Sound like the Fill is in good hands, as you may see from this response
to an earlier letter of mine to the Chair.

Mike Smith
University of Washington
whimbrel at u.washington.edu

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 9 May 1994 10:41:06 -0700 (PDT)
From: Clement Hamilton <cwh at u.washington.edu>
To: Michael Smith <whimbrel at u.washington.edu>
Subject: Re: Montlake Fill and Parking Lot E-5

Thank you very much for your support. You have unwittingly summarized
the overall conclusions of the Union Bay Plannaing Committee, whose
report will come out in June. As I understand, the A.D. is proposing
this, but I suspect it will find little of no support in the upper
administration, and I am doing my best to ensure that is the case. Thank
you again, and I will let you know if there is anything you can do to
help lobby on this. Yours, Clem Hamilton, CUH Director

On Mon, 9 May 1994, Michael Smith wrote:

>
> Clement Hamilton, Chair
> Union Bay Planning Committee
>
> I am writing in response to the recent news about proposals for
> the Montlake Fill area and Parking Lot E-5. As I understand it, there
> are proposals underway to convert the area to soccer fields with
> bleachers, etc. I believe this would be detrimental to the current uses
> of the Fill academically and recreationally, not to mention the impact it
> would have on urban wildlife.
>
> As a birder, I have kept track of avian life at the Montlake Fill
> for almost 3 years now, documenting nesting activity of over 50 species
> there, plus the presence of many more migratory and wintering birds.
> This area is very important to birds in the Seattle area, and represents
> one of very few remaining marshes along Lake Washington. Furthermore,
> the Center for Urban Horticulture is currently trying to replace the
> exotic Himalayan Blackberry with native shrubs, in an apparent effort to
> restore native shrub habitats. Native shrubs will probably attract even
> more wildlife than the current regime.
>
> In terms of its contribution to academia at U.W., the Fill plays
> several roles, principally those of classroom and experiment station.
> For several years David Manuwal and John Wingfield have used the area to
> teach their ornithology classes for zoology and wildlife students. The
> high number of species makes it a perfect experiment station for students
> as well, and many seniors in Wildlife Sciences have fulfilled their
> thesis requirements here. These studies have been additive, and can
> continue to shed light on some of the needs of urban wildlife in Seattle.
>
> Recreationally, the Montlake Fill is a destination for many
> Seattle residents who desire a quiet area in a busy city. The presence
> of ponds, trees, and the Lake Washington frontage provide relaxing
> recreational experiences for hundreds of people every week. Canoe and
> kayak users prefer the Fill as a destination away from the noisy
> motorboat traffic on Lake Washington.
>
> Considering how few areas of grassland and marsh exist on Lake
> Washington, the importance of the Montlake Fill to Seattle and its wildlife
> cannot be underestimated. Even if upland areas are mitigated for the
> wetland loss associated with developments, the losses will still exist.
> Soccer fields are important for U.W., but the Montlake Fill is too
> important an area to sacrifice to that cause.
>
> Michael R. Smith
> Widlife Sciences AR-10
> University of Washington
>
> whimbrel at u.washington.edu
>