Save Mar Vista Resort Petition Update

As of this writing on September 21, 2008, there are 250 signatures! See below for details on The Mar Vista Petition in need of community support! Thanks and have a great (if not rainy) day! Sandy

Save Mar Vista Resort Petition

Standing atop the jagged shorelines of San Juan Island, the steep hills rising giddily on the Island's west side adjoining False Bay, there is a sanctuary that reminds one of days gone by. As you take in unparalleled views of the Olympic mountains and enjoy the unforgettably magnificent sunsets reflecting across the pristine waters of the Haro Straits- you cannot help but be reminded of what our settlers must have encountered many years before.  Watching the orange sun setting over Victoria, whispers of the past echo in your ears, along with tiny footprints of raccoons, river otters and the occasional flap of eagle wings soaring overhead. Located on the West Side of San Juan Island is one of the most beautifully untamed waterfront properties on the island. With over 2000 feet of waterfront, gravel beaches and accessible rocky shorelines, many visitors and residents have long enjoyed the open prairie, wooded areas and stunning views across the Haro Straits in one of the prime land based whale watching spots in the San Juan Islands. The place of which I speak is Mar Vista Resort, a quaint little resort on forty westside, waterfront acres with eight fully-furnished cabins- private beaches boasting seals on every outcropping and deer at every turn. We're talking an outright sanctuary here.

And all of this may just be about to change. On March 10, 2008, Emelia Lee Bave, 97, died peacefully at home at her beloved Mar Vista Resort on San Juan Island. She had been active in the arts and well known on the island for her "Pig War" plays in the 60s and 70s.  With her passing has come a tragic finale...Mar Vista has been placed on the market - price tag $11,400,000. 

There has been a petition started to save the land from development. In the San Juan Islands, there is an organization called the San Juan County Land Bank, created in 1990 by Islanders who agree it is important to ensure that the distinct character of life in these islands will endure. The Land Bank Mandate? To preserve in perpetuity areas in the county that have environmental, agricultural, aesthetic, cultural, scientific, historic, scenic or low-intensity recreational value and to protect existing and future sources of potable water. The Land Bank's mission is a reflection of the community’s broad values united by a powerful vision: Care of Place. It demonstrates how strongly connected islanders feel to the unique landscape of the San Juan islands, and a prevailing awareness that the mark we make on the land is what most profoundly influences the legacy we leave future generations. Every Islander in the county contributes to the fund for the continuation of crucial stewardship efforts.

The following factors must be met for the Land Bank to pursue a project:

• The property must provide an important conservation resource.

• The property's identified conservation resource(s) should be vulnerable to adverse change.

• The proposed project must adequately protect the identified conservation resource(s) of the property.

• The acquisition should make effective use of the Land Bank's limited funds and resources.

• There must be general public support.

Recently, a petition was started to "save" Mar Vista from adverse development. As of this writing there have been 187 signatures added since it's inception on September 11, 2008. If you care to support the preservation of a relatively intact ecosystem it is asked that you visit the site, review the public outpouring of support and sign if you believe in seeking a more authentic life grounded in nature and spirit and the preservation of what few areas remain that deserve protection from our ongoing development.

Southern Resident Orcas are an Endangered Species: It Bears Repeating

Howard Garrett once wrote an inspiring article detailing the lifestyle & history of the southern resident community of orca whales. It's worth the read if you're looking for an intimate overview of the whales and want to appreciate the riddled history of these magnificent creatures and the various plights facing their continued survival in the wild. Experiencing these creatures is wondrous but we need to understand that the same whales who bring us such joy are also struggling to survive, day in and day out.

In May 2003, NOAA Fisheries Service designated the Southern Resident killer whales as "depleted" under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA). By November of 2005, the agency had listed the southern resident killer whales as "endangered" under the Endangered Species Act. The agency cited (in varying degrees) availability of prey, pollution and effects from vessels and sound as major threats to the whales’ health- all of which could be contributing to the population's decline.  And all the while, the majestic families of black-and-white orcas, known as the Southern Resident Community, have continued to disappear from their home waters. Just this month, reports suggest that great-great-great-grandma Lummi – the oldest member of the local orca population – has been missing since December and is presumed dead.  And according to an interview with Ken Balcomb of the Center for Whale Research in the Kitsap Sun, there is news of yet another potentially missing whale, Aurora- a six year old L Pod male. Aurora is the brother of the legendary Luna, the supremely social orca whale who was eventually killed by a boat's propeller in Canada,  2006.

On June 12th of this year, a new State law was passed to provide further protection for these animals, an enforceable law aimed at enhancing the Whale Watching Guidelines already in place.  The new law establishes mandatory rules for boaters and paddlers, including a requirement that vessels stay at least 100 yards away from southern resident orca whales. Boaters who violate the new state law can also face significant fines, thus providing NOAA & the Department of Fish and Wildlife with enforcement tools to better protect the endangered Southern resident whales.

Education seems to be the key word at this juncture. Behaviors of the numerous vessels vary significantly, but when watching them from shore- sometimes you just have to wonder what people are thinking. Two of four baseline behavior examples from yesterday- three years after the orcas were placed on the endangered species list...

We watched these two head from the south, cross in front of the whales to get "a perfect" position- hope they got the great shot they were after (even if at the whales' expense):

And this group pulled directly in front of the whales after having come between the pod and the shoreline...amazing the whales were not injured or the boat, for that matter.

All in all, the private boaters were out in hoards yesterday. But thankfully, so was NOAA- and this is how the story ends...
We all have the OBLIGATION to familiarize ourselves with the regulations before encountering the whales in the wild. I, like everyone else, enjoy the encounters we have with the whales- but also want the whales to thrive and continue their travels through the islands. With salmon recovery plans underway and pollution initiatives becoming realized- it's now up to us to look at our own behavior and how we can impact their survival.  Kudos to NOAA for their prompt and aggressive enforcement efforts yesterday- it's time well spent in the quest to save the species.

WHALE WATCHING REQUIREMENTS

1. BE CAUTIOUS and COURTEOUS: approach areas of known or suspected marine wildlife activity with extreme caution. Look in all directions before planning your approach or departure.

2. SLOW DOWN: reduce speed to less than 7 knots when within 400 metres/yards of the nearest whale. Avoid abrupt course changes.

3. KEEP CLEAR of the whales’ path. If whales are approaching you, cautiously move out of the way.

4. DO NOT APPROACH whales from the front or from behind. Always approach and depart whales from the side, moving in a direction parallel to the direction of the whales.

5. DO NOT APPROACH or position your vessel closer than 100 metres/yards to any whale.

6. If your vessel is not in compliance with the 100 metres/yards approach guideline (#5), place engine in neutral and allow whales to pass.

7. STAY on the OFFSHORE side of the whales when they are traveling close to shore.

8. LIMIT your viewing time to a recommended maximum of 30 minutes. This will minimize the cumulative impact of many vessels and give consideration to other viewers.

9. DO NOT swim with, touch or feed marine wildlife.

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