Meet our August & September 2000 Earth Heroes!

Griffin Creek Landowners
Griffin Creek area landowners, Bill Knutsen, Ina Knutsen, Stephen and Catherine Malshuk, Steve and Linda Banchero, John Banchero, and Johnny Cohn voluntarily gave up more than 15 acres of land that are now devoted entirely to habitat restoration. While Griffin Creek comprises only one percent of the Snohomish Basin area, the stream produces 20 percent of the Snohomish coho salmon population. It is the most productive coho stream in the state.

The Griffin Creek landowners have been extremely generous and receptive to the King County restoration efforts along the stream. Now the creek will have better water quality, more share, and more high qualify habitat for the thousands of fish that return every year.

John Beal
When John Beal was told he had less than a year to live, he made the decision to put his time and energy into cleaning up Hamm Creek, which runs from White Center ending at the Duwamish River. Today, 22 years later, this once polluted and neglected 3.5 mile stream has been brought back to its natural state where fish and other habitat have begun to thrive thanks to Beal's unparalleled commitment and vision.

Today, Hamm Creek serves as a $3 million project site that will open up the stream to 1000 feet of daylight and create a new areas for young salmon through an agreement signed by King County and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in May 1999. John Beal has received numerous local, regional and national awards for his leadership efforts in watershed restoration efforts, preservation, conservation and community involvement and collaboration.

» Read the related news release

From left: Lana Beal, John Beal, Kirk Thomson (the Boeing Company), Councilmember Larry Phillips, Johnny Cohn (Griffin Creek landowner), Dean Tougas (the Boeing Company), Bill Knutson (Griffin Creek landowner), Stephen Malshuk (Griffin Creek landowner), Anthony Malshuk, Nikolas Malshuk, Catherine Malshuk (Griffin Creek landowner), and Executive Ron Sims.
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