Protection needs to start at ground level

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, December 21, 2005

I am glad to read that the state and county are finally directing attention to their responsibility in saving the Puget Sound environment. However, that cannot be accomplished without more being done to protect the watersheds and bluffs that connect immediately to the sound.

When developers come in with projects that strip trees from these crucial areas, officials at the Planning and Development Services office must have more power to say “No.” Efforts such as the one currently at Picnic Point called Horsemen’s Trails or the environmental fiasco of Kelly Place need to be turned away. We cannot keep selling the heritage of our children. That heritage includes careful management of resources that have long term effects on water and air quality. Greenbelts, watershed protection, bike trails, walking trails, traffic mitigation – these are what we need to ensure that quality.

Joan Smith

Edmonds