| 1999 will surely go down in environmental circles as the year of the salmon. After the Endangered Species Act listed some species of local salmon, a host of new environmental issues emerged for public officials, environmentalists, developers, farmers and the rest of the Northwest to deal with.
One key issue to emerge is the impact area dams has on the salmon population. An article by Chris Fowler looks at the economic impact the removal of the dams may have on the area, and Michael Harrington suggests some innovative, low-cost ways to help salmon without breaching dams.
The real estate market has also been faced with a host of new regulatory issues to deal with, and the DJC has a host of stories to keep you informed on this complicated issue. Among them, Ed Van Der Bogert looks at some of the key ways the ESA listing affects development, and an article by Susan Kemp examines the question of whether it's even worth the trouble to develop a new project. And Thomas Holz suggests several ways to develop projects with minimal impact on the surrounding land.
The annual DJC Environmental Industry Survey finds that, like most industries in Seattle, the biggest problem facing environmental consulting firms today is finding enough qualified people to keep up with the work.
You'll also find stories on a number of other environmental topics in Protecting the Environment, including a look at global warming, natural ways to control erosion, and some innovative ways of designing urban wetlands.
We hope the 1999 edition of Protecting the Environment serves our readers as a informative resource we face the environmental challanges of the coming years.
- Maude Scott, editor
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C O N T E N T S
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Water supply gridlock
Given the past four years of above average rainfall, it may be difficult to believe that our water supply is severely limited. However, there is a water supply gridlock in Washington with environmental and economic consequences that rival the gridlock on our roads and highways.
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It's time to try zero-impact
Evidence is incontrovertible that development destroys fish habitat. For over three decades the literature has documented the devastation of streams in watersheds when they are urbanized.
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City team working to make the Emerald City more green
Almost as soon as Paul Schell was elected mayor he started talking about Seattle "growing with grace," i.e., that the city needs to be smart about growth to ensure that what is most loved about Seattle isn't lost. To achieve this vision, Mayor Schell is reaching beyond the bully pulpit to put into practice what he's preaching.
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A look at the impacts of removing dams
Today, concerns over dwindling salmon populations are bringing the fate of the four dams along the Snake River under close scrutiny. Drawdown to natural river conditions is being considered as a way to reduce the mortality of migrating salmon.
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Consider low-cost alternatives to breaching
Environmental engineer Michael Harrington says that there's some viable, less drastic alternatives to dam breaching that can help save local salmon.
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After ESA: to build or not to build?
Completing a development project has never been a simple process. Whether it involves a residential development, a retail facility, a manufacturing plant, a warehousing facility, or a new highway, the developer must address regulations and requirements from numerous agencies during all phases of a construction project.
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End of pipe: rain supplies their water
As the human population of the Pacific Northwest has grown, so have the impacts from high demands placed on our water resources. In order to meet our future water needs, new solutions are needed that are both economical and environmentally friendly.
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Light rail line may help fill missing link in Valley parks
With the third highest population growth rate in the nation among large metropolitan areas, the Puget Sound region is being challenged when it comes to meeting its growing transportation needs. Before any infrastructure changes are made, however, there is a rigorous environmental planning, permitting and mitigation process that occurs.
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Into the breach: restoring rivers, relicensing dams
The licensing of dams and hydroelectric projects is not typically a matter with which we concern ourselves. Licenses last 30 or 50 years, so relicensing has been a relatively infrequent procedure, receiving little, if any, public attention. But relicensing is about to become familiar to all of us as licenses for 550 dams expire between 1993 and 2010.
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Zebra mussels, mitten crabs invade Northwest
For all the talk about alien' plants and animals invading Puget Sound and the waters of the Northwest, we are still in the midst of a silent crisis. What are non-native species? And why should we worry?
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NEBA lets you put a price on habitat
Imagine a habitat restoration solution to an environmental contamination problem that: costs less, can be implemented quickly, reduces consultants' and lawyers' costs, makes all the stakeholders happy and, most important, actually provides a net environmental benefit, especially for the threatened and endangered salmon of Washington.
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Salmon listing means big changes in development
The listing of Puget Sound Chinook as threatened under the Endangered Species Act has area developers, constructors, and municipalities wondering how we will continue to meet the community's need for affordable housing and vital infrastructure.
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Temperature's rising, and so is need for expert help
Along with mass production, consumer economies and ever more products and inventions, the Industrial Revolution of the 19th Century has given us global warming. Today the atmospheric concentration of this "greenhouse gas" is nearly double what it was before the dawn of the industrial age. And it may triple or quadruple before fossil fuels are exhausted.
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Finding a `natural' solution to erosion
The Weowna Park renovation completed late last year used a natural systems approach to reduce erosion, by armoring the creek and dissipating energy. The project illustrates how "hard" engineering can be combined with natural improvements, and how understanding natural processes can help find solutions that work with nature.
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ESA: are dire predictions fact or fiction?
Most Puget Sound residents are aware of the recent listings of salmon under the Endangered Species Act and many have heard dire predictions of how commercial and industrial operations will be affected. So, how concerned should you be?
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Developing on state shorelines will get tougher
The Washington Department of Ecology is proposing extensive and substantial new changes to the guidelines which implement the state Shorelines Management Act.
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Developers add chinook to list of challenges
The process of developing land within King County and surrounding areas has been significantly impacted by the National Marine Fisheries' listing of Chinook salmon as a threatened species.
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Urban wetlands: another approach
How do you like your man-made wetlands? Stirred into a homogeneous, "natural" texture? Or maybe on-the-rocks, with large chunks of "art" swimming about? After some earnest sampling and experimentation with such conventions and preferences, planners at Anderson & Ray came to appreciate another approach to urban wetland design.
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Tribes have big role in implementing ESA
The listing of Puget Sound chinook salmon as a threatened species under the Endangered Species Act affects business in many ways. Among these, Section 7 of the act changes the process for obtaining federal permits and funding for the development of new projects.
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An environmentally friendly roof
Impervious surfaces in urban and suburban areas can have a significant negative effect on our environment, specifically our fresh water supply, via rivers, streams and aquifer. Some studies have shown that pollution entering Elliott Bay from run-off occurring across impervious surfaces equals approximately 250,000 gallons of motor oil per year.
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Is there life after the salmon listing?
Many people felt that the March listing of Puget Sound chinook salmon and 10 other pacific northwest salmon and trout stock signaled an end to life as we know it. But it appears that the sky is not falling, at least not yet, unless, of course, your livelihood involves the permitting and construction of the region's burgeoning infrastructure system.
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People, salmon and even the ESA can coexist
Salmon are part of the equation that makes up the thing we call The Northwest. As we subtract out parts of the equation, the "Northwest" loses value, not just aesthetically and culturally, but economically.
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Brownfields are ripe for redevelopment
Once-abandoned industrial sites and buildings are proving to be valuable resources in today's burgeoning economy.
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1999 Environmental Industry Survey
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