Ah the new regime. Let's see now; repeal the forest practices laws, open wildlife refuges to oil drilling, give us more arsnic in our water, relax air polution standards, withdraw from global emission treaties. So what nice things may they be planning for the Elwha!
The Elwha dams under the old administration were purchased by the Department of the Interior and funds appropriated for generating the DEIS for their removal. Basically a plan of action needs to be decided and the funds, about 72 million if I remember right, appropriated at the Federal level to get rid of them.
Most enviromental groups, especially Washington based groups breathing a sigh of relief over the removal of the insideous Mr. Gorton, were biding their time until the the Bush administration settled down and cabinet positions were assigned.
The entities that would now be championing the removal of the dams and the return of the salmon runs are now under such an onslaught of potential national and global degradation of this countries environmental practices that the Elwha removal may suffer for lack of inertia.
It is doubtful that the new cabinets dealing with the Interior and ecology will do little to continue the good works of the former administration. The removal of the Elwha may suffer for this.
It is probably time to start pressing the politicians, especially Maria Cantwell (whose support of the removal over Gortons may very well have been the pivot for getting her elected) and Norm Dicks (an ardent supporter) to see that the ball is not dropped. It would help also to bombard the cabinets of the Interior and Environmental Policy.
Again the ball is in our court.
The Elwha dams under the old administration were purchased by the Department of the Interior and funds appropriated for generating the DEIS for their removal. Basically a plan of action needs to be decided and the funds, about 72 million if I remember right, appropriated at the Federal level to get rid of them.
Most enviromental groups, especially Washington based groups breathing a sigh of relief over the removal of the insideous Mr. Gorton, were biding their time until the the Bush administration settled down and cabinet positions were assigned.
The entities that would now be championing the removal of the dams and the return of the salmon runs are now under such an onslaught of potential national and global degradation of this countries environmental practices that the Elwha removal may suffer for lack of inertia.
It is doubtful that the new cabinets dealing with the Interior and ecology will do little to continue the good works of the former administration. The removal of the Elwha may suffer for this.
It is probably time to start pressing the politicians, especially Maria Cantwell (whose support of the removal over Gortons may very well have been the pivot for getting her elected) and Norm Dicks (an ardent supporter) to see that the ball is not dropped. It would help also to bombard the cabinets of the Interior and Environmental Policy.
Again the ball is in our court.
