It was a still evening as the sun set over the bay on the landscape in front of my art studio, and I specifically painted this oil painting to celebrate the rare remaining coastal woods in the area that animals call home. Stanwood is the closest town to the south. We are at a crucial time where City and County Council’s decisions directly affect what happens to this land by either creating tax incentives for landowners to preserve wild spaces, create nature preserves, support the creation of self-subsistence rural home lots, or they can provide incentives for large corporate track home developers and businesses to alter the landscape forever. Other areas in the state that have preserved their way of life and have created large green spaces for habitat and recreation are the ones with the highest appeal and have the greatest tourist draw ($$). Their communities and businesses benefit immensely from visitor’s revenue. And they are not the only ones who benefit: so will the ecosystem and the wildlife that call this place home.