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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
November 1, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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November 1, 2012
 
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A shellfish beach at Hamma Hamma on Hood Canal. By NATALIE JOHNSON r~,(lla[ie@n~esoncou nt,y.com Since the mid-1980s the Hood Ca- nal Coordinating Council (HCCC) has worked to address water quality issues from a regional approach, bringing to- gether area partners to combine efforts. "Fish don't know the county bound- aries," Executive Director Scott Brewer said. Last week, a part of the Hood Canal region expressed a desire to back out of that partnership. The Mason County Board of Com- missioners voted unanimously on Oct. 23 to give a 90 day notice of the coun- ty's intent to withdraw from the coun- cil, as is required in the membership agreement. "I have expressed concerns for a number of years about the Hood Canal Coordinating Council," Mason County Commissioner Lynda Ring Erickson said. "-We need to be very focused and ., very strategic. Sometimes I think that "tl{ey'~e'%st that strategic focus:" Mason County is one of five voting members in the council. The others represent Jefferson and Kitsap coun- ties and the Skokomish and S'Klallam Port Gamble tribes. In addition to the council's five vot- ing members, it also has ex-officio mem- bers such as the Washington State De- partment of Ecology, Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife and the Puget Sound Partnership, among others. "They'll come and go, depending on the issue," Brewer said. The council also has more than 200 partners, he said, including groups such as the Hood Canal Salmon En- hancement Group. Rather than have dozens of orga- nizations implement separate water quality programs, the HCCC attacks water quality and habitat issues from a regional perspective, Brewer said. That approach allows the council to create programs to benefit the entire Hood Canal, he said, such as its Inte- grated Watershed Management Plan, Salmon Recovery Program, In Lieu Fee Mitigation Program and community engagement, among others. "We are the regional recovery orga- nization for summer chum salmon," Brewer said. "The coordinating council now is the body responsible for getting that plan integrated." Because the HCCC is the lead fis- cal agent for chum salmon recovery, it administors state and federal funds to other local salmon recovery organiza- tions too. When voting to withdraw from the council, the Mason County Commis- sioners expressed concern about one program in particular -- the In Lieu Fee Mitigation, or ILF program. The HCCC first discussed an ILF program in relation to a U.S. Navy project to put in a new warf on Hood Canal in Kitsap County. The project involved clearing a 1/5- acre wetland and 3/4-acre area of ripar- ian habitat to make way for a 6.3 acre over-water structure. During the permitting process for a project like this, organizations have to go through an Environmental Impact Statement. "It gets determined at some point that these impacts are unavoidable, (then) they're required to do mitiga- tion," Brewer said. In some cases, such as the Navy's, he said it makes more sense to charge a fee in lieu of mitigation. Specifically, the Navy has paid $6.9 million to HCCC for them to manage the mitigation process. "They're paying for a service -- we have the responsibility to do that miti- gation," said Richard Brocksmith, director for habitat programs at the HCCC. "The beauty of the In Lieu Fee system is, like the Navy, they don't have to be in the business of habitat restoration." Being in charge of the mitigation allows the HCCC to, again, provide a watershed- or region-wide approach, he said. Ring Erickson said it isn't so much the substance of the program that con- cerns her, but whether Mason County Journal file photo will retain the right to have a final say on a mitigation project. She also expressed concern that the ILF program could be used to address mitigation for a Washington State De- partment of Transportation project to widen State Route 3 through Belfair. "I do think that the voters of Mason County expect us to be involved," she said. The HCCC voted ":n July, with Ma- son County as the lone dissenting vote, to approve the ILF program. There are eight other ILF programs in the coun- try, Brewer said. County commissioner Steve Bloom- field said the commission did not have adequate time to review changes to the ILF proposal before the HCCC board voted on it. "They give us a five-minute presen- tation, a PowerPoint, then they said, 'Would you please sign it.' I hadn't even seen the document," he said. Bloomfield said the Mason County Commission had been under the im- pression that the ILF program would only be used in the Navy project, and said adopting the ILF would conflict with the Mason County Comprehen- sive Plan. Brewer said the HCCC wants to work with Mason County to under- stand their concerns and resolve any differences. "We didn't really understand their concerns and the issues," he said. "In h{ndsight, we need to do a better job of laying out the In Lieu Fee program." Bloomfield also expressed concerns about the council's financial practices. While its members recieve financial statements at each meeting, he said he preferred more in-depth presentations on the state of the budget. Commissioner Tim Sheldon also questioned the council's finances at the Oct. 23 Mason County Commission meeting. Both sides have expressed an inter- est in working out their differences. "It's not just about in lieu fees, there are other things," Bloomfield said. "I think there's potential to work it out if somebody makes an effort." o::o H00dCanai COMMUNICATIONS SHS Content on Local Channel 46! %# Hood Canal Communications has partnered with the Career and ........ Technical Education Program at ;5 J Shelton High School in order to ;Z provide an opportunity to showcase student video production. Watch Climber's sports, activities and student achievement on our Local Channel 46! Visit our website to view a schedule of our Local Channel 46 C# programming. ......... _, :,u.._~._.,, • hcc.net Send a special gift to a friend or relative this season SHIP A WREATH! I~M xed everg ........ h withi ...... [~a: lixed everg ......... h wit:w~ cedar, juniper, cones and red bow. and red bow. Finished size Noble fir boughs With mixed Finished size apprltem #10NFW ....... 'y18" proxlmatelydar' juniPe18,,. Item ...... #12N ~verg ..... and ...... Item #~S~ . Each item includes decorated gift box, bow and card, . Be sure to order early to insure delivery and availizbility. . Prices Includes shipping & tax in continental USA (shipping is through UPS Ground) Extra shipping charge of $15.00 to Alaska, Hawaii and Canada Please do not email o~rs. From: 1921 E. 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With an ideal location, first-class dining and exceptional care rated "Deficiency Free" by Washington state, Alpine Way combines care and lifestyle to ensure thatyou enjoy peace of mind at a priceyou can afford. Continuing Care Community "/he D/JJerence Between Living and Living Well Call today to reserveyour space at the tea or schedule a visit to our community to see first-hand the lifestyle that awaits you! 360-426-2600 www.alpinewayliving.com • 900 W. Alpine Way • Sh¢lton, WA 98584 lndepend¢&! ng • Assisted Living • Memory Care Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, Nov. I, 2012 - Page A-3