Dispatches | The Bellingham Herald

KEY PEN PARKS

Park district seeks input on Gateway Park

A second public planning workshop has been scheduled for Dec. 3 to discuss development of Gateway Park on the Key Peninsula.

Staffers from Key Pen Parks will be on hand at 6:30 p.m. at Minter Creek Elementary School. In addition, Robert Droll, a landscape architect specializing in park design, will have preliminary sketches and lead the discussion on the future of the park.

Scott Gallacher, executive director for the district, said they are urging users of all ages and from all locations to attend the workshop and share their visions for the park.

For more information, contact Gallacher at 253-884-9240 or scottg@keypenparks.com.

Boating

Bar crossing info available on social media

Staffers with the U.S. Coast Guard’s 13th District have started using social media for river bar closure announcements along the Pacific Northwest coast.

Announcements of bar closures have historically been sent out using press releases and posted to the Coast Guard newsroom at uscgnews.com.

The transition to the use of social media is a move to get the information to potentially affected users of the waterway quickly and more efficiently.

Announcements will be posted at twitter.com/ USCGPacificNW and facebook.com/USCGPNW.

Continually updated bar information can also be found at wrh.noaa.gov/ pqr/marine/bars_mover. php.

Bar information for specific areas can also be heard by calling the local Coast Guard’s small boat stations and listening to their automated updates or listening to the local notice to mariners broadcast on VHF-FM Channel 16.

Fishing

Advisers sought for inland fisheries board

Up to 15 people will be chosen to serve on the state’s Inland Fish Policy Advisory Group for 2015 and 2016.

Those chosen will provide guidance to the state Department of Fish and Wildlife on management issues related to species such as trout, bass, panfish and kokanee.

Advisers should have a broad interest in inland fish management and the ability to communicate effectively with large segments of the public, according to a press release.

The group meets about three times per year, and advisers are asked periodically to comment on written materials throughout the year. Advisers serve for a term of two years and can be reappointed. These appointments become effective Feb. 1. Current members can reapply.

Advisers do not receive direct compensation for their work.

Applications must include the following information:

•  The nominee’s name, address and telephone number.

•  The nominee’s constituent group affiliations, if any. If representing a specific constituent group, the nominee’s application must have a letter from that group stating its nomination of that person.

•  The name, address and telephone number of any organization submitting a nomination.

•  Relevant experience, including any species or areas of interest, as well as references.

Nominations, which must be received by Dec. 31, should be submitted to Bruce Bolding, WDFW Fish Management Division, by mail: 600 Capitol Way N., Olympia, WA, 98501; or by email to Bruce.Bolding@dfw.wa.gov. More information is available by contacting Bolding at 360-902-8417.

Compiled by Jeffrey P. Mayor, jeff.mayor@thenewstribune.com