MoNA panel dives into sea level rise in Skagit County

Sea level rise and its impacts to the Skagit will be discussed by scientists at the Museum of Northwest Art Saturday, Oct. 28, 1:30-3:30 p.m. Audience participation is encouraged as part of the “Surge” exhibit.

Topics discussed include sea level rise estimates in the Skagit, hydrological changes and impacts to the environment including birds, salmon and estuarine wetlands, as well as to infrastructure in the Valley. Skagit County has the largest area around Puget Sound at risk from sea level rise inundation. Plans to address these impacts in the County have yet to be developed.

Marlene Finley, a retired deputy regional forester, US Forest Service, and vice president of Evergreen Islands, is facilitating. Panelists include Trina Bayard, Audubon Washington director of bird conservation; Kevin Murphy, executive director, Skagit Council of Governments; Greg Hood, senior research scientist, Skagit River Systems Cooperative; and John Rybczyk, associate professor, Department of Environmental Sciences, Western Washington University.

The event is a collaboration of Audubon Washington, Indivisible Skagit and the Skagit Climate Science Consortium.

Register and submit questions for the panelists at monamuseum.org/events/sea-level-rise-workshop.

Source: Audubon Washington