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House committee hears testimony on 39th District flood control bill
The hearing room was packed and the line of people, many from the 39th
District, spread out into the hallway as the House Natural Resources,
Ecology and Parks Committee took testimony Friday on a bill that would
create a pilot flood control and stream bank restoration program for
Skagit, Snohomish, Whatcom and King counties.
Sponsored by
Rep.
Kirk Pearson, R-Monroe, and Rep. Dan Kristiansen, R-Snohomish,
House Bill 1354 would set up the pilot program for 10 projects within
the four counties with the requirement that the projects work to
"protect public and private property, protect or enhance habitat, and
protect fish life."
Many who came to testify are property owners who have been severely
affected by flooding of the Skagit, Sauk, Stillaguamish, Skykomish and
other rivers in the 39th District.
"Rivers have not only jumped their banks during heavy rains, but in some
cases, they’ve actually changed course – even shifting as much as a half
mile. Citizens have lost their homes and personal possessions to
flooding, and because of the course change, owners who have built a
reasonable distance away from the shoreline have even lost their homes,"
said Pearson.
"This issue is not only in their backyards," Kristiansen told the
committee, referring to 39th District residents who traveled to Olympia
to testify on the bill. "It has taken over their entire property. In
many cases their homes have been laid to waste."
"We’ve had additional floods and my guess is that the amount of soil
lost now from those properties is approaching 750,000 cubic yards," said
Darrell Turner, a land owner along the Sauk River near Darrington who
commented to the committee on the loss of his land to floods.
"If silt is bad for fish, what about this?" he asked. "And why can’t we
protect those banks to the benefit of the fish and the protection of the
landowners?"
Also testifying was Lori Kratzer, president of River Resource Trust, a
nonprofit group formed to protect landowners along the Skagit and Sauk
rivers.
"We’ve been working with federal, state and county officials since last
May in monthly meetings trying to help the landowners stabilize their
banks, restore habitat, and protect the fish," said Kratzer. "We have
run across a nightmare of permitting problems. Everyone has good
intentions to try and help us, but nobody seems to know what they can do
or who might have authority."
Diane Boyd of Darrington told the committee about her family’s long-time
efforts to be good stewards to the 103 acres of land they have owned for
many years along the Sauk River. For a time, they used a mill pond to
raise steelhead and were allowed to stabilize the streambanks some years
ago to assist in the protection of the fish.
"With each winter rainfall, the future of the farm grows uncertain.
During the 2003 flood, 70 percent of the rock protection on the south
end of our property was washed away, along with 20 acres of
second-growth timberland. Since that flood, we’ve worked tirelessly
trying to receive permission to replace the dike in order to protect the
farm," said Boyd.
Boyd noted that with every heavy rainfall, her family continues to lose
more of its property to the river. Many others who testified told
similar stories of their frustrations and the need to take action toward
protecting streambanks, fish and property.
Pearson and Kristiansen said the measure would allow stream banks to be
fortified and actions to be taken against future flooding. Local
counties would administer the program with the assistance of the
Department of Ecology, the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and the
Department of Natural Resources.
"The situation in our district is only getting worse. I know of a person
whose home used to be 1,000 feet from the river, and now pieces of that
home are in the river. I don't think that debris does anything to help
fish," said Kristiansen. "This bill would give the county governments in
our district the opportunity to show what they can do about the flooding
in a way that balances the needs of people and fish."
"There’s nothing good about a home or a propane tank or other property
floating down the river. It’s bad for our citizens. It’s bad for the
river. It’s bad for fish. And it’s bad for the environment," noted
Pearson. "That’s why it’s important to strike a balance between man and
nature for good river policy in Washington. This bill would accomplish
that goal."
Although the committee did not vote on the bill Friday, Pearson said
action could be taken on it as early as next week.
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For more information, contact:
Bobbi Cussins, Public Information Officer:
(360) 786-7252
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