Climate Impacts Forum

I realize this is not our County but it may be a good meeting to attend.

Karen

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Climate Impacts Forum set for Woodinville February 24

Date: February 24, 2007
Time: 9:30 AM-12:00 Noon
Location: Council Chambers, Woodinville City Hall, 17301 - 133rd Ave NE, Woodinville , WA

Contact: Brenda Vanderloop, Phone: 425-788-9846, Cell: 206-498-9731
Email: bv@vanderloop-pr.com

If this winter's floods and windstorms are any indication, changing weather patterns will have a dramatic impact on the Puget Sound region. To discuss these issues, the public is invited to a free community forum, Climate Impacts—Storms & Stormwater, February 24 in the Woodinville City Hall Council Chambers, 17301 - 133rd Ave NE, Woodinville.

Urban planners, stormwater managers, farmers, builders, and homeowners are invited to learn about practical, environmentally sound strategies for responding to increased rain and flooding. The forum will focus on ways everyone can play a role in making our community more resilient to climate change.

The doors to the Woodinville City Council Chamber lobby will open at 9:30 AM for greetings, refreshments and viewing informative displays, with the forum beginning at 10:00 .

Speakers include Lara Whitely Binder, water resources specialist with the University of Washington Climate Impacts Group, who will present the latest science on the effects of climate change in our region. Yosh Monzaki, City of Woodinville Surface Water Engineer, will report on stormwater management and how the City may respond to new state and federal regulations. And David McDonald of Seattle Public Utilities will provide an overview of low impact stormwater mitigation strategies.

As Kentucky farmer Wendell Berry stated, "Urban people have agricultural responsibilities." One of those responsibilities is not to pollute the land that feeds them. According to the Department of Ecology, urban stormwater is Western Washington's primary source of water pollution. Rapid urbanization and increased stormwater runoff directly contribute to the destruction of local farms.

East King County farmers suffered more than $1 million dollars in damage from last November's floods. Stormwater runoff is considered toxic by the FDA, which has ordered that crops inundated by flooding must be destroyed. At the Climate Impacts Forum we will highlight the increasing threat of urban stormwater to local farms. Stormwater mitigation is one way everyone can help protect our food supply.

This will be the second in a series of forums sponsored by 21 Acres, a non-profit organization committed to sustainable agriculture practices while putting into place an infrastructure that will help support small farms. The new agricultural and environmental education site planned for the Sammamish Valley will demonstrate new ways to work with our natural resources while addressing sustainable, low impact approaches to stormwater management. For more information about the Climate Impacts Forum, call Brenda Vanderloop at 425-788-9846, or visit: www.21acres.org.