Lights Out Washington
With Spring bird migration continuing into June, it’s especially important to turn off unneeded lighting. Lights can disorient the many migrating birds that fly northward after dark and can also result in their colliding with windows. See Lights Out, Washington! | Audubon for how you can help.
Protecting American Bitterns at Northern State Recreation Area
The City of Sedro-Woolley has proposed building 4 Little League-sized baseball diamonds on the unmown field at the Helmick Road entrance to Northern State Recreation Area just east of the city. For years now this field’s tall grass next to extensive wetlands has provided ideal nesting habitat for American Bitterns. You can read details on this issue in the Conservation Report in the May issue of the Skagit Flyer (May26Flyer.pdf) and also in May’s Conservation Notes on the Skagit Audubon website May26ConservationNotes.pdf
As of this writing in mid-May, there is no additional information on the bitterns vs ballfields issue. Sedro-Woolley has received a list of suggested alternative locations to consider for the playfields. It is timely now for Audubon members and friends who want to see Helmick field continue to be available for nesting bitterns to write the City of Sedro-Woolley and Skagit County’s Parks and Facilities Director. Address letters to Parks and Facilities Director, 325 Metcalf Street, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284 with a copy to Mayor JoEllen Kesti, 694 Brickyard Boulevard, Sedro-Woolley, WA 98284, and to Skagit County Director of Parks & Facilities Ken Hansen, 1730 Continental Place, Mount Vernon, WA 98273
Roadless Rule
As of this writing on May 14th, we are still awaiting the announcement of the legally required public comment period on the federal administration’s intent to rescind the Roadless Rule. Check the U.S. Forest Service website for notification of the comment period, which could be as brief as 15 days and should open before the end of May: https://www.fs.usda.gov/managing-land/planning/roadless
The September and October 2025 issues of Skagit Audubon Conservation Notes discuss this federal rule established 25 years: (Sept25ConservationNotesUpdated083025.pdf and Oct25ConservationNotes.pdf). The Roadless Rule exempts 58 million acres of roadless and unlogged U.S. Forest Service lands from clearcutting and road building, including almost 2 million acres in Washington. These public lands belong to us all. They are vital habitat for a myriad of birds and other creatures and provide recreational experiences in nature for millions of people.
For more information about conservation issues Skagit Audubon is tracking, go to Conservation notes & letters — Skagit Audubon Society. Audubon members can advocate for regional and national protection of birds and other wildlife and their habitat by responding to action alerts from Washington Audubon and National Audubon. Enroll in Audubon Washington’s Action Network at Join Our Action Network | Audubon Washington. The National Audubon website (Advocacy & Action | Audubon) has abundant information on Audubon’s current conservation campaigns. Sign up to receive national alerts (Join Our Action Network | Audubon).