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Newspaper Archive of
Shelton Mason County Journal
Shelton, Washington
December 20, 2012     Shelton Mason County Journal
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December 20, 2012
 
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Salmon Continued from page A-1 Funding for the state grants comes from the federal Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund and the sale of state bonds. In addition, almost $1 million came from the Puget Sound Ac- quisition and Restoration Fund, which is dedicated to projects in Puget Sound that support Gov. Christine Gregoire's initiative to restore the health of Puget Sdund. A state Department of Fish and Wildlife study in 2006 re- ported that the economic effects of commercial and recreational fishing in the state supported an estimated 16,374 jobs and $540 million in personal in- come. The Great Peninsula Con- servancy will use its money to conduct a site evaluation and develop a final project de- sign to restore the shoreline at Beard's Cove, on Hood Canal near Belfair. The site is part of the Union River Estuary, and is jointly owned by the conservan- cy and the Beard's Cove Com- munity Organization. The site is part of the 800-acre Lynch Cove ConservatiOn Area. The project calls for the re- moval of the community orga- nization's recreation buildings, infrastructure and fill from a former tidal area. It will restore about 4 to 7 acres of estuarine habitat, up to 1,150 feet of shoreline and 790 feet of tidal channels. Four acres of inva- sive native vegetation also will be removed. These measures will aid the recovery of Hood Canal summer chum and Puget Sound Chinook salmon, and enhance the health of the Union River Estuary and the Hood Canal, according to the state. On the Skokomish River, cars will be removed from about 1,600 feet ofstreambank, which will help restore the natural movement of the river in its channel. The Mason Conserva- tion District will also use the $129,710 grant to plant trees along the river, which will shade and cool the water. The tree branches that drop into the river will create habitat for chum salmon, which are listed as threatened with extinction under the federal Endangered Species Act. South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group will use its $232,942 to restore migrat- ing fish access to Like's Creek. Fish access is blocked by two sets of full barrier culverts in the lower section of the creek. The first culvert, under the Simpson railroad, is about 200 feet from the confluence of Like's and Goldsborough creeks. The other blocking cul- vert is about 150 feet upstream, under the county road Carman Road North. Because the two culverts are near the mouth of the creek, the protect will open spawning and rearing habitat within Like's Creek that has not been acces- sible to any migratory fish for several decades, i The project opens up as much as a mile of the creek to fish habitat. Settlement Continued from page A-1 protected from a potential law- suit, he said. The settlement has been ap- proved by the U.S. Department Administrator Dave O'Leary said the city disagrees with the com- pany's claims, but is making the settlement to avoid a potential costly lawsuit. "It was best to write it off," he said. The city doesn't have a problem of Agriculture (USDA), Michael with the job performed by Stellar said. Construction was funded J, O'Leary said. exclusively through a grant/loan "The quality of the work is awe- package from USDA Rural Devel- some," he said. opment, he said. Michael and O'Leary both At the Dec. 10 Shelton City point out that Stellar J's bid for Commission meeting, Michael the project was about $1 million told the commissioners it is in less than the next lowest bid. the city's best interest to make the settlement. Concessions were made by the city and the compa- ny, he said. The city's offer expires at the end of the year. A phone message left with Even with the settlement, "We're still doing better than if we had taken the second-place bid," O'Leary said. In a statement to the Journal, Michael wrote, "The city and the USDA are pleased with the reso- Steller J president Bob Kinghorn was not returned. In an interview with the Shel- ton-Mason County Journal, City Fund Continued from page A-1 Journal photo by Gordon Weeks lution, and confident that choos- The City of Shelton has offered to pay 8433,700 to settle ing settlement over litigation was a claim by a construction company that it was not the best outcome for the taxpay- compensated for some of its work on the Shelton er." Wastewater Treatment plant. Last year, the program gave out 905 baskets, worth $30,813. Because of high- from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Sat- 227 W. Cote St. during busi- urday at the old Shelton Ar- ness hours. mory on Franklin Street. Those who donated to the Contract Continued from page A-1 Prosecutor Mike Dorcy or Chief Deputy Prosecuting At- torney Tim Whitehead, who represented the county in the PERC appeal, were available to give the commission guid- ance during the meeting. Jet- treys and Sheldon voted to table the matter until Jan. 2 to give time for clarification from the prosecutor's office. Ring Erickson, who sat in her last county commission meeting Tuesday and will not have the opportunity to readdress the issue Jan. 2, said she was concerned that voting to not approve the con- tract could put the county out of compliance with the Thur- ston County Superior Court and PERC orders. "I didn't see that the court order required that we signed the contract," Jeffreys said. Thurston County Superior Court Judge Lisa L. Sutton gave her oral opinion on the matter July 11. ..~ll "I am finding that there is Ii substantial,evidence to sup- "'l port PERC s findings here," she said. The order simply requires the employer (Ma- son County) to stand by the terms and conditions of em- ployment that were negoti- ated with the union already." While the commission did not agree to approve the con- tract Tuesday, it did approve budget transfers to pay the second half of the settlement. The entire settlement, about $2 million, is being split between two payments, LeMay said. The first pay- ment, amount'mg to $881,000 took place Nov. 30. On Tuesday, the commis- sign approved $1,173,000 in budget transfers to cover the second payment, due Dec. 31. Of that payment, $925,000 was transferred from the cur- rent expense fund, $203,000 from the Public Health Fund, and $45,000 from the Com- bined Utility Administration Shelton-Mason County Journal -Thursday, Dec. 20, 2012 - Page A-7 .i .i ,I