Wow, what a great issue last week!

On the front page, news about discovering why animals in the islands are disappearing, and an article about our tax dollars doing something new and innovative to change our sometimes toxic effect.

Then, in letters to the editor, a very cogent synopsis of our present situation and its origin.

I’d like to add that the losses mentioned did not include puffins. As our old timers know, puffins were common on the north side of Orcas and Waldron into the ’70’s. They would qualify as the “koala bear” of the San Juans because cute appearance and behavior.

As SeaDoc and Janet (and citizens such as Bill Daniels) point out: Bring Back Our Herring! We had an enormous population. Many birds, sea mammals and local people need them and miss their presence.

Thank you to local community science like SeaDoc and the Indian Island group who not only demonstrate the truth about our waters but do it with minimal tax dollars – a splendid achievement by the Orcas community.

David Loyd, member of the County Marine Resources Committee