Commissioners OK murrelet study

Wahkiakum County commissioners addressed a variety of business and issues when they met Tuesday.

The board gave tentative approval to hire a consultant to evaluate a marbled murrelet habitat study; they talked of having community meetings to discuss tsunamis and earthquakes; they awarded a bid for roadside mowing, and they acted on other business.

Commissioner Dan Cothren asked the board for tentative approval to hire a consultant to evaluate and update a study done by the US Fish and Wildlife Service about critical habitat for marbled murrelets, an endangered species. The USFWS study has been the basis of closing county trust timberlands in Wahkiakum, Pacific, Skamania and other counties. This has reduced the land available for timber harvest and thus reduced revenue to the counties.

Cothren and commissioners from other counties have been working to pass legislation and obtain funding to compensate the counties for the loss of revenue from their trusts. Cothren said he and others, including officials in the state Department of Natural Resources, which manages the trust timber lands, disagree with some of the methods and conclusions in the USFWS study, and they want an updated study that will more accurately describe the state of the population and needs of the bird.

Cothren said the initial expenditure would be $12,000 for each of the three counties, but Wahkiakum would pay the initial cost and be reimbursed.

The Washington Association of Counties would manage the study and contract with the consultant, who has background in habitat conservation planning.

"It's not a fly by night outfit," Cothren said. "We need this study."

Commissioners Lisa Marsyla and Blair Brady said they supported the proposal and that Cothren should proceed in formalizing the proposal and contracting with the consultant.

In other business, Cothren reported attending an informative conference about the effects of tsunamis and earthquakes last week in Aberdeen.

The speaker, Grays Harbor County's emergency management coordinator, Chuck Wallace, described the likely effects of a major off-shore earthquake and tsunami and the major impacts that would have on the coastal population.

Commissioners agreed they would invite Wallace to speak in Wahkiakum County in a community meeting so people would know what to expect and how to plan for the catastrophic event.

Commissioners also voted to accept Public Works Director Pete Ringen's recommendation to award a contract for roadside mowing on county roads to R&R Mowing, LLC.

R&R presented the lower of two bids, $56.49 per mile. The other bidder, ADR Enterprises, was $57.03 per mile. ADR had the contract last year.