Gary and Tweeters,

Viti Rocks are undoubtedly in Skagit County (as is Eliza Rock and the very
southern tip of Lummi Island.) The county boundary across the water is a
straight east-west line at latitude 48.645 degrees, as shown on both the
USGS topographic maps and the DeLorme Atlas. The USGS maps are more
authoritative than anything that would be published by counties themselves,
and that's good enough for me. Counties do not determine their own
boundaries; the boundaries are determined for them by higher authorities.

Gary, perhaps this should be a lesson for you. Don't believe something just
because "the locals said it was so"!

Wayne C. Weber
Delta, BC
contopus at telus.net




-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of Stark, John
Sent: August-26-11 9:56 AM
To: jbroadus at seanet.com; tweeters tweeters; Gary Bletsch
Subject: RE: [Tweeters] Viti Rocks

I am referring this entire boundary crisis to Dean Kahn, our resident
writer/expert on historical matters. Jbroadus's citing of state statute is
persuasive. Was the boundary ever adjusted by the legislature? If not, what
is the basis of Whatcom County's claim?

For the sake of birders and their county lists, this question must be
clarified, before tensions escalate further.


John Stark, Reporter
The Bellingham Herald and TheBellinghamHerald.com
1155 N. State St., Bellingham, WA 98225
Voice: (360) 715-2274
Fax: (360) 756-2826
E-mail: john.stark at bellinghamherald.com
Visit us at www.bellinghamherald.com



-----Original Message-----
From: tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu
[mailto:tweeters-bounces at mailman1.u.washington.edu] On Behalf Of
jbroadus at seanet.com
Sent: Thursday, August 25, 2011 10:19 PM
To: tweeters; Gary Bletsch
Subject: Re: [Tweeters] Viti Rocks

Hmm: what a fix for county listers to find themselves in. This may be a
tough, and probably political, question. The county boundary between Skagit
and Whatcom was originally set by the territorial legislature prior to
statehood. RCW 36.04.290 (Skagit) and RCW 36.04.370 (Whatcom) both state
that the boundary follows the 9th. Standard Parallel, which is the line
between townships 36 and 37. That line was run straight west by the GLO, and
it crosses the south end of Lummi Island. There was no curve in it at all.
This would clearly put Viti Rocks in Skagit County. The USGS 1:500,000
scale map (1982) shows it that way, with a straight east west boundary.
However, the BLM (which succeeded the GLO) maps and master title plats show
the county boundary curving to the south, around the south end of Lummi
Island, which would probably put Viti Rocks in Whatcom County. What to do?
Does anyone know if the boundary had been curved to the south of Lummi more
recently than the statutes state? (There is indeed a court process in state
law to change a county boundary). Or, is it just a convenient line to
define jurisdictions, such as for taxes or law enforcement? Who would tell
the shorebirds???


Date sent: Thu, 25 Aug 2011 21:04:12 -0700 (PDT)
From: Gary Bletsch <garybletsch at yahoo.com>
To: tweeters <tweeters at u.washington.edu>
Subject: [Tweeters] Viti Rocks

> Dear Tweeters,
>
> A birder up in Bellingham e-mailed me to say that Viti Rocks are in
> Whatcom, not Skagit. Birders here in Skagit have told me they were in
> Skagit, and I've always taken them at their word. Various maps show
> at least three very different curves to the county line in that area,
> two of which show the rocks being in Skagit.
>
> However, Skagit County's own website has a map that shows the Viti
> Rocks being in Whatcom, so I reckon they really aren't in
> Skagit--despite what people here have been telling me for quite some
> time. DeLorme Atlas and Gazetteer is one of the places where the
> border is drawn wrong; the DeLorme map showing the incorrect border is
> on page 108.
>
> The link to Skagit's map is:
> http://www.skagitcounty.net/Gis/Applications/imap/asp/iMap.asp
>
> Rats! I guess I had 14 shorebirds in Skagit, not sixteen, and so my
> all-time best Skagit shorebird day is still stuck at 14! However,
> visiting these rocks is really very nice, even if they end up being
> transferred to Garfield County or Timbuktu, and I will just console
> myself with having obtained some nice Whatcom ticks for the day!
>
> Yours truly,
>
> Gary
>
> Gary Bletsch?Near Lyman, Washington (Skagit County), USA?
> garybletsch at yahoo.com?Mentre che li occhi per la fronda verde ficcava
> ?o s? come far suole chi dietro a li uccellin sua vita perde, lo pi?
> che padre mi dicea: ?Figliuole, vienne oramai, ch? ?l tempo che n??
> imposto pi? utilmente compartir si vuole?.
> _______________________________________________ Tweeters mailing list
> Tweeters at u.washington.edu
> http://mailman1.u.washington.edu/mailman/listinfo/tweeters

Jerry Broadus
PLS 17660