Jan. 23, 2001: Benton official wrestling against Reach monument

Benton official wrestling against Reach monument

This story was published Jan. 23, 2001

By Genoa Sibold-Cohn
Herald staff writer

PROSSER - Benton County Commissioner Max Benitz Jr. wants the new Interior secretary to drop the Hanford Reach from a list of national monuments.

Instead, he thinks the Reach should be managed under a plan that was proposed before former President Clinton named it a monument.

The plan called for establishing a Hanford Reach commission and a process to develop a protection and management plan for the 195,000 acres and the Columbia River between Richland and Priest Rapids Dam.

Under this plan, Benton, Franklin and Grant counties would have shared control with federal and state managers rather than having one voice on an advisory committee - like they do now.

Benitz said there are not enough ordinary Benton County citizens selected by former Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt for the 13-member advisory committee.

The advisory committee includes two elected officials, Commissioner Leo Bowman and Pasco Councilman Chris Jensen.

The committee also includes two longtime conservation advocates, a research scientist, a historian, a university campus dean, a longtime labor leader, a manager for the state Department of Fish and Wildlife, a tribal leader, a public utility district representative, a science education specialist and director of the visitor and convention bureau.

Bowman missed Monday's commission meeting because he was attending a training session on improving communications. When contacted by phone Monday afternoon, Bowman said he didn't understand Benitz's frustrations with the committee's makeup.

"There's an awful lot of Benton County residents on there," he said.

Benitz suggested Monday that the county send a letter to Interior Secretary nominee Gale A. Norton, asking her to reverse the monument designation and to go back to the proposed plan for shared control.

Commissioner Claude Oliver said he wanted to wait until Jan. 29 to discuss the issue because Bowman, the commission chairman, was not present. No vote was taken on sending a letter to Norton.