Watching Our Water Ways

Washington state’s salmon managers provided so much interesting information on Tuesday that I could not fit it all into my story in yesterday’s Kitsap Sun.

Pat Pattillo, salmon policy coordinator for the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, deserves recognition for his patience with me and the numerous sport and commercial fishers who ask him questions. He and WDFW Director Phil Anderson are two of the most mild-mannered guys you will ever know, and yet they manage to work through tough salmon negotiations year after year.

Let me recount some of the issues expected to come up over the next few weeks, with a focus on things not covered in my story.
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When I use the term “political power,” does it make you think of something good, bad or indifferent?

Like it or not, political power is what gets things done in our city councils, Legislature and Congress. Voting by qualified citizens is certainly one form of political power.

Whether Congress spends our money to fight wars or to restore the environment is a result of political power. Some would say we have no choice but to fight wars at key times in history. Others would argue that we have no choice but to save the Earth. But, of course, there are choices in how Congress spends our money.

I got to thinking about this after I wrote a story for today’s Kitsap Sun about U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks and his change in chairmanships in the House Appropriations Committee. Dicks will soon move from a position where he has a major say about environmental spending to a position where he will have a major say about Defense spending.

His predecessor on the Defense Appropriations Committee, Rep. John Murtha, held a reputation for wielding political power to bring federal projects to his home state of Pennsylvania.

Dicks enjoys a favorable reputation among environmentalists nationwide for his work on restoring national forests and national parks as well as his support for regulations to protect the environment. But Dicks is celebrated in his home state of Washington for his intense focus on our local forests and waterways.

That makes this Bremerton native a target for those who think our money is better spent on other things or not at all. I wonder how that perception will change when he becomes more focused on Defense issues, which attracts a more conservative constituency. That’s not to say that Dicks has not already wielded political power on defense issues, given the large number of military bases and defense-oriented companies in Washington.

For some reason, this very notion of political power seems a little distasteful, but it is how government gets things done — or not done. It is political power, after all, that the brings Republicans together in a solid block —without a single vote out of line — to block some of President Obama’s prize initiatives.

What actions would you like your government to take? As they say, political power is a little like sausage. We may not want to see the process that gets it done, but we can enjoy the result nonetheless.

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The battle over public access to Lake Tahuyeh is finally headed to court. Sport fishers would like to carry their boats down to the lake and launch them from a state-owned parcel of property. Lake residents wish to keep their “private” lake private.

I outlined the major legal issues in a story in today’s Kitsap Sun.

You may wish to return to this blog tomorrow, when I will give “live blogging” a try for the first time. At that time, you will be able to watch as I write from the courtroom, providing blow-by-blow arguments as they unfold before the judge.

Here’s the key question: If you buy a piece of property on a lake, do you have the right to open it up for public access?

When this issue first came up, I thought the outcome could set a precedent for other lakes where anglers would like to build a boat launch. But there are many aspects of this issue that are relatively unique. Here are a few:

— The question of whether Lake Tahuyeh was a natural lake or a bog.
— The point that Lake Tahuyeh was not a navigable waterway, which means the state does not own the lake bottom.
— The idea that the lake was changed substantially when it was dammed up.
— The fact that the state has never contributed to the cost of maintaining the dam or other operations on the lake.

Of course, attorneys for the state will argue that the public gained access to the lake in 1939 before most homes were built and that public rights to use the lake cannot be extinguished by any of these issues.

It will be interesting to see how these various points are argued in court.

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UPDATE, Jan. 29, 2010
Big Beef Creek continues to threaten several houses built close to the stream. The house most at risk at the moment is one belonging to Jon and Kimberly DeYoung. Read about their story and see pictures in a piece I wrote for today’s Kitsap Sun.
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It is the best of streams. It is the worst of streams.

There’s been talk lately about Big Beef Creek in Central Kitsap, where a much-traveled bridge has been closed to heavy traffic because of a washed-out bridge abutment. It appears the bridge will be closed for a couple of weeks, beginning next week. See my story in today’s Kitsap Sun.

There’s reason to believe we’ll be hearing a lot more about this stream in the future.

In my mind, Big Beef Creek is a beautiful salmon stream that has been much abused through the years. Despite a large population of people in the watershed, the creek has managed to hold onto its populations of salmon. Somehow, pollution has been mostly avoided.
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The McKernan Hatchery on Weaver Creek, a tributary of the Skokomish River, is considered an important operation by commercial chum salmon fishers and by steelhead anglers, who benefit from the fish produced there.

It is not one of the Hood Canal hatcheries we’ve often talked about that are focused on rebuilding wild salmon runs. Still, the hatchery is being operated to minimize impacts on wild salmon, as outlined in the Hatchery and Genetic Management Plan (PDF 188 kb).

Because of state budget cutbacks, McKernan was one of the salmon- and trout-rearing facilities placed on the chopping block earlier this year by the Legislature. See the story I wrote for today’s Kitsap Sun.

State Rep. Fred Finn, D-Olympia, and other legislators believe that private organizations should be given the opportunity to operate the hatchery. Perhaps revenues from the sale of eggs and salmon returning to the hatchery could help to keep the operation going, he said in a news release.

Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group, which got its start in salmon production, is one group taking a close look at the financial end of the operation.

In the next couple of months, we’ll see how things pan out under the guidance of the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife. Otherwise, the hatchery is scheduled for closure at the end of June.

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A few weeks ago, Gov. Chris Gregoire asked the Puget Sound Partnership for a list of important ecosystem projects that should be funded in her capital budget.

Following a review, Gregoire’s supplemental budget now includes $10 million for such projects, including a new bridge over Carpenter Creek, as I describe in a story in Saturday’s Kitsap Sun. The Carpenter Creek bridge, a high-priority project for years, turns out to be the most expensive item on the list from the Puget Sound Partnership.

What I did not report in my weekend story was the remainder of the projects. They include work on stormwater projects in Bremerton and Seattle, restoration work on the Nooksack River in Whatcom County and the Dungeness River in Clallam County, removal of pilings at the Asarco site in Ruston, and various other projects.

The Legislature always has the option of adding more money to pick up projects further down on the priority list or else cutting some or all of the money proposed. Here are descriptions of projects that made the $10-million cut:
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When I interviewed reporter Hedrick Smith back in April, I recall his being pleased with his soon-to-be-aired Frontline production called “Poisoned Waters,” about pollution in Puget Sound and Chesapeake Bay.

At the time, Hedrick told me that he regretted not having enough time in the two-hour program to include clips of Billy Frank, chairman of the Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, and other folks whose personal histories are tied to Puget Sound. He said he would try to find a way to share these important clips with the public.

That’s exactly what he has done in a new program focused exclusively on Puget Sound, called “Puget Sound’s Poisoned Waters.” It will air Sunday at 6:30 p.m. on KCTS Channel 9.

The documentary repeats and expands on footage shown in the original program — including killer whales, contaminated salmon, underwater footage with scuba divers in Elliott Bay and discussions about the food web.

New segments focus on an ongoing animosity between tribal fishermen and farmers in the Skagit River area. Longtime farmer Curtis Johnson complains that Native Americans “exterminated” the salmon resource by over-fishing and are now blaming others for the result. Both sides acknowledged that trust between them was nonexistent.

In stark contrast, there’s the story of Billy Frank, whose personal charm and determination bridged a similar gap between tribal members and property owners in the Nisqually Valley — including Jim Wilcox of Wilcox Farms, a huge dairy operation. And now the potential enemies are friends.

At the end of the show, KCTS reporter Enrique Cerna discusses Puget Sound issues with Hedrick Smith and Bill Ruckelshaus, chairman of the Puget Sound Leadership Council.

Ruckelshaus makes the point that people need to learn about the problems facing Puget Sound and to “put their interests on the table, not their positions.” He means that everyone has personal needs and wants, and it is quite possible to find middle ground with the needs and wants of others.

“We have to change the culture of this place,” Bill says, “in order to ensure that the way we live allows other things to share this place with us.”

I was thinking, after watching a review copy of the program on DVD, that this hour-long documentary could serve as a catalyst for discussions throughout the Puget Sound region.

Perhaps the Puget Sound Partnership ought to go on tour, playing “Puget Sound’s Poisoned Waters” in various communities around the Sound. (Be sure to provide popcorn.) Then, after watching the show together, people could talk about how they feel about their community, discuss the local water-quality problems and pose possible solutions to nurse the ecosystem back to health.

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Negotiations between the Environmental Protection Agency and manufacturers of toxic flame-retardant chemicals will result in a three-year phase-out of the last polybrominated diphenyl ether, the deca form.

Steve Owens, EPA’s assistant administrator in the Office of Prevention, Pesticides and Toxic Substances, had this to say in a news release today:

“Though DecaBDE has been used as a flame retardant for years, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has long been concerned about its impact on human health and the environment. Studies have shown that decaBDE persists in the environment, potentially causes cancer and may impact brain function. DecaBDE also can degrade to more toxic chemicals that are frequently found in the environment and are hazardous to wildlife.

“Today’s announcement by these companies to phase out decaBDE is an appropriate and responsible step to protect human health and the environment.”

Alarms bells have been sounding over PBDEs for several years. Concerns relate to liver and thyroid disease, neurological development and potential effects on the immune and reproductive systems.

Because they are persistent in the environment, these chemicals have been accumulating in the tissues of the familiar killer whales that frequent Puget Sound and the Salish Sea. See the story I wrote about toxics in orcas, October 2007.

Deca is used to reduce the risk of fire in electronics, textiles, automobiles and other applications, but other alternatives have been identified.

Today’s announcement relates to agreements with the two U.S. producers of decaBDE — Albemarle Corporation and Chemtura Corporation — along with the largest U.S. importer, ICL Industrial Products, Inc.

Under the new agreements, the companies will end production, importation and sales of decaBDE for most uses in the United States by December 31, 2012, and to end all uses by the end of 2013. Here are the letters of commitment:

Albemarle Corporation (PDF 403 kb)
Chemtura Corporation (PDF 34 kb)
ICL Industrial Products, Inc. (PDF 55 kb)

Brian Carter, global business director of Albemarle’s flame retardant group, made this comment in a prepared statement:

“While hundreds of science-based and peer-reviewed studies have shown Deca-BDE to be safe in use and one of the most efficacious flame retardants in the world, Albemarle is committed to delivering safe and effective products with increasingly smaller environmental footprints.

“Safe and environmentally sound substitutes for decabrom are available today, and we are working with our customers and the Environmental Protection Agency to implement a phase out of Deca-BDE in the coming years.”

Tony Parnell, vice president of Albemarle’s polymer solutions division, added this comment:

“In addition to our existing alternatives, Albemarle fire safety scientists have developed GreenArmor, a polymer-based flame retardant technology which is a recyclable and an eco-friendly alternative to current decabrom technology.

“Our investment in this new fire safety technology demonstrates Albemarle’s commitment to constantly seek higher-performing, sustainable alternatives to existing fire safety products.”

Meanwhile, the state of Washington remains on track to phase out PBDEs —with deca being the only one remaining. I was wondering how EPA’s agreement would mesh with Washington state’s requirements, so I called Curt Hart at the Department of Ecology.

“It is not an exact match, but it is very close,” Curt told me. “We are very pleased with the agreement that EPA has reached with these manufacturers. The good thing is that everyone now recognizes that deca is a problem as well (as other PBDEs).”

Visit Ecology’s Web site for the state’s phase-out schedule, including an important report called “Alternatives to Deca-BDE in Televisions and Computers and Residential Upholstered Furniture.”

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The Salmon Recovery Funding Board has approved the list of salmon-restoration projects put forth by regional planning entities — a total of nearly $43 million in all.

In a story in today’s Kitsap Sun, I list the projects in the Hood Canal and East Kitsap areas and remind readers of the work going on in the Skokomish River watershed. A grant of $1.7 million to the Skokomish Tribe was the largest given out for next year, though it actually was approved last May.

If you haven’t seen my four-part series, “Taming the Skokomish,” you may wish to take a look. It outlines the historic problems in the watershed and describes actions being taken to correct them.

In a news release (PDF 20 kb), Steve Tharinger, chairman of the Salmon Recovery Funding Board, explains the purpose of the grants:

“Salmon are an important part of Washington’s economy and culture. These grants are helping us reverse the decline in salmon populations we’ve seen over the past two decades. These grants are not only good for salmon, the environment and the people of Washington, but they are good for the economy because much of this money will be awarded to local organizations to do restoration work in their local communities.

“Local watershed groups develop these projects based on regional recovery plans and with the support of regional salmon recovery organizations. This ‘bottom-up’ approach to salmon recovery ensures that funding is focused on what they see happening in their communities. The projects are then checked by the state’s technical review panel to make sure they will help recover salmon in the most cost-effective manner. This local and state partnership has made Washington a national model in salmon recovery.”

To review all the projects listed by county, download the project document (PDF 178 kb) from the SRF Board’s Web site.

Last week, U.S. Sen. Patty Murray announced in a news release that she was able to keep $80 million in the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund for FY 2010. This is the fund that provides much of the money for these salmon recovery grants.

Earlier this year, the Obama administration eliminated this fund dedicated to Northwest states and put money into a fund for the recovery of fish stocks nationwide. I was told at the time that it was kind of an oversight by some staffers who had proposed the change during the Bush administration.

U.S. Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, secured a promise of $50 million in the overall fund to be set aside for Northwest salmon. But Murray and other senators were able to restore the fund itself and increase the federal contribution. That fund has now survived the conference committee’s review and is expected to become law. Some of that money will come to Washington state for the next round of funding.

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I recall a day in February of 2003 when Al Adams, Neil Werner and several others involved in the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group called me to Belfair to unveil their vision for a Pacific Northwest Salmon Center.

They had been thinking about it for years, but it was time to bring their dream out into the open and try to raise $18 million to build a 40,000-square-foot building, including an exhibit hall, classrooms, computer lab, research facilities, museum and a small theater. Check out my first story on the salmon center and initial fund-raising efforts.

Raising that amount of money has proven difficult, but the salmon center was able to acquire enough funds to secure its own property adjacent to the Theler wetlands in Belfair. Buildings at the old Jack Johnson farm have been or are being remodeled to accommodate the basic idea for the center, and managers have plans for expansion as time goes on. See my story in last Sunday’s Kitsap Sun.

Future expansion may be limited by provisions added to Mason County’s zoning code, which affect educational facilities located on agriculturally zoned land. But Salmon Center organizers say they will cross that bridge when it is time to grow.

For now, many people feel a sense of accomplishment at realizing their dream, scaled back at least for now. More than a few people believe that things have turned out for the best. After all, building the salmon center on a farm, with its ties to history and the community, may be a better fit for Belfair and this critical wetlands where Hood Canal begins.

An open house has been scheduled for Dec. 9 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the center, which is located at the end of Roessel Road in Belfair.

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