Letters of Support for Thurston County Grant (May 16)

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Dear Friends and Supporters of Saving the LBA Woods,

 

Action is Needed: The LBA Woods Park Coalition, in partnership with the PARC Foundation of Thurston County, has applied for a grant from Thurston County that will be a very important piece of the funding strategy to protect these woods.

The granting program is called Thurston County Conservation Futures. We have requested $500,000 to apply toward the purchase of either (or both) the Trillium or Bentridge properties.

Your letters of Support are needed from you who value these woods!

Please send your letters asking the Thurston County Commissioners to fund this application soon so the Commissioners have plenty of time to consider your comments (preferrably by June 2, 2015).

The Conservation Futures is a land preservation program that protects, preserves, maintains, improves, restores, and limits the future use of threatened areas of open space, timberlands, wetlands, habitat areas, culturally significant sites, and agricultural farmlands within Thurston County.

See suggested talking points below.

E-mails can be submitted via this web site: http://co.thurston.wa.us/bocc/

Or letters can be written separately to each Commissioner:
Commissioners Cathy Wolfe, Sandra Romero, and Bud Blake
Thurston County Courthouse, Building One, Room 269
2000 Lakeridge Drive SW, Olympia, WA 98502-1045

Suggested Talking Points for Letters to Thurston County Commissioners:

  • The 150 acre woods surrounding LBA Park is a true gem. Owners of the two parcels have expressed their willingness to sell.
  • The time to secure funding to save LBA Woods is now.  Both parcels could end up being developed.
  • Areas on the edge of the forest core would be ideally suited for multiple purposes, including a community garden.  In their recent letter of support for LBA Woods Park, the Department of Veteran Affairs stated: “The Veteran Conservation Corps has a mission to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life through Eco-therapy opportunities and direct connection to the outdoors, it is with this that the VCC sees incredible opportunity at LBA Woods to implement and accomplish these goals.”
  • Its upland trails are unique and within urban Thurston County, and provide a special place that hundreds of people in our community have enjoyed for decades.
  • Options exist for funding the acquisition. LBA Woods Park Coalition teamed up with PARC Foundation of Thurston County to submit this application to Thurston County’s Conservation Futures Program.  Thurston County’s contribution through the Conservation Futures program is an important part of the overall funding roadmap.  Please fund the request for $500,000 to be used towards the purchase of either one of the two LBA Woods parcels.
  • Over 5,200 Thurston County residents have already signed a petition requesting the City acquire the Woods as a park.
  • Due to its size and proximity to large neighborhoods, LBA Woods Park would provide a great benefit so residents can enjoy them daily without having to drive long distances.
  • Children need nearby nature, places where they can romp and roam, get exercise, and cultivate an affinity for the outdoors naturally and spontaneously.   In 20 years, where will our children play?
  • LBA Woods is home to 58 species of birds and other wildlife. Its mature maples and firs, and younger trees, shrubs, herbaceous understory and wetlands constitute a rich and diverse ecosystem.
  • A failure to act now would result in diminished quality of life for future area residents, with fewer opportunities for recreation and to encounter nature nearby.

THANK YOU for YOUR HELP

With all of us working together,
we can save these precious woods!