We are Sue and John Yoachim and are recently retired. We have lived on five acres on Young Rd. since 1992 and were able to acquire the adjoining fifteen acres of forest in 2002. We call our 20 acre family forest, S&J’s Happy Tree Tree Farm; specializing in low-impact off road log moving. We took the Department of Natural Resources Stewardship Forest Classes in 2002 (from DNR’s-Small Forest Landowner’s Office). Through this set of classes and our involvement with Washington Farm Forestry Association we learned of several opportunities available to small forest land owners. These include the county’s Open-Space Timber Tax Program, WSU Extension services and even becoming certified through Forest Stewardship Council® (FSC-C008225).

After attending several Forest Field days, we came across the solution to the problem of how to harvest without tearing up the land or using large equipment. Mark from Oregon invented and built several Arch devices to carry logs in a low impact way. The arches are currently manufactured on the East coast by Log Rite. We have three arches, the Forwarding Arch, Mark-7, and Jr., and quite a bit of experience using them; both on some customer jobs as well as to accomplish the moving (and stacking) of 54 logs on our landing for our first harvested truck load.

We use our ATV (in low) to move logs as long as 41′ 4″ or as big as 24″ diameter with the forwarding Arch upfront, and the Mark-7 or Jr Archie as the trailer wheels. The amount of impact on the land and trees is exceptionally low.

Some natural slope issues can present problems; but we have come to see this as an opportunity to use our wenches; we have two kinds, a capstan gasoline and a Honda electric wench. Between the gas powered continuous rope wench and the electric cable wench (with portable battery), we has been able to retrieve logs from every situation.

Even John was a doubter as to the practical limits of this equipment to safely move logs; but now he is a true believer and we feel comfortable making our services and expertise with this equipment available to the community. We can move a log from one part of your land to another. Our equipment also does a good job of helping to safely bring down small to medium leaners.

What we do not do, is cut down difficult trees, or transport logs to the mill. But after a wind storm we can haul what mother nature caused to fall. We can move large pieces to where others can get at it or where it can be chopped up later. We try to have safety as our first priority. We have gathered a lot of tools to help us; PV’s, chains, nose cone, and a trailer to haul it all around in.

We are happy to join the small business community in the Griffin area.

Washington Farm Forestry Association – South Sound Chapter contact is Ken Miller at (360) 705-1888. The Chapter meets the 2nd Wednesday of each month.

DNR Small Forest Landowner Office – Stewardship Forester contact is Mike Nystrom at (360) 825-1631.

– SUE AND JOHN YOACHIM
S & J’s “Happy Tree” Tree Farm
Forest Products
Low Impact Off-Road Log Moving
newclock@comcast.net
(360) 866-9533

We have written, on this blog, about Puget Sound Energy’s “Green Power” program and about carbon offsets. PSE is sponsoring a program, on September 18th, entitled “Buying Alternative Energy in WA State.” Included in the program will be topics on “Offsetting Your Carbon,” “PSE Demonstration Projects,” “Ways to Save Energy at Home,” and PSEs Vision for a Sustainable Energy Future.

September 18
7:00 PM – 9:00 PM
Traditions
5th & Water
Olympia, WA, 98501

A question and answer period will follow. The event is sponsored by Olympia Climate Action Group and is free. For more information, contact junzk@comcast.net

Back in the 1980’s, we started hearing “paper or plastic?” when it came time to check out, at the supermarket. Bagging our purchases, in some sort of bag, had long before that become standard practice. Nowadays, it’s practically impossible to make even the smallest purchase without having it bagged, whether we want the bag or not.

One of the most disturbing things I’ve read, in recent weeks, has to do with the effect of plastic bags on the environment of the ocean. Living near the sea, as we do, I was particularly dismayed to learn this factoid:

The Algalita Marine Research Foundation learned that “broken, degraded plastic pieces outweigh surface zooplankton in the central North Pacific by a factor of 6-1. That means six pounds of plastic for every single pound of zooplankton.” Which means, when birds and sea animals or looking for food — more often, they are finding plastic.

This has a certain effect of bringing the “paper or plastic” question in to sharp focus. Indeed, it is no longer a question of “paper or plastic.” Instead, we should all be using reusable bags, and carefully securing our plastic bags, so they don’t get out into the environment, until we can responsibly recycle them.

Californians Against Waste estimate that Americans consume 84 billion plastic bags annually. How many of those plastic bags are you responsible for? Even worse, how many of your plastic bags are now to be found floating somewhere in Puget Sound?

To read the entire article, click here.

Imagine if this sort of thing were going on, at the Island Market:

The sound of chainsaws, abated somewhat, over the last several months, because of the County’s development moratorium, ought to be heard more and more often, around these parts. According to The Olympian, “Thurston County planners are bracing for a flood of development applications in the coming months now that county commissioners have lifted the building moratorium in a rural portion of the county. More than 5,000 property owners are affected.”

“The new rules impose stricter limits on rural housing densities and force low-density zoning on environmentally sensitive areas.”

The newspaper is reporting that, under the new rules, “Most parcels zoned for one housing unit per 5 acres will keep the same zoning. However, wetlands or critical areas must be subtracted when calculating the number of lots in a subdivision.”

“The good news is the building moratorium is lifted, new zoning rules are in place and developers can submit construction applications to be weighed against those new rules.

The bad news is that this is not the end of the growth-versus-no-growth debate in this community.

Pity the poor property owners who are caught in the middle of the tug-of-war.”

Pity should be extended, too, to homeowners who are not developing their property. Irrespective of the County’s new regulations, we have no reason to expect better County oversight of its regulations, more accurate or more timely processing of development applications, or an improved appreciation for diminishing resources and quality of life. In the rising tide of applications expected with the lifting of the moratorium, corners will be cut.

Read the entire article from The Olympian here.

Click here for the County’s Rural Rezoning page.

Click here for the County’s Critical Areas Update page.

We are pleased to see that, at long last, the “Green Pages” has found a home online. For those of you unfamiliar with “Green Pages,” this is a bi-monthly journal of environmental news and commentary, published by South Puget Environmental Education Clearinghouse (SPEECH). It is available as a free newsletter, distributed in many locations around Thurston County.

The current issue “aims to help readers gain a foothold on some local water issues – and some local candidates’ views on them.”

Griffin resident, Dr. Paul Allen, is the Vice President of SPEECH and a frequent contributor to Green Pages.

We have often found Green Pages to offer practical information and well thought-out commentary on issues related to both the local and global environment and we’re certain many of you will want to bookmark the online version of Green Pages.

Many thanks to the folks at SPEECH for placing this valuable resource online.

Click here for the current issue of Green Pages.

The degree to which governments can or should be involved in crafting solutions to global climate change is an issue of some controversy. However, there is clearly a connection between global climate change and land use. In the area of land use, the role of government – local, state and federal – is both far-reaching and long-established. The habits of individuals and corporations, if changed, can go a long way to mitigate the climate impact of humans on the planet. However, without governmental attention, particularly in the area of land use planning, we are unlikely to achieve a goal of sustainable living.

Global warming is more than an environmental problem, our entire community needs to pitch in. Futurewise is holding a forum on “Land Use and Global Warming“.

Wednesday, August 22nd: 5:30pm
Lincoln School, 213 21st Ave SE, Olympia

Speakers include:
Sam Garst, Thurston County’s 1st Five Star Built Green homeowner
Sister Mimi Maloney, Interfaith Works’ Earth Stewardship Committee
Cheryl Petra, Principal, Lincoln Elementary School
Charlie Stephens, Kamilche Sea Farms
Paula Swedeen, Earth Economy

There’s no doubt that tackling global warming is the challenge of our generation. How we address this challenge will determine the health of our state’s environment, the strength of our economy, and the future we will give to our kids.

Sprawling development patterns create neighborhoods farther away from jobs, schools, churches, and other needs in our daily lives. The resulting traffic is Washington’s largest single source of greenhouse gas emissions. We can’t fight global warming without stopping irresponsible development.

Join Futurewise for a forum on Land Use and Global Warming, co-sponsored by Earth Ministry, Livable Thurston, League of Women Voters of Thurston County, Thurston Conservation Voters, and Climate Solutions.

If you have questions, or to RSVP, email april@futurewise.org.

Thurston County has issued a revised environmental ruling requiring additional stormwater drainage and erosion-control measures on a project near Schirm Loop. Consequently, the developer, Paul Muirhead of Muirhead Construction, has withdrawn his application.

The County may describe this as a success. In the end, a developer was allowed to proceed with plans only when appropriate steps were taken to protect habitat, adjoining property, and address the threat of runoff directly into Eld Inlet.

It was, instead, another complete failure, on the part of County staff, and it cost local residents much time and much money.

Why do local residents have to keep paying the salaries of county staff, only to be forced to pay to address the inadequacies of that same staff?

It took a group of concerned neighbors that included a lobbyist, stormwater engineer, septic system engineer and several residents to produce a 56-page appeal to the County’s original findings in favor of the plan.

Then, County staff “accidentally” misled local residents as to the filing deadline for appeal (a deadline contained within county regulations).

When the when the County’s hearing examiner declared the appeal deadline had been missed, it took more work – money and time – on the part of local residents, to get the attention of the County Board of Commissioners.

County staff clearly said the rules favor the developer and they were wrong.

“Without this dream team and some funds to go with the effort, the developer would have his way,” said one local resident.

“We need stronger voices for the average citizen and the environment from our county commissioners,” said another.

We also need a competent staff in the Development Service office.

Read the Olympian’s coverage of these events, in chronological order:

Neighbors want review of Steamboat road plan
County to review Schirm ruling
Developer pulls permit application

A Public Hearing will be held on July 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Worthington Center, for the Rural Rezoning project.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to testify and provide written comment at the public hearing.

Where do you stand on the three proposals currently before the Commissioners?

Here’s what Futurewise has to say on the matter.

In 2004, Futurewise appealed the Thurston County Comprehensive Plan because Futurewise beleived the Plan promoted urban sprawl. On July 20, 2005 the Western Washington Growth Management Hearings Board held there were inadequacies in the county’s Plan which violate the Growth Management Act and those must be corrected; Thurston County appealed this decision. On April 3, 2007 the Court of Appeals decided almost entirely in Futurewise’s favor. According to Futurewise:

The Court of Appeals upheld the Board’s determination that Thurston County’s urban growth areas were too large by 7,000 acres and that the County must provide for a variety of rural densities, which must be less dense than 1 housing unit per 5 acres. We are now working to encourage the County to stop wasting taxpayer money and to start protecting our drinking water and rural character.

The Planning Commission sent not one, but three rural rezone proposals to the County Commissioners for their review.

According to Futurewise:

Each of the proposals should be improved so that they better protect rural character, water quality and quantity, and reduce sprawl – all of which are the reasons that the County is being asked to rezone its rural lands in the first place. Here’s a quick look at each proposal in turn:

• The majority report was presented to the County Commissioners as what the county could “get away with.” Critical groundwater areas and at risk geographic areas are zoned 1 unit every 20 acres; nearly everything else is zoned 1:5. For our recommendations for improvements to this proposal, please click here.

• The minority report more closely mirrors the public comment received during the open houses and hearings. This plan rezones 39.6% and better protects rural character and habitat lands. This proposal should be expanded to include a larger percent of the rural lands so that it complies with state law.

• The third option before the Commissioners is a proposal which puts all zoning on the back of critical areas protections. As a stand alone option, this “innovative technique” will not protect Thurston’s water quality or rural character because it will not create a variety of rural densities. To read a more in depth view of this proposal, please click here.

A Public Hearing will be held on July 2nd at 6:00 p.m. at the Worthington Center.

Members of the public will have the opportunity to testify and provide written comment at the public hearing.

Written comments can be submitted in advance of the public hearing. Please address them as follows:

The Board of County Commissioners
ATTN: John Sonnen
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW
Building #1, 2nd Floor
Olympia, WA 98502-6045

Click here for Thurston County’s Growth Management Act compliance page.