Letter: Parks Levy Will Help Green Kirkland Keep City Natural

Editor's Note: Market Neighborhood resident Nona Ganz is a former member of the Kirkland City Council and the Kirkland Park Board.

---

Dear Editor,

SUPPORT PROP 2  for Great Kirkland Parks!

Proposition 2 on the Nov. 6 general election ballot will help the Green Kirkland Partnership.  This volunteer program is amazingly successful and the benefits are huge to the entire community and to every one of us.   Since the program started, 38 acres of natural areas are in restoration, over 20,000 native trees and shrubs have been planted and over 37,000 hours of volunteer work have been logged.  That translates into an estimated total value of $767,000 that the City has saved! This program provides the best “bang for the buck”, and it creates healthy natural areas that provide clean air, better water quality and homes for bird and other wildlife.

The City provides coordination of all the volunteer work.  Private donations and grants have provided much of the funding for the small staff and for the work done in the parks.  Unfortunately, grants are drying up and it is difficult to rely on yearly private donations. With current funding, the City is struggling to just maintain the program, much less expand the program in areas where there is neighborhood interest.   Park Proposition 2 on the November ballot will make the program sustainable so that it will be able to continue its crucial work in natural area parks throughout the city.  The program is creating a better environment for all of us and for future generations.

Please vote YES on Proposition 2 to help improve our parks!

-Nona Ganz, Kirkland