Wildlife & Miscellaneous - 8/21/10

Salmon Jumping.  It is that time of year when we should be salmon jumping as they pass through Illahee waters, and we have a report that at least one was seen jumping north of the Illahee community dock.

Shoreline Presentation on Monday.  Don't forget to attend the Illahee community meeting on Monday at the Sylvan Way library at 6:15 pm where there will be two county persons giving a presentation on the ongoing Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update.  We have over 3 miles of shoreline and many have views of the water, or appreciate the shoreline areas, and they all should have a say as to what they want in a shoreline program. This is the best time to have your voices heard, while the county and Task Force are taking input.

Public Access at Community Dock.  We had several responses about the public access steps at the Illahee Community Dock.  Some were unaware that there were steps to get down to the beach, and others were unaware that the steps belong to the Port of Illahee and that the Port of Illahee had the steps put in a number of years ago.  Public Access will also be one of the items discussed at the SMP briefing on Monday.

Sharpe-shinned Hawk.  We received a picture of a sharp-shinned hawk the other day, which is attached.  This one is at the waterfront, which seemed rather unusual.

Coyote Reports.  We have had several reports about coyotes, and in some areas residents are warned to keep their cats inside.  The following report shows that they may be expanding their territory.

Tues. night at dusk in the vincinity of the Rue Villa mailboxes an animal made a quick crossing of the Illahee road from the water side to the uphill side. It was smaller than a young deer but larger than most dogs in the area, light in color and fast. My initial impression was that of a coyote. There have been some mauling and killing of racoons in the area recently. I have never seen a coyote in the Illahee area. 

Dead Deer.  We have been asked not to show pictures of dead deer on these Updates, but we need to report that at least one doe and one fawn have been hit by cars and killed in the area.  Some were wondering if the two twin fawns they saw without their mother, could have been the offspring of the doe that got hit.  Two neighbors buried it.  

The other report of the dead fawn is a sad one as the mother stayed in the brush near the fawn until it was picked up by the county road crew, and then the mother was seen going up and down the area, seemingly looking for it.  We need to let residents know that the county will pick up dead deer along the road if you call them.  Please let us know also so we can try to keep track of what is happening.

Illahee Preserve Work Party Report.  There was another massive work party at the Illahee Preserve this past Wednesday.  Our estimate was about 50, though not all signed in, so we don't have a totally accurate count.  We have found out one of the secrets to the Rotary's work party successes, which is also having water and food.  There were at least 5 Illahee residents who showed up.  And it was notable that there were 20 wheel borrows in use to move the wood chips.  We will try to attach two photos, one showing a log being moved to line the path of the rain garden, and the other being a group photo, but after a number had already left.  Below is the East Bremerton Rotary report of the work party:

The East Bremerton Rotary conducted another very productive work party at Illahee Forest Preserve on Wednesday, August 18th.  The focus was beautification of the Almira parking lot, as well as adding wood chips to the trail system.  36 people helped out including Marines from Bangor, members of Washington Youth Academy, and 13 East Bremerton Rotarians.  Thanks to grillmaster Andy Graham of McClouds Restaurant for bringing & tending the BBQ and thanks to Costco (JeanMarie Harmon) for providing the food.  Attached is a photo excluding the Washington Youth Academy who needed to leave before the photo was taken.  Andy Graham is the one in the back doing a Y-M-C-A spell out.

Jim Aho  

Miscellaneous Items - 8/3/10

Preserve Inundated With Wood Chips.  After a long drought of not being able to get any wood chips for the Illahee Preserve, the log jam broke and we are now inundated with wood chips, and they need to be moved onto the trails.  See the attached photos showing the multiple piles of chips.

Work Party Workers Needed.  With so many chips to move we decided to put out the call for more work party helpers.  We will have some from the East Bremerton Rotary, and some from the John C. Stennis, and some from the surrounding community and the Illahee community, but we never know exactly how many will be there.  We have had large work parties and others have been small.  We never know how many will show up, but this time we know we have lots of chips to move, so we are asking for whoever can make it to come and help.

Multiple Tasks To Do.  In addition to moving wood chips to cover the trails, we have a number of special projects.  One is closing a trail by burying a log at its entrance to keep it from being re-established.  We have some medium sized rocks to move to the corners of the rain garden plots.  We will line the paths through the rain garden with logs and put down landscape fabric to prevent the weeds from coming through.  We will weed the rain garden plots, which should be easier now that the mulch has all been distributed.  We will have our volunteer botanist there to help with any plant or weed identification.  We will also line the water flow path with landscape fabric and place river rock on it.  Ambitious jobs that will require lots of help and if we have lots of people we should be able to finish before dusk.  

Date and Time.  The work party is Wednesday (8/4/10) and the time is between 5 and 5:30 pm. 

Tools Needed.  We will have a few wheel borrows, but will need others to bring one, along with pitch forks to load the chips.

Missing Person Found.  It is sad to report that the body of Kara Radabah was found on Sunday morning and was confirmed by the coroner on Monday as being Kara.  The links to the Kitsap Sun articles on the story are:  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/02/coroner-confirms-identity-of-body-found-sunday/

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/01/body-found-near-lllahee-may-be-missing-19-year-old/

No 'Miracle' for Kara  http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/aug/01/for-bremerton-womans-family-dashed-hopes-for-a/

Local Arborist Debuts Tree Book.  Local Illahee Arborist Jim Trainer has a new book called "Kitsap Trees" for sale. It's about 10 trees in the Kitsap area (2 in Illahee) and the stories about them . The cost is $10.00, plus $3.00 for shipping and tax.  If anyone is interested in purchasing this interesting book, please call 360 792 2449.  It has been suggested that since the Illahee Community Club is supposed to have an August meeting (date yet to be determined), that we try to have copies of Jim's book available for purchase there.

Jim Aho

Wildlife Responses & Miscellaneous Items - 7/8/10

Deer Thinning Question.  We were asked to question whether there were any in the community who thought our deer numbers were so high that they should be thinned.  We heard from a number of you who said no and several who said yes.  The comments that have come in so far are printed below:

Wildlife has not grown to a point where they are trouble just a nuisance to some in some minor way.

 I am among those whose newly planted flower garden has been raided by the local deer, yet I am NOT willing to reduce the number of these magnificent animals.  What I have found that works, is to place a sacrificial planter in front near the street, this seems to keep them away from the plants that are deeper into the yard.  I have also heard that cougar urine can be purchased and lightly spread around the property and it will deter the deer from coming in.  I have seen it on the market as "Deer Off" (I think) but have not tried it.  Like yourself, we are grateful to have the wildlife we do and so sorry to see reckless drivers reduce the population.

We love seeing the deer come into our yard.  We don't see them enough, but that's probably because we don't have a garden.  We do have a cherry tree, so we're hoping we see them soon.

I don't feel its necessary to thin the deer population. I used to see them in my yard and loved it but I have nieghbors with dogs all around me. I used to have a male and female pheasant. They were so pretty. I have 5 gray squirrels and 2 brown. Had to take some abandoned baby squirrels to the Wildlife shelter on bainbridge Island last year. And an injured squirrel to the animal hospital in Gorst. They work with the wildlife shelter. That organization is awesome, I try to donate a little here and there. I love living here, and love the critters. Unless the deer are injured or sick they have a right to be here too. There isn't a whole lotta room for them left anymore. Thanks again for the information Jim. I was sorry to hear about your neighbor. That whole situation is so sad, my heart goes out to the family. Thanks for all your hard work in our community.

I am in favor of killing 2 of 3 raccoons in my backyard as I have read that relocation is unkind.  My problem is I don't own a weapon (bow & arrow or 22 rifle) to do the job.

I thought that the population was CONTROLLED EACH YEAR. Guess I was misinformed.

My family agrees with you, extra effort on our end is worth the co-existing. We love the deer and geese, they can come visit our yard any time!

Actually, I think that there are too many people in the area.  However, I do not believe that we should thin them out.  I just drive defensively and wash my hands frequently.  Deer numbers are, if anything, too low.  A "NO" for the thinning proposal.

.... you can add us in the yes pile, of those that would like to see a reduction in the deer population here. Nice to have a few around, but the herd needs to be thinned out a bit.

Allowing the deer to feed on the bounty in my yard is part of my "community service" and I would rather alter my own habits than cull them.  

Same for the geese. Thanks for doing this informal survey. 

Please do not pursue 'thinning' out the deer, they are beautiful and were here first!

Thanks for the update. I generally don't mind the deer. I too have been a victim of their midnight raids. I should have taken photos of years past when I tried growing strawberries. All during the spring they grow lush leaves, get blossoms with the beginnings of berries and in one night they become leafless sticks. 

While I accept that the deer were here first and I do enjoy seeing them around, it might be wise to get Fish and Wildlife to do an assessment as to whether there are too many for the land (presumably the preserve are) to support.  I still have to get off my rear end and put up my wildlife camera to capture the little midnight raiders in the act! I bought the thing three years ago and have yet to set it up. If I ever do, you will be first on my list for the pictures.

The deer visit my yard every year and love my roses.  They also "helped" trim my raspberry plants and eat my pole green beans down to the ground.  But I love seeing them and am willing to put up with their munching.  If I was really worried I would put up some fencing....but I haven't bothered with it yet.

The wild animals were here long before we came along and messed up their habitat.  The least we can do is LEAVE THEM ALONE!  "Thinning them out" is just a disgusting idea.  If you don't want them eating your plants....let's get creative and come up with a more civilized way to detour them! 

And Recommended Solutions:

My wife and I enjoy your newsletter.   I for one (or should I say "we for two") dread the thought of thinning out the deer population in our area.   Like you... living amongst the wildlife in Illahee is one of our favorite things about living in this area.  Although we have been "victims" of the deer foraging on our flowers right on our own deck... we feel it's a small price to pay for the beauty we get to enjoy every day here.  

That being said... we have taken our own steps in detouring the deer away from certain areas in our yard that we would like to keep uneaten by our 4 legged neighbors.   While researching different types of deer deterrents... we found a GREAT solution that has worked very well for us. 

We have a puppy that spends lots of time playing in the yard, so we didn't want any of the chemical/spray types around (plus my research showed they're not very effective anyways)... and we didn't like the thought of having to put up any type of fencing with the height required to keep a leaping deer out.   One day, searching on Amazon.com, we came across something INGENIUS, highly rated by previous customers and exactly what we needed... motion sensing sprinklers!   We bought 2 of them a couple months ago and we love 'em!

The product is called "The Scarecrow" by Contech Electronics.   At $45 a piece, they aren't the cheapest way about it... but they are the quickest and least intrusive by FAR.  They are fully adjustable for sensitivity as well as water pressure, so you can dial in exactly the area you want to detect motion (i.e NOT the neighbor everytime he walks on his lawn next door)... how far it sprays (i.e. NOT the afore-mentioned neighbor walking on his lawn)... and the spray coverage area (small arc or 360 degree circle).   Here is a link to the sprinkler on Amazon:

http://www.amazon.com/Contech-Electronics-CRO101-Scarecrow-Motion-Activated/dp/B000071NUS/ref=sr_1_5?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1278562113&sr=8-5

Not a big water-waster at all either.   When it does detect motion and sets off, it only goes for 3 seconds and then resets.   And it's one of those ratcheting sprinkler heads, so the sound and sight of that pulsing water stream scares them right away and they eventually learn to not even go in that area anymore.  

Two is all we needed (one at each end of the area we wanted to keep "deer free") and now they just re-route and pass through the other side of the house where they're more than welcome to graze about.  

These things are GREAT.   Well, until the day you forget to turn it off before venturing in front of it and get soaked... don't ask me how I know... lol  :-)

Anyways... I just wanted to pass this on.   We absolutely love 'em.  No chemicals to worry about, no fencing to block the view of all the hard work you've done in the garden/flower beds... just a quick harmless spurt of water.

For Geese:

Landscape modification is one of the most effective and environmentally sound methods for reducing goose populations and/or damage to lawns and yards.

This can be accomplished by:

1.  Planting shrubs, hedges or replacing lawn with unpalatable ground cover (no english ivy please....).

2.  Urban geese obtain much of their food from grass and they feed in areas with the most nutritious grass (i.e. lawns that are mowed and fertilized regularly). Consequently, geese can be discouraged from foraging at a site by making the grass less appealing. Techniques for this may include:

         a.  Mowing and fertilizing the lawn as infrequently as possible (think of it as one less "honey-do"). It is difficult for geese to access the young shoots if the grass is tall and older stems are not as appealing as young shoots.

          b. Planting a less-palatable grass species (not guaranteed to get rid of your problem if there are limited feeding areas as a less appealing feeding area is better than no feeding area).  Although geese will feed on almost any grass, they exhibit a feeding preference for Kentucky bluegrass. They dislike tall fescue, especially certain varieties which contain an endophytic fungus (be careful as this endophytic fungus is not good for goats, sheep or horses and can make them sick).

3.  Geese avoid sites with bushes, hedges, or other objects that would allow a predator to approach without being seen. Other methods that make a lawn appear less safe to geese include:

          a.  Placing shrubs or boulders close to foraging areas. The obstacles should be large enough for other animals or predators, such as a dog, to hide behind.

          b.  Planting tall-growing trees or not removing tall trees in the area. Geese prefer not to use areas where trees obstruct their ability to fly.  Geese are so heavy that they gain altitude slowly when flying--they require a low flight angle of about 13° to take flight.

Another Controversial Issue?  Beach Walking.  With over 3 miles of saltwater shorelines in Illahee there are probably strong feelings as to whether beach property owners have the right to prevent people from walking across their beaches (below high tide).  The Kitsap Sun did an article recently presenting the issue http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jul/05/the-legal-dilemma-of-beach-walking/ followed by a blog article and questionnaire  http://pugetsoundblogs.com/waterways/2010/07/08/beach-walkers-are-still-waiting-for-a-legal-answer/.  We researched the issue some time ago and came to the same conclusions as the article and wonder how others feel.  Also, this is one of the issues the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) update is to be discussing so we thought it would be good to get the thoughts of Illahee residents.

Illahee Preserve Handicapped Parking Complaint.  Most are aware of the 460 acre Illahee Preserve and that the surrounding community and the East Bremerton Rotary have been volunteering to support and maintain the Preserve.  The other day we found out a complaint had been registered that the handicapped parking area was being filled with wood chips.  Before we could get out there to look the situation over some pro-active Park's Department personnel had already taken care of the problem.  The Preserve support group sent out the following email and photos in appreciation of the prompt attention.

A big thank you to the Kitsap County Park's Department personnel who took care of moving the chips out of the handicapped parking spaces and putting back the sign that had been either taken out or knocked down!!!!!!    When we ask for free chips for use on the Preserve trails the landscaping and tree removal companies are generally really good about placing them back in to woods where they don't interfere with anything and especially parking.  This time we got so many loads of chips that they spilled over into the handicapped parking stalls faster than we could organize work parties to take care of them.  When we went out there this morning (Thursday) to see what we could do we found that the Park's Department had already been there and had taken care of the situation.  See the attached photos.  While we like to think that the Preserve is being primarily taken care of by volunteers, it is really nice to have the support of Parks when situations like this arise.  Bravo Zulu and Thank You to the Park's Department!!!! 

Last Mulching Work Party on Monday.  We need to spread the remaining mulch on rain garden Plot #4 and will do so on Monday (7/12/10).  Since it may still be warm we are scheduling to go from 5:30 - 7:00 pm at the Almira parking lot.  This is the last plot to be mulched and it should finish off the last pile of mulch.  Thank you to all who have helped and will help on Monday.

Jim Aho

Mulching Work Party Scheduled for Wednesday - 6/29/10

Wednesday Mulching Work Party. In our last Update we asked if there was a preferred day and/or time for work parties and only got a few requests with others saying they are generally available. We have decided to go with tomorrow, Wednesday (6/30/10), from 4:30 -7:30 pm for our next work party, which should be enough time to deplete the two big piles of mulch and complete the weeding and mulching of our native plant demonstration rain garden at the Almira parking lot of the Illahee Preserve. Note: We are sorry for the short notice but want to get the mulch down on the plots before it disappears as this has been a problem in the past with our wood chips.

Illahee Preserve Maintained by Volunteers. The Illahee Preserve is maintained by community volunteers, the Rotary Club of East Bremerton, the Illahee Preserve Stewardship Committee, the Illahee Forest Preserve Non-Profit Corporation, the Port of Illahee, and other groups, with administrative support from the Parks Department. Some have said the Preserve is a successful experiment of letting the surrounding community plan, support, and maintain a major county park. With the financial limitations of the county it is good to have so many community groups and volunteers stepping forward to help. A big thanks to all those who have volunteered and are interested in volunteering.

Jim Aho

SMP & Rain Garden Progress - 6/24/10

Illahee Shoreline. The Illahee Community has over 3 miles of salt water shoreline with many waterfront residents and with our easterly sloping topography many others with views of Puget Sound. These and other Illahee residents are assumed to be concerned about the future of the Sound. Kitsap County is updating and revising their Shoreline Master Program and is soliciting input, currently on the "Kitsap County Shoreline Inventory and Characterization (which is a large document of over 400 pages with the majority being maps) and available for viewing at the County's website.

Shoreline Master Program (SMP). There have been a number of different articles on the SMP process that is going on in Kitsap County with the following article describing it in further detail: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/feb/27/shoreline-planning-under-way-in-kitsap/ Official information on the Shoreline Master Program (SMP) is available on the Kitsap County website: http://www.kitsapshoreline.org/index.html

SMP Task Force. A 20 member Task Force was selected to come up with recommendations for the County Commissioners, with their meetings being periodically reported in the Kitsap Sun. The link to the first meeting is noted below, followed by the link to a later meeting: http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/apr/23/work-shoreline-task-force-gets-under-way/ and http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/04/kitsap-county-shorelines-discussion-comes-under/

SMP Representatives. Representatives were chosen to represent groups such as the Homebuilders and KAPO, and then it appears they were looking for representation geographically. We know a number of Illahee residents volunteered, with myself appearing to be the one selected to represent this general area.

Illahee Citizen Input? If you have input you would like me to bring to the Task Force deliberations, I will be glad to pass it on. So far we have mostly been receiving reports and data and just began formulating some goals. I will try to keep you posted on the SMP Task Force progress.

Rain Garden Progress. It was touch and go Wednesday as to whether we could weed and mulch rain garden Plot #3 with only 4 volunteers before it got dark. You can see from the first photo that the plot was full of weeds (we had been asked to do a before and after shots by those who helped on Tuesday). We started at 4:30 pm and finished at 8:30 pm with enough light to document the finished product and need to thank, from left to right in the last attached photo, Pat Graves, Don Jahaske, and Brett Aho, for all their work and for sticking it out until it was complete.

Two More Plots To Mulch. We have the two end plots yet to spread mulch on, which should be easy as we will spread the mulch over the existing wood chips. In other words those plots have already been weeded so all we need to do is get some wheel borrows and operators along with some with rakes to spread the mulch. The goal is to put it on thick so we don't have to pull another weed.

Best Time To Help? We scheduled the Tuesday and Wednesday work parties based on input from those who suggested weekday evenings were best for them. If anyone would like to help with this final mulching effort, please let us know what day and time works best for you.

Jim Aho

Wednesday Work Party - 6/22/10

Wednesday Weeding & Mulching Work Party Scheduled. We have one rain garden plot left in the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot that needs weeding and mulching and we want to complete it on Wednesday (6/23/10) from 5-7:30pm.

Volunteers Are Needed. We completed Plot #1 (see attached photo) on Tuesday evening with 8 volunteers, and many of those are not able to be there on Wednesday so additional volunteers are needed.

Mulch Delivered Tuesday Morning. 30 yards of mulch was delivered on Tuesday morning - see the attached photo - at a cost of over $400. 15 yards was placed by each of the rain garden plots to minimize the amount of wheelbarrowing.

More Links re Illahee Shooting. Since there are a number who don't receive the Kitsap Sun we have provided the latest attached links to the shooting of Bill Green.

79-Year-Old Murder Suspect Told Deputies Her Husband 'Egged Her On'

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/21/woman-79-makes-first-court-appearance-in-death/

Elderly Suspect in Illahee Shooting Formally Charged, Then Released
http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/22/elderly-shooting-suspect-charged-released/

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/18/10

Weeding & Mulching Work Party Scheduled. On Thursday we evaluated some less costly mulching material and decided to order 30 yards so we could complete the weeding and mulching of the rain garden plots at the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot. We have asked for the mulch to be delivered on Tuesday (6/22) so that we could schedule a work party.

Volunteers Needed. We need volunteers to help weed and mulch on Tuesday (6/22), and possibly on Wednesday (6/23). We have been asked to schedule it for a late afternoon and evening so that those who work can participate and thus the 5-7:30 pm time frame.

Cost Comparisons. While beauty bark was running at roughly $30 a yard, we could order the other mulching material for $13 a yard delivered if we ordered 30 yards. This should be enough to mulch Plot #3 and finish Plot #1 with possibly some left over, depending on how thick it is applied.

Wood Chips Delivered on Friday. After the new mulch was ordered we had a tree service deliver a batch of mostly cedar wood chips to the Preserve, which is what the East Bremerton Rotary has been looking for for trail work. As one person noted isn't this the way it always works.

Sirens In Illahee on Friday. We were in the Preserve on Friday afternoon when we heard police and emergency vehicle sirens and were sad to find out later that an Illahee resident, Bill Green, was killed in a domestic violence situation. Bill was one of the nicest and gentlest persons we have known. We have provided the link to the story that will appear in Saturday's Kitsap Sun.

Elderly Illahee Woman Jailed on Suspicion of Killing Her Husband

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/18/possible-domestic-shooting-illahee/

Effect of Sirens in Illahee Area. We talked with an Illahee resident Friday afternoon who reported the wail of the sirens had the coyotes in her area howling, which in turn started her dogs barking. We report this as Illahee, while in an Urban Growth Area, still has open space areas and the Illahee Preserve with wildlife that make it seem quite rural at times.

Jim Aho

Weeding & Mulching Work Party Postponed - 6/15/10

Weeding & Mulching Work Postponed. We need to postpone the work party that was mentioned in our last Update, which read as follows:

Weeding and Mulching Work Party on Wednesday? With the change in weather it is incumbent that we complete the remaining weeding and mulching ASAP. Don Jahaske will be checking on getting a load of beauty bark delivered to the Preserve parking lot, probably 10-12 yards. We are looking at getting the bark on Wednesday with a work party on Wednesday evening from 5 - 7:30 pm. We will be concentrating on weeding and mulching Plot #3, which was designed by a landscape architect, though we didn't follow her plans as well as we wanted because of plant availability. This plot does have small camas bulbs planted along the slightly winding waterway which will make the mulching in that area interesting.

New Mulch To Be Evaluated. We have essentially run out of wood chips at the Preserve Almira parking lot and we have not been able to come up with the bark or wood chips necessary to support a weeding and mulching work party on Wednesday. With bark mulch running about $30 a yard (or $450 for 15 yards, plus tax for Plot #3) we are looking at a less costly mulch. One of the Illahee Preserve Stewardship members will pick up a couple of yards of the less costly material tomorrow (Wednesday) to see if it is suitable for the rain garden area. Sorry for the delay but the cost was more than we had budgeted for. We will keep you informed of the new weeding and mulch date.

Thank you for all who were prepared to come on Wednesday.

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/12/10

Rain Garden Progress Report. We completed weeding and mulching in one of the largest rain garden plots, Plot #4, on Saturday. Attached are photos from Thursday when 4 volunteers braved the rain and finished the weeding but not all the mulching. As you can see from the photos we were almost done with the mulching and down to bare ground at the chip pile when the rain got so heavy that we quit. The rest of the mulching was completed on Saturday and the wood chip pile is now just about totally gone.

Weeding and Mulching Work Party on Wednesday? With the change in weather it is incumbent that we complete the remaining weeding and mulching ASAP. Don Jahaske will be checking on getting a load of beauty bark delivered to the Preserve parking lot, probably 10-12 yards. We are looking at getting the bark on Wednesday with a work party on Wednesday evening from 5 - 7:30 pm. We will be concentrating on weeding and mulching Plot #3, which was designed by a landscape architect, though we didn't follow her plans as well as we wanted because of plant availability. This plot does have small camas bulbs planted along the slightly winding waterway which will make the mulching in that area interesting.

Volunteers Needed. We will want to complete the weeding and mulching on Wednesday so as not to tempt anyone from taking the bark should it not all get spread. We hope to have Aimee, our volunteer botanist and native plant expert, on hand to answer any questions. Once we have a commitment on the delivery of the bark, we will send out an email confirming the Wednesday (6/16/10) date.

Port of Illahee Meeting Signs. We noted that there are a number of signs out in the community notifying residents of the Port of Illahee information meeting on Monday (6/14/10) at 5:30 pm at the Fire Station on Old Military Road. The Port is hoping for a good attendance as they explain what their options are with respect to the Illahee Community Club petition that will be distributed soon to the majority of residents, and has been distributed to a few neighborhoods. We have been told a third meeting is being planned at the new Port meeting room at 5560 Ocean View Blvd at 7 pm on June 22nd in case residents can't make the Monday meeting.

Illahee Community Club "My Turn" Article in Kitsap Sun. We were surprised and pleased to see that the Illahee Community Club responded to the disparaging remarks made by Larry Croix about the Illahee Community Club when he blasted the Port of Illahee a couple of weeks ago in the Kitsap Sun. We like the response and have provided the link to the article below.

MY TURN | The Facts About Illahee Community Club

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/11/my-turn-the-facts-about-illahee-community-club/

Jim Aho

Miscellaneous Items - 6/10/10

Deer Pictures. Below are some recent deer pictures and descriptions forwarded to us.

Mama doe was walking down Madrona Ave with her twins, mama & twin #1 scooted off into the field & #2 lost track of them. Eventually it found her scent & scampered off as well.

These two guys paid me a visit last Friday. Stayed in the back yard for a couple of hours.

We also had someone report a beautiful 4 or 5 point buck that was reluctant to move out off of Illahee Road about 5 am on Tuesday morning.

Rain Garden Weeding and Mulching Progress.

About half of rain garden plot 4 was weeded and mulched on Tuesday, and we hope to finish it today, Thursday (6/10/10). Depending on our progress this evening and the availability of wood chips, we may have a work party on Saturday morning from 9-11 am. We will assess things this evening and send out

another Update if the Saturday session is a go. Those working asked us to report that they could use some more help.

Illahee Road Accident. We talked with people who heard and responded to an accident on Illahee Road near Roosevelt very late Monday evening. The attached link is the report that was in the Kitsap Sun:

Driver Booked into Jail Following Illahee Road Crash

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/08/driver-booked-jail-following-illahee-road-crash/

Miscellaneous Items - 6/6/10

Illahee Preserve Rock Moved. Some time, hopefully this year, there will be a dedication of the Illahee Preserve's Almira parking lot. Yet to be finished is the dedication rock and the native plant rain garden. The move of the dedication rock into position was one of the hold-ups that was taken care of recently. The rock was moved by Elandan Gardens and the work was paid for by the Illahee Forest Preserve, the non-profit corporation established to help the Preserve and to promote the concept that parks such as the Preserve should be supported and maintained by volunteers to the maximum extent possible . See the attached Don Jahaske photos.

Rain Garden Weeding & Mulching. We decided we can't wait any longer for more mulching wood chips to appear at the Almira parking lot. We will use whatever chips are still there until we run out since the weeds are getting out of control. We are looking at weeding and mulching the rain garden plots this week on Tuesday (6/8/10) and Thursday (6/10/10) from 5-7 pm, and on if needed on Saturday (6/12/10) from 9-11 am. Volunteers are welcome and are needed.

Another Illahee "My Turn" Sun Article. We were happy to see a second positive article about Illahee in Sunday's Kitsap Sun, and congratulate Jim Brady for a well written response to the Larry Croix article. As many find out not all letters sent to the Sun get published and if you pass any on to us that didn't get published we well be glad to send them out in an Update. The link to Mr. Brady's letter is below:

MY TURN | Illahee Purchase Would Protect Creek Flow

http://www.kitsapsun.com/news/2010/jun/06/my-turn-illahee-purchase-would-protect-creek/

More Responses Requested re Port's Habitat Plan. The Port's grant writer said he could use several more responses to the Port's Habitat Conservation Plan. Responses are needed by Wednesday June 9th and can simply be to say you agree or disagree with the plan. We have attached one set of comments we received.

1. Thank you for a comprehensive draft Habitat Conservation Plan (HCP) and hope that you are receiving comments from other Illahee residents.

2. One important item that didn't get much coverage was the recently county approved sub-area plan, the Illahee Community Plan. The plan corresponds with and complements the HCP, especially the fact that the much of the area is a recreational mecca because of its natural features, which have resulted in two major waterfront recreational docks, two major parks (Illahee State Park and the Illahee Preserve Heritage Park), and a popular golf course open to the public. The natural features make this a recreational economic development area that fits in with the Port requirement to support economic development.

3. The second item that also needs more coverage is how the Illahee Preserve corresponds with and complements the HCP. As the Preserve develops it has become an increasingly popular attraction to both the local community and the the extended areas of Bremerton and Silverdale. The Port has been supportive of the recent native plant demonstration rain gardens that were planted this spring and have committed to future signage stressing the importance of rain gardens to the area.

Jim Aho

CK Super Saturday Project at Illahee Preserve - 5/2/10

Amazing CK Students. Four adults had the pleasure on Saturday to watch a small, but industrious group of CK students, weed and mulch the largest, and most weed infested rain garden plot at the Illahee Preserve parking lot on Almira, as part of their Super Saturday event. Each student received a yellow Super Saturday T shirt and a luncheon in the afternoon. We were impressed with this group of students and it was heartwarming when several of them asked if they could volunteer to help in the Preserve at other events.

Parks Department Support. We want to thank Lori Raymaker of the Kitsap County Parks Department for bringing 4 wheel borrows, shovels, rakes and some snacks. We needed that equipment and it allowed the group to finished the project within the time available.

Weeding Effort. The students were serious about working and did a great job of getting all the weeds out of the plot. This plot was the one we all dreaded to work on because the weeds had really started taking over. It was also the largest plot with the greatest diversity of native plants. Aimee Weber, our volunteer botanist, had flagged the plants a week ago to make sure there would be no confusion over what was a weed and what was a native plant.

Wood Chips. One of the concerns we had was whether we would have enough wood chips for the mulching effort. Vic Ulsh has been successful in getting tree companies to deliver chips, primarily for putting on the trails, which in recent years has been done almost entirely by the East Bremerton Rotary. We need to thank Vic for letting us use the chips for the rain garden mulching and hope he is successful in getting more for the trails. As you will see from the photos, we have depleted his stock pile of chips.

Mulching. We have been asked why the mulching is so important? There are two primary reasons. The first is it keeps the weeds down, and after the effort it took to weed this plot, that is a good enough reason it itself. The second reason is the mulch helps retain the moisture in the soil, which is especially important the first couple of years as the plants get established since most of them were bare root plants and they haven't had enough time to establish a strong and deep root system. Even at that we will probably need to water the plants if we have extended dry periods this summer.

Volunteer Hours Count for Port/DOE Grant. Because the rain garden is a Port of Illahee/DOE Native Plant Demonstration Rain Garden (with future signage being developed and a goal of encouraging all homeowners to consider rain gardens for handling the storm water from their roofs and driveways) the volunteer hours count as "in kind" contributions. For the adults the hourly rate is $15 per hour. For those under 18, the hourly rate is minimum wage, or $8.55 per hour. The monetary contribution of the Super Saturday weeding and mulching effort was $328.50. Thank you to these students and the adults!

Jim Aho