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Protecting and restoring our Olympic forest
and aquatic ecosystems
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Conservationists Work for Watershed
Restoration With Congress, Feds and State
by Bonnie Phillips
December 2007
Our congressman, Norm Dicks, Chair of the House Interior Appropriations Committee, has been a great champion for funding an effort to deal with the enormous and failing road systems in national forests. Failing, and unneeded roads lead to mudslides, downstream flooding, water quality problems and destruction of salmon habitat.
Senator Maria Cantwell has been the leader in the Senate and our coalition has been working with her to get support from senators from other states, but especially Diane Feinstein of California, who is Dicks’ counterpart in the Senate.
Among the barriers to funding the restoration effort this year is the veto threat from the Bush White House that hangs over many of the spending bills for fiscal year 2008, which began September 1. (The
federal agencies depending on funding are now operating on a “continuing resolution,” meaning they go on spending at 2007 levels).
We are also working with the Forest Service through the Regional Office in Portland and will soon be meeting with Regional Forester Linda Goodman to discuss priorities. As Jim’s account makes clear, ONF managers are doing good work.
(Progress of the Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative, or WWRI, in the Olympic National Forest is described in Jim Scarborough’s article. Executive Director Bonnie Phillips serves as OFCO’s coordinator with the group, a coalition of 12 conservation and recreation organizations and the state Departments of Ecology and Fish and Wildlife. Ed.)
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