About WRA Office

http://wildernessrim.org

Wilderness Rim Association Office

Posts by WRA Office:

Firewise Education

Wildfire prevention is something Smokey the Bear has taught for decades.  Did you see him at Cascade Park on Saturday, April 4?  Neighbors young and old watched and participated in a variety of fun educational activities put on by the WRA Firewise Committee.

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King County DNRP Project Program Manager, Linda Vane, spoke about vegetation and strategies for maintaining the areas around your home.  She also brought materials (available in the WRA Office or online) for neighbors to see more examples of what the true dangers of living in a “Moderate Hazard” for wildfire neighborhood and what to do about it on your property.

 

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Doug Greathouse, WRA Park Co-Chair, gave us all a demo of how quickly simple needles and leaves can burst into flames.

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Matt Rourke, Chair of the FIrewise Committee and current WRA Trustee, is a forestry expert.  He demonstrated techniques with tools and discussed how to keep your trees healthy as well as safety for your property.

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Evergreen Tree Care, Inc. came out with a chipper truck and climbing crew.  Watching the skill of removing some of the dangerous branches over the WRA Office was fascinating!  Thank you to the teams for demonstrating ways we can keep our homes safe.

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2015 Easter Egg Hunt and Peep Roast

Fun times were had by all who attended this year’s Easter Egg Hunt and Peep Roast!

THANK YOU to those who volunteered by stuffing eggs, making signs, inviting friends, stoking the fire, hiding the goodies, cleaning up, and the many other details to make this event happen!  Living in a neighborhood with such fun, caring people is amazing.

1.01HereTheyComeDougEarsPresidentSteveEarsEggs YumSmores2 YumSmores Smores2SmoresCuteKidHuntingforEggsintheWoodsChrisBunnyCountingtheSpoilsRhodyEggs
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Would you like to be part of more events like this?  Email events@wildernessrim.org or office@wildernessrim.org with your ideas or skills that you would like to use to serve your community.

Tree Removal Standards for the Wilderness Rim Area

WRA Tree Removal Guidelines

WRA members are not required to obtain approval of the ARC before removing trees, however, the WRA ARC Guideline 8.12.1 states that “Trees removed for safety or other reasons shall be replaced to maintain the natural sylvan environment of Wilderness Rim.”

DPER Tree Removal Standards for the Wilderness Rim Area  (Residents must confirm their permitting obligations with King County DPER and WRA does not assume any liability from actions taken by homeowners and does not guarantee the accuracy of information provided in this bulletin):

You do not need a permit to remove trees on your property in Wilderness Rim if:

  • The total combined area of the tree canopy to be removed covers less than 7,000 square feet, or
  • The tree(s) present immediate danger to property or life.

You must obtain a permit from DPER for removing trees on your property in Wilderness Rim if:

  • The total combined area of the tree canopy to be removed covers more than 7,000 square feet.
  • The tree(s) you wish to remove is within a critical area (wetland, steep slope, etc.) or their buffers.

Except in hazardous situations, WRA members are encouraged to find out if their work area is affected by critical areas or their buffers.

King County FEMA Grant Presentation and Q&A Wednesday April 15th @7 PM

King County recently received a FEMA grant to design, permit and construct a flood mitigation project for Wilderness Rim. The work will be done in phases, with some starting this summer (2015) and other parts continuing in future summers estimating to complete in 2017.

 

This Wednesday, April 15th at 7 PM in the Chalet, King County project engineers plan to give a brief overview of the proposal and timeline for work.  The community is invited to hear the proposal and ask questions before the regularly scheduled board meeting at 7:30 PM.

 

Below is the proposal that was presented to the community in 2012.  Please feel free to reach out to office@wildernessrim.org if you have any questions.

 

King County FEMA Grant Proposal 2012

FEMA Chart

Holiday Light Contest

It’s beginning to look a lot like Christmas with all the lights going up around the Rim.   If you would like to be a part of the fun, here are the details:

If you have lights up, you are automatically entered!

Judges will meet Thursday, December 18th at the Chalet @ 6:30 PM.  They will drive around the neighborhood with maps and clipboards to record their votes, and then will meet up back at the Chalet for hot cocoa and vote counting.

PRIZES:

First Place:  $50 gift certificate to Boxley’s Restaurant in North Bend AND a ride in our very own Station 88 Fire Engine!
Second and Third Places: $25 gift certificates to Boxley’s Restaurant

Also donated by Ace Hardware: $25 gift certificate

A HUGE THANK YOU to Boxley’s and ACE for sponsoring the event and to our volunteer fire fighters who serve our community.  Merry Christmas!

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Ace

Station 88

 

 

 

Identity Theft Protection Tips

One of the most popular ways for thieves to steal your identity is through your mailbox.  Here are some tips to help prevent mail theft:MailboxRed

1. During the holidays, don’t leave outgoing mail in an unlocked mailbox.

2. Take your outgoing mail to a blue collection box (there is one at the fire station in the Rim) or the post office, and don’t leave your mail in a collection box that is full.

3. Pick up your mail right away after it is delivered.

4. Get a locked mailbox and make sure that the mail slot is big enough for the letter carrier to insert your mail.

5. Have regular income checks deposited electronically into your bank account via direct deposit.

6. If you are expecting credit cards, checks or other valuable mail and don’t receive them, promptly contact the senders.

7. If you see suspicious activity on your street promptly call 911 and report it to police and safety@wildernessrim.org.

8. You may want to “opt out” of receiving pre-approved credit and insurance offers from the credit bureau mailing lists by calling 1-888-5OPTOUT (1-888-567-8688) or by visiting online at www.optoutprescreen.com.

Puget Sound Energy (PSE) – New Mobile Outage Reporting App

Here in Wilderness Rim, the power is serviced by Puget Sound Energy.  PSE customers can now get a mobile reporting app to keep tabs on power outages.  According to a PSE media release, the app is available for most web-enabled smartphones and tablets. It can be used 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.  Even if the electricity is out at a customer’s home or business, they can still access the app to get the information they need.PowerLines
Key features of the app include:

  • Report power outages to PSE
  • View a map of outages
  • Get estimated restoration times
  • See the number of customers affected in neighborhoods
  • Report natural gas emergencies

 

PSE customers can download the new app to their Apple iOS, Android and Windows smartphones and tablets from the various app stores. Search for “Puget Sound Energy” or “myPSE.” The easiest way to report an outage is to use the app. To do that, customers use their myPSE account information to log in; they can also quickly set up their account on the app if they need to.  Outage reports can also be made at PSE.com or by calling 1-888-225-5773.

 

Covenants Explained – #4

The Architectural Review Committee (ARC) is a group of elected members who are responsible for dealing with issues of the Wilderness Rim Covenants.  The covenants were set up in 1967 when the Rim was organized by the American Pacific Corporation.  These rules are designed to protect homeowners and ensure the most beneficial development, as well as prevent activities that might diminish the value or enjoyment of our beautiful residential area.

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One of the most misunderstood covenants is Covenant #4 which covers the keeping of animals.  It states that no livestock, poultry or animals can be raised, bred, or kept on any lot.  This does not include “house pets” like dogs and cats, but breeding or sales of these animals commercially is prohibited.

 

The reasons for the no livestock covenant are as follows:

  1. Health issues:  Poultry especially carry Salmonella bacteria on their bodies and in feces.  They can also carry viruses and fungi that can be infectious to humans.  All livestock can harbor parasites and attract flies and other noxious insects.
  2. Rodent attraction: Food bits and feces attract rats, mice, and other small animals.
  3. Predator attraction: Chickens and other small animals attract large predators like bears, coyotes, and cougars, all which live in our area.  These predators are a danger to animals as well as to humans.  More about Washington State law and predator attraction can be found here:  http://wildernessrim.org/bear-sightings-and-washington-law/
  4. Noise and smell: Live animals can negatively impact the enjoyment on our neighborhood.

 

All the Covenants are posted on our website (www.wildernessrim.org/legal).  Questions can be sent to ARC at ARC@wildernessrim.org or give the office a call.  Please check future newsletters and the website for explanations of WRA’s other covenants.