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The Evergreen State College is among 21 Washington State entities selected by the Department of Natural Resources to receive a 2022 Urban Forestry Grant.

“This grant will support the development of a campus stewardship action plan for the care and management of nearly 700 acres of undeveloped ecological reserves on the Olympia campus,” says Evergreen Director of Sustainability Scott Morgan.

Evergreen's $17,816 award will fund a research job for one grad student who will collaborate with Morgan on a vision for the college’s forested areas.

The project has three goals: to develop plans for environmental preservation, maximize the forest’s value as an outdoor classroom, and maintain it as a safe and accessible community recreation area.

This is the largest Urban and Community Forestry grant funding cycle in Department of Natural Resources history. The total funds available equal $550,000. Of this money, $405,893 will fund tree inventories, canopy analyses, and planning projects. A second $100,000 pool will fund policy work, planting and restoration, education initiatives and more.

Read more about the Urban and Community Forestry Grant on TreeLink News.

Concrete Bulkhead Removal at Snyder Cove/Bushoowah-ahlee Point

An aerial map and close up images of the bulkhead at the Evergreen beach — Site map of the bulkhead location at Snyder Cove (p. 7 of the Feasiblity Study Report)

Evergreen is considering a project to remove the concrete bulkhead and a slab located on the college-owned beachfront at Snyder Cove/Bushoowah-ahlee Point. If the project is approved and funding granted, deconstruction will likely begin in summer 2024.

This project is a partnership with the South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group, which received funding in 2020 to perform a critical assessment of the costs and benefits of removing shore-armoring structures along the Evergreen Beach. That study concluded in December 2021.

A set of concrete stairs and bulkhead wall between ivy and gravel on a beach — Detail of the concrete bulkhead and stairs leading to the beach

The analysis suggests that removing the concrete bulkhead will improve habitat for feeder fish and juvenile salmon, while resulting in only minor impacts on the shoreline. The feasibility study also finds that removing a large water-level slab will provide a greater opportunity for Snyder Creek to meander within the cove, which will reduce the risks of undermining and/or erosion on either side of the creek.

As we consider next steps, we invite campus stakeholders and neighbors to review the study (downloadable PDF) and submit feedback.

Please reach out to one or more of the contacts below for more information or to submit feedback. All comments should be submitted by end of day on, March 25, 2022.

Evergreen:

Scott Morgan

Director of Sustainability

sustainabilityoffice@evergreen.edu

SPSSEG:

Cole Baldino

Salmon Habitat Restoration Project Manager

restoration@spsseg.org

Ongoing Sustainability Projects

Green Power Partnership

Image shows a classroom building complex with lights shinging at dusk — Lights glow at dusk in the windows of SemII

Evergreen is among 307 organizations recognized by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency as 100% Green Power Users. Participating in the Green Power Partnership puts us in company with organizations large and small, from Microsoft to Molly Moon's Homemade Ice Cream.

The participating organizations' annual combined use amounts to nearly 38 billion kilowatt-hours of green power – equivalent to the electricity use of more than 3.5 million average American homes.

We owe the honor to our students, who voted for a self-imposed green fee in 2005. The college has purchased certified renewable power in partnership with our utilities' green-power programs since then.

Read about the Partnership and see the full list on EPA.gov

Ten-Year Capital Request Plan 2017-27

Download the complete 2017-2027 Ten-Year Capital Plan Request (PDF).