Sounder The Islands’
Serving Orcas, Lopez and San Juan County
WEDNESDAY, February 22, 2012 • VOL. 45, NO. 8 • 75¢
Car crash on Fowler’s Corner – pg 3
www.islandssounder.com
Mt. Baker Road project gaining traction Moran State Park to by CALI BAGBY Staff reporter
The Mt. Baker Road and Trail Improvement project on Orcas has its wheels on the ground and is preparing for lift-off. The design is almost complete, Public Works is waiting for environmental permitting and finalizing the right-of-way purchase. “We hope to go to bid by the end of the summer, but it could start as early as May or as late as August,” said Rachel Dietzman, a county engineer, about when the project will move forward. Construction is scheduled for sometime this year. San Juan County received a $2.56 million dollar Rural Arterial
Trust Account grant from the state to help pay for design, right of way acquisition, and construction. An additional Federal Transportation Enhancement grant of $88,000 was received for the trail project. Public Works is requesting an additional $700,000 from Federal Surface Transportation Program for road and trail work. The project widens Mt. Baker Road from 20 feet to 30 feet from the intersection with North Beach Road to the intersection with Terrill Beach Road. There will be two 11-foot lanes with fourfoot shoulders. The Terrill Beach Road intersection will be moved to the southeast to enhance sight distance for vehicles turning left
across Mt. Baker Road. Drainage will be improved by replacing cross culverts, raising the road in places, and improving or installing ditches. Narrow Area Vegetated Filter Strips for filtration and treatment will improve stormwater quality. Because the road is widening and destroying 0.6 acres of wetland, compensatory wetland mitigation will be undertaken on the Land Bank’s Stonebridge Preserve, intended to enhance and rehabilitate six acres of existing degraded wetlands. The mitigation includes developing wet pools for birds and amphibians and revegetating the area.
See MT. BAKER, Page 6
Orcas senior profile JOYCE BURGHARDT: A LIFE OF MUSIC AND LOVE by COLLEEN SMITH ARMSTRONG Editor/Associate Publisher
Joyce Burghardt’s recipe for a vital, long life is simple: stay curious. From the moment she was born to her 90th birthday last month, Burghardt has approached life with enthusiasm. “I grew up in Queen Anne, and my childhood was magical,” said the Orcas resident. “I was involved in church, musicals, the Camp Fire girls.” After her idyllic younger years, Burghardt continued pursuing her diverse interests at the University of Washington. She was a sophomore when she was re-introduced to a former childhood neighbor. “I knew Galen my whole life,” she said. “But he was in the eighth grade when I was in the first grade. When I was in college, his mother called my mother to see if he could come visit for a few weeks. He needed a break from his job in Idaho. Well, in walks this gorgeous man! I had a boyfriend at the time, but it just kind of withered away.” Joyce and Galen married a year later. The Burghardts raised three children together: Galen, Jr., Dick and Patty. Joyce, who is a singer and violinist, says they
Colleen Smith Armstrong photo
Above: Joyce, today. Right: A younger Joyce.
were very involved parents who incorporated music into their children’s lives. “We used to sit on the kitchen floor, singing and playing the guitar,” she said. Joyce has remained close to her children. Galen, Jr. has a home on Orcas, Patty is moving to the island soon and Dick visits his mom every other week. Joyce and her husband bought property on Orcas in 1949 – the same weekend they came to the island for a visit. After helping the Burghardts with a flat tire,
a local realtor showed them the “Crescent Beach Cottages.” With no resort experience under their belts, the couple bought the business anyway and were moved in by July 4. It was the start of 11 years as proprietors of what Joyce calls “the league of nations.” “We met all kinds of travelers,” she said. “In those days, people stayed for three or four weeks.” During their first stint on Orcas, Joyce and Galen helped created the Eastsound water sys-
See JOYCE, Page 6
thin tree population Douglas firs with root rot are ‘ticking time bombs’ by CALI BAGBY Staff reporter
Douglas firs fall without warning when their roots are rotted, and measuring 40 inches and weighing more than several tons, these giants can cause damage when they hit the ground, especially when campers are in the area. Rob Fimbel with the Washington State Parks’ Stewardship Program doesn’t know exactly how many trees have fallen at Moran State Park because of laminated root rot, a native species of fungus, but describes infected trees as ticking time bombs. “And fall when? I don’t know when,” Fimbel said. “The problem with this disease is when people are in proximity, there is an elevated risk.” To deal with these dangers, Fimbel has proposed a plan to patch cut and thin three areas of the park, which include the surrounding areas of the Environmental Learning Center, the primitive campground and the upper part of the north end campground. The areas are high priority because of the year-round and seasonal living quarters by the ELC and the overnight guests at campgrounds. At a public meeting on Feb. 15, Fimbel presented a map, where trees infected with laminated root rot could be cut down in order to starve the pathogen. Some of the cut Douglas fir could be sold as timber, and Fimbel said any revenue from this will go to natural resources stewardship efforts. “It’s moving,” he said pointing to the map. “This thing is marching on.”
The history In the spring of 2011, a Department of Natural Resources pathologist was called in for a consultation; as a result of his recommendations, the north end campground was closed for the summer. Cabins around the ELC were also closed. Roughly 50 Douglas fir trees
Cali Bagby/staff photo
Rob Fimbel during the meeting.
around the ELC and portions of the north campground were logged in July because they were infected with laminated root rot. Some of the felled forest giants were over 100 years old. Three trees fell behind the ELC about two weeks ago with very small root balls, said Park Manager Jim Schuh. Fimbel said he had no reason to doubt that those trees failed because of the fungus.
The fungus The fungus spreads by root-toroot contact between trees, but
See TREES, Page 6
Sounder deadlines Display advertising: Friday at noon Classified advertising: Monday at noon Legal advertising: Thursday at noon Press releases, Letters: Friday at 3 p.m.
How to reach us Office: 376-4500 Fax: 376-4501 Advertising: advertising@ islandssounder.com Classified: 1-800-388-2527, classifieds@ soundpublishing.com Editor: editor@ islandssounder.com