All of the parks are currently being used by dog owners in defiance of both
leash & pooper scooper laws. Some of the owners are birders! Law
enforcement has been spotty at best. Setting aside a portion of selected
parks with strict enforcement might be better than what we have now. Over
the past decade populations of pheasants and quail at Magnuson Park have
decreased. Short-eared Owls no longer nest there and winter-time use by
the owls and Northern Harriers has decreased markedly. During this period
the construction of the kite hill occurred, the boat-launch parking area
was expanded (destroying a seasonal wetland), human and dog use increased,
use of the playfields increased and a mowing program was instituted. The
mowing took place in areas used by dog owners, along the roadways, in
grassy areas used by roosting pheasants and in a mitigated seasonal
wetland, among other areas. The mowing was somewhat curtailed after a
number of protests. Magnuson has been fortunate in having a number of wild
areas that have significant wildlife value; including supporting a family
of coyotes for a while.

A combination of multiple use and the Parks Departments desire to "improve"
the park has had a severe and continuing impact. One of the playfields is
being expanded at the moment. Will designated dog-running areas create a
real improvement? Quite possibly, if dogs are restricted to those areas
and regulations are enforced. I have my doubts but am willing to support
the experiment. However, in the long run I believe the Parks Dept. itself
is the real enemy. They have an urban parks mindset that views boat
launching, organized sports, dog running, kite flying, jogging, etc. in a
manicured, mowed environment as the highest and best use. In the process
we are losing urban wildlife habitat and opportunities for other forms of
recreation and education. Although this is a Seattle issue I think the
lessons learned are applicable to other cities with unimproved areas.

Herb Curl

h.curl at hazmat.noaa.gov "You may be only young once but you can be
Hazmat/NOAA, 7600 Sand Pt. Wy., NE immature the rest of your life."
Seattle, WA 98115-0070
(206) 526-6272