The article “75% of North American bird species in decline” (May 2, Nation & World) hits home locally, due to the potential damage to Magnuson Park’s wetland bird health that may be coming down the pike soon.
Seattle Parks and Recreation plans to build an 80,000-square-foot, 25-court pickleball complex within a stone’s throw of the wetlands preserves in which we invested $3 million of our city taxpayer funds and millions more in other public money about 20 years ago. Impacts from noise and light pollution have so far been downplayed or ignored. Parks’ Magnuson Park proposal comes after the sound defeat of a smaller pickleball project proposal in West Seattle’s Lincoln Park, due to public outrage over similar bird impacts.
It might be time for the Seattle City Council to start paying attention to Parks’ insensitive environmental record and fully address this project’s impacts on bird populations, human wetlands trail users and nearby residents
Tim Bernthal, Seattle (pickleball enthusiast and Birds Connect Seattle member)