Thursday, June 19, 2014 - Mason County Journal - Page B-5
Olympic National Forest seeks comments on roads
STAFF REPORT
news@masoncounty, com
The Olympic National Forest is
having open houses asking the public
to share the areas and roads they use
on the forest.
This information will help the for-
est identify a financially sustainable
road system that meets diverse ac-
cess needs, minimizes environmen-
tal harm, and is safe and dependable
because it is scaled tb available re-
sources.
"Your participation will help us
understand your access needs,"
said Forest Supervisor Reta Laford.
"It would be particularly helpful to
know what areas you use on the for-
est and what roads you use to get
there."
The open houses will be around the
Olympic Peninsula this summer.
Date, time and location of Olym-
pic National Forest Sustainable Road
System open houses are:
• June 19, 4 to 7 p.m., Forks,
Olympic Natural Resources Center,
Hemlock Forest Conference Room,
1455 S. Forks Ave.
• June 25, 4 to 7 p.m., Quilcene,
Quilcene School Multipurpose Room,
294715 U.S. Highway 101.
• July 17, 4:30 to 7:30 p.m., Port
Townsend, Port Townsend Commu-
nity Center, 620 Tyler St.
• July 30, 4 to 7 p.m., Quinault,
Olympic National Forest, Quinault
Ranger Station, 363 South Shore
Road.
• Aug. 19, 4 to 7 p.m., Shelton Civ-
ic Center, 525 Cota St.
• Aug. 21, 4 to 7 p.m. Aberdeen,
Rotary Log Pavillion, 1401 Sargent
Blvd.
• Aug. 27, 4 to 7 p.m. Olympia,
Olympic National Forest, Supervi-
sor's Office, 1835 Black Lake Blvd.
SW
In addition to attending open
houses, the public can provide
comments using the web-based
map or online questionnaire on
the Forest website: www.fs.usda.
gov/goto/olympic/sustainableroads.
Questionnaires are also available
at any Olympic National Forest
office.
Comments will be taken until Aug.
31.
Board to develop strategy for removing fish barriers
STAFF REPORT
news@masoncounty, corn
A new board responsible for
restoring fish habitat by expe-
diting the removal of fish bar-
riers in Washington's streams
had its first meeting June 17
in Olympia.
The Fish Passage Barrier
Removal Board will develop a
statewide strategy for remov-
ing fish barriers on state, local
and private lands. Washing-
ton has an estimated 30,000
fish barriers, such as culverts,
which impede the migration of
steelhead and salmon.
"Our goal is to coordinate
the removal of barriers with-
in a watershed to help en-
sure fish passage throughout
the entire stream," said Julie
Henning, fish passage section
manager for the Washington
Department of Fish and Wild-
life (WDFW). "A coordinated
approach among barrier own-
ers will take advantage of cost
efficiencies while contributing
to salmon recovery."
The board was created ear-
lier this year through state
legislation (House Bill 2251)
that also streamlines the per-
mitting process for barrier re-
moval projects. The legislation
instructs board members to
give preference to projects that
will most benefit threatened or
endangered species.
Board members met at 9
a.m. June 17 at the Double-
Tree Hotel, 415 Capitol Way
N. in Olympia.
All future meetings are open
to the public but only board
members will participate in
the discussion. Information on
future board meetings, as well
as meeting agendas and notes,
can be found on the Fish Pas-
sage Barrier Removal Board's
web page at wdfw.wa.gov/
about/advisory/fpbrb.
The chair of the board is a
representative from WDFW.
Other board members in-
clude representatives from
the Washington departments
of Transportation and Natu-
ral Resources, Association of
Washington Counties, Wash-
ington Association of Cities,
the Governor's Salmon Re-
covery Office, Northwest In-
dian Fisheries Commission,
Yakama Indian Nation and
the Confederated Tribes of the
Colville Reservation.
The board's work will build
upon barrier removal projects
including those completed un-
der a 2013 federal court in-
junction that requires Wash-
ington to remove hundreds of
state-owned culverts by 2030.
The board's effort will build on
the state's investment by cor-
recting barriers upstream and
downstream of those projects.
Open house on community
forest scheduled for June 26
STAFF REPORT
news@masoncounty, com
The public is invited to
share ideas about the fu-
ture of the Teanaway Com-
munity Forest at an open
house from 5:30 to 8 p.m.,
June 26, in Cle Elum.
The event will be in the
Swauk Teanaway Grange,
1361 W. Ballard Hill Road.
The Washington De-
partments of Natural Re-
sources' (DNR) and Fish
and Wildlife (WDFW) are
developing a management
plan, which is due by June
30, 2015, with significant
input from a community-
based advisory commit-
tee. The open house is one
of many opportunities for
the public to provide corn-
ments to the advisory com-
mittee.
After brief opening re-
marks, which begin at 5:30
p.m., the public will have
an opportunity to comment
on topics such as water-
shed protection, working
lands, recreation, and fish
and wildlife in the Tean-
away. DNR and WDFW
will have staff members
available to discuss each
subject. everal members
of the Teanaway Commu-
nity Forest Advisory Com-
mittee also plan to attend
the open house.
Additional information
about the community
forest, including how
to comment online, can
be found at dnr.wa.gov/
teanaway.
Thank You
For Being
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