Commissioners hear requests; extend refuge road closure

Wahkiakum County commissioners heard a variety of reports and requests at their meeting Tuesday:

--Cathlamet resident Ora Prestegard asked what the county could do to help establish a clean and sober house for people recovering from substance abuse;

--After discussion with US Army Corps of Engineers Project Manager Gail Saldana, the board agreed to extend the closure of Steamboat Slough Road to allow a contractor to complete work on the Julia Butler Hansen National Wildlife Refuge setback dike;

--Commissioners rejected a request from District and Superior Courts to purchase 1,000 rounds of ammunition for court security guards to practice marksmanship, and

--Members of the Wahkiakum Conservation District reported on their projects and plans for future work in the Skamokawa and Elochoman valleys.

Prestegard said a clean and sober house is very helpful to recovering from substance abuse. The county's Chemical Dependency Program, however, doesn't have one, and other shelters are overflowing, she said.

"There is a desperate need for a women's shelter," she said, "and for women with children."

Prestegard said she had talked with several county officials who referred her to the board of commissioners.

Commissioners Blair Brady and Dan Cothren suggested several avenues for Prestegard, including the Department of Health and Human Services, and also the Charlotte House Domestic Violence Shelter.

"It's basically a Health and Human Services issue," said commission Chair Dan Cothren. "That's where you're going to get your help.

"We don't have any funding," he added. "It's just not there."

The road closure was set to end in early November, but the setback dike contractor needs more time to make repairs to the county road, Saldana said.

Saldana said she and the contractor will work closely with county Public Works Director Pete Ringen to repair the road, damaged by construction equipment, to Ringen's satisfaction.

Commissioners also questioned Saldana about permits needed for dredging at the Puget Island ferry landing to prepare for the arrival of the new ferry next year. The window for doing the in-water work will end in early November, commissioners said, and if it isn't done, it could delay the use of the new ferry.

Saldana said she had been put in charge of that project, too, and the Corps and the dredging contractor are ready to go as soon as they get final permit approval.

The permit is under review by the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), she said.

Saldana added that representatives of the district's federal representatives had contacted the offices last week, and that seemed to have caused NMFS to increase activity on the review.

Cothren expressed the county's frustration with the process. Upriver ports get the benefit of shipping, he said, while local residents struggle with erosion caused by ship wakes, and regulatory agencies put up roadblocks to local projects to address issues.

"I wish I had an answer for you," Saldana said. "In my 32-year career in the Corps, the Corps has wanted to be of assistance to local communities."

"We don't benefit from projects that benefit upriver ports," Cothren said. "It's a cost for us."

Brady asked Saldana to research what the county would need to do to file suit against the Corps and make a report to the board at a future meeting. Saldana said she would consult with Corps staff.

Commissioners rejected a request to pay for 1,000 rounds of ammunition for court security guards.

Brady commented that when the security program started, officers weren't to be armed with firearms but with Tasers.

Sheriff Mark Howie commented that over the years, court security has moved to having armed guards, and the public has come to accept it.

"They've strayed from the original agreement," Brady said. "The program originally was to be covered by a grant. That's not available now. Hours should be reduced accordingly."

Cothren suggested court judges should discuss the issue with the board.

Three representatives of the Wahkiakum Conservation Service reviewed recent and planned projects in the Elochoman and Skamokawa valleys.

District Manager Darin Houpt said the new tidegate on Dead Slough--the old Skamokawa Creek channel-- is installed and functioning. Diking District 5 personnel will monitor its action this winter.

The new tidegate has already led to an improvement in water quality, Houpt said.

The district has completed two other projects in the watershed, he said, and they're planning a large project along the Elochoman River above the Foster Road bridge. The project involves bank improvements, treating invasive weeds and planting along the riparian zone.

Houpt said the district wants to make the project a successful demonstration project to show valley residents what can be accomplished when they work with the district. They've had success in the Skamokawa watershed, he said, where 80 percent of Middle Valley landowners are in some type of agreement with the district.

Accompanying Houpt were district Supervisors Joe Florek and Ed Videan.