February 3, 2004

Environmental Watch: Floyd Snider McCarthy adds staff

SEATTLE -- Environmental consulting firm Floyd Snider McCarthy hired principal John Herzog. Herzog has 12 years of scientific and environmental experience, with an emphasis on shoreline facilities, and upland and marine properties. He studied geological sciences at the University of Colorado and oceanography at the University of Washington.

Kleinfelder adds staff

SEATTLE -- Kleinfelder, Inc. -- a San Diego-based management, engineering, environmental science and construction consulting firm -- hired Mary Ann Carlson as marketing manager for its Seattle office. Carlson has 20 years of experience in the architecture and engineering industry, specializing in marketing federal, state and local agencies.

Ecology to set rules for stream flows

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology plans to set requirements for minimum stream flows in 10 watersheds. Ecology also may change or enhance flow requirements in seven other watersheds by June 2005, according to the department.

Since 1976 Ecology has adopted stream flow rules for 19 of Washington's 62 watersheds. Setting minimum stream flows helps fish habitats and helps determine if watersheds have enough water for irrigation, recreation, commercial and public use.

This year Ecology will work with tribes, watershed planning groups and the state Department of Fish and Wildlife to adopt minimum flows for the Elwha-Dungeness, Entiat, Lower Skagit-Samish sub-basin, Stillaguamish and Walla Walla watersheds. Next year Ecology will set stream flows for the Cowlitz, Grays-Elochoman, Lewis, Quilcene-Snow and Salmon-Washougal watersheds.

Invasive weed battle gets $440,000 grant

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology will award more than $440,000 in grants to control the spread Eurasian milfoil and other non-native aquatic weeds.

In 2004 Ecology will award grants to the University of Washington, state Department of Fish and Wildlife, cities of Kent and Rock Island, Liberty Lake and Sacheen Lake sewer districts, and Chelan, Island, Wahkiakum counties.

The funding comes from the state's Freshwater Aquatic Weeds Account. For details visit www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/wq/plants/grants/focusgrant.html.

Feb. 7 plant salvage seeks volunteers

NEWCASTLE -- King County's Native Plant Salvage Program is looking for volunteers to help salvage native plants at a development site near Hazelwood Elementary School in Newcastle.

Volunteers will dig up native plants and shrubs on the Renton School District site from 9 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. on Feb. 7, and help re-pot the plants at the county's Native Plant Holding Facility on the Sammamish Plateau from 12:30 p.m. to 4 p.m.

The county salvages native plants to reduce erosion, shade streams, and provide fish and wildlife habitat at restoration sites. For directions to the salvage site and holding facility and other details, visit http://dnr.metrokc.gov/wlr/PI/salvage.htm or contact Greg Rabourn at (206) 296-1923 or greg.rabourn@metrokc.gov.

Ecology fines top $1 million for 2003

OLYMPIA -- The state Department of Ecology issued $308,306 in fines in the last quarter of 2003, bringing total fines for 2003 to $1.04 million.

Ecology fined Okanogan-based Bains LLC $87,100 for not having leak protections on underground petroleum storage tanks, and fined Port Angeles-based Naftomar Shipping and Trading Co. $75,000 for spilling 1,188 gallons of oil into Port Angeles Harbor while refueling the "Gaz Diamond." Ecology fined Ferndale-based Mid-Mac Enterprises $49,500 for spilling 1,050 gallons of fuel into Deer Creek when a tank trailer crashed near Ferndale.

In King County, Ecology fined the city of Bellevue $4,000 for doing construction work on a Valley Creek tributary without required plans and permits; and fined Seattle-based Covich Williams Facility $28,242 for illegally transferring 12,370 gallons of diesel into a tank barge on Lake Washington.

Sustainable Seattle award nominations due

SEATTLE -- Sustainable Seattle is seeking nominations for its third-annual Sustainable Community Outstanding Leadership Awards.

The awards recognize people, organizations, businesses and public agencies for leadership in government, business, social justice and the built environment. Past winners are Jones & Jones Architects & Landscape Architects, the RE Store, Maxine Buie Mimms of Antioch University, Tracy Dieckhoner of the city of Seattle's Pesticide Reduction Program, and Patty Borman of the city's Cascade neighborhood.

County offers new environmental grants

SEATTLE -- The King County Water and Land Resources Division is offering six grant programs this year for watershed protection, habitat restoration, reforestation, salmon conservation and natural resource stewardship projects and related education efforts.

Projects must be located in King County or south Snohomish County watersheds that flow into Lake Washington. The Adopt-a-Stream Foundation, Heron Habitat Helpers, Homewaters Project/North Seattle Community College, Mid-Puget Sound Fisheries Enhancement Group and city of Bothell won grants in 2003.

The deadline for maximum awards, which range $10,000 to $75,000, is March 1. There is no deadline for grants up to $2,000. For details contact Ken Pritchard, grant exchange coordinator, at (206) 296-8265 or ken.pritchard@metrokc.gov.

Four vie for good-government award

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- The Council for Excellence in Government and Harvard University's John F. Kennedy School of Government named four Pacific Northwest programs as semifinalists for the Innovations in American Government Awards.

The awards give $100,000 grants to five state, local, tribal or federal programs. In March contest judges will choose 15 finalists from 50 semifinalists, before the National Selection Committee on Innovations in American Government chooses five winning programs on July 28.

The semifinalists include A Regional Coalition for Housing, a partnership of King County and 15 suburban cities; the state of Washington's Developmental Disabilities Endowment Trust; the city of Seattle's Natural Drainage Systems program; and the state of Oregon's Business Energy Tax Credit Pass-Through program. For details visit www.excelgov.org.

Green building conference March 10-12

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- The Missouri Heartland Organizing Group of the U.S. Green Building Council will host "Greening the Heartland 2004: Beyond Sustainability" March 10-12 in Columbia, Mo.

Speakers at the two-day conference in the Holiday Inn Select Expo Center will include Ray Anderson of Interface Inc., Christine Ervin of the USGBC, Bob Berkebile of BNIM Architects, Amy Liu of the Brookings Institution, and Richard Swett of the American Institute of Architects and Design Futures Council.

Workshops will discuss design/construction, alternative/renewable energy, regional perspectives, education, health/social issues, and government/business. For details visit www.usgbc.org.