Present: Mark Swartout (Chair) Chad Stussy, Bob Wheeler, Chris Page, Lee Napier, Jon Hare, Cynthia Carlstad, Jim Fleming, Terry Willis, Ron Wisner, Terra Hegy, Lee Daneker, Lori Morris, Kahle Jennings

Watershed Planning Legislation

Grays Harbor County Commissioner Bob Beerbower and Thurston County Citizen J. Roach testified before the House Agriculture and Natural Resources Committee in favor of a change to the Watershed Planning Act that would allow counties with very small territories in a planning area to opt out of the plan approval process. For the Chehalis Basin this would mean that Cowlitz, Jefferson, Pacific and Wahkiakum Counties could opt out. This would simplify plan approval because only the two counties that have been actively involved (Grays Harbor, Thurston) and the other two counties that have participated (Lewis, Mason) would need to hold public hearings and then meet jointly to approve the plan.

Outreach to Planning Unit Members

Lee Napier (Grays Harbor County) and Bob Wheeler (Triangle Associates) met with the new Mason County Commissioner Jayni Kamin and Bob Fink to discuss that county's involvement with watershed planning in the Chehalis Basin. The meeting was informational. They suggested that we meet with them again when the issues have been fully developed and alternatives evaluated for comment.

Bob Wheeler suggested expanding outreach on the issues and alternatives to include all initiating governments.

Student Monitoring

The presentation by Rochester students on the water quality monitoring was very well received and we should look for a way to incorporate it into the watershed plan. Chris Page will contact the school to get a copy of the reports they made to the Partnership on the 24th.

Grants

The committee is evaluating the possibility of submitting a proposal to EPA for its Regional Geographic Initiative (RGI) funds. The applications are due March 18th but the funding won't be available before September because they are tied to next year's federal budget. One project currently being considered for submittal would be a study of the stream 'bugs' as an indicator of ecological condition in the tributaries in the lower Chehalis. This would complement a previous study done in the tributaries of the upper basin. (Ecological Condition of the Upper Chehalis Basin Streams, June 2001, EPA publication 910-R-01-005.)

Issues and Alternative Actions

The committee spent the majority of the meeting reviewing and revising proposed alternative actions to address specific issues. These alternatives are being developed for consideration by the Partnership. Committee members are actively developing issue papers using the format shared with the Partnership that will become the basis for the recommendations section of the watershed plan.

Decision Making Approaches

The committee reviewed an approach to decision making used by the National Park Service called "Choosing by Advantages" for possible use in our planning effort.

Multi-purpose Storage

Three handouts on the multi-purpose storage project were distributed. Comments on the criteria used to identify potential sites will be discussed at the February 20th STC meeting.

Issues and Alternative Actions

The Committee reviewed individual issue papers. Comments: issue papers need to incorporate the work done on alternative actions (or 'solutions'); authors need to be conscious of length as they are working on the issue papers but there will be a technical writer looking at them before they are finalized so there will be a chance to edit them and reduce the length; we could consider an executive summary of each issue paper; the watershed plan needs to reflect what we heard from citizens at the study area meetings on issues; the plan also needs to address issues raised by Partnership members.

Chehalis Basin Comprehensive Water Quality Monitoring Plan

A draft work plan for developing a comprehensive water quality monitoring plan for the Chehalis Basin was distributed.

Watershed Plan Outline

The committee reviewed proposed additions to the watershed plan outline. It agreed that the outline should be viewed as a useful starting point but it should not be viewed as final.

Other

The committee briefly reviewed the status of the request to the legislature to include an 'opt out' provision for those counties with a very small territory in a planning area; a handout on SEPA; follow-up meetings with basin stakeholders; provided comments to Kahle Jennings on watershed planning policy issues he should carry forward to Ecology managers at their March meeting; grant funding opportunities (EPA's Regional Geographic Initiative). The committee finished the meeting by working on the agenda for the February 28th Chehalis Basin Partnership meeting and the agenda for the March 6th STC meeting.

March 6 STC meeting agenda:

Logistics and plan development

Newsletter for basin stakeholders

RGI grant final review

Detailed review of issue papers on In Stream Flow, TMDLs, and Water Quality Impairments

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