My pet peeve has been
about destroying the Elwha dams and lakes. I wrote to Norm Dicks
(no reply) My suggestion
was to the effect that if you must spend taxpayers money - spend
it for maintenance and
modernization of the existing facility which has provided needed
water and power for years.
Ed
note: That power equipment is now 90 years old. The Elwha does provide
water to the city of PA and it is unknown whether that will continue after
the
dams go out. The load of silt may very well divert the stream by
loading up
the river bed.
It doesn't take a rocket
scientist to know that if you net salmon at sea, they will not return to
rivers to spawn.
There are no dams on the Dungeness river and the salmon are not plentiful.
Ed
note: Neither are they plentiful on any of a dozen other peninsula
rivers with no dams.
The standard enviro response to that statement is: "But the Elwha is so
pristine". Truth is
that when the dams are removed, the Elwha will become the most polluted
river on the
peninsula. Whereas, fish ladders do not pollute.
This is nothing but political
panderig to get Indian votes. I also wrote to Jim Buck who did
reply, but he says he
has no power over federal programs (only state affairs) At least
he did
answer.
Ed
note: Before the feds bought the dams, A bill was crafted in
Jim Hargrove's office by a
group that included Lynn Kessler and Jim Buck to begin stocking the Elwha
with salmon on
the hope that a fish ladder would be built by the time the salmon started
returning - or that
a trap and haul program would be started. Buck was then chairman
of the Natural Resources
committee and spoke for the bill at the NR's hearing on the bill.
Then, when the doors were
closed, proceded to rewrite the bill to eliminate any reference to the
Elwha.
My other agreement is
regarding PUD donations. I wrote to PUD asking where they got the
authority to donate 13%
of my power bill to BPA. I have never heard one word from them.
Where did they get that
authority?
Ed
note: According to a letter I received from FERC (Federal Energy
something or other), via
senator Cant[do]well, the authority comes from a bill passed by congress.
However, neither
she nor Patty Murray nor Norm Dicks gave me an answer as to why, or if
they were going to
do something about it.
Our great new governor
has declared an emergency regarding lack of water, but here we are
getting ready to destroy
a water and power supply.
Thank you for speaking up. It is good to know that I am not alone.
Art Gibson - Sequim, WA