Posted Wed, Jul 1, 9:47 a.m.

As a transplant to Washington, I've noticed a certain naivete in the politics of the "environmental" community. Groups tend to be single issue, which leaves out the bigger questions of balancing all interests and accommodating the future. One real problem I've observed is that many groups rely on government (state ...

Posted Thu, Jun 4, 9:55 p.m.

There is no science being applied here. These projects are mining soil and gravel – in the case of Clear Valley 700,000 cubic yards of the best soil in the world is being removed (that’s over 46,000 truck loads). Hmm, wonder how much that is worth in the market? Washington ...

Posted Thu, May 28, 9:42 a.m.

One issue causing some of this problem is taxation. Localities compete for tax revenues - and so you get businesses (employers) locating where they get the best "deal," which usually ends up the worst deal for taxpayers. Regional revenue sharing would start to address sprawl issues created this way.

Posted Fri, Mar 27, 5:04 p.m.

I'm sorry, I just don't get the Michael Jordan thing. I think the reason people don't think there's a problem with Puget Sound (or the Salish Sea) is that "the issue" has mostly been cast in terms of salmon habitat - over and over and over and over - and ...

Posted Wed, Mar 25, 9:09 a.m.

I may be mistaken, but government employees work for us - the taxpayers. They are carrying out tasks that we have agreed are needed to support our communities, programs, etc. Requesting information - our information - should not be considered harassment, even if it's a request from a "frequent asker." ...

Posted Fri, Dec 12, 6:16 p.m.

This is a terrific article. Now let's look at how these entities are taking advantage of conservation incentives to funnel money from tax payers to equity investors through these REITs. A good example is a "tool" being touted around the country called transfer of development rights. This allows a REIT ...

Posted Sat, Nov 22, 10:05 a.m.

We have to remember that we live in a geologically young, accreting landscape. As much as man may interfere with the earth's processes, man cannot stop them. Most of our regional "environmental restoration" efforts have been narrowly focused on single species and on tactics developed for mature landscapes that are ...

Posted Mon, Aug 25, 8:16 p.m.

Stop Whining, Builders: Your sidebar references a "new" study by Eicher on the supposed impact of regulation and fees on housing prices. I'd like to refer everyone to a 2004 study called "Smart Development: An Analysis of 10 Common Myths About Development," released by the Asia Pacific Environmental Exchange financed ...

Posted Sat, Aug 9, 3:14 p.m.

RE: Fix it first: Rock Rabbit, Skagit County zoned 83,000 acres of prime farmland as "agricultural land of long-term commercial significance" under the Growth Management Act. In the last year, 13,000 of those acres have been targeted for conversion to other uses. The great majority of the loss will be ...

Posted Fri, Aug 8, 11:12 a.m.

Fix it first: I am afraid I have to disagree with the idea of shifting natural resource amenities to rural areas. If you look to the Eastern United States, you will find that urban areas that neglected urban environmental restoration also suffered from urban blight leading to urban flight - ...