Issuu

Country Life

Dairy • CL3 Gardening • CL4 County news • CL5

Special Section • Wednesday, May 13, 2015

Nooksack basin declared to be in drought emergency

BRIEFLY Glen Echo Gardens in zoning fight Dick Bosch has turned historic land into Glen Echo Gardens, but he continues to deal with county limits in marketing it. Page CL4.

What action will be needed this summer remains unknown By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

WHATCOM — Count the Nooksack River watershed as droughtimpacted. On April 22 the Nooksack was added, along with 12 other river systems, to the state’s catalogue of areas affected by this past winter’s record-low snowpack. The Washington State Department of Ecology expanded the listing with the concurrence of Gov. Jay Inslee. “Many of our major rivers are forecasted to have April through September runoff volumes that will be the lowest in the past 64 years,” states an order from Ecology direc- The Nooksack River basin has already been declared in a drought emergency. (Calvin tor Maia Bellon that ran as a paid Bratt/Lynden Tribune) newspaper ad May 6. risk of experiencing less than 75 percent of “We expect that the volume of runoff “This shortfall is a serious threat to municipal and domestic water supplies, normal water supply and associated hard- this year in the Nooksack Basin will be the lowest in the past 64 years,” said Jeff Marti, irrigated agriculture and fisheries,” accord- ship.” ing to the declaration. “These areas are at That general prognosis applies to the Nooksack River too. See Nooksack on CL3

Old Forests Young children enjoy old forests as part of a Whatcom WSU Extension program. See more on page CL2.

Annuals for summer color Nursery expert David Vos lets us in on his picks for unique summer plant color. See page CL4.

Veterans, plants thrive on Lynden plot DelBene visits, sees progress at Growing Veterans site By Calvin Bratt editor@lyndentribune.com

LYNDEN — Growing food organically with other veterans, with Mount Baker looking magnificent in the distance, can be part of their healing and reentry process, a Growing Veterans group told Rep. Suzan

DelBene on Thursday. The congresswoman visited the greenhouses and drip-irrigation rows of kale and tomatoes and more, and heard how it all fits together and what it means to the six men now working the soil there. Their three-acre place is just off the Guide Meridian near King Tut Road. In the three years it’s been a Growing Veterans’ project, it appears to be growing in scale each new season. “I love it,” said Sean Dalgarn, who went through three Air Force

security deployments from 2005 to 2009. Growing food with their own hands and hoes offers “a chance to reconnect with something that really matters,” he said. Veterans, immediately when they come off active duty, may not take the time they should for themselves to process what they have gone through, several said. This productive quiet setting helps toward that. The produce goes entirely to the Veterans Affairs hospitals in Seattle and Tacoma.

Here in Whatcom County, the effort also brings together veterans of different ages and war experiences, from Vietnam to Iraq, said Dan Robinson, field manager. Good relationships are cultivated with the Bellingham Veterans Center and local veterans organizations in general. Robinson detailed to DelBene how he is being very attentive to efficient irrigation practices at the plot, both to keep down Growing Veter-

ans’ local water association bill and to do his part against any possible drought. With director Chris Brown, Robinson also talked of a 40-acre Skagit County property recently leased that could allow for more growth for the group, as the Lynden site is maxed out. But the southern site is not fully tillage-ready. Although there are various verSee Veterans on CL2

Superior performance and all-day ability. Get great Green Tag savings on hard-working John Deere equipment!

1023E Sub-Compact Utility Tractor with D120 Loader and Backhoe

4M Series Compact Utility Tractors

• Powerful 22.4 hp5 diesel engine • Twin Touch™ hydrostatic transmission • AutoConnect™ Mower Deck capability

• 43.1–65.9 hp5 engine • Hydrostatic or 12F/12R PowrReverser™ transmission • iMatch™, Quick-Hitch capability • Turbocharged diesel engine

72 % FOR MONTHS

2,500 FOR 72 % 0 MONTHS $

17,799 0

Riding Lawn Tractors

• Comprehensive, bumper-to-bumper warranties on all riding mowers • From the D100 Series to the Select Series™ Lawn Tractors available

Green Tag savings on all Select Series™ Lawn Tractors +

NO INTEREST 12 MONTHS

Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 12 months or if your account is otherwise in default.

RSX850i Gator™ Utility Vehicle • 62 hp (46.2 kW)6 engine • Speeds up to 53 mph • Best-in-class cargo box

SAVE

3,500 72 MONTHS 3.9% FOR $

SAVE UP TO

Offer ends 6/30/15. Price applies only to 1023E sub-compact tractor package. Up to a 10% down payment may be required. Taxes, freight, setup and delivery charges could increase the monthly payment. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Valid only at participating US Dealers. 1 Series Fixed Rate of 0.0% for 72 months. Prices and model availability may vary by dealer. 2Offer ends 6/1/15. Subject to approved installment credit with John Deere Financial. Fixed rate of 0% for 72 months. In lieu of finance offer, get $2,500 off the 4M Series Tractors. Cash Off Implement Bonus is in addition to financing and varies by 4M Model and requires the purchase of 2 John Deere or Frontier Implements.Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Valid only at participating US Dealers. 3Offer ends 6/1/15. For consumer use only. Interest will be charged to your account from the purchase date at 17.9% APR if the purchase balance is not paid in full within 12 months or if your account is otherwise in default. Subject to approved credit on Revolving plan, a service of John Deere Financial, f.s.b. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Valid only at participating U.S. dealers. 4Offer ends 6/1/15. $3,500 off only 2014 model year and prior RSX850i models, $800 off XUV825i S4/XUV825i, and $600 off XUV550 S4/XUV550 models. Prices and models may vary by dealer. Some restrictions apply; other special rates and terms may be available, so see your dealer for details and other financing options. Available at participating dealers. Before operating or riding, always refer to the safety and operating information on the vehicle and in the operator’s manual. Actual vehicle top speed may vary based on belt wear, tire selection, vehicle weight, fuel condition, terrain and other environmental factors.5Manufacturer’s estimate of power (ISO) per 97/68/EC. 6The engine horsepower and torque information are provided by the engine manufacturer to be used for comparison purposes only. Actual operating horsepower and torque will be less. Refer to the engine manufacturer’s web site for additional information. 1