Hi Friends! 

It’s that time again. We know that there are A LOT of things pulling you away from your regular newsletter-reading so we’re honoring your last days of summer with a brief update on our work. Read on for news on the Tideflats Subarea Plan, TPS student visit, our Green Drinks takeover and how to make a donation to our Jack Johnson All At Once campaign. 

See ya next month!

Erin Dilworth – Deputy Director
Katy Stone – Director of Development

CHB is very pleased to announce that GRAMMY award-winning musician, Jack Johnson has chosen us as one of five All At Once non-profit partners! When Jack Johnson performs at the Gorge at George, WA. next month, he will present each of the five non-profit partners with a gift-matching check. From now until August 31, he plans to match every dollar donated up to a total of $2,500.

In order to reach our match goal of $2,500, we need your help. Please consider making a donation today, no matter how much it is. You can make a donation by clicking the button below. Thank you very much for your generosity.

Click to Donate

Tideflats Subarea Plan: What’s Next?

The Scoping Phase for the Tideflats Subarea Plan Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) just wrapped up. Remember that in this phase, we need to scope an EIS to understand the environmental and public health impacts of different planning strategies. CHB called on the City of Tacoma to study:

• Air pollution impacts for people residing in live-work housing near the Port, adjacent residential areas, and inland detention facilities
• Likelihood and impacts of an industrial or natural disaster
• Effects of reducing our Greenhouse Gas emissions on job growth, job density, and Tacoma’s ability to be a leader in the green economy, and
• What will happen to the safety and well-being of people who work in the Tideflats if we do not soon transition to an economy less reliant on fossil fuels and other polluting industries

Tacoma City Council will be briefed on our community’s comments on Tuesday, September 13 during their Council Study Session. That evening at 5:15 p.m., a public comment hearing will be held on the proposed alternative strategies for the Tideflats Subarea Plan. Each alternative lays out different visions for the Subarea Plan including, how we prioritize habitat restoration, where housing should be located, and what types of industries should be in the Tideflats – to name a few.

We’ll be sending out more information on the alternatives and how to provide effective public comment soon! If you’re not already, sign up for our Arising Issues mailing list to be the first to get this critical information!

TPS Career and Technical Education Visit CHB for Bay Patrol

In July, CHB partnered with Tacoma Public Schools’ Career and Technical Education Programs to take students from the Tacoma Tideflats-Warehouse and Logistics as well as the Environmental Services Summer Credential Programs on a Bay Patrol. On shore, we learned about nautical charts, made a marine web of life on the beach, and played games to learn about storm water. While on Bay Patrol, students got to see first-hand the environmental impacts on the Tacoma Tideflats, as well as discuss ways they could help maintain the bay’s health. A highlight was pulling a car bumper out of the water and delivering it to the dumpster. After the day’s lesson, students wrote down something they would do to help the bay.

Summer Credential programs are offered to Tacoma Public School High School students for free. They provide an opportunity for students to explore job opportunities and earn credentials such as forklift and flagger, OSHA 10 and Certified Erosion and Sediment Control Lead. Partnering with CHB not only gave students an opportunity to get out on the water but also provided a different perspective on industry in the Tideflats. As a result, students gained a better understanding of how industries and careers in the Tideflats relate directly to maintaining and protecting the bay and all the life that depends on it.

CHB Now Manages Green Drinks

In case you haven’t heard, Tacoma Green Drinks’ fearless leader Chrissy Cooley had to step away from her role in organizing Green Drinks so she tapped CHB to take it on. We happily accepted and are thrilled to work with Tacoma Democratic Socialists of America for our September event. Make sure that you’re following Green Drinks on social media for more information. 

If your organization has a project or program coming up that you would like to promote at Green Drinks, please contact us at chb@healthybay.org. 

TV Tacoma’s City Line recently featured our Deputy Director, Erin Dilworth. She discussed ways community members can get involved with CHB projects and how they can help keep Commencement Bay clean. Watch the full interview by clicking image above.