group (SCC) decided to file for reconsideration in their quest to stop the permits for a village of 280 homes […]
Environmental justice and Tiny Home Village When the first yellow sign with public notice went up in the forested area surrounding Audubon Springs, the neighbors had no way of knowing that their appeal of the Tiny home Village with some 280 homes would cost over $100,000. Unfortunately this was only a down payment on […]
Recently passed amendments to review water systems in the county have made it possible to re-think how the county can change the crisis of expanded growth and increased problems with drought, flooding, and water shortages into proposals that could turn these problems into opportunities to recharge aquifers, increase groundwater and get creeks flowing, while at […]
The long-awaited appeal of the Industrial Geoduck Farm in Burley Lagoon ended on May 29. Taylor Shellfish Company proposed a 28-acre aquaculture project — the largest in Pierce County. Taylor Shellfish faces an uphill battle for the county’s Conditional Use Permit that has been challenged by Friends of Burley Lagoon and a coalition of environmental […]
By Kirk Kirkland In a recent story in the Washington Post, Donald Trump offered a glimpse of his view of climate change and his desire to set the world on fire. In a meeting with oil and gas executives at Mar-a-Lago, he told the executives that they should contribute to his campaign, that his policies […]
About Ryan Mello Ryan was born in Kailua, Hawaii, and moved to Tacoma in 1997 to attend the University of Puget Sound. There, he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics and government. After college, Ryan went on to serve in several career roles that protect our quality of life, working farmlands and rural […]
Spanaway Marsh is on border between Fort Lewis and proposed housing for 285 people. This area is headwaters for Spanaway Lake. Local rural zoning does not allow high-density housing. Tiny homes have been proposed for a Rural Reserve zone intended for wildlife conservation. On May 6, 2024 the city of Lakewood approved a $1 million […]
The Western Gray Squirrel is back in the news. The Garry Oak forest is habitat for these squirrels and 670 trees are marked for destruction. 280 tiny homes are planned for development next to this wetland complex that has been the principal habitat for forest wildlife. Tiny Village Project nears Public Hearing On March 6, […]
During this legislative session, you may have heard from Futurewise about rural Detached Accessory Dwelling Units (DADUs) and the need to defeat bills that would allow rural DADUs to be built without being counted towards the growth targets that are set by the state Growth Management Act. These bills, SB 6029 and HB 2126, as […]
Puget Sound Energy to transition customers from natural gas to electricity. In a recent late-night session, the House narrowly decided to send Governor Jay Inslee one of his priority bills for the session. House Bill 1589 is a controversial measure that directs providers like Puget Sound Energy (PSE) to transition its customers from natural gas […]
Can Pierce County prevent smoky late summer skies? The Smokehouse Creek fire, the largest on record in Texas, is still largely uncontrolled across the state’s Panhandle. So far, the fire has scorched more than a million acres, making it one of the most destructive in U.S. history. More hot, dry summers are on their way […]
By Kirk Kirkland With the state legislative session ending on March 7, it is time to focus on Pierce County’s Comp Plan, which is up for a five-year review. Recently, the Pierce County Planning Department invited people to comment on their Environmental Impact Statement that describes how the county will grow over the next 5-10 […]
Is growth management working in our third-most populated state? by Kirk Kirkland There is a point every winter when the rainstorms and the cold temperatures finally get to me, and I pack up my folding kayak and fly home to Florida. There, daytime temperatures are in the seventies and migrating birds are abundant on the […]
