Trust Meeting The three-person board consists of Joseph Miller, Dorothy Bird and Jim Bertolino, who will serve for one year. Once the complete by-laws have been approved by the membership, the board will elect, from among themselves, a Chairperson, Treasurer and Secretary. The statement of purpose for the organization is worded to cover the focus and activities of the Trust, and to help provide us with legal "standing to sue." We have retained the well-known Seattle attorney Marvin Durning, and he made a number of suggestions for our by-laws and our statement of purpose. Statement of Purpose The purpose of The Guemes Island Environmental Trust is to protect and enhance the quality of life on and around Guemes Island, emphasizing the integrity and safety of the interdependent ecosystem, which includes sea life, plant life, animal life and the human community. The purity of the air we breathe and water we drink, the peace and quiet that have been historical characteristics of life on Guemes, and all those things that might be said to accrue value to this place, are intrinsic to the quality of life and must be protected. The Trust will facilitate the gathering and sharing of information and, when necessary, take positions and appropriate action, including legal action, in order to sustain, restore and renew the dynamic stability and beauty of the Guemes biotic community.
At the meeting we constituted an "Earth Day" committee, and heard reports from members involved with recycling, water quality and the Navy's A-6 flights. Bertolino recounted a meeting with the new NAS Whidbey base commander, Captain Waggoner, who agreed to provide air-disaster training for our island fire department. The Trust has been very active and effective since the last Newsletter came out, as many of the articles in this issue will demonstrate. -Jim Bertolino, Spring 1990 |
