Jerry Larson - Rest in Peace

Birch Bay, Whatcom County and Puget Sound are going to miss Jerry Larson, who died on Thursday, January 27, 2011.

He was a tireless activist on behalf of fin and shellfish, particularly in his beloved Birch Bay, but extending to the surrounding area.

We first met Jerry shortly after coming to Birch Bay a little over seven years ago. He was poking around in a bowl of water containing nematodes and other critters, participating in a Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association workshop on water quality in Terrell Creek.

He was a constant presence at Birch Bay Steering Committee meetings, always ensuring that the decisions being made would enhance the watershed and protect the bay as habitat for his cherished shell- and fin fish.

Within hours of his son Keith's e-mail notification of his death, friends and colleagues were reacting to the news:

“It's a sad day in Birch Bay,” said Kathy Berg, chair, Birch Bay Steering Committee. 

“Jerry will always be smiling as we work to restore the chum run in Terrell Creek... or spreading oyster seed in Birch Bay,” said Steve Seymour, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. 

“I owe so much to Jerry and he asked for so little. Truly a precious soul to watch over all of us from the smallest seed clam to the water itself,” said Martha Simonsen, health educator, bariatric clinician.

“My thoughts go out to everyone in the Larson family and all of the people in our community that knew and appreciated Jerry. We are going to miss his presence tremendously,” said Rachel Vasak, executive director, Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association.

The Lummi Island Watershed Enhancement Committee published their own tribute to Jerry at

http://liwec.wordpress.com/2011/01/28/gerold-larson-jerry/.

We sent our thoughts to Keith: “Our deepest condolences to you and your family. We know Jerry from his work with the Chums of Terrell Creek, seeking to restore salmon to the creek. We were concerned about him because our e-mail to him last week bounced back. Please do keep us informed of any services or memorials. If there is anything we can do to help in this difficult time, please just ask,” Ruth Higgins and Al Krause. 

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Please feel free to post your comments. We will publish them here. R&A 

Optimism for Terrell Creek and the Bay

Over the weekend Elie Friedlob, the founder and leader of The Chums of Terrell Creek, reported that numerous large salmon were spotted near the creek's prime spawning grounds. This is good news for those who have been working for eight years to bring fish back to the stream.

Coincidentally, Friday morning Ingrid Enschede, the outreach manager for BBWARM – Birch Bay Watershed and Aquatic Resources Management – convened a meeting of people involved in improving the quality of water in the creek's watershed and the bay. Twenty-one people, many from the Whatcom County Planning and Public Works Departments, attended the gathering at the S­emiahmoo fire station to report on their activities. In total, their reports are impressive.

Rachel Vasak, executive director of NSEA – the Nooksack Salmon Enhancement Association – the parent organization of the Chums, explained how her group will continue to plant trees with volunteer work parties, and pursue other endeavors to improve stream habitat. She mentioned an agreement to increase the flow from Lake Terrell into the creek during dry months.

Steve Seymour, of the Washington State Fish and Wildlife Department, said that the allocation of chum eggs for the remote site incubator, operated with NSEA, will be increased to 100,000 this year, up from 30,000 in the last batch. He also reported a channel will be dug around the dam that separates the creek from the lake so that fish can swim to a freshwater stream that flows into the lake.

George Boggs, executive director of the Whatcom Conservation District, spoke about implementation of a $730,000 grant from the Federal Environmental Protection Agency for a four-year program to reduce nutrient and pathogen contamination. He is about to hire the key person who will go door-to-door to ask landowners to voluntarily limit pollution. Those who agree will receive the help of experts in Mr. Boggs' organization.

The County Council has been ridiculed for making homeowner reporting of septic tank inspections voluntary. However, Ms. Enschede reported that of the 690 who were asked to make inspections last February, 468 responded, with almost 200 stating the need for maintenance. One participant suggested that you could bet that those who didn't respond have faulty tanks, then added that a low-interest, long-term loan program makes repairs affordable.

The importance of improving and maintaining water quality was underscored by Ted Morris, Birch Bay State Park manager, who reported that 700,000 visitors and 50,000 campers came to the park last year and that Birch Bay is ranked as the No. 1 shellfish beach in the state.