It seems like, once again, folks are taking the fragile ecosystem of the Hood Canal for granted. This week’s 100-gallon spill is just the latest in a series of mishaps that have marred our once thriving waterways.

Folks who turn a blind eye to such tragedies, or simply write them off as someone else’s problem are the same types of people who don’t clean up after their dogs while walking them on or nearby the beach. Someone else’s problem, right? The tide or rain will take care of it, right?

Wrong. On both counts.

Our county’s waterbound environment is under attack. Unfortunately, the few who give a damn enough to actively try to improve its situation are vastly outnumbered by those who chalk the barrage up to “facts of life” or someone else’s mess to reckon with. We are all responsible for the health of the canal, the Sound and all the bays, inlets and passages throughout.

Some balk at this. Some write it off as an issue that is out of their hands. The state, the county, and the cities should be handling this sort of thing, they argue.

While the latest spill is not something your average North Kitsap resident is equipped to clean up, it should serve as a reminder to all that while mistakes do happen, it is up to the individual in terms of whether or not he or she learns from them. But such lessons, obviously, are being ignored.

One hundred gallons of oil on the west side here, several thousand gallons on the east side there, it’s easy to lose track of who’s spilling how much and how often anymore.

What’s a North Kitsap resident to do to help the environment?

Well, if the resident in question happens to be a dog owner, the answer is quite simple: take matters into your own hands, literally. It’s a dirty job but it’s a good first step toward a cleaner Kitsap.