Reader View: The degradation of Yost Park

I do not want to be writing this letter, but having exhausted every official channel I can think of, from letters to Edmonds Parks and Recreation to councilmembers and others, I must hesitantly “go public.” I have lived near the park for going on 16 years and visit almost daily. In the last few years, the park has experienced significant degradation.

The Pool: Since Cascade Swim Club took over management of the pool, some of the coaches/attendants have found it necessary to play music loud enough to be heard hundreds of yards away (as measured using Google Earth tools). I have repeatedly complained to parks and city council about it as well as to the club itself and individuals at the pool. I have been repeatedly gaslighted on this both by parks and staff at the pool, being told that I couldn’t possibly be hearing music way over there. I’m not against music being played, if it’s quiet. But again on a recent morning, I could plainly hear John Mellencamp, even though I was at least 100 yards from the speakers at the pool. But no, this couldn’t possibly have been the case according to parks and the pool. Oh, yeah, life goes on, long after the thrill of living is gone. I actually like the song, but I shouldn’t have to hear it when I’m walking through the wooded trails of Yost Park.There appears to be nothing impermissible about the music. I know parks has urged the pool staff to turn it down. The neighborly thing to do would be to do so, by everyone working there. It’s ironic that just next to the pool on the fence is a sign from the National Wildlife Federation declaring the area official wildlife habitat.

Wilderness Camps: So-called wilderness camps have been operating in the park for several years. With the recent change in ownership, their impact on the park itself and on other users has greatly increased. Participants are trampling stream banks, running through the stream bed, treading heavily around tree trunks, constructing new and widening existing trails, and building unsightly shelters that are left for days at a time. These activities contribute to erosion and silt in the bed of Shell Creek, a salmon stream lower down which flows into Puget Sound. Heavy trampling around trees compresses soil that can then weaken root systems and kill trees. That is why national parks often put fences around trees. Worst of all is the noise. Sometimes the screaming and shouting are so loud, it is intolerable to go anywhere near what used to be one of the quiet sections of the park. I can even occasionally hear the noise 200 yards away outside the park at my home! Now, the wooded sections of Yost in the summer are essentially a playground. It’s great that children may be learning something about the natural environment instead of being on phones and devices. But at what cost to the park’s physical and acoustic ecosystems and the enjoyment of other visitors? Councilmembers have told me basically the noise is completely permissible. As for the physical harm being done to the park, there seems to be little if any oversight of the activities of the camp(s) by parks officials.

Maintenance: One of the major bridges in the park has been closed for years. There is a discarded post that has sat alongside a trail for years. There is a plywood signpost with nothing on it but graffiti along one trail. It has been there for years. There was a grove of pampas grass plants on a steep embankment near the pool. A backhoe came and tore them all out, leaving an unsightly bare slope prone to erosion. This was months ago. Rains have come and gone, adding to the silt load that will eventually reach the creek. Plus, it is very ugly. Steep trails in the park have no runoff diversions, so when it rains, water flows straight down them, toward the valley bottom and Shell Creek. This is exacerbated by heavy use and mountain bikes, which skid down the steep trails. There are other issues of safety, use, and maintenance I don’t have space to go into.

To me, this is a kind of battle for the soul of the park. Those like me (and yes, there are others) believe that at least some of the peace and quiet of a wooded park like Yost should be preserved for those who seek a little solace and tranquility. The salubrious effects of immersion in nature are well-documented, as are the deleterious effects of noise. With an apparent deference toward those organizations that bring in revenue, Edmonds Park officials and the City seem to believe that the park should be used as much as possible by as many people as possible in as many ways as possible, even if such use really amounts to environmental abuse. Salmon can’t thrive in silt-choked waterways. Birds need to hear each other. Some of us humans like to hear them, too.

— By Vince Barnes

Author Vince Barnes lives in Edmonds

Editor’s note: We offered the City of Edmonds an opportunity to respond and they supplied the following statement.

Our parks are meant to be enjoyed by residents and visitors of all ages and allow for both active and passive recreation and enjoyment. As such, noise can and does emanate from the users of our public parks. Allowing wilderness camps for youth to operate in Yost Park nurtures good stewardship of our natural spaces through education and exploration. Camp leaders diligently reinforce that camp participants are to be respectful of the trails, plants, and trees while exploring. In a heavily wooded space, at times limbs and trees may fall requiring bridge or trail closures. The indefinite closure of bridge #6 is a larger issue that involves numerous environmental agencies’ rules, regulations, and permits. Efforts are being made to address how we move forward while following best practices. Cascade Swim Club, which operates Yost Pool, is aware of the impacts of the music heard outside of the pool area and is conscientious about keeping the volume at a minimal level for swimmers.