Cain Creek cleanup event slated for April 28

Cain Creek. Photo by Oliver Lazenby

By Oliver Lazenby

Nature’s Path is sponsoring a community cleanup event at the future Cain Creek Park on Saturday, April 28. The cleanup will be held from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m., starting at the intersection of Blaine Avenue and Steen Street, in the Salishan neighborhood.

Cleanup will include trash pick-up removing weeds and planting native trees. Participants should bring boots, gloves and yard tools, said Alex Wenger, City of Blaine community planner.

The site between Interstate 5 and the 800 block of Blaine Street is currently undeveloped. Plans for the park include a trail around the perimeter, a boardwalk and bridge over the creek, interpretive signs, a small lawn at the park’s south end and several picnic tables. It will stay mostly undeveloped, especially along the creek.

Nature’s Path, a local organic food manufacturer, will pay for the dump run, bring employees to help with the work and provide water and snack bars.

Nature’s Path committed $3,000 to restoring a section of the park as part of a settlement with the Washington State Department of Ecology after the company racked up 39 water quality permit violations for discharging acidic wastewater into Blaine’s treatment system.

Also as part of the settlement, Nature’s Path funded the purchase of two undeveloped parcels in the future park. The City of Blaine hopes to acquire three more properties inside the park’s planned boundary, Wenger said.

For more information about the cleanup, contact the city of Blaine at 360/332-8311.