Letter to Island County Back 2 List
10-09-06

Dear Island County Commissioners,

I am very concerned about the loss of our limited natural habitat in Island County. I have been privileged to enjoy our unique flora and fauna and our beautiful marine setting for well over 50 years and am greatly distressed to see continuing suburban development and urban sprawl destroying natural habitat vital for the preservation of our island plants and animals and the lovely environment that we all enjoy and that draw people here to visit.

One aspect of a self sustaining island eco-system is wildlife corridors, that allow the natural flow of plants and animals throughout their entire ancestral range. If you look up "wildlife corridors" on the internet, you'll find numerous references to long term studies that have been done in recent decades demonstrating how vital and necessary these corridors are, including references to recent efforts to save and/or repair corridors in various parts of the United States and other countries. Recently, an effort has been mounted with funding from government and private organizations to mitigate current and prevent future fragmentation here in western Washington of the Cascade Corridor.

I believe that it is imperative that the citizens and the government of Island County take steps now to similarly mitigate the damage already done and prevent further damage and loss to our own wildlife corridors before irreparable harm is done to our island ecosystems. Islands are so fragile and finite; their ecosystems are notoriously vulnerable. If development is allowed to continue at it's present rate, we will no longer have the famously long, beautiful natural Whidbey that everyone so loves; but, a series of increasingly isolated and dying fragments of the original, strung like wilting blossoms along an asphalt necklace of highways 20 and 525.

I see the yellow public notices and the high pitched roofs sprouting like mushrooms in the forests and fields and along the beaches and bluffs. Oak Harbor is even now considering extending their Urban Growth Area to my very backdoor. If this happens, the north end of Whidbey Island's native flora and fauna will be forever cut off from the south end; and, development will continue to spread north and south because there will be no more trees to cut or fields to pave west of West Beach Road. The island will be girdled and will begin to die.

Please do not let this happen. We have only one Whidbey, our home and the home of our neighbors, the plants and animals. Please consider the findings of the studies on wildlife corridors and preserve what little we have left. It may be enough. If we loss it, we'll never get it back and all our lives will be diminished.

Thank you for taking the time to read my letter and consider these concerns. Please help save our natural island home.

Sincerely,

Vern M. Pederson
Contact Us: contact@swanlake-preservation.com | webmaster@swanlake-preservation.com