Hello friend: 

Things have been changing rapidly again recently with yet another wave of COVID-19. As case counts and hospitalizations in Snohomish County have risen sharply and nearing our deadliest levels, Governor Inslee has issued a state-wide mandate order for indoor masking, and mandatory vaccines for state employees. These employees include not just employees at state agencies, but teachers and staff at public schools across the state.  

Although 71% of eligible people across the county have initiated vaccines, that still leaves a large number of people and children unvaccinated which has opened the door for the Delta Variant. The data is clear: masks and vaccines help prevent the spread of COVID, and in the event of a breakthrough COVID case, you’re unlikely to get sick or die from COVID if you have been fully vaccinated. Our hospitals, healthcare facilities, and ICU units are nearing or at their maximum capacity putting an extreme stress on our healthcare system. 

COVID can be deadly, and almost all of the recent COVID hospitalizations and deaths are of people who have not yet been vaccinated, or are only partially vaccinated. If you haven’t yet received this safe, effective, and free vaccination, please use this link to get yours asap.  

Sincerely, 

Megan 

The Evergreen State Fair is “Back in The Saddle” again this year although it will look a little bit differently than year’s past. Because of both COVID and the national employment shortages, some of the usual events or spaces will not be available this year. The fair runs from August 26 through Labor Day, but will be completely closed on Wednesday, September 1 to give staff time to sanitize and gear up for the second half of the fair. As with lots of things impacted by COVID right now, there are changes that can happen quickly, so please be sure to check out announcements from the fairgrounds either through their Twitter on the bottom of their website before you go. Here’s a couple more suggestions and reminders to help you get back in the saddle: 

• Parking is FREE this year in any of the outside lots 
• Please follow local health and safety guidelines to ensure your safety and the safety of other fairgoers and 4-H'ers, including wearing masks and social distancing. 

I am excited to return to the fair and am already looking forward to a scone! 

Just this week the federal Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that I have been selected as one of the 35 new members of the Local Government Advisory Committee (LGAC). The prestigious 39-member LGAC represents a diverse cross-section of cities, counties, towns, and communities across the United States and convenes to provide advice and recommendations on issues related to the shared goals of promoting and protecting public health and the environment. I’m proud to be the only member on the board from Washington State and will work diligently to prioritize the protection and stewardship of our environment. 

With over 20 years of environmental protection experience, I have worked on spectrum of environmental policy areas including pesticide reduction, brownfield restoration, water quality issues with the Salmon Recovery Council, emissions reduction as a board member with Puget Sound Clean Air Agency, and participated in environmental justice programs in my work with farm workers. 

The LGAC is an independent, policy-oriented advisory committee of locally elected and appointed officials that provides policy advice and recommendations to the EPA to assist the agency in ensuring that its regulations, policies, guidance, and technical assistance improve the capacity of local governments to implement and carry out these programs. The appointment is effective immediately and will expire on December 30, 2022. 

My aide, Paula Rhyne, and I recently went on a tour of several County parks here in District 2. Sharon Swan with the County’s Department of Conservation and Natural Resources took us on a tour starting at Smith Island to hear more about the restoration projects and coordinating efforts with WDFW and City of Everett. Next stop was the 10th Street Boat Launch in Everett with views of Jetty Island and Sharon shared more about coordinating efforts with the City of Everett and the Port of Everett to renovate the public restrooms and the future facility needs. We had a brief lunch near the Paine Field ballfield and then headed to McCollum Park to hear more about plans for the County’s Food and Farming Center, Community Transit modifications, and potential reuse of the site with proximity to the Interurban Trail.  

It was a spectacular day for a tour of just a fraction of the great parks in Snohomish County. I’m proud of the County’s work and commitment to outdoor recreation and environmental restoration and preservation. With over 121 park properties, there are plenty of spaces to explore including off-leash dog areas, camping, day-use spaces, boat launches, public art, playgrounds and more. Check out their page today for a new space to explore.  

Another recent outdoor adventure that Paula and I went on was to help monitor the kelp beds near Brackett’s Landing in Edmonds. Snohomish County’s Marine Resource Center (MRC) seeks to understand how much kelp habitat is currently available in local waters, and how it is changing over time. The Snohomish MRC Members conduct kayak surveys each summer to measure kelp bed area. The MRC uses a standard protocol developed by The Northwest Straits Commission to simply and reliably monitor kelp beds. For more information about kelp in the Puget Sound refer to the Snohomish MRC webpage and the Puget Sound Kelp Conservation and Recovery Plan.  

It was an amazing day to be out on the water and lend a hand with research – most folks participating were volunteers and with the stunning kayaking conditions, I can see why they don’t have any troubles with volunteer retention. 

Here’s some pictures from the day: 

Snohomish County’s Light Rail Communities Project recently launched their latest survey. This survey is the latest part in a substantial multi-year effort to engage the public on a wide variety of topics related to the Urban Core Subarea Plan Element. 

The survey is scheduled to be open through September 12, 2021, and can be accessed at: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/LRCDevRegs. They plan to share the results of the workshop with the general public this fall. 

For more information about the Light Rail Communities project, please visit the project webpage at: https://www.snohomishcountywa.gov/4068/Light-Rail-Communities. 

Mukilteo’s Annual Lighthouse Festival 

Join the City of Mukilteo for their annual Lighthouse Festival from September 10th-12th, hosted at the Mukilteo Lighthouse! Kids can get their face painted before heading off to visit animal petting farms or bounce to their heart’s content in the bouncy houses. Adults will be able to enjoy a drink from the beer garden accompanied with musical performances! However, the marketplace has plenty of artisan goods and a fireworks display that can be enjoyed by people of all ages! The festival will also be hosting a Run-the-Muk road race and an annual festival parade. 

The Mukilteo Lighthouse Festival Association is also always looking for more volunteers to help out with these events. If you would like to be a part of planning or would like to volunteer, you can find out how to get more involved by emailing president@mukfest.com or call 425.353.5516. 

Thank you for taking the time to read my newsletter. It’s important to me to keep you updated on my work at the County and updates from my district. If you are in need of any assistance or if there is any county information that I can help to provide, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with me at Megan.Dunn@snoco.org, or with my aide at Paula.Rhyne@snoco.org. You can call our office as well at 425-388-3494 to leave a message and we’ll return your call.  

Stay Well, 

Megan