EnviroIssues helped Evening Magazine surprise the Governor in order to present her with two viewer’s choice awards. While visiting her daughter Michelle, an EnviroIssues intern, Evening Magazine presented Governor Gregoire with Woman of the Year and Outstanding Public Service awards.
Watch the Governor receive her awards
EnviroIssues welcomed the American Planning Association conference attendees to a company sponsored happy hour to share lessons learned and tips gathered from this year’s conference. Guests gathered at EnviroIssues Tacoma office and enjoyed meeting other attendees, continuing conference conversation, and of course our scenic views of Tacoma.
EnviroIssues employee Carolyn Sharp, co-lead a session entitled, “Ready, Set, Go: Assessing the Readiness of Communities to Plan” at this year American Planning Conference. This informative session addressed the important elements needed in order to create a successful community plan including the importance of the public officials’ role in community engagement.
The Washington Chapter of the American Planning Association chooses the US 2 Route Development Plan as a recipient for the transportation planning award. The route development plan will be used by the Washington State Department of Transportation and local jurisdictions to identify transportation problems and to develop effective solutions to address these problems along the state highway. EnviroIssues works closely with the US 2 team conducting a design charette, coordinating open houses and stakeholder meetings, and organizing the US 2 Corridor Working Group sessions. Congratulations US 2 team!
EnviroIssues staff spent an evening with members of Seattle Unity Church during the June 2007 Annual KCTS Fundraising Pledge Drive. KCTS television, a non-profit organization, holds the event each year in order to raise funds and keep the station on the air. EI staff spent approximately five hours answering over 300 phone calls, and helped raised a total of $65,459. The 18-day pledge drive features unique on-air programs each night and gives viewers the opportunity to call in and purchase special items such as concert tickets, DVD’s and CD’s.
In the company’s long tradition of supporting environmental stewardship, EnviroIssues staff, along with friends and family, spent Earth Day 2007 planting nearly 800 trees and shrubs to restore forest and stream habitat in the Cedar River Watershed. This large restoration effort, coordinated by the Friends of the Cedar River Watershed and Seattle Public Utilities, enabled participants to access the normally protected watershed and see the main source of Seattle's drinking water. Seattle is unique as one of only half a dozen large cities in North America to use a protected wilderness to supply clean and affordable water. By restoring the watershed’s forest and stream habitats, volunteers improved wildlife habitat and helped ensure the continued quality of Seattle’s drinking water.
Participants enjoyed a beautiful spring day, with no rain, patches of sun, views of snow-capped peaks, and even glimpses of a herd of elk! The planting was tough, given the rocky soil, but the EnviroIssues team rose to the challenge and helped make the event a huge success. Restoration leaders were left wondering whether they could hire the EnviroIssues crew full-time! By day’s end, the initially bare, rocky slopes had been transformed into the beginnings of a healthy forest. Despite sore muscles, everyone had fun and enjoyed the opportunity to work to benefit the environment. EnviroIssues looks forward to its next restoration project!
Kristine Edens and Kathlyn Kocher presented at the State of Environmental Justice in America Conference held at Howard University Law School in Washington D.C. this past March. Kathlyn and Kristine both presented papers on how we involve local minority and/or low-income communities in integral transportation decisions. The three-day conference addressed public health and social justice issues affecting traditionally underrepresented communities. The individual conference sessions focused on exposure to various pollutants, land use and planning issues, and meaningful collaboration between communities and government agencies. Kristine and Kathlyn returned from the conference with a deeper understanding of environmental justice issues and new ideas to better involve minority and/or low-income communities.
EnviroIssues was instrumental in helping The Recycling Foundation organize and host its Third Annual Poster Competition Exhibition. University and college students from around the country were asked to design educational posters about increasing electronics recycling in Washington State. After the winners were selected, three poster competition exhibitions were held in Seattle, Tacoma and Spokane to showcase the winners and highlight the Foundation’s achievements. EnviroIssues not only hosted the Tacoma event at their Tacoma office, they were involved in marketing the competition to university and college students, facilitating the poster judging process, creating attractive exhibition invitations and programs, organizing the event logistics and setting up the Seattle and Tacoma events.