Published Winter 2005/06

25 Years and a Beautiful New Facility.

The sun shone on an enthusiastic crowd of well-wishers and long-time Padilla Bay supporters for Padilla Bay's Facility Dedication and 25th Anniversary Open House October 1, 2005. The Reserve was honored by the presence of many supporters, including US Senator Patty Murray, the director of Department of Ecology, Jay Manning, and Eldon Hout, the director of NOAA's Office of Ocean and Coastal Resource Management.

At left, Jay Manning, Patty Murray and Terry Stevens, Reserve Manager, cut the eelgrass ribbon with a hefty pair of lopping shears.

Congress provided the majority of the funding with a $5.47 million appropriation. These funds, administered by NOAA, required matching funds from non-federal sources at a rate of $1 non-federal funds for every $2.30 of federal funds. The non-profit Padilla Bay Foundation took the challenge and succeeded in raising $168,000. State funds provided the rest.

With hard work from the Foundation and generous help from many private and corporate donations the Reserve now serves the community with a new meeting room accommodating up to 100 people, a new research laboratory, a public library focused on estuary resources, and new office space for staff and volunteers. The Breazeale farmhouse was renovated with new insulation, an energy efficient furnace, and improved use of space. Visiting research scientists can now stay in the new bunkhouse and the beautiful barn was reinforced to meet seismic code requirements. The barn interior was also improved and photovoltaic panels were installed on its south-facing roof to capture solar energy.

Reserve staff members and the Department of Ecology are thankful for this great expression of commitment from the community.