A Nobel Prize for showing that freedom works.

Why Elinor Ostrom Won, by John Stossel for Reason Magazine

Pundits and politicians act as if government can solve almost any problem. At the slightest hint of trouble, the ruling class reflexively assumes that knowledgeable, wise and public-spirited government regulators are capable of riding to the rescue. This certainly is the guiding philosophy of the Obama administration.

So it is remarkable that this year’s Nobel Memorial Prize in economics was shared by Elinor Ostrom, whose life’s work demonstrates that politicians and bureaucrats are not nearly as good at solving problems as regular people. Ostrom, the first woman to win the prize (which she shared with Oliver Williamson of UC-Berkeley), is a political scientist at Indiana University.

The selection committee said that she has “challenged the conventional wisdom that common property is poorly managed and should be either regulated by central authorities or privatized. Based on numerous studies of user-managed fish stocks, pastures, woods, lakes and groundwater basins, Ostrom concludes that the outcomes are, more often than not, better than predicted by standard theories. She observes that resource-users frequently develop sophisticated mechanisms for decision-making and rule enforcement to handle conflicts”. (emphasis added)

Ostrom’s work concentrates on common-pool resources (CPR) like pastures and fisheries. Policymakers assume that such situations are plagued by free-rider problems, where all individuals have a strong incentive to use the resource to the fullest and no incentive to invest in order to enhance it. Analysts across the political spectrum theorize that only bureaucrats or owners of privatized units can efficiently manage such resources.

Few scholars actually venture into the field to see what people actually do when faced with free-rider problems. Ostrom did. It turns out that free people are not as helpless as the theorists believed.

Read more on the Reason Magazine website.

Salmon friendly gardens with non-native plants.

by Becca Hanson, Studio Hanson/Roberts, Landscape Architects

My firm was responsible for designing the “Salmon-Friendly Garden” for the Arboretum Foundation at the Flower & Garden Show a number of years ago: it consisted of a “stream” that visitors could walk through to view a deck and a garden planted along the edge. As you can imagine, we had many long discussions with the Washington Department of Fish & Wildlife biologists, as well as everyone else interested in regulating the riparian edge. The results?

Shoreline conservation easement project.

On June 30, the Bainbridge Island Land Trust (BILT) hosted a presentation at the library to outline their Shoreline Conservation Easement Project. It seems that Peter Best built $9,600 into the City’s “shoreline stewardship” budget to help BILT create shoreline conservation easements a couple of years ago. The money has to be spent by the end of the city’s current fiscal year, or the allocation goes away.

BILT wants to find two shoreline home or land owners willing to give them conservation easements by the end of the fiscal year. The $9600 will be used to offset the cost of perfecting the agreements… a cost usually borne by the donor. There seems to be very little financial upside and considerable risk for the donor…

Create your own stormwater solutions.

We’ve all seen it in the rainy season here in the Northwest — water pooling in parking lots, coming off of roofs, running down the street and into the storm drain. Most of this water goes directly into our waterways without any treatment to filter out the contaminants it picks up along the way.

Stormwater is the leading contributor to water quality pollution of urban waterways in Washington. Polluted stormwater can contain contaminants that are toxic to salmon and other stream and marine inhabitants and been a factor in the closure of some Puget Sound shellfish beds and beaches.

Pollution from factories or sewage treatment plants, while still a problem, is easier to manage because the pollutants come from a single location. Stormwater runoff on the other hand, picks up small amounts of pollution until it is a veritable chemical cocktail by the time it reaches our waterways.

Shoreline landowners meeting hosted by BILT.

From the Bainbridge Island Land Trust (BILT) newsletter…

Are you a shoreline landowner with a commitment to conserving our Island’s shoreline and nearshore habitats? Would you like to ensure that the shoreline habitat you now own and steward stays healthy forever?

Please come to an informational meeting on Tuesday, June 30th, to learn about options for permanently protecting your property, what financial assistance might be available through our Island’s Shoreline Steward Program and other programs as well as what regional efforts are underway to preserve and protect valuable shoreline and nearshore properties on Bainbridge Island.

The meeting will be at the Bainbridge Public Library meeting room from 7 – 8:30 pm. For more information, please contact Brenda.

Learn how to build your own rain garden.

The rain runoff from your roof, driveway or patio has to go somewhere. Why not use it to water a beautifully functional low-maintenance landscape feature? Colorful, lush rain gardens reduce flooding, recharge our drinking water supply, treat pollution, and provide habitat for backyard wildlife.

Join Washington Sea Grant, Kitsap County Surface and Stormwater Program, WSU Kitsap County Extension and local nurseries at a FREE workshop on rain garden installation.

June 18: Valley Nursery, Poulsbo 6:00-8:30 pm
June 20: Clear Creek Nursery, Silverdale 1:00-3:30 pm
July 16: Roadhouse Nursery, Silverdale 6:00-8:30 pm

Please register early as space is limited. Click here to sign up!

You can help restore salmon to Cooper Creek.

Your help is needed over the next few months for an important restoration project at the head of Eagle Harbor. The Watershed Council, the Suquamish Tribe, and the City of Bainbridge Island are working together to restore and enhance the salmon population on Cooper Creek.

Cooper Creek is at the head of Eagle Harbor, and its watershed is largely owned by the city. About five years ago, an impoundment and non-functioning culvert were removed from the stream to restore fish passage. Volunteers have been monitoring this stream for four years since the restoration, and have observed a few salmon returning to this stream.

We are initiating a program to supplement chum salmon in this creek with the goal of increasing the return of fish to this watershed and, at least in a small way, contributing to the enhancement of the larger Puget Sound salmon population.