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SK Newsletter: October 6, 2009
By Christopher Cunningham
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Photo by Nadja & Jim Zimmerman |
Strawberry Island is a half-mile long sliver of rock that lies at the edge of Washington’s San Juan Islands. For years its south end has offered people in small boats a beautiful place to come ashore, pitch a tent and cook dinner in a fire ring. The island is under the management of the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). This summer the DNR removed the facilities and posted a sign that read: Attention Reduced Services, No Facilities, No Camping, No Fires, Please pack out trash, litter and human waste. Thank You.” The sign directed people to the state DNR web site.
In the months that have passed since the services were “reduced,” boaters have still been landing on the island. In the absence of the outhouse, the visitors have taken their business to the bushes. The landscape is now flocked with toilet paper and the air smells like…well, just what you would imagine it would smell like. In the absence of a fire ring, fire scars have appeared elsewhere on the island. The absence of a campsite, at this stage, is immaterial. The island is in such a state that no one would want to camp on it. Some local paddlers have documented the decay of Strawberry Island in a photo album.
To be fair, the DNR, faced by budget cuts, has had to make some very difficult decisions. It would stand to reason though, that a “creative solution” to caring for Strawberry Island could have done better than to remove the facilities and let the island fend for itself. “If you build it, they will come,” whether it’s a baseball field or an outhouse. Unfortunately for Strawberry Island, if you take it down, they’ll continue to come. And they’ll need a place to go.
In our June 2008 issue (“Outdoor Waste Systems” by Kristin Greenaway) we reviewed a number of kayak-portable systems for packing out waste. It can be as simple as a few sheets of newspaper, a zip lock bag and a dedicated (and reliable) dry bag. It’s not as bad as you might think and it sure beats coming ashore where people have not been so conscientious or who have not been prepared to cope with the lack of an outhouse.
State Departments of Natural Resources are there to serve the public interest. If they are unaware of the support volunteer organizations can bring to their efforts to preserve the landscape, there are likely to be more lands that suffer the same fate as Strawberry Island. Through kayak clubs and water trail organizations, you can make your voice heard. If the DNR knows we’re willing to pitch in, they might come to us and ask for our help when their own resources are in short supply.
The removal of a single outhouse from Strawberry has had a quick, dramatic and heartbreaking impact on one island. There may come a time when the DNR can repair the damage that has been done, and it seems likely the cost of the clean-up could exceed the savings gained by removing the facilities. Until then, Strawberry Island should be our call to action to prevent the same fate from befalling other places that we count on being there when we want to bring our kayaks ashore. |
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