by Dr. Don Flora Ph.D.
Protect the nearshore and you protect its functions. Mostly true.
Buffering is prudent protection. Mostly false.
How can this be so? Why is it important? What other protection options are there?
In summary,
Uses foregone make buffers an extravagant land conscription
Options include:
for stormwater - ponds, furrows, berms, and even paved routes; Low Impact Development (LID)
for sediment - grassy swales and fields
for pesticides and herbicides - lawns, forbearance, and Integrated Pest Management
for toxic chemicals - grass and abstinence
for bacteria - septic systems
for wildlife - yards and their verges, parks, meadows, beaches, and woodlands that also serve as children’s places
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Donald F. Flora, Ph.D.
BS from University of Washington in Forestry and Geology. MS and PhD from Yale in Forestry. 40-years research experience in the natural sciences. Researcher-in-Charge of several forestry research laboratories in Northwest, Oregon and Alaska. Former technical editor, Journal of Forestry. Former head of National Fire Danger Rating System Research. Former head, National Timber Harvest Issues Program. Former affiliate professor, University of Washington. Former Director of Keep Washington Green Association (forest fire prevention), and 80-year family history and experience of Puget Sound shoreline ownership and stewardship. Current area of study involves the review of 3,500+ research papers on buffers, riparian zones, beach functions, and fisheries.
Thank you Dr. Flora – that was a tour de force of near shore reality. Low impact development is actually what most, if not all, shoreline owners have been practicing as normal behavior. Engineers, architects, landscape architects and property owners in general know how to integrate homesites and life styles into the natural world beneficially.
Maybe it’s time to fund the monitoring of shoreline ecosystems instead of the increasingly draconian regulations and regulators. Wouldn’t it be useful to know that actually, all is well out there?
I’d rather my taxes went toward finding out what is going on instead of spreading fear and loathing. As of today, Kitsap County spends “$zero” to monitor the health of near shore marine ecosystems, despite acknowledging its essential, paramount importance, and its basis for the SMP update.
They justify this by saying it’s better to be afraid of something going wrong, and be pre-emptively regulatory than to find out exactly what, if anything, needs fixing. I disagree, and Dr. Flora makes the case for proceeding intelligently.
There are a lot more alternatives than I would have guessed. Glad you were able to post the report into the article- it made for an interesting read.
-Jack