PARTNERS

Realizing the value of the Ship Harbor wetland, a number of organizations in Anacortes formed Ship Harbor Interpretive Preserve, known as "SHIP," a partnership to preserve and protect the wetland and to implement an environmental education program at the site.

Partners include the Port of Anacortes, Western Washington University's Shannon Point Marine Center, Evergreen Islands, the Anacortes Parks Foundation, the Anacortes School District, the Samish Indian Nation, Anacortes Community Forest Lands and a number of other private and public groups. Recently, the Kiwanis Noon Club of Anacortes donated $6,000 to the project to provide volunteers with operating funds to create educational products such as displays and publications for schools, local citizens and ferry travelers. The SHIP project currently has more than 60 local volunteers observing and reporting on wildlife, plants and water levels; taking photographs for monitoring across all seasons and for educational use; researching history and culture of the area; and applying for grants and other funding.

Phase 1 funding currently includes contracts with the Public Involvement and Education Project (PIE), financed by proceeds from the Washington State Water Quality Account and administered by the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team and the Coastal Zone Management (CZM) program of the Washington Department of Ecology. PIE funding supports preliminary planning for the wetland trail and for programs to encourage public involvement in the project. CZM funding will be used to develop engineering plans and permits for the trail. In addition, a large number of local volunteers are participating in SHIP projects to observe, identify, and monitor the many varieties of plants and wildlife in the wetland and to research local history. We will include their observations, including a growing list of plants and wildlife they have identified, on this Web site.