County, Port discuss dam meetings

Whitman County and Port of Whitman commissioners met Monday for a joint meeting and discussed the current environmental impact statement (EIS) on the Columbia and Snake River dams.

The commissioners, along with County Administrator Gary Petrovich, Port Executive Director Joe Poiré and Cathy Schaeffer from Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers’ office, discussed the importance of a series of public meetings scheduled in relation to the topic.

“Are we all on the same page with the dam removal issue?” County Commissioner Michael Largent asked.

“I hope we are,” responded Port Commissioner Dan Boone.

The two entities agree that the series of public meetings are important.

“It’s absolutely important that everybody get their input in,” said Port Commissioner Tom Kammerzell. “If you have any way shape or form of touching that river, even if it’s down to paying your electrical bill, you better get your comment in.”

Kammerzell stressed that this is a one-time opportunity.

“I hope we can get the entire county at these meetings,” he said. “There will just not be a second opportunity.”

Schaeffer said the meetings are the key to the future.

“The judge asked to open it up and look at all of the impacts of removal of the dams,” she said. “It’s a lengthy process. The real key to the launch of the biological review is public scoping meetings that are going on now. Those will all be part of the federal record that is being built on this.”

The commissioners discussed in relation to the dams the environmental, economic and fish passage impacts. They also discussed the impacts on families in the region.

“One of the things we can do here as a collective body is encourage people to weigh in,” said Largent.

Schaeffer said the dam topic is very important to Rep. McMorris Rodgers.

“That’s been a high priority for her, and it’s a very important topic locally, regionally and nationally,” she commented.

The meetings will be a part of the Corps of Engineers’ efforts to draft an environmental impact statement by March 2020 for final delivery by September 2021.

“Federal agencies will create quite a bit of paperwork in this study, and there’s no doubt it will be big,” said Schaeffer.