Wild Life Casualties

For the most part we enjoy our wildlife here on the island, but have to be on constant alert lest we add to the unfortunate road kill. Deer appear to be unbelievably stupid, darting out of the woods across the road and right into or in front of cars. It's hard to blame the cars since--driving sensibly--we've had so many close calls ourselves and know there is no way to avoid hitting an animal that runs directly into your path. I'm particularly careful at night, but it happens during the day, too, and I'd never forgive myself if I hit one.

We had a family of wild turkeys that seemed to like our property, perhaps because it had a combination of gardens, open spaces and woods. I kept hoping it was slugs they were eating, for I could see them pecking about in the yard. For a long time we saw what we presumed was a mother with her three chicks, either pecking at something or quite adorably walking up the drive in single file, but as the chicks got older over a period of weeks, they disappeared one by one. We didn't know if they'd gone off by themselves or provided dinner for a coyote, but soon we were down to the one adult. They had become celebrities of a sort with our neighbors who weren't accustomed to looking out their windows and seeing wild turkeys, but for some reason the turkeys preferred our yard to sort of settle into.

Then, one morning David went out to get the morning newspaper and found a pile of large grey feathers on the edge of the driveway. There was only one explanation and we never saw a turkey again. We rarely see coyotes any more--maybe as a learned survival instinct they have become silent and more stealthy. But we know they're there. Every once in awhile the east side of the island, which is more densely populated than the west side, has a rash of disappearing pets and we know it's coyotes. Most people have learned not to let their small pets out alone at night.

Our bald eagles frequently dine on road kill although they prefer salmon or other fish. There is a nest of them somewhere near our property, although we haven't spotted it yet, and it's always a treat to see them soaring above the sound looking for fish, or perched on the top of Douglas firs waiting for other prey. We haven't heard of one taking a dog or cat, but nevertheless we watch our West Highland Terrier if we know they're about.

The Developers Begin Their Onslaught

The watchdog group I'd joined was an irritant to both the developers and the county. The developers were being challenged and the county was being monitored to make sure building codes and zoning laws were adhered to. Life on the island was approaching a never ending battle of wits: developers vs. watchdogs, with one developer in particular as the chief focus.

It won't come as a surprise to some that there are people who emotionally bulldoze their way through life on the assumption they're "entitled". They're entitled to do what they want, and if they screw others or objections are raised there must be something wrong with the other guys or their thinking. Because these people are going to get their way or else! This one was alleged to have built a shoddy housing development elsewhere on the island and now he was moving on to shopping centers, raising all kinds of red flags as he worked through the permit process.

First there was a piece of property he optioned and presented plans to build a motel, gas station, fast food restaurant and what he called a "fine dining" restaurant. The problem was, nobody wanted such things on the island. We were appalled! Please, not in our back yard! There were a few B&Bs but there was nothing in the zoning code that permitted motels so it was puzzling he'd even presented plans for it. He certainly hadn't expected 150 or so people to show up to object when he appeared before the planning board, but like so many others of his ilk he was both clueless and insensitive to what lay ahead and didn't expect what he got. 

When that plan failed he bought acreage further up the road to build an even bigger shopping center, and this time, instead of a "motel" he was calling it "short term rental units", imagining, I guess, that he was pulling the wool over everyone's eyes! Each time he presented his plans to the county there was an appeal by the watchdogs, on legitimate grounds, followed by a hearing at which he was challenged. The watchdogs always came out in force, organized via emails and phone trees. A legal fund was established and every time an attorney was required expenses were minimized by recruiting members as researchers. It was a real grassroots movement.

Hearing after hearing took place as various aspects of the plan were challenged. Besides the short term housing the watchdogs objected to the huge septic system which pumped effluent to a site up a hill several miles distant because the building site itself was not large enough to accommodate a drain field. The pipe carrying it would necessarily be laid on county property, which would make the county liable if the line was damaged in any way, but the hearing examiner granted the permit for it anyway.

Then the density of the project was challenged and it was becoming clear to the county commissioners that there needed to be some clarification and agreement reached as to exactly what would be allowed on the rest of the land bordering this road, some of it designated as Rural Areas of Intensive Development. What exactly would be allowed. They decided to slap a 6 month moratorium on all development in the corridor, but before they they could do it they had to have a public hearing and let the public speak. And man, that's when the ---- hit the fan!

A Watchdog Group Is Formed

We (and a whole lot of others who live here) saw our island as representative of relatively undiscovered pristine beauty and we wanted to keep it that way. Others saw it merely as a way to make an easy buck. When they see "undiscovered pristine beauty" an equation immediately pops up: housing developments + shopping centers = $. Clear cut a hill so you get a water view from most everywhere, throw up mediocre houses and sell them for twice what they're worth and in a few months you've got yourself a fortune! Pretty simple. No rocket science there. So who cares if runoff causes landslides and damage to neighbors' property! It's what property rights are all about! 

I happen to be a believer in property rights, but along with those rights come an individual responsibility not to rape the land, and responsibility is a word some have never heard or think doesn't apply to them. These people are everywhere, but, naively, we had higher expectations for this island when we moved here.  

The county seems to be erratic and ineffective much of the time in enforcing their own rules, so the result finally was that a watchdog group was formed to put pressure on the county to adhere to their own building codes and zoning laws. The group is a thorn in everyone's sides--the county's as well as the violators--but I, for one, don't feel completely helpless when I know, as a cohesive group, we are no longer compelled to just sit and watch as violation after violation make a mockery out of orderly growth.

We are making a difference!