Brian Mittge, The Chronicle, 12/1/2000
Major governments and tribes within the Chehalis River Basin Partnership decided Thursday to focus more of the group's energy on putting and keeping more water in the watershed.
The initiating governments for the Chehalis River Basin Partnership met to measure progress on the group's main goals for the Chehalis watershed: quantity of water, quality of water, fish habitat and instream flows.
With so many tasks and so many potentially competing interest groups, Centralia Community Development Director Terry Calkins urged the group to focus on the minimum required by law. The minimum required at this point is quantity, he said.
He added that the group could add the other aspects of watershed health later.
Lee Hansmann of Grays Harbor County agreed, adding that she feels relatively comfortable with the habitat restoration tasks, but thinks more effort needs to be spent on finding ways to improve the amount of water in the watershed.
Members also urged those in attendance, especially county commissioners, to ''carry the message'' back to the people who would eventually be affected by the final plan.
''I don't want to drop this plan on your desk without you having an opportunity to participate in the process,'' Hansmann said.
State legislation requires a final plan by 2003.
Brian Shea, Aberdeen planning director, added that the final plan might require sacrifices that ''won't be easy politically,'' such as changes to land use and water rights practices.
For this reason, the group agreed, all interested parties need to participate.
''Now is the time to get started if you haven't been involved before,'' Calkins said.
Representatives from Aberdeen and Centralia expressed frustration with the slow pace of work in the basin. Both cities need to build new sewage treatment facilities, but have no regional watershed management plan to guide them as they're spending nearly $50 million between them for the two plants.
In other business:
--- Hansmann told the group a lengthy draft report on Level 1 of the second phase of the group's progress will be out next month. The draft by Envirovision will be put onto computer compact disc, and possibly on the Internet.
---The group identified a need for an executive committee, and resolved to make minor changes to the existing Technical Advisory Committee to fill that need.
--- Hansmann reported the Army Corps of Engineers will present a new detailed topography map of the flood basin at the Dec. 15 meeting of the entire partnership. The meeting will take place at 9 a.m. at the Lucky Eagle Casino bingo room on the Chehalis Indian Reservation between Rochester and Oakville.
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Brian Mittge covers municipal government for The Chronicle. He may be reached by e-mail at bmittge@chronline.com, or by telephoning 807-8237.
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