WWRC E-Newsletter, November - 2008

In This Issue:

1.  At Risk:  Harstine Island State Park
2.  Amendments Increase Access to State Fund3.  Green Space Reduces Health Inequality
4.  Doug Walker:  Why I Support the Coalition
5.  New Board Members Strengthen Coalition
6.  The Coalition Needs Your Support

At Risk: Harstine Island State Park

Harstine Island State Park in south Puget Sound is a beachcomber’s paradise (even in November)! In a $1.5 million WWRP grant request, Washington State Parks proposes to acquire 112 acres of tidelands, creating two miles of publicly accessible shoreline to connect the growing population of western Washington to natural and healthy ecosystems in the Puget Sound.

The tidelands here are rich with seabirds, marine mammals, and shellfish including mussels, geoducks, horse, manila, butter and native littleneck clams. Quiet, tranquil and populated with a wide variety of wildlife, Harstine Island State Park could be Puget Sound’s best kept secret.

This is just one of the 115 special places that the Coalition is working to protect by lobbying to maintain $100 million for WWRP grants in the state's construction budget.

Amendments Would Allow Land Trusts and Conservation Districts to Apply for WWRP Grants

In the 2009 legislative session, the Coalition will pursue amendments to the Washington Wildlife and Recreation Program (WWRP) statute that will allow the state Conservation Commission and qualified non-profit organizations to apply for WWRP grants. Currently, state and local agencies, tribes and special districts such as school districts are eligible to apply. Read More...

Green Space Reduces Health Inequality Between Rich and Poor

A recent OpEd in the Seattle PI (“Green spaces reduce health gap,” 11/11/08) highlighted an important, ground breaking study about how access to green spaces improves health, regardless of class or income level. The new British study provides evidence that “the health gap between rich and poor can be halved with the help of green spaces.”

Terry Hartig of the Institute for Housing and Urban Research at Sweden's Uppsala University, states, "This study offers valuable evidence that green space does more than pretty up the neighborhood; it appears to have real effects on health inequality, of a kind that politicians and health authorities should take seriously." Read more...  

Doug Walker: Why I Support the Coalition

From using bike commuter trails during all four seasons of the year to hiking and climbing backcountry trails and peaks in the North Cascades, Doug Walker’s lifestyle is the epitome of what the Coalition means to the state of Washington.   As a leader in both the business and conservation communities, Doug brings new faces to the table and helps build a strong constituency for land and water conservation.  

“There is no other organization that has the breadth and capacity to protect the natural assets in this state that give us all a quality of life. The work of the Coalition is increasing access to the great outdoors, curbing the negative effects on wildlife of global warming and helping us live healthy lifestyles.” 

New Board Members Strengthen Links between Housing, Health, and Recreation

Ten new board members elected to serve beginning January, 2009, include legislators and leaders in the fields of outdoor recreation, housing, health care, conservation, transportation and industry.

Tom Dwyer - Director, Conservation Programs, Ducks Unlimited, Inc., Vancouver

 Marina Hench - Director of Government Affairs, Northwest Marine Trade Association, Seattle

Kim Herman - Executive Director, Washington State Housing Finance Commission, Seattle

Joe Hyer - Olympia City Council; Owner, The Alpine Experience, LLC, Olympia

Deborah Knutson - President, Economic Development Council of Snohomish County

Rep. Patricia Lantz - State Representative (D-26), Gig Harbor

Carol Moser - Washington State Transportation Commission, Richland

Rep. Christine Rolfes - State Representative (D-23), Bainbridge Island

Joel Suelzle -Vice President of Health Plan Administration and Provider Contracting, Group Health Cooperative, Tukwila

Cecilia Vogt - Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission, Yakima 

We Need Your Support!

In the 2009 legislative session, we will bring together activists, businesses, outdoor recreation enthusiasts, community leaders and people like you and me who want to see more parks for our children, hiking and biking trails and abundant wildlife.
With this collective voice, we will work to sustain $100 million for the WWRP grant program. We need your support to deliver our message: 115 conservation and outdoor recreation projects around the state are at risk.

Click here to support our work TODAY!

Your donation now helps assure us of achieving our mission to preserve our most valuable landscapes for future generations! Thank you for your support and your dedication.