August 23, 2005

Environmental Watch: Nature Conservancy hires manager

Morse

SEATTLE — The Nature Conservancy of Washington added Kevin Morse to manage projects in the Skagit Delta. Morse ran the environmental industries program for the Economic Development Association of Skagit County, and was also executive director of a Maryland regional planning agency that did work for three counties and 21 municipalities.

The Nature Conservancy is an international nonprofit that works to protect land and water for plants, animals and natural communities. The group was founded in 1951 and does work around the United States and in 27 countries. Officials say the group's efforts have protected more than 117 million acres of land and 5,000 miles of river around the world.

West Consultants adds staff

SALEM, Ore. — West Consultants recently added Joseph Amann to its Bellevue office. Amann's educational background is in hydraulics, hydrology, sediment transport and watershed sustainability.

Engineer Chris Bahner transferred from company's San Diego office to its Salem, Ore., office. Bahner's background is in water resources, sedimentation and hydraulics. Also in Salem, Christine A. Jenkins and James E. Heyen have earned their professional engineering licenses. Both are hydraulic engineers and do hydrologic and hydraulic modeling.

West Consultants also announced its president Jeffrey B. Bradley has been named president of the ASCE American Academy of Water Resource Engineers. West Consultants is a water resource engineering and environmental firm.

Researchers: Vashon could power itself

VASHON — A Vashon-based nonprofit called the Institute for Environmental Research and Education says Vashon Island could profit if it ran on renewable energy.

The institute recently released a report that says Vashon Island's 11,000 residents could save $55 million if they relied on wind and solar power. The researchers say after first setting up ways to conserve energy, the island could run on 15 wind turbines, which would be backed by solar PV and biomass generators. Setting those up would cost less than $40 million, they say.

"Our report recommends that Vashon create its own utility district," said the institute's Executive Director Rita Schenck. Conservation and renewable technology could lead to energy independence within 10 years, Schenck said.

The researchers say existing energy efficiency technologies such as Energy Star appliances, insulation, compact fluorescent lighting and heat pumps can reduce the building-related energy use by more than 70 percent. The report says fossil-based energy costs are rising at a rate of four to 13 percent per year, but the costs to generate renewable energy are falling at about 2.5 percent per year.

Corps proposes turtle habitat project

PORTLAND — The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is proposing a habitat improvement project in an area called Fern Ridge for the Northwestern pond turtle, which is listed as a federal "species of concern."

The pond turtle population in Oregon is believed to be less than 10 percent of what it was in the past, with the largest decline in the Willamette Valley. The turtles' habitat has been lost and degraded by agriculture, urban development, flood control projects and predation, according to the corps.

The $20,800 project is set to start in September or October, before the fall rains, and take about a week. Fern Ridge was picked because it already has pond turtles, though the population is mostly adults.

Work will involve reshaping steep vertical banks, creating low-profile nesting berms and removing woody vegetation. A draft environmental assessment is at http://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e. Send comments postmarked by Sept. 2 to: District Engineer, U.S. Army Corps of Engineer District, Portland, Attn: CENWP-PM-E, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, Ore., 97208-2946.

Comments also can be e-mailed to james.b.stengle@nwp01.usace.army.mil. Refer to public notice # CENWP-PM-E-04-11, South Marsh Turtle Nesting Habitat Restoration Project. Or call the Corps' Jim Stengle at (503) 808-4772.

Meeting on new waste, water rules

SUMNER — Two Washington Department of Ecology officials will be in Sumner on Wednesday to explain how municipalities must meet new stormwater permit requirements.

The Puyallup River Watershed Council has invited the speakers to its meeting, which will be held at Sumner City Council Chambers, 1104 Maple St., from 5 to 7 p.m.

John Diamant is the industrial permit engineer for Ecology's southwest region and Janice Sedlak is the municipal permit specialist at Ecology's headquarters. They will join Amy Bates of Citizens for a Healthy Bay will talk about a water pollution hotline that she manages for the City of Tacoma. Citizens can use this to anonymously report suspected sources of pollution.

The Puyallup River Watershed Council is a volunteer group of citizens and representatives of cities, counties, Tribes, agencies, universities and private industries. See http://www.prwc.org for more information, or contact Linda T. Burgess at (253) 863-1860 or LTBurgess3@msn.com.

BPA studies power grid reorganization

PORTLAND — How electricity gets delivered to every utility in the Northwest will come under scrutiny in the next month as the Bonneville Power Administration considers a major reorganization of power grid operations in four states and British Columbia.

Bonneville owns and operates 75 percent of the region's high voltage transmission grid. Officials say the bulk power transmission system is sagging under the weight of growing demand.

A public comment period on options being considered will run through Sept. 9. BPA expects to announce its decision about which path to pursue by Sept. 30.

One option is to keep operating as is, with each transmission system run separately. Here are the proposed alternatives:

Grid West would unite multiple transmission systems under a single entity that would be governed by an independent board of directors. Utilities would retain ownership of their assets, but Grid West would handle control, operation and expansion. A board would develop a business plan for the organization and offer contracts to the region's transmission owners to implement it. (www.gridwest.com/DP2Info.htm)

Under the Transmission Improvements Group proposal, utility owners would keep control of their assets, and address operations and expansion issues through multiple contracts. This approach seeks to avoid creating a new transmission entity that some believe might reduce accountability to regional transmission users. (www.tig-nw.kristiwallis.com)