June 20, 2006
NISQUALLY RIVER FOUNDATION'S 1ST STEWARDSHIP AWARD
The Nisqually River Council Foundation unveiled the Nisqually Watershed Stewardship Plan and vision for the next 50 years at a Fundraiser in Seattle Monday, June 19th.
Former Governor Dan Evans was instrumental in his vision to preserve and protect this State's treasure 35 years ago and led to the creation of the jewel we have today. He presented the 1st Award for Stewardship of the Nisqually Watershed to Nisqually Tribal Elder Billy Frank, Jr.
The City of Yelm is at the center of the Watershed, is the largest city within its area and has the most ambitious expansions plans that could potentially affect the health of the river. The potential for 8,000 + homes in Yelm within the next 10 years was of great concern and was highlighted.
Yelm had strong representation with Councilwoman Pat Fetterly, the City's representative to the Nisqually River Council (NRC) along with representatives of the Yelm Chamber of Commerce, JZK, Inc., Ramtha's School of Enlightenment and the Nisqually Valley News[see Friday's NVN for the full story].
David Troutt is chairman of the Nisqually River Council and penned his experiences working toward this goal for The Olympian.
The NRC is accepting donations and/or volunteers now, so won't you consider sending a tax-deductible check to preserve
this vital resource for the future and that of our children?
This is quoted from Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., NRDC Senior Attorney mailing: "The Bush White House is quietly putting radical new policies in place that will all corporations to poison air, foul water and devastate wildlands. Under a new White House proposal, small water utilities will be able to provide water that is contaminated, yet still be able to call it "protective of health". This attack on safe drinking water has been cleverly dubbed "water affordability". It works like this: if it would cost a utility more than a modest sum -- as defined by the Bush Administration -- to clean up contaminataed water, then it doesn't have to. As for the toxic or cancer-causing pollutants you may be drinking, that's your problem according to the White House." Back to Yelm - LASCO is on a septic system. And I have heard this development is located on land over Olympia's water supply aquafir. When I came here l2 years ago, Yelm had recently been restrained from releasing its sewage into the Nisqually River. I am happy to hear about this meeting.