Our Supporters

City Council Meeting Nov 2014

Our supporters fill Olympia’s city-council chambers to advocate for saving the LBA Woods.

Dot Map of Petition Signers Nov 2014

Click to enlarge

OLYMPIA’S CITIZENS SUPPORT OUR VISION: Saving the LBA Woods is not a “neighborhood issue” or a “southeast Olympia” issue. The LBA woods are important to citizens from all quadrants of the city and Thurston County. More than 5,500 people have signed our petition urging the Olympia City Council to acquire the LBA Woods for future parkland. The map at right shows the breadth of our support; each dot represents an individual petition signer.

What our community says about LBA Woods:

“Everybody needs the LBA Woods. We need it for our sanity, for our environment…it is a beautiful place to de-stress, to become human again.”

“LBA Woods… we consider a precious patch of paradise… It is a wonderful place to walk… It gives you such an uplifting feeling. It just improves your life.”

“Cities over the long haul, in large measure, define themselves and secure their future by the care they take of their amenities, their assets, their public amenities, and not least their natural value.”

“What you have here is something really valuable. You’ve got a group of people…who have shown their commitment to keep this place clean and managed and the trails maintained at no expense to the city…Think about LBA Woods not as “Do we want to buy this land?” but as “Do we want to enable this community of stewardship?”

Support also comes from kids and their four-legged pals

Fans of LBA Woods includes kids and their dogs.

“I love my home and my community…We want it Olympia to continue to be absolutely exemplary in every way, and just a model for all communities. Towards that end I believe there are several things that we can do and one them is to preserve our green spaces. LBA Woods is a little jewel among other jewels.”

“Nature is something that endures as a value and is something that Olympia values very dearly.”

“This possibility of it being conserved is a great hope of mine for my family and all families to come.”

(Public comments transcribed from Olympia City Council meeting 11/18/2014)

 

COMMUNITY GROUPS SUPPORT OUR VISION: Our vision for the woods includes protecting the core forest area as natural habitat/open space accessible through the network of existing walking trails and footpaths. Many people who walk in the LBA Woods appreciate discovering songbirds, owls, woodpeckers, and other wildlife that depends on the forest for food and high-quality nesting habitat. In the flatter areas around the periphery of the woods, there is suitable space to accommodate community gardens, a dog park, and playing fields—amenities long established as needs for our city parks.

Read excerpts from these groups’ letters of support. Click on the group’s name to read their full letter.

Black Hills Audubon Societyfully supports retaining these parcels as a forested open space, and that they become a public park that maintains its wild nature in support of birds, plants, and other wildlife while providing opportunities to enjoy the out of doors close at hand.”

Thurston County Youth Soccer Association and Olympia United Soccer  [The LBA Woods] “trail system would allow parents to get a healthy walk while their children are practicing…”Please…move forward with the creation of a legacy park that will be a joy to thousands of soccer families in the years and decades to come.”

Edible Forest Gardens:  “We fully support the acquisition by the City of Olympia of LBA Woods as a park and look forward to joining in the creation of the community garden.”

Veterans Conservation Corps (State of Washington Department of Veterans Affairs): “The VCC has a mission to assist veterans with their transition into civilian life through Eco-Therapy opportunities and direction connections to the outdoors….the VCC sees incredible opportunity at the LBA Woods to implement these goals.”

Please contact us to discuss your organization’s support of the exciting possibilities in the LBA Woods.

LBA Woods includes nine acres of “old-growth” Scotch broom ideal for conversion to community gardens and a dog park. Art credit: Lydia C. Fulton

LBA Woods includes nine acres of “old-growth” Scotch broom ideal for conversion to community gardens and a dog park. Art credit: Lydia C. Fulton