2007 NEWSLETTER
SEPTEMBER 2007 NEWSLETTER
PROPOSED COAL-BURNING POWER PLANT
On September 20, 2007, representatives of Columbia Riverkeeper, Willapa Audubon Society, and the Rosemere Neighborhood Association, along with a number of other concerned citizens, attended a public hearing held by Washington’s Energy Facility Site Evaluation Council to voice their opinions about Energy Northwest’s proposed Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) power plant in Kalama, WA. The council took comments from the public on Energy Northwest’s greenhouse gas “sequestration plan” (view the plan at http://http:www.esfec.wa.gov/pmec.shtml).
Volunteer Crews Load up New Trees and Supplies for Planting
For the third year in a row, members of the RNA were vital in the success of West Vancouver’s tree planting efforts. The day began bright and early at 7:00am, with the plantings completed by early afternoon. Mariah Mickman, Neighborhood Trees Manager for Friends of Trees, organized the tree list. RNA members, including Carol Panfilio, John Felton, James Neigel, Paul Neigel, and Patrick Doncaster and Troy Harris of Hough Neighborhood Association took 111 trees and sorted them by neighborhood and by species, where they were then taken in individual pickups to the planting sites. Last year, volunteer crews planted 96 trees.
At 3:30am on Christmas morning, a sudden wind storm with severe gusts damaged property in Rosemere. A main trunk of a 65-foot tree was toppled by the winds and it crashed into a neighbor’s truck. Debris dangerously filled the intersection. Any unsuspecting driver who happened upon the scene would have suffered serious damage to their vehicle. The danger was immediately reported to 911, but no emergency crew responded. Often during storms of this nature, emergency services are overwhelmed with calls.
The RNA is co-sponsoring a neighborhood tree planting event with Friends of Trees, a non-profit tree planting organization, on March 6, 2004.
The RNA sponsored a presentation by Friends of Trees, a non-profit tree planting organization on Tuesday, November 18, 2003. This presentation was in collaboration with the Vancouver Neighborwoods Stewards and the Vancouver Urban Forestry Division. There was a very high turnout for this event, and many people were very interested in the subject of planting trees throughout the neighborhood.
Chum Salmon are protected under the federal Endangered Species Act. These endangered salmon have been drawn to the warm waters of Josef Creek in Vancouver for thousands of years. The Columbia River once turned silver with the arrival of salmon every year, but now only about a thousand Chum find their way to Josef Creek, which is just east of I-205. The creek, one of the last remaining salmon runs in Southwest Washington, feeds into the Columbia River.
