Environmental Watch: LEED training workshop June 29

SEATTLE -- A Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design workshop will be held on June 29. Those in attendance can learn about the benefits and design of green-building, the LEED Green Building Rating System and the LEED Accreditation exam.

The workshop will cost $425, or $325 for U.S. Green Building Council members. After June 22, registration will increase to $475, and $355 for members. The workshop will be held in One Union Square Boardroom at 600 University St. in Seattle.

To register, or for more information, call (215) 428-9655 or go to http://www.leedbuilding.org.

City offers free trees this fall

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Department of Neighborhoods is giving away trees for fall tree planting. Groups of neighbors will be given up to 100 trees depending on their proposed placement. Neighbors who would like to plant trees along residential streets can receive 10 to 40 trees, up to 40 for parks, and up to 100 for natural areas with approved landscape plans.

The Neighborhoods' Tree Fund will make the trees available through it's Neighborhood Matching Program. In order for groups to receive the trees, one or more of the neighbors must attend a tree planting and maintenance class to be held this fall.

Once the trees are received, neighbors will be responsible for their maintenance. Applications are currently available and must be received by the SDN by Aug. 17. They will be considered on a first-come-first-served basis. Trees will be delivered curbside on Fridays in October or early November.

Interested parties can request applications by visiting local Neigborhood Service Centers, calling either Shireen Deboo at (206) 684-0547 or Laurie Ames at (206) 684-0320, or going to www.cityofseattle.net/don/.

Shinn joins Norton-Arnold & Janeway

SEATTLE -- Brad Shinn has been hired by Norton-Arnold & Janeway staff as a senior project manager.

Shinn has 14 years of experience in managing public involvement programs in water supply, wastewater and transportation projects. He was in charge of a number of stakeholder processes for fisheries restoration, water conservation agreements and other resource projects.

A portion of business development obligations as well as management of a some of Janeway's transportation and wastewater projects will be among Shinn's responsibilities.

Compost contaminated at WSU

PULLMAN -- Broadleaf herbicide has contaminated compost at Washington State University for the second year in a row. This year, the culprit was clopyralid, as opposed to the picloram herbicide contracted last year. The Spokane Regional Compost Facility was also contaminated this spring.

Both picloram and clopyralid remain in final compost products because they don't break down quickly. Clopyralid can harm vegetables and broadleaf ornamental plants, but can be safely applied to turf grass. Last year picloram killed fruit and vegetables in many gardens at WSU.

The university was unable to sell compost this year because of the contamination. The 300 cubic yards left over from last year, and the 9,000 cubic yards from this year were safely used on grass pastures and a rock quarry reclamation project.

In the future, the university plans to have grass hay and straw vendors certified, guaranteeing their product as contamination-free.

For further information on contaminated compost, go to http://css.wsu.edu/compost/.

Stirling gets ChemWeb.com honor

SEATTLE -- Intertox, Inc.'s senior information specialist Dale Stirling was recognized as the "Preprint Pioneer" by ChemWeb.com's Chemistry Reprint Server.

Stirling's paper, "Persistent Organic Pollutants: An Overview of Historical Manufacturing and Use," was the most read document on ChemWeb.com's server.

Portlanders moving to town

PORTLAND -- New census data shows that homeownership increased significantly in Portland during the 1990s yet declined in the suburbs, according to a report in The Oregionian. Suburban Hillsboro, Wilsonville, Gresham and Tualatin now have lower homeownership rates than in the city of Portland, a reversal from 10 years ago.

Nationally, within major metropolitan areas, suburban and rural homeownership increased twice as much as in central cities, reaching an average of 70 percent versus 45 percent in the urban core. In Seattle, ownership declined about half a percentage point, to 49.5 percent, while growing 4 percentage points in suburbs to reach 65 percent.

But Portland turned the pattern inside out, thanks, experts say, to the unusually strong appeal of apartments in the Portland suburbs, where rentals grew faster in volume than owner-occupied homes. Portland's inner city drew unusually large numbers of middle-class home buyers who bought rental properties, refurbished them and moved in.

Portland's ownership rate rose from 53 percent in 1990 to 56 percent in 2000, one of the strongest gains of any major U.S. city. Ownership for close-in suburbs, within the urban growth boundary, dropped from 61 percent to 60 percent. That means suburban and urban Portland have nearly equal ownership rates -- when most metropolitan areas show a wide and growing disparity.

Housing experts cited Oregon's growth controls as among the reasons for the shift. State planning rules require cities to zone half their vacant residential land for apartments or other multifamily dwellings to ensure a mix of housing choices for people of all incomes close to where jobs are being created.

Limited land within the urban growth boundary helped drive home prices up twice as fast as income in the 1990s. Higher costs are causing people to choose among new homes on smaller lots, a move to older homes in the city, large-lot homes beyond the growth boundary with a longer commute, or relatively low-priced but attractive new apartments.

Hybrid cars start catching on

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Amid soaring gas prices that topped $2 per gallon in some areas, nationwide sales of Honda's electric-gasoline hybrid car reached record-breaking levels in May, company officials said.

Sales of the Insight two-door coupe last month were up 138 percent compared to May 2000. The sale of 903 Insights last month also broke the previous single-month record of 573, set in April.

Honda executives and auto industry experts said buyers are interested in the Insight's fuel efficiency -- pitched by Honda as reaching as much as 68 miles per gallon on the highway -- and sporty look and feel.

The Insight hit the market in December 1999, and it has taken awhile for both consumers and dealers to become familiar with it, Virag said. Drivers also had to learn about the vehicle's hybrid technology, which doesn't require it be plugged in to a charging station like the General Motors electric vehicle.

Hybrids combine an electric motor with a gasoline engine to produce better mileage and less pollution.

Fuel fiasco costs Arizona $47M

PHOENIX (AP) -- Arizona has paid at least $47 million so far this year in income-tax credits in its ill-fated program to subsidize alternative-fuel vehicles to reduce air pollution -- far below the awesome $680 million pricetag once projected, but at least five times what the program was originally predicted to cost.

The $47 million figure is sure to grow because state auditors still have to review about 10 percent of the estimated 5,500 tax returns claiming credits for alternative-fuel subsidies, department spokesman Jeff Kros said. Other claims will be filed in next year's tax returns.

Lawmakers in April 2000 changed an existing subsidy program for people who buy vehicles that run on fuel other than gasoline or diesel. State officials projected the cost at only $3 million to $10 million.

When alternative-fuel conversions to gasoline vehicles were allowed thousands of people signed up and state officials watched the program's projected price tag spiral to about $680 million. Lawmakers restricted eligibility and reduced the subsidies to cut the cost to a projected $200 million.

But the cutbacks also have brought lawsuits from people who say they relied on the government's initial promises.

Environmental Watch: Allen funds Tongass purchase

EAGLE RIVER, Alaska -- The Conservation Fund has purchased 835 acres from the University of Alaska for inclusion as a Wilderness Area in the Tongass National Forest. Major support for the aquisition was provided by the Paul G. Allen Forest Protection Foundation.

The property, acquired for $1.5 million, includes 12 miles of coastline and 30 small islands. According to the Conservation Foundation, the property was the longest unprotected stretch of coastline in the national forest. It's located about 65 miles west of Juneau. Wildlife includes harbor seals, sea lions, orca as well as humpback whales.

At 17 million acres, the Tongass National Forest is the largest in the system administered by the U.S. Forest Service. Though controversy has swirled around road building propsals in the forest, there are 19 wilderness areas that are to remain untouched.

NEEC gives global warming lecture

SEATTLE -- The Northwest Environmental Education Council is sponsoring a lecture on global warming.

"The Science and Implications of Global Warming" will be held tonight, June 12, at the Queen Anne Community Center, 1901 First Ave. W., at 7 p.m.

The free lecture is designed for the general public. Speakers include atmospheric sciences Professor Richard Gammon of the University of Washington and Roel Hammerschlag of the Institute of Lifecycle Energy Analysis.

Global warming workshop for businesses

 SEATTLE- Seattle City Light and the Climate Neutral Network will conduct a half-day workshop June 19 from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Seattle City Light Boardroom, 32nd floor, Key Tower, for businesses interested in eliminating the global warming impacts of their products and purchases.

Workshop leaders will include executives from companies that have recently launched climate-neutral products, members of the Climate Neutral Network's environmental advisory panel, and CN Network and City Light staff.

For more information or to register for the workshop, contact Jack Brautigam, Seattle City Light Climate Wise program, at (206) 684-3954 or jack.brautigam@ci.seattle.wa.us.

Clean Water inks AbTech deal

SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. -- Seattle-based Clean Water Technologies has signed a deal to distrubute a line of filters and skimmers developed by AbTech of Arizona.

The filters and skimmers include the Smart Sponge and the Oil Smart Sponge Skimmer. Both products have best management practice approval in multiple states for the passive removal of up to 95 percent of water-born hydrocarbons.

Said Meg Magee, CWT's director of sales and marketing, "We are committed to providing the newest innovations in water quality treatment and protection products with cost-efficient, dependable services for both commercial and municipal customers."

More information on these products can be found at cleanwaterbmp.com.

Green product buyers unite in Portland

PORTLAND-- The Sustainable Products Purchasing Coalition, has formed in Portland in response to ambiguity about green building specifications in the manufacturing industry.

The coalition was co-founded by Ralph DiNola, a green building specialist at Portland General Electric's Green Building Services, and Johanna Sands, environmental researcher at the architecture firm Zimmer Gunsul Frasca Partnership. Both found that there was a need to have a uniform assessment of green building products available to the public.

Currently the group is analyzing software delivering Life Cycle Assessments in order to decide what information manufacturers should provide. Some of the programs being evaluated include BEES, Athena, GABi, SimaPro and Iso, as well as the GreenSpec questionnaire.

Eventually the group hopes that its members' combined purchasing power will affect manufacturers' willingness to provide complete assessments of their products.

Contact Johanna Sands at (503)417-4504 or jsands@zgf.com for further information on the Sustainable Products Purchasing Coalition.

Anchor Environmental hires three

SEATTLE -- Anchor Environmental, L.L.C. has hired three employees, Elizabeth Appy, John Small and Dan Hennessy, to offer sediment and biological services.

Appy is a fisheries biologist with an emphasis in resource management, fish ecology and Endangered Species Act compliance. Design, implementation and analysis of biological monitoring programs are her expertise.

Small is a landscape architect and GIS analyst with experience in riparian community assessment and restoration, and stream bank bio-stabilization design and construction.

Hennessy is an aquatic toxicologist and fisheries biologist with eight years of experience. His previous work includes sediment and water quality assessment and criteria devolopment, ecological risk assessment, natural resource damage assessment, biological monitoring, and habitat analysis.

Summer tours of Cedar River watershed

NORTH BEND -- The Cedar River watershed, the Seattle metropolitan area's primary source of drinking water, will be available for tours this summer.

Given by Seattle Public Utilities, the tours will allow guests access to over 90,000 acres of the watershed. Guests will learn about the watershed's history and operation, diverse ecosystem and wildlife, including wildlife of the Cedar River.

A stop at the construction site of the future Cedar River Watershed Education Center will also be part of the tour. The center will provide environmental education for 30,000 students each year. It is scheduled to be completed in September.

Tours will be offered on July 7, 14, 21, 28 and Aug. 4, 11, 18, and 25. Tours are open to those six and over at a cost of $5 for adults and $3 for children. The watershed is located northeast of North Bend, in the foothills of the Cascade Mountains. Call the SPU public programs information line at (206) 233-1515 or e-mail chris.holland@ci.seattle.wa.us for information or to make reservations.

AWEA recognizes Angus Duncan

PORTLAND -- President of the Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Angus Duncan, was given a Special Achievement Award by the American Wind Energy Association at its yearly meeting in Washington, D.C. He was recognized for 25 years of work on renewable energy, including wind.

Duncan helped create the Northwest Power Act of 1980 and worked on renewable energy projects for serveral companies during the '80s. He represented the AWEA in legislative procedures when he became vice-president for government affairs at FloWind Corp.

Oregon Governor Neil Goldschmidt appointed Duncan to the Northwest Power Planning Council in 1990. There Duncan helped produce the renewable energy demonstration agenda for the NPPC's 1991 Power Plan. From 1994 to 1995, Duncan was the Council's power committee chair, vice-chair, and chairman.

Duncan was recognized for helping to create the growing wind energy market in the Pacific Northwest.

Bainbridge reclaiming landfill

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- A 60-year-old landfill will be the focus of a rare cleanup effort this summer. Waste in the Bainbridge Island landfill, located on Vincent Road, will be removed. The more common manner of cleaning a landfill would be to cover ground waste with engineered soil or a synthetic cap, limiting future use of the site.

Also out of the ordinary is the agreement between Kitsap County and the city of Bainbridge Island. After the cleanup, the city will take ownernship of the landfill from the county and will determine future uses for the 40-acre site by working with a local citizens group.

The county made its decision for action on the landfill after the site was listed by the Department of Ecology as a hazardous site with a rank of one -- highest priority. Removing waste from the site will also keep taxpayers from being responsible for limiting operations and monitoring costs.

The final Cleanup Action Plan was accepted in April after the Department of Ecology approved the Remedial Investigation/Feasibility Study in January. The plan calls for waste reclamation, placement of a soil cover, monitoring, institutional controls and monitored natural attenuation in groundwater. The project will be complete in September.

Environmental Watch: Duwamish mill becomes a new park

SEATTLE --- The old Seaboard site on the Duwamish Waterway has a new name: Herring's House Park.

Restored by Seattle Public Utilities this past fall, the park was formally dedicated by Seattle Mayor Paul Schell yesterday. The former lumber mill is now a place for passive recreation and home to new intertidal wetlands, critical to the survival of salmon smolts.

Seattle Public Utilities paid $2.1 million for the restoration. Strider Construction of Bellingham performed the work with the Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation acting as project manager.

Said Schell, "Our commitment to restoring our beloved and historic salmon runs is demonstrated here. We also have a place in the heart of the city where people can renew their connection with the natural world and make their own commitment to preserving our environment."

The name Herring's House Park comes from a translation of the name of a Duwamish village once situated nearby.

Calthorpe here for green conference

SEATTLE -- A major conference and discussion forum on innovative land use and stormwater management techniques is being held today and tomorrow at the Hilton Seattle Conference Center in SeaTac, featuring a number of nationally known speakers including architect Peter Calthorpe.

Speakers from Puget Sound will share their views and present case studies on land use policies, site design, commercial and residential construction, salmon recovery and how to apply low-impact development practices locally.

Speakers from around the country and Canada will discuss how low-impact development is taking shape in their areas.

Peter Calthorpe, architect and urban designer, is among the nationally known speakers. Others include Robin Green, developer of the award-winning Hidden Creek at the Darby planned community in Ohio; and Larry Coffman, stormwater management and water quality protection administrator for Prince George's County, Md. They will offer insights on developing sustainable communities.

Topics will include the Built Green Program, green streets and rooftop rainwater collection.

The event is sponsored by the Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team, King County Department of Natural Resources, and other funding partners. For information, contact Denise Clifford at 1-800-54-SOUND.

Japan oceanographic agency opens here

SEATTLE -- The Japan Marine Science and Technology Center has opened an office in Seattle to better assist in global change and ocean monitoring research. The center is a public-private venture, formed in 1971, and directed by the Japanese Ministry of Education, Culture, Sports, Science and Technology.

Most of its funding is from the Japanese government.

Among the organizations that the center is working with are the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the University of Washington's School of Oceanography and Applied Physics Laboratory and the Universities of British Columbia and Victoria.

The center is located at 810 Third Ave., Suite 632, Seattle 98104 and can be contacted at (206) 957-0543 or by e-mail at main@jamstecseattle.org.

Willamette donates land to conservancy

PORTLAND -- Willamette Industries, a major player in the forest products industry, is donating six sites to the Nature Conservancy for permanent protection.

The gift totals 1,740 acres in the Oregon Coast Range and the Willamette Valley, including a large coastal wetland. The species that will be protected on the lands include the peregrine falcon, Fender's blue butterfly and northern red-legged frog.

Willamette is the largest private forest landowner in Oregon with 610,000 acres under its control. The company estimates the value of its gift at $1.5 million. The Nature Conservancy plans to raise an additional $1.5 million to manage the sites in perpetuity. Willamette and the conservancy will jointly develop management plans for the sites.

Nitrates found in Willamette Valley wells

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- A new state study indicates that about 20 percent of wells tested in the upper Willamette Valley have high concentrations of nitrates.

The higher levels of nitrates in well water are believed to be from fertilizers, animal wastes, septic systems and other sources that leach into the shallow groundwater common near the Willamette River.

Most of the wells with high concentrations are in the Coburg and Junction City areas, said Greg Aitken, project leader for the state Department of Environmental Quality. Long-term exposure to nitrates has been linked to a number of health problems, including a lack of oxygen for newborn babies, pregnant women and nursing mothers.

The DEQ study, which was conducted between December 2000 and March of this year, covered nearly 500 private drinking water wells from Eugene to Albany.

"It confirms what we've known for awhile," Aitken said. "The shallow groundwater people depend on for their water supply is vulnerable to nitrate contamination."

Only private wells were tested, and the DEQ tested only for nitrates. Aitken said the agency wants to expand its study this summer to test for other possible contaminants, such as bacteria, pesticides and other chemicals.

Arbor Day awards announced

SEATTLE -- The Washington Arbor Day Council has announced its annual awards for work promoting tree planting and environmental stewardship.

This years honorees are: John A. Bergvall of Olympia for individual efforts promoting conservation in the community; James Causton of Port Angeles for individual efforts dedicated to saving the largest Madrona tree in the state; the Downtown Walla Walla Foundation for its community efforts to promote beauty; the Sumner School District for its conservation partnership with Puget Sound Energy; and the Gorst Creek Native Plant Salvage Nursery of Bremerton, also in partnership with Puget Sound Energy, for its "extraordinary example of promotion of beauty" and the stream restoration it plans on its nursery site.

Terns taste for salmon ends project early

TACOMA (AP) -- A state effort to lure local Caspian terns -- displaced by development from their nesting site at the old Asarco mill -- to a barge in Commencement Bay has been cut short by tribal concerns about all the salmon the birds were eating.

Preliminary research indicated salmon made up 78 percent of the birds' diet, said Jeff Koenings, director of the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.

"We can understand the tribe's concerns, given that they have a major hatchery facility on the nearby Puyallup River" and that the area's wild salmon stocks are listed under the Endangered Species Act, he said.

The hatchery is operated by the Puyallup tribe, said Rocky Beach, agency wildlife diversity manager.

Beach said he was disappointed the project ended early, but even so, it yielded critical information.

"The most important finding was that we can attract nesting terns to a temporary site -- in this case a floating barge," he said. "That opens up a range of new options for managing these birds in ways that are consistent with protecting both salmon and terns."

The state had offered the barge off Brown's Point as temporary housing to prevent a mass migration of the local flock to the lower Columbia River, where terns have taken a heavy toll on migrating salmon and steelhead smolt -- some from threatened stocks.

Terns are protected by the Migratory Bird Treaty Act. The conflict between birds and fish "really puts us between a rock and a hard spot," Koenings said.

Birds living at or near the barge were a significant part of the 700 to 1,000 in Commencement Bay this year -- down from about 2,000 last year. It's not clear where the others went -- possibly to the lower Columbia or farther north in Puget Sound, Beach said.

With the destruction of the barge nests, there are no tern nesting colonies in the Puget Sound area, he said.

Environmental Watch: 3 win Recyclers of the Year

TUKWILA -- The Washington State Recycling Association has three organizations as its Recyclers of the Year.

The town of Garfield won in the government or institution category for its recycling efforts despite its small size (population 650) and distance from other recycling facilities and regional markets.

Last year, Garfield collected 60 tons of recyclable materials, including oil, car batteries, appliances and yard clippings. The town has a recycling staff of two.

Whitman County's recycling coordinator said, "Imagine a town of 650, the size of a large apartment complex or office building in Seattle, managing such a comprehensive solid waste and recycling program in a very rural area with such a small staff. For other organizations or towns and cities to duplicate their effort would be wonderful... maybe a miracle."

Recovery 1, based in Tacoma, won for Business Recycler of the Year. Recovery 1 takes co-mingled debris from demolition and construction sites and separates it into recyclable materials. Terry Gillis, Recovery 1's general manager, says that the firm achieves a 99.4 percent recovery rate, drastically reducing landfill costs for construction firms.

The Individual Recycler of the Year award went to Wayne Gash, director of Washington State University's Material Resource Services. Gash established WSU's recycling program in 1989. Over 40 commodities are now recycled or reused, saving WSU $233,000 in landfill costs and earning $1.15 million for the school over the last five years.

NW Indian College gets grant

BELLINGHAM -- A partnership between Western Washington University and the Northwest Indian College has won renewed support from the National Science Foundation.

The Tribal Environmental and Natural Resources Management Program at Northwest Indian College has received a $589,000 grant that will fund continuing operations and the programs partnership with WWU's Huxley College of Environmental Studies.

Students in the tribal environmental program study the integration of the natural world with social, economic and political systems says program manager Phil Duran. The program is in its fourth year and has six participants.

^BriefsHead:Lake Washington salmon workshop set

^NewsBriefs:MERCER ISLAND -- A workshop sponsored by a regional group studying salmon in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish watershed will discuss conditions in those water bodies and what new science says about improving them.

The workshop will look at habitat issues affecting fish in the greater Lake Washington basin and information on how citizens can get involved with salmon recovery,

The workshop will be held Thursday, May 31, at the Community Center at Mercer View, 8236 S.E. 24th St. on Mercer Island from 7 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call Tom Barry at (425) 452-5200.

Seals may be harming Atlantic cod

ST. JOHN'S, Newfoundland (AP) -- Cod stocks show no sign of recovery off eastern Canada despite a moratorium on commercial fishing that started nearly a decade ago, a Canadian panel reports.

The Fisheries Resource Conservation Council, which recommends catch limits to the federal fisheries minister, said Thursday the limit on cod should be 5,600 tons from the north and east coasts of Newfoundland Island and the south coast of Labrador.

That is a tiny fraction of the 800,000 tons caught annually in the 1960s, when the industry was the backbone of the Newfoundland economy.

"The stock is widely acknowledged to be at its lowest levels in recorded history," reported the council, which includes industry representatives and federal scientists. "Rebuilding is likely to take decades."

A 1992 moratorium on the northern Newfoundland cod fishing industry, followed by a similar ban on the southern Newfoundland industry the next year, eliminated 40,000 jobs in the region in what amounted to the largest mass layoff in Canadian history.

Despite the moratorium, "the northern cod stock has shown no significant signs of recovery," council chairman Fred Woodman said.

Newfoundland's fishing industry has started to come back in recent years due to larger catches of shellfish, such as shrimp and snow crab.

In its report, the council suggested harp seals feeding on cod may be limiting the recovery of stocks off northern Newfoundland. It repeated a recommendation from an earlier report that some areas become seal-exclusion zones to protect cod stocks.

"That seals should be able to (consume) the last remaining large aggregation of northern cod is unconscionable," the council said.

Ogle named VP of Sierra Club

EUGENE, Ore. (AP) -- A longtime member of the Oregon chapter of the Sierra Club has been named to the environmental group's No. 2 national post.

Charlie Ogle, 47, was recently elected vice president of the 109-year-old organization with 660,000 members devoted to the protection and restoration of the environment.

Ogle, a professional woodworker and the maker of a stringed instrument called the viola de gamba, has served on the Sierra Club board of directors since 1999 and held the office of secretary until this year.

He also is a member of the Many Rivers Group, an environmental group affiliated with the Sierra Club in Lane, Coos and Douglas counties.

Ogle was a plaintiff in lawsuits against the U.S. Forest Service for proposed logging in the Oakridge area, and against Hyundai Semiconductor America for use of its property in west Eugene.

He said Wednesday that his priorities as Sierra Club vice president are to maintain the group's strong environmental advocacy and "to find whatever opportunities there may be to make it more effective."

Joanie Clayburgh, Sierra Club spokeswoman, said Ogle's experience with forest issues contributed to the board's unanimous decision to elect him vice president.

Jail time for below par landscaping

FAIRFAX, Va. (AP) -- John Thoburn's driving range wasn't up to par in the eyes of local officials who were teed off that he didn't have enough trees.

Thoburn was so stubborn about the dispute that he spent more than three months in jail after refusing to comply with a judge's order to plant trees.

But he was released Thursday as Judge Michael P. McWeeny authorized Fairfax County to come onto the property and do the landscaping work itself. The judge also levied a $48,500 fine against Thoburn -- $500 for each day he was in jail -- and ordered that he reimburse the county for its work.

"What's been before me is simply a question of obeying the law," McWeeny said. "Before I incarcerated him (Feb. 16), I gave him the option to comply or close the facility. He chose to do neither."

Thoburn said he had already planted 700 trees and shrubs at a cost of $125,000 and that a previous county official had agreed the landscaping work was sufficient.

But the county arborist testified that nearly 100 trees were planted in the wrong place on the 46-acre site and that Thoburn needed to plant 270 additional trees and shrubs to comply with zoning regulations.

Thoburn, who was cited for civil contempt when he failed to comply, left the jail Thursday declaring victory.

"They did not succeed in closing my business," he said.

But Thoburn was bothered by the judge's ruling and said he was considering an appeal. His attorneys argued that he doesn't have the estimated $30,000 to $40,000 that would be required to do all the plantings.

County attorney J. Patrick Taves scoffed at the notion that Thoburn doesn't have the money and suggested that his stubbornness continues to be the biggest hurdle.

"He's an extraordinarily stubborn man who refuses to comply with this court's rulings," he said.

Environmental Watch: Landau Associates adds seven

Landau Associates has added several new employees in both its Portland office and its Edmonds headquarters.

David Thielen, P.E., joins the firm as a principal, directing Landau's geotechnical operations in the Portland office. Thielen has over 20 years of geotechnical experience in the Northwest,

Also in Portland, Julio Vela, P.E., joins the firm as a senior engineer. Vela holds a doctorate from Washington State University in geotechnical engineering. Danielle Giroux is also joining Landau's Portland office as a staff scientist. She will support environmental and geotechnical assessment projects.

In Edmonds, Martin Powers, P.E., has been named a senior engineer, working on soil and water treatment systems design and permitting.

Ken Reid will become a staff geologist in Edmonds, specializing in surface and groundwater hydrology, hydrogeology and soils testing. Jennifer Parsons has been named assistant geologist in Edmonds as well.

On the marketing side, Alexandra Garner will provide proposal and marketing materials development in Edmonds as a marketing coordinator. She has previous experience in the real estate business.

Conference on stormwater innovation

SEATAC -- The Puget Sound Water Quality Action Team is hosting a conference on innovative stormwater management techniques and how they can be incorporated in development.

"Low-Impact Development in Puget Sound" will review case studies on the use of vegetation and natural features to reduce stormwater runoff and improve infiltration.

The conference will be held Tuesday and Wednesday June 5-6 at the Hilton Seattle Airport and Conference Center in SeaTac. Conference registration is $125 for both days. Student and one-day registration are available. Call 1-800-54-SOUND or go to www.wa.gov/puget_sound for more information.

State seeks comments on liveaboards

OLYMPIA -- In a first step toward clarifying the Department of Natural Resources rules on houseboat liveaboards, Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland announced a series of workshops to be held statewide on the issue.

DNR manages 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands. While DNR has concluded that liveaboards are permitted, the agency does have environmental concerns.

The workshops will solicit public comment on the state's responsibilities and objectives in managing non-water-dependant liveaboard use of public aquatic lands.

In Western Washington the workshops, all from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m., will be as follows: Tacoma, Thursday, May 24, at Building 3 of Tacoma Community College, 6501 S. 19th St. in Tacoma; Renton, June 12, Renton Technical College, Building I, 3000 N.E. Fourth St.; Bremerton, June 14, Olympic College Student Center, 1600 Chester Ave.; Mount Vernon, June 20, Skagit Valley Community College, N Building, 2405 E. College Way.

Army fined $60,000 for fuel tanks

SEATTLE -- The U.S. Army has agreed to pay $60,000 in fines for deficiencies in its management of underground storage tanks at Fort Lewis.

In addition, according to the regional office of the Environmental Protection Agency, the Army will also perform $200,000 worth of additional environmental projects related to the tanks. The Army has also agreed to remove a number of underground tanks and perform remedial cleanups if necessary.

The tanks store vehicle fuel and fuel for emergency generators.

The EPA first filed a complaint about the tanks in September of 2000 after a 1999 inspection revealed problems.

Said Chuck Findley, acting EPA regional administrator, "Not only have all violations alleged in the complaint now been addressed, but Fort Lewis has also made tangible improvements in environmental management."

Canneries face $682,000 EPA fines

ANCHORAGE (AP) -- Federal regulators are cracking down on canneries by imposing a slew of hefty fines.

The Environmental Protection Agency has proposed fining five cannery operators a total of $682,000 for alleged pollution violations in recent summers. The companies are negotiating settlements, but as Alaska surges into another summer of prodigious salmon harvests, the cannery operators are worried. They fear more fines are coming, or that other measures could force them to shut down or pay the expense of barging fish waste to remote dump sites.

Most salmon canneries are allowed to grind up fish waste and pipe it back into the water, where tides can take it away. A very few have plants to make fish meal out of the waste.

One of EPA's biggest concerns is that piles of fish waste have accumulated and "erupted" in some cases, potentially harming invertebrates, sapping the water of oxygen and producing horrid odors.

EPA has focused most heavily on plants in Ketchikan, where four companies have been hit with proposed fines. During the summer and fall of 1999, fish waste polluted public beaches in Tongass Narrows and sent odors described as "a cross between sewage and rotten fish" into the town of Ketchikan, the EPA said.

Bub Loiselle, EPA's water quality compliance manager in Seattle, has been critical of the industry.

"What is allowed and what isn't are clearly stated in the permits under which each company operates, so these violations really are inexcusable," he has said in written statements.

Loiselle said in an interview with the Anchorage Daily News that salmon processors have been identified by the EPA as a priority "because of the nature and extent of the waste discharges, the location and sensitivity of the receiving waters, and the volumes of waste material discharged."

While much of EPA's enforcement actions have come in Southeast, Loiselle said efforts could be spread to other parts of the state this summer if resources to expand investigations are available.

Environmental conference set for June 7

The 2001 Environmental Conference sponsored by the Association of Washington Business, the Northwest Environmental Business Council and Preston Gates & Ellis will be held Thursday, June 7, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. at the Sheraton Hotel in downtown Seattle.

Topics include energy, shorelines, the Model Toxics Control Act and water quality. Panels will include a morning general session on new directions in environmental management, and a final meeting on new tools for finding and managing environmental information. AWB will present its annual environmental awards during the luncheon.

Registration, $125 including lunch, can be made by phone by calling (800) 521-9325 or online at http://www.awb.org/services/Events/2001envconference.htm.

Audubon Society buys Wishkah wetlands

ABERDEEN (AP) -- The Grays Harbor Chapter of the National Audubon Society has purchased 175 acres of forested wetlands along the Wishkah River, possibly to be used for research.

"This purchase is an important investment for our salmon restoration efforts because it is along a major river, and the untouched wetlands provide for groundwater recharge," the chapter's Dean Schwickerath said.

The land, located about three miles north of here, was purchased from the Hancock Timber Resource Group.

Schwickerath said the Audubon chapter is considering opening the land to researchers.

The terms of the sale were not disclosed.

Hancock Timber Resource Group works to conserve land through its Sensitive Lands Program, which has led to the sale of about 200,000 acres of land to government agencies and environmental groups.

Environmental Watch: Sustainable Cities now annual event

SEATTLE -- Last week, in what is planned to become an annual event, Seattle played host to the first Pollution Prevention for Sustainable Cities conference.

Forty participants from around the world -- including city managers from the Philippines, a public health official from Sri Lanka as well as delegates from Mexico, Colombia and the United States -- used Seattle as a learning laboratory for sustainable city management.

Workshop director Burton "Burt" Hamner of CleanerProduction.com said the conference focused on "practical and cost-effective ways to improve environmental quality." He was particularly impressed with speakers from the city of Seattle and King County, many of whom came on their own time.

"Personally, I am so proud of the people that work so hard to make this city a clean and pleasant place to live," said Hamner.

The conference also featured field trips to King Street Center, which incorporates many green building techniques, and a Rabanco recycling operation.

Hamner says that the conference was able to easily capitalize on the Northwest's leadership in sustainability issues, sharing that expertise with the world.

Conference sponsors included the Pacific NorthWest Economic Region, the Clean Washington Center, the Globe Foundation, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in cooperation with the state Department of Ecology, the Washington State Office of Trade and Economic Development, the city of Seattle and environmental services firm Hart Crowser, which hosted a conference reception on the roofdeck of its Lake Union office building.

Plans are underway to host the next conference in August or September of 2002. Agendas and conference materials are posted at http://www.cleancities.net.

EPA holding MBE/WBE conference

SEATTLE -- The Environmental Protection Agency is holding a rulemaking conference on Tuesday, May 22, on the fourth floor of the Federal Building, 915 Second Ave., at 9 a.m. on policies for minority- and women-owned businesses.

The conference is part of the agency's efforts to ensure that "small, disadvantaged and women-owned firms are given equitable opportunity to receive a 'fair share' of EPA funded contracts awarded by states, tribes and trust territories."

The full conference agenda can be obtained on-line at www.mtaltd.com. Registration is also available at that site, or call Allura Scott at 1-800-346-2811.

Seminar June 12 on ESA and permits

The law firm Foster Pepper & Shefelman will host a seminar on the Endangered Species Act on Tuesday, June 12.

"The Endangered Species Act: How to Address ESA Issues During the Permit Process" will discuss developing an ESA checklist, the interaction of local regulations with ESA and Army Corps of Engineers permits and the Section 7 consultation process of ESA.

Registration is $10 and includes continental breakfast. Registration is available on-line at www.foster.com or call Stefin Kohn at (206) 447-8985. The conference will be held from 7:30 a.m. to 9:30 a.m. in the firm's 30th floor conference room at 1111 Third Ave. in Seattle.

BPA seeks emergency fish projects

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration is seeking for proposals for projects to help fish adversely affected by this winter and spring's emergency hydro operations. The projects must be able to be implemented this year.

Four types of projects are being sought: actions to increase tributary flows, tributary habitat passage improvements, tributary diversion screening and fish stock relocation and outplanting. In addition to scientific evaluation, projects will be reviewed for compliance with the Endangered Species Act, the Northwest Power Act, tribal treaties and state law.

Copies of the solicitation for proposals are available by calling (800) 622-4520. Callers should ask for the BPA 2001 Action Plan for Fish in Response to the Power System Emergency. Proposals are due by May 24.

Court rules on irrigation weed control

KENNEWICK (AP) -- A federal appeals court ruling in an Oregon case could limit the use of chemical weed control in irrigation canals across the West.

"It's got significance nationwide," said Richard LeMargie, a lawyer for the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, which is one of the country's biggest users of weed-control chemicals.

A recent ruling from the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco found that the Talent Irrigation District in southern Oregon must get a Clean Water Act permit to use acrolein for weed control in its canals.

Acrolein is a common and highly poisonous compound, harmful to fish and wildlife.

Several irrigation districts in Washington have suspended acrolein applications, hoping to obtain emergency permits that will let them resume use of the chemical, which kills 30-foot-long water weeds that can choke canals.

The South Columbia district used 18,500 gallons of acrolein last year, at a cost of about $1 million. A relatively cool spring so far has kept weeds down, but there's potential for problems across 10 million irrigated acres in the West.

"By mid-June, it will become a critical issue," said Shannon McDaniel, manager of the South Columbia district.

Acrolein has been used in the Columbia Basin since at least the early 1960s. Without acrolein, weeds build up, reducing the capacity of the canals and raising water levels.

The lawsuit in Oregon came out of a 1996 incident in which acrolein leaked from a Talent canal and killed 92,000 young steelhead. Two environmental groups sued the Talent district, contending the spill was a violation of the Clean Water Act and it should have had permits to apply the chemical.

The Talent Irrigation District is expected to appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court.

Lake Coeur d'Alene may leave Superfund list

COEUR D'ALENE, Idaho (AP) -- After years of political and legal wrangling with the state, the Environmental Protection Agency may be considering ways to remove Lake Coeur d'Alene from a basin-wide Superfund cleanup.

Mike Gearheard, who oversees the region's Superfund program from Seattle, said the agency is looking at "partial deletions" across the basin where areas meet cleanup goals.

The agency has long maintained that the lake -- which serves as a de facto repository for decades of toxic mine waste carried downstream from the Silver Valley -- is within the boundaries of a proposed cleanup area.

That has angered local officials who see Superfund designation as a death knell to tourism and economic well-being.

A March 30 draft letter from the agency's Region 10 Acting Administrator, Chuck Findley, to Coeur d'Alene Mayor Steve Judy and Kootenai County Commissioner Dick Panabaker signals that the agency is backing away from the lake as a cleanup area.

Findley refers to a 1998 agency study of 24 public beaches on the lake and writes that only two beaches may require additional testing or cleanup. He wrote that no cleanup action will be required in Coeur d'Alene, Post Falls and Harrison.

Post Falls Mayor Clay Larkin said he and other elected officials would like the agency to go further.

When discussing a draft outline of the agency's preferred cleanup plan, one of the major objections that Larkin and others had is that it still includes the lake and the Spokane River as part of the cleanup area.

"We wanted that to go away," said Larkin. "The ultimate goal is to get Coeur d'Alene Lake and the Spokane River to stateline deleted from the Superfund."

Some think the agency may be willing.

"We hear that EPA may be taking steps toward delisting the lake, and that is fantastic news," said Lindsay Nothern, press secretary for Sen. Mike Crapo, R-Idaho.

Crapo has been a vocal opponent of the blanket listing for the basin. He has often criticized the agency for running roughshod over local concerns about cleanup issues.

"It is not something that is going to happen overnight, and the EPA is going to have to talk to a lot of different groups to draw consensus," Nothern added.

Environmental Watch: Forum on Alaska tourism, environment

SEATTLE -- Tourism in Alaska will be the focus of this week's meeting of the Alaska Committee of the Greater Seattle Chamber of Commerce.

The forum will cover two broad areas: growth in the tourism industry and the impact of environmental regulations on the tourism industry in southeast Alaska.

Speakers include Dennis Branson, vice president for tourism for Cook Inlet Region, Inc. and Tom Dow, vice president for public affairs for Princess Cruises and Princess Tours.

The forum will be held this Wednesday, May 9, at the One Union Square Board Room, 600 University St. at 7:45 a.m. The cost is $10. for more information contact Ann Reid at (206) 389-7265.

Building sold for recycling

COOS BAY, Ore. (AP) -- A Coquille man has bought an 83-year-old truck shop in Bandon for the bargain price of $1.

Bandon's port commissioners voted to sell the shop, which has teetered over the Coquille River for decades, to Steve Ferre. Ferre agreed to dismantle the building so he could salvage the timber. The port will keep the land and wood pilings.

The building was a condensed milk factory in the 1920s and later became a truck maintenance shop for the nearby Moore Mill and Lumber Company. Ferre said he will properly dispose of the portions of the building contaminated by lead-based paint. He said his preliminary plans are to encase the contaminated timber for removal to another site so the paint can be stripped.

Imported gorse choking Ore. native plants

BANDON, Ore. (AP) -- The dark-green shrub with delicate yellow flowers may not appear ominous, but gorse is slowly choking out native Oregon plants as well as blocking people and wildlife from areas along the south coast.

In 1936, when it was still under control, its spines helped fuel a fire that burned Bandon to the ground. Today, it has rendered about 300,000 acres unusable.

The European weed fills fields, covers hillsides and is nearly impossible to eliminate. Kill one, and its offspring rise from the soil. The seeds can live up to 100 years in the earth.

Gorse isn't just staying on the coast; it's spreading inland. The Oregon Department of Agriculture lists more than 100 sites between Portland and north of Grants Pass where gorse is growing, and it was spread there by humans.

Coos County commissioners agreed last month to create a weed board to combat the nasty prickly bush, among other noxious weeds. Meanwhile, the Department of Agriculture is trying to stop people from spreading the shrub as the agency awaits federal approval of gorse-killing insects.

Ken French, Department of Agriculture noxious-weed specialist, said most of the spread is unintentional, although he knows of at least one case in which a Roseburg woman planted the weed in her front yard because it was pretty.

Lord George Bennett reportedly brought gorse to Bandon from his native Ireland to use as a hedgerow in the late 1800s. Because Oregon lacked the insects to keep it under control, the weed flourished.

The Department of Agriculture, which tries to avoid using herbicides, is awaiting approval to test at least two more insects, a moth and a beetle-like insect, that could help control the weed. The insects go through at least five years of study to ensure they attack only gorse or other noxious weeds.

Alaska cruise ship rules advance

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- A bill that would regulate cruise ship pollution has passed the Alaska House, moving the state closer to adopting the strictest rules in the country for the industry.

The ships have come under increased scrutiny since two companies were convicted in 1999 of violations. The measure, passed Tuesday night by the House, covers air, water and solid waste pollution by cruise ships. It now goes to the state Senate.

Gov. Tony Knowles' spokesman, Bob King, said the legislation meets the governor's requirements that the state have authority to set and enforce standards for industry discharges and independently monitor them.

"It will be comprehensive," King said. "It will include air quality, solid waste."

The measure requires the ships to register, and in doing so they will sign a document agreeing to comply with the state standards.

Tom Dow of Princess Cruises, who helped negotiate the deal for North West CruiseShip Association, said he's pleased with the bill. Some ships coming to Alaska this year are already equipped with new technology that will help them operate more cleanly, he said.

"We're in a business where our passengers are here on vacation. They want to enjoy what they're doing and feel good about it," Dow said. "We have to have communities that feel good about them coming."

Schools honored for recycling

OLYMPIA -- Eleven schools from across Washington state have been honored for their recycling efforts.

Mt. Baker Junior and Senior High School in Whatcom County and Toppenish Middle School in Yakima County were the big winners in the annual Terry Husseman Outstanding Waste Reduction and Recycling Public School Awards, both taking home $2,500 awards for outstanding waste reduction and recycling.

Other winners for best waste reduction, receiving $1,000 awards, included Acme Elementary of Whatcom County, Eisenhower Middle School of Snohomish County, Trout Lake of Klickitat County and Wilson Creek of Grant County.

In the category of best recycling, also receiving $1,000 awards, were Capital High of Thurston County, Chelan Middle and High School of Chelan County, Mill A School of Skamania County, Stratton Elementary of Pend Oreille County and Sunnyside High School of Yakima County.

The awards recognize schools not only for carrying out waste reduction and recycling programs but also for educating classmates about the value of the programs.

Vehicles still OK on one Calif. beach

MONTEREY, Calif. (AP) -- The California Coastal Commission decided Monday to continue allowing up to 4,300 off-road vehicles a day at the only beach in the state where they still are allowed to zoom around among sand dunes.

The temporary limit -- about the number currently using the beach -- was set for Oceano Dunes just south of San Luis Obispo. The Sierra Club had hoped for an outright ban to protect the endangered snowy plover, least tern, red-legged frog and steelhead trout.

The commission also directed a technical review team to examine how the thousands of dune buggies, all-terrain vehicles, campers, trucks and cars are affecting endangered species. Its first report, which could lead to changes in the vehicle limit, is due next January.

Supporters of dune driving say they are not as much of a problem as the natural predators that prey on the endangered species.

"If you take us away you are still going to have the issues," said Kim Kammer, a representative of the California Off-Road Vehicle Association.

Opponents argue that vehicles carve up bird habitat in the dunes, creating runoff that affects fish and frogs.

"The ultimate goal would be to create a safe and healthy coastal ecosystem that is suitable for both wildlife and recreation," said Mark Massara, an attorney for the Sierra Club.

Massara noted that the commission recently stopped people from walking on the beach near Vandenberg Air Force Base to protect endangered species there.

But Kammer said the use of the dunes has decreased considerably in the past two decades. Off-road vehicles are allowed on 1,500 acres, compared to 15,000 acres before 1982. Off-roaders were allowed to drive along 15 miles of the beach before; now they're limited to five miles -- including only 3.3 miles for dune driving.

The Environmental Defense Center filed notice in April that it will sue the state parks department to enforce the Endangered Species Act.

"Are we trying to save the endangered species or are we trying to save the park?" asked Jim Suty, a member of Friends of Oceano Dunes, which favors off-roading. "That is our land. We, the public, want our land."

Environmental Watch: 25 submit wind energy ideas to BPA

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Power Administration received proposals for 25 projects totalling 2,600 megawatts in response to a recent request for wind generation project ideas.

"The response blew us away," quipped George Darr, BPA's renewable power resource program manager.

Ten of the proposals are for projects in Oregon; eight are in Washington, and others are in Idaho, Montana and Wyoming.

BPA will evaluate the proposals based on cost and ease of integration into the power grid, selecting the most promising by the end of May. After contracts are signed with project developers, the BPA will conduct the environmental reviews necessary. The first of the projects could go online by late 2002.

Meeting May 19 on Genesee Park

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation will hold a meeting to solicit ideas on improving pedestrian circulation and tree cover in Genesee Park. Staff will lead attendees on a walk through the park to view specific areas in need of improvement.

The goal for the improvements is to emphasize the pedestrian connections between existing amenities and to formulate a tree planting strategy. Genesee Park is built on a landfill of what used to be a slough off Lake Washington in the Columbia City neighborhood.

The meeting will be held Saturday, May 19, at 10 a.m., at the east end of the soccer fields, 4316 S. Genesee St. Contact Project Manager Eric Gold for more information at (206) 233-3871.

Green Business Directory available

SEATTLE -- King County has released the 2001 edition of the King County Green Business Directory. The guide lists local businesses that are "doing the right thing to help protect our water, land and air," says County Executive Ron Sims.

The county produces the directory to help consumers make environmentally conscious purchasing decisions.

The directory is available at libraries, the Seattle Aquarium, the Bus Tunnel kiosk, PCC stores and King County work sites. King County residents can request the directory by calling 1-877-220-STAR.

Grand openings for AMEC in Olympia

OLYMPIA -- Earth and environmental engineering firm AMEC will hold two simultaneous grand opening ceremonies for its two new Olympia offices this Wednesday, May 2.

Among those expected to be on hand are state Commissioner of Public Lands Doug Sutherland and representatives from the Olympia/Thurston Chamber of Commerce.

AMEC's two new offices in Olympia serve different functions. The location at 924 Capitol Way S., where Sutherland is expected, specializes in natural resources management, including Endangered Species Act compliance.

The other new office, at 9730 Lathrop Drive, S.W., will provide materials inspection and quality control services for highways, bridges and residential, commercial and institutional buildings. Geotechnical and other environmental services will also be available through the office.

Both grand opening ceremonies begin at 2:30 p.m., with open houses until 6 p.m. In addition to its new Olympia offices, AMEC has offices in Kirkland, Richland, Spokane and Tacoma. The firm also has a water testing facility in Fife and offices in more than 40 nations worldwide.

Snake River opens today for chinook

KENNEWICK (AP) -- The throngs of fishers who have lined the Columbia River hoping to catch the largest run of spring chinook in decades will move to the banks of the Snake River today.

It's the first time in more than 30 years that the Snake River has hosted a recreational spring salmon fishing season as a run unprecedented in modern times moves toward upriver spawning grounds.

Clarkston outfitter Bill Bonson has watched with envy all spring as Idaho and lower Columbia River anglers cast for the record run of spring chinook salmon.

"We're sitting here right in between, and it's been really kind of difficult," said Bonson at Snake Dancer Excursions on the Washington-Idaho border. "I've had to turn a lot of people away."

That changed Thursday when Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife opened a large stretch of the lower Snake River to salmon fishing.

The largest run of spring chinook since counting began at Bonneville Dam in 1938 is due to good conditions in the river system in 1998 and 1999 that helped more salmon migrate to the ocean, and to improved conditions in the Pacific.

There should be plenty of fish. More than 200,000 salmon -- mostly catchable hatchery fish -- are predicted to return to the Snake River.

The Snake season will run from Tuesday through May 31 to coincide with the peak numbers of returning salmon. Barbless hooks will be required and only hatchery salmon may be kept. All wild salmon and steelhead must be released unharmed. The daily limit is two hatchery fish.

Scientists believe many of the returning fish are from hatcheries, not wild runs, which have dwindled to dangerously low levels. A dozen species are listed under the federal Endangered Species Act as threatened or endangered by extinction.

Rain barrels for sale in Kitsap County

BREMERTON -- The Kitsap Conservation District, in conjunction with local water purveyors, will hold a rain barrel sale this weekend at locations throughout the county.

Recycled plastic rain barrels equipped with faucets will be available for $20 from the cities of Bainbridge Island, 280 N. Madison Ave.; Bremerton, 3027 Olympus Drive; as well as the Annapolis Water District, 1621 Lincoln Ave. in Port Orchard; the Kitsap PUD, 1431 Finn Hill Road in Paulsbo; and the Kitsap Conservation District, 817 Sidney Ave., in Port Orchard.

Rain barrels can help reduce stormwater runoff. Also, the water collected can be used for gardening, conserving treated water for drinking, bathing and cooking. Under a Bremerton ordinance designed to reduce combined sewer outflows, fees will be assessed after January 2002 for downspout drains that remain connected to the stormwater system.

For more information on the rain barrel program call (360) 478-2347.

Poll finds environmental worry rising

LOS ANGELES (AP) -- Americans are more concerned than ever about the environment and think protecting it should take priority over economic growth, a Los Angeles Times poll has found.

The poll also indicated that half of all Americans worry that pollution has grown worse over the last decade, and that 38 percent oppose President Bush's handling of environmental issues.

Among the 813 Americans polled, 58 percent said protecting the environment is more important than personal property rights. Half of those surveyed said it should take priority even when it comes in conflict with economic growth. But there were limits: only 4 percent said they supported a ban on mining, logging and drilling on public lands.

By a 2-to-1 ratio, those surveyed said businesses would skimp on environmental protection unless kept in check by the government.

Many came down hard on Bush's track record on environmental issues during his first 100 days in office. Fifty-six percent of respondents opposed his decision to overturn stricter limitations on the amount of arsenic allowed in drinking water, 34 percent supported it and the rest said they didn't know.

The president also scored low on his reneging on a campaign pledge to slash carbon dioxide emissions from power plants. Fifty-four percent of Americans disagreed with that move, while 34 percent supported it.

In the case of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, 55 percent opposed the Bush proposal to open it up for oil exploration and 34 percent supported it. In Alaska, where oil revenues fund an annual stipend received by all residents, support ran 65 percent to 34 percent in favor of the plan.

Overall, 13 percent of Americans said the environment was their most pressing concern -- up from just 2 percent who said so in a 1998 poll by the newspaper.

The margin of error for the national sample is plus or minus 3.5 percentage points. The poll was conducted April 21-26.

Environmental Watch: Adolfson picks Flowers

SEATTLE -- Fredia Flowers has joined Adolfson Associates as chief financial officer. Flowers has over 23 years of experience in financial analysis and procedures and holds a masters of business administration from Seattle Pacific University.

Environmental consulting firm Adolfson Associates specializes in natural resource management, environmental impact analysis and Endangered Species Act compliance. Headquartered in Seattle, the firm also has an office in Portland.

Failed WPPSS site goes solar

RICHLAND (AP) -- The Northwest's largest solar power station will be built on the site of a terminated nuclear power plant on the Hanford nuclear reservation.

The first phase of the solar photovoltaic station will have a generating capacity of 35 to 50 kilowatts.

The project was announced Friday by Energy Northwest, the Bonneville Power Administration and the Bonneville Environmental Foundation.

Dick Koenigs, project development manager for Energy Northwest, called solar power a generation technology for the future.

"And while the solar station's annual output might seem like a small step in meeting the region's energy deficit -- we figure about five minutes' worth of Grand Coulee's output -- it's still pretty fair-sized given the emerging state of solar technology today," he said.

Energy Northwest, a 13-utility public power consortium based in Richland, will own and operate the pilot plant. Estimated output would be about 80,000 kilowatt-hours annually for a full 50-kilowatt installation. At least 27.5 kilowatts could be installed by July.

The station will deliver power to BPA's transmission grid using interconnection equipment originally intended to link Washington Nuclear Project 1 to the grid.

Five nuclear power plants were planned for Washington in the 1970s, four of which, including WNP-1, were eventually scrapped in a huge energy-planning error that included a $2.25 billion municipal bond default in 1983.

One plant was completed, the 1,200-megawatt Columbia Generating Station, also on leased land at Hanford.

Energy Northwest, BPA and the environmental foundation each will invest $50,000 in the first phase of the solar project. A $50,000 grant is expected from the U.S. Department of Energy and another $50,000 will come from Newport Northwest LLC of Mercer Island, an affiliate of Newport Generation Inc., of Irvine, Calif.

BPA, the environmental foundation and public power worked together on the 30-kilowatt Ashland (Ore.) Solar Project, which was dedicated last year.

$256,000 to fund watershed, solar projects

PORTLAND -- The Bonneville Environmental Foundation will award $256,000 to six watershed projects and two renewable energy projects. The projects are located in Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana.

Grants were awarded for the following watershed projects: Coeur d'Alene Tribe of Idaho for a watershed biological assessment of the North Fork of Rock Creek, Kootenai Tribe of Idaho for a biological assessment of Trout Creek, Flathead Basin Commission of Kalispell, Mont., for a biological assessment of the Stoner Creek Watershed, Sea Resources of Chinook, Wash., for the Chinook River Estuary Monitoring Project, the Oregon Water Trust for a streamflow enhancement project on Rudio Creek in the John Day Watershed and the Nature Conservancy of Washington for a road and landslide assessment at Ellsworth Creek.

Two solar projects will also receive grants. The first is a mobile photovoltaic system for Willamette High School in partnership with the Eugene Water and Electric Board. The second will assist the Chelan County Public Utility District in building solar capacity for its customers who wish to buy green power.

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation is a nonprofit group that collects and invests premiums from the sale of green power. Though it works closely with the Bonneville Power Administration, the two organizations are independent of each other.

Program pays farmers to save wetlands

VESTA, Minn. (AP) -- At first glance, it doesn't look like much -- some newly planted trees and shrubs, a bit of switchgrass and a small pool of water.

But to Doug and Ione Parsons, it's an oasis in the middle of their 240-acre southwest Minnesota farm.

The Parsons enrolled in the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program in 1999. The joint state-federal program pays farmers in the 16,770-square-mile Minnesota River Basin to permanently take flood-prone farmland out of production and restore it to wetland. So far, about 34,228 acres have been enrolled out of the 100,000 allowed under the program.

The program's "farm the best, buffer the rest" philosophy could mean reduced flooding along the Minnesota River and its tributaries in the future. Other benefits include less topsoil erosion, more wildlife habitat for both viewing and hunting, and fewer chemicals and other nutrients draining into waterways used for drinking water and recreation.

Fourteen other states have set up similar programs and another 10 have pending proposals under CREP. In Minnesota, $51.4 million in state money will fetch $98 million in federal funds. The Parsons' decision to enroll 40 acres earned them $24,758 up front and $4,417 per year for 15 years, for a total of $91,022.

"The upfront money is about what I paid for the farm," says Doug, who grew up there and bought the spread from his parents in 1971.

Nationally, about 148,000 acres are enrolled in the CREP program and that's growing by at least 10,000 acres per month. Officials expect at least 300,000 acres to be in the program by the time it expires next year.

Some states require only a 10- or 15-year agreement as opposed to the permanent arrangements required in most of the Minnesota contracts. That requirement may keep some Minnesotans from signing up.

Meeting set on North Seattle Park

SEATTLE -- The Seattle Department of Parks and Recreation will hold an information session about planned improvements to North Seattle Park near North Seattle Community College. Public comment will also be accepted at that time.

Proposed improvements include a relandscaped southeast park entry and a 100-foot screen along North 105th Street to improve pedestrian traffic and prevent discs from the disc golf course from entering the roadway.

The meeting will be held Saturday, April 28, at the park, located at the intersection of North 105th Street and Burke Avenue North. For more information call Karen Galt at Seattle Parks (206) 386-4006.

Idaho Rivers threatens salmon suit

BOISE, Idaho (AP) -- Idaho Rivers United and other fishing and conservation groups announced on Thursday that they intend to sue unless the Bureau of Reclamation and Federal Energy Regulatory Commission release water from dams to aid salmon on the Snake and Columbia rivers.

"We're not going to just sit by and watch the Bush administration use the current energy crisis to justify gutting conservation measures that salmon and steelhead desperately need this year in order to avoid being massacred," said Scott Bosse of Idaho Rivers United.

Trout Unlimited, the Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Association and the Institute for Fisheries Resources also are involved in the suit.

The groups said that The National Marine Fisheries Service also will face a lawsuit if it does not release biological opinions forcing the agencies to alter operations.

Bosse said that while the salmon need to be protected, farmers should not have to give up water without being compensated.

Environmental Watch: Pollution preventers sought

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology is seeking nominees for the Governor's Award for Pollution Prevention and Sustainable Practices. The awards will be presented in September.

Large and small facilities, both private and public, are eligible for nomination. The award recognizes operations that "reduce their use of toxic materials, reduce the amount of waste and emissions they generate, or conserve resources, including raw materials, energy and water."

Entries must be submitted by June 8. A panel of former winners, pollution experts and labor and environmental groups will judge the entries.

For more information or an application, call Joanne Phillipson at (360) 407-6740 or e-mail joph461@ecy.wa.gov.

Group to review Ross Island reclaim plan

PORTLAND -- Portland Mayor Vera Katz has formed a committee to review plans for reclaiming Ross Island. The island, located in the Willamette River south of downtown, has been the site of gravel mining and also a dump site for dredge spoils.

Portland City Commissioner Erik Sten and Jim Rue, director of environmental affairs for Ross Island Sand and Gravel Co., will co-chair the committee. Other members include Ann Hanus of the Oregon Division of State Lands, David Bragdon of the Metro Council, Mike Houck of the Audubon Society and a representative of the National Marine Fisheries Service to be named.

"We will review the existing 1979 reclamation plan and take it fast forward -- using today's best scientific information and regulatory values," said Rue. "When we're done, we'll have taken another significant step in the journey to restore the health of the Willamette River."

The committee's work is expected to be complete in early 2002.

BPA extends ban on spilling water from dams

PORTLAND (AP) -- The Bonneville Power Administration again declared a power emergency Monday, barring the release of water for salmon from federal dams for at least two more weeks.

Spilling water normally begins April 3, but it was canceled two weeks ago because the BPA's acting administrator, Steve Wright, declared a power emergency. At a meeting of federal, state and tribal officials Friday in Portland, he said that the runoff forecast is still too low to both spill water for salmon and meet the region's power needs.

"The redeclaration is something of a formality," BPA spokesman Ed Mosey said Monday. "Unless we see some significant precipitation that fills the reservoirs, we're looking at a fairly dry balance of the summer."

An extensive salmon recovery plan requires water to be diverted from turbines and sent over spillways, offering young salmon safer passage to the sea at the cost of energy generation.

The BPA announced on Friday that it would repeat its emergency declaration. The National Marine Fisheries Service supported the move.

"The issue is reliability," said Donna Darm, acting regional director of the fisheries service. "If we spill water now and are wrong about the forecast, we risk rolling blackouts this summer."

Four tribes have treaty rights to Columbia River salmon and say that if the spill is cut, future salmon runs will be devastated.

"We are going to see some very dismal results based on these proposals," said Don Sampson, executive director of the Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission.

Wright named Clean Sound president

EVERETT -- Clean Sound Cooperative Inc. has named Richard Wright president. Wright had a long career with the U.S. Coast Guard. Most recently he served as environmental general manager for Time Oil Co. in Seattle.

Clean Sound is a cooperative formed by the oil industry to provide oil spill response readiness. Equipment is stationed in Tacoma, Seattle, Edmonds, Everett, Anacortes, Bellingham and Port Angeles.

Wright replaces Roland Miller, who spent over a decade with Clean Sound and nine years as president.

Mine cleanup funds lacking

WASHINGTON (AP) -- Efforts to plug up thousands of abandoned mines that dot the West could suffer under budget cuts proposed by President Bush. The president is recommending a $35 million cut to the Abandoned Mine Reclamation program, which helps pay for the state mine cleanup.

"It's kind of a starved outlook," said Robert Evetts, program manager of New Mexico's mine reclamation project. The state has about 20,000 hazardous mine openings it is working to close.

But next year, the $1.9 million the state received this year to help its efforts would be cut by $300,000 under the Bush budget. Colorado's share would be reduced from $2.6 million to $1.9 million, and Utah's would fall from $1.7 million to $1.6 million, according to preliminary numbers from the Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement.

"If that budget goes through it will affect us in a significant way," said Mark Mesch, administrator of Utah's Abandoned Mine Reclamation Program. "They will continue to expose the citizens of the state of Utah and those individuals visiting the state to the hazards those open mines present."

Three weeks ago, a snowmobiler in the Uinta Mountains drove into an abandoned mine shaft, one of about 20,000 in the state. The snowmobile wedged in the shaft and the rider was not seriously injured.

The budget cut would probably mean one project a year would be scrapped, meaning between 50 and 150 mine openings would not be closed. And in a region with a population that is growing faster than any other in the country, the expanding cities are exposing people to greater danger from abandoned mines.

Dave Bucknam, supervisor of Colorado's program said there are mines just east of Denver that pose a threat. The cuts would mean about 100 mine openings would not be closed next year, he said.

Michael Gauldin, spokesman for Office of Surface Mining, said there were cuts in numerous programs in the Interior Department and mine reclamation was not singled out.

"I don't pretend it's not going to hurt," he said, but it will likely be revisited next year and "a one-year budget reduction is not a trend."

Indian tribes would also take a hit, with the Navajo Nation's portion cut from $2.6 million to $1.9 million, and funding to the Hopi tribe cut from $500,000 to $300,000.

The Abandoned Mine Reclamation Fund was created by Congress and contains a fee collected from mining operations. But the money spent on reclamation has not kept up with fees collected, and there was $1.3 billion in the account at the end of last year.

Goodall lauds sustainable forester

NANAIMO, British Columbia (AP) -- Internationally renowned scientist and ecologist Jane Goodall says forests can be harvested and still preserved.

Goodall was on Vancouver Island to bolster efforts to save a patch of forest famous for being selectively logged for more than 60 years. In her recent book, "Reason for Hope," Goodall referred to Wildwood, an area near Nanaimo, as a model for sustainable forestry.

Since 1938, the area has been selectively logged by Merve Wilkinson. He became known around the world as a guru of the practice and the area as a showcase and classroom for it.

"I want to do everything I can to help people see how important this type of forestry is, so the message can spread around the world you can harvest a forest and you can still preserve the forest," Goodall said.

"From the time I was a small child I've loved forests and trees, and just touching a tree like this makes me feel very grateful to Merve," she said, standing next to an 1,800-year-old Douglas fir.

The Land Conservancy of British Columbia has arranged to purchase the land for $640,000 and protect it. The purchase will be complete by June 2002. Wilkinson will remain on the property after the sale.

"We are seeking to make sure this continues as a working forest and an example of a balanced forest," he said.

Environmental Watch: Utility savings for business workshop

BELLEVUE -- Water and energy conservation for businesses will be the subject of two workshops to be held at the state Department of Ecology's Bellevue office.

Utility officials will discuss how businesses can reduce their water and energy use, how to finance efficiency projects and where technical resources can be found. Also on hand will be business owners and managers who have done energy and water retrofits of their operations.

The workshops will run from 9 a.m. to noon on April 12 and April 24 at Ecology's office, 3190 160th Ave., S.E. in Bellevue. Though the workshops are free, reservations are recommended. Call the Business and Industry Resource Venture at (206) 389-7304.

Other workshop sponsors include Seattle Public Utilities, Seattle City Light and Puget Sound Energy.

ESA for contractors program set

BOTHELL -- The Master Builders of King and Snohomish Counties will present a daylong program, "Fish-Friendly Site Design and Construction Workshop," next week at the Wyndham Garden Hotel in Bothell.

Topics include the Endangered Species Act and contractors, fish friendly practices and site design, and cost effective surface water management. Also, as part of the program, a field trip will tour some representative projects utilizing fish-friendly principles.

Lunch and field trip transportation is included as part of the $50 program fee. To sign up for the April 17 event call Kelly Ashton at the Master Builders Association at (800) 522-2209 or (425) 451-7920. The Wyndham Garden is located at 19333 North Creek Parkway.

WSU reviewing power plant proposals

PULLMAN -- Washington State University is in discussions with four possible partners to redevelop the school's power plant with an eye toward greater energy efficiency.

The four firms in the running for the project are Duke Solutions, Quixx, Avista Utilities and Trigen Energy Corp. It is expected that discussions will conclude by the end of this month and formal negotiations will begin with one firm in May.

Proposals range from reuse of the existing facility with a capacity of 30 to 40 megawatts to construction of a new 70-megawatt facility on the east end of campus. WSU says also that it is committed to making improvements in the area around the existing facility at the west entrance to campus.

Sales of excess energy from the new or retrofitted plant on the open market are also a possibility.

Flexcar arrives at UW

SEATTLE -- Flexcar, the car-sharing program, is rolling out its services at the University of Washington. Initially, Flexcar will provide four cars for use by UW staff, students and University District residents.

Holders of U-Pass cards are eligible for discounted membership. Applications are available at the University Bookstore. Flexcar and the UW said that "the program is ideal for college students who may not yet own a car yet need occasional access to a vehicle."

Flexcar, a public-private partnership, has more than 1,200 members signed up to use 40 vehicles in 10 neighborhoods around Seattle.

Street dedication kicks of Creek Week

SEATTLE -- Seattle Public Utilities and Seattle Parks and Recreation are kicking off Creek Week this Saturday, April 14, with the dedication of the SEA Streets demonstration project at 117th Street and Second Avenue Northwest. SEA (Street Edge Alternative) Streets utilize landscaping and swales, rather than curbs and gutters, to slow stormwater runoff.

Other events include the Thornton Creek Watershed Neighbors Night April 19 and a Taylor Creek tour and work party April 21. Creek Week concludes citywide on Earth Day, April 22. For more information on Creek Week programs call (206) 684-7655 or go to www.cityofseattle.net/util/urbancreeks/.