April 22, 2003

Environmental Watch: Skillings-Connolly adds fisheries specialist

LACEY -- Skillings-Connolly has hired Michael McGinnis to join the environmental team of the Lacey-based engineering and environmental consulting firm. He was fisheries manager for the Confederated Tribes of the Chehalis Reservation where he developed the Tribal Fisheries Program; the Tribal Restoration Program; and the Timber, Fish and Wildlife Program. He managed and implemented more than 75 habitat restoration projects; consulted with the U.S. Fish & Wildlife and the National Marine Fisheries services; and participated on multi-agency fish and watershed management projects.

He also has experience in hatchery management in Washington and managed a fish culture project in Zaire.

Bamboo flooring company hires CFO

BAINBRIDGE ISLAND -- TimberGrass LLC, which calls itself the nation’s leading manufacturer of bamboo floors and building products, named Donald Markey chief financial officer.

Markey has more than 20 years of management and financial leadership experience with fast-growth West Coast companies. Most recently he was executive vice president and CFO for Pinnacle Realty Management Co. in Seattle.

TimberGrass officials say the company has doubled its sales every year since the company was founded in 1994.

BBL's Seattle office has a new VP

SEATTLE -- Civil engineer Kris Fabian has joined Blasland, Bouck & Lee Inc.'s Seattle office as a vice president.

Fabian, who has a doctorate degree, was hired as part of the company's plan to expand its port and harbor team. BBL officials say demand from port authorities and waterfront businesses for engineering and scientific expertise is increasing nationwide.

According to the company, Fabian is a leader in the fields of contaminated sediment management, and geotechnical engineering and remedial design. His experience includes management and execution of large projects under CERCLA and state regulatory requirements.

Nooksack dam removal being studied

BELLINGHAM -- City officials are weighing whether to rip out a 40-year-old diversion dam on the Nooksack River's Middle Fork to improve chinook salmon habitat.

The city, Lummi Nation and the Nooksack Tribe have been thinking about building a fish ladder, but that could cost up to $9 million, according to a Bellingham Herald report. Plus, the city faces an additional $3 million worth of repairs to the dam.

The dam forces water into a tunnel and pipeline that empties into Lake Whatcom, helping to regulate the city's water reserves.

The city and tribes could avoid those costs by removing the dam and using a simple intake pipe upstream from the dam to funnel water into the lake, which is the source of drinking water for 85,700 people. City officials estimate removing the dam and installing an intake pipe would cost between $3 million to $4 million.

The city has hired Northwest Hydraulic Consultants of Seattle to start investigating the options, including removal of the dam.

Parks turn to 'e' technology to save cash

SEATTLE -- Low-flush toilets in restrooms, computer-controlled lighting at athletic fields and self-compacting trash cans are helping King County cut costs and preserve natural resources at parks.

Low-flow toilets, paid for with grants, will be installed at the Renton Pool this month. Each toilet saves about 3 gallons per flush. Eventually all county pools will have low-flow toilets, waterless urinals and timed showers.

Computerized lighting has been installed at five South King County sites. The system, which cost $73,000 to install, is expected to pay for itself in about 2 1/2 years through annual savings of $31,731, officials estimate.

Fifty self-compacting garbage cans have been installed at Marymoor Park in Redmond. The receptacles go below the ground's surface, allowing more trash to be stored for longer periods, thereby reducing labor costs. The cool, subterranean temperatures mean the garbage will decompose more slowly. In addition to saving costs and preserving natural resources, the cans are designed to generate revenue with advertising space.

'E' camps for grownups this summer

ENTERPRISE, Ore. -- Count hawks, study wildflowers or help restore a wilderness cabin this summer at new camps for grownups.

The nonprofit group Wallowa Resources, U.S. Forest Service and other groups developed the camps.

Raptors Above the Zumwalt Prairie is a horseback trip offered May 30 - June 1 and June 6 - 8. Campers will help track annual recruitment of hawks and other raptors. During Wildflowers on the Grande Ronde River, from June 12 -15, campers will leisurely raft on the river, learn about native plants, pull weeds and perform basic beach cleanups. Participants in Wilderness Cabin Restoration Sept. 8 -12 will learn restoration techniques at the Standley Guard Station cabin in the Wallowa Mountains.

For information, write Wallowa Resources, P.O. Box 274, Enterprise, OR 97828, wallowar@oregonvos.net or phone (541) 426-8053.

'E' events on tap for the coming weeks

SEATTLE -- The following environment-related events are planned: