March 25, 2003

Environmental Watch: Herrera natural resource group hires two

SEATTLE -- Herrera Environmental Consultants has two new staff members in its natural resources group.

Hennessey

Wozniak

Diane Hennessey works on wetland, stream and wildlife studies; natural resource planning and policy development; permitting; and environmental impact analysis. She prepared preliminary wetland, stream and wildlife studies and developed GIS maps for siting King County's Brightwater Wastewater Treatment facility.

Josh Wozniak joined the group last year. Among his areas of expertise are vegetation mapping and analysis, wetland evaluations, Endangered Species Act compliance,and NEPA and SEPA analysis. He evaluated biological resource implications for siting Brightwater.

New ESA office established in Portland

PORTLAND -- The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries) has created a division at its Portland office to develop plans to recover salmon and steelhead protected under the Endangered Species Act in Washington, Oregon and Idaho.

Robert Walton has been selected to lead the Salmon Recovery Division. Previously, he was assistant manager of the Public Power Council in Portland.

The division will have an initial staff of about 15 and will also coordinate salmon plans in the sub-basin, inland salmon harvests and hatchery policies.

Walton has been Alaska’s state ombudsman, an analyst for Earth Resources Co. of Alaska and a committee staff member for the Washington state Senate.

Ecology burn program wins EPA award

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has honored the state Department of Ecology's Agricultural and Outdoor Burning Notification and Information System.

Information about planned ag and other outdoor burning is posted on a Web site so people can plan their activities. The site also provides farmers with information on Best Management Practices for emission reductions.

Ecology officials say that five years ago, they fielded 49 complaints about field burning smoke. Last year, they logged nine complaints.

EPA Administrator Christine Todd Whitman presented the agency's Clean Air Excellence Award to Ecology's Kary Peterson, Sara Johnson, Kathy Sundberg and Judy Beitel.

The Washington Association of Wheat Growers, many of whose members burn wheat stubble, nominated the program, saying Ecology helped break an impasse over the burning issue.

West Nile seen as a threat to wetlands

OLYMPIA -- A state agency worries that in taking steps to protect themselves from the West Nile virus, Washingtonians may drain wetlands and cause other harm to the environment.

Last year, the virus caused 277 deaths in the United States and reached Washington where two birds and two horses tested positive for the virus that some mosquitoes carry.

The Department of Ecology's advice, issued in a release: "Whatever you do, don't drain wetlands." And don't use non-native fish and other wildlife to control mosquitoes in ponds.

Instead, use a naturally occurring organism, bacillus thuringiensis israelensis -- or Bti -- to destroy mosquito larvae. Bti products can be used as long as the treated water does not drain to natural waters, such as lakes, rivers and ground water. Permits are required to use pesticides in natural waters, including wetlands.

Sea-Tac seeks renewal of discharge permit

BURIEN -- The state Department of Ecology is seeking public input on the proposed renewal and upgrade of Sea-Tac Airport's industrial wastewater discharge permit.

The public comment period extends through April 15. On March 31 there will be a 4:30 p.m. open house, a 6 p.m. workshop and a 7:30 p.m. public hearing at the Criminal Justice Training Center, 19010 First Ave. S., in Burien.

The permit and a detailed fact sheet is available at http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/permits/northwest_permits.html.

The 297-acre industrial stormwater control area removes oil drippings, de-icing chemicals and other pollutants. Treated wastewater flows to Puget Sound through an outfall line. Stormwater from roads and roofs flows to area creeks via treatment facilities. A construction section places controls on storm runoff from projects, including the third runway.

Good news for coho, chinook numbers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- West Coast coho and chinook salmon gathering in the ocean to return to native streams or hatcheries are showing up in historical numbers, according to early estimates from a group led by NOAA Fisheries.

Numbers show estimates for Oregon coastal and Columbia River naturally spawned and hatchery coho salmon up 185 percent over the recent 10-year average. The majority of the returning salmon are from hatcheries and are generally not listed under the Endangered Species Act.

Preliminary forecasts for Washington coast and Puget Sound coho returns are also showing significant increases over recent actual returns. Predictions call for more than 215,500 naturally spawned coho to return to Washington coast rivers in 2003, an increase of 138 percent over 2001 actual returns.

Puget Sound naturally spawned coho are predicted to nearly double 2001's actual returns of 280,000. (Complete 2002 returns are not yet available.) Similarly, the early numbers show high forecasts for many Northwest chinook runs. Columbia Basin summer chinook continue to return at levels not seen since the 1950s.

Government biologists credit favorable ocean conditions, and say conservation efforts are helping, too.

Stevens nail-eating mad over ANWR vote

WASHINGTON -- Consultants hoping to work on oil drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge lost a battle in the U.S. Senate last week.

Senators voted 52-48 not to include ANWR drilling revenues in the annual budget resolution.

"I'm mad enough to eat nails right now," Sen. Ted Stevens (R-Alaska) said afterwards.

The Anchorage Daily News reported that just before the vote a gasp went up in the chamber when Stevens, chairman of the powerful Appropriations Committee, warned: "People who vote against this today are voting against me -- and I will not forget it."

Among the seven Republicans voting with Democrats against Stevens were Oregon's Gordon Smith.