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Hanford Reach future discussed in SeattleThis story was published Sept. 6, 2002
SEATTLE - At least 40 people talked with federal officials one-on-one Thursday about the future of the Hanford Reach National Monument. This Seattle session at the Radisson Hotel was the second of four open houses held by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. The wildlife service is putting together a management plan to supervise the monument, which consists of the Hanford Reach, Wahluke Slope and the Fitzner-Eberhardt Arid Lands Ecology Reserve. At the open house, the wildlife service set up displays where people could meet with officials and members of a Hanford Reach Monument advisory committee to ask questions. The displays covered wildlife and habitat management, fisheries, fire management, cultural resources, scientific research, administration, public use and access. Thursday's event drew people such as Nina Carter of Olympia, policy director for the state Audubon Society. She was trying to get up to snuff on the entire monument issue, especially about habitat matters. Lee Moyer of Seattle wondered about better access to the Hanford Reach for kayakers, canoers and other boaters. He noted that the 51-mile trip from the Vernitia Bridge to Richland makes a leisurely paddling trip down the Reach impossible. He hoped the wildlife service will set up a couple of primitive campgrounds along the Reach for boaters to use. And duck hunters Glenn Korsgaard of Renton and Charles Abendroth of Seattle asked about access plans for hunters. The wildlife service plans to use this feedback to help put together a draft environmental impact study on public use of the monument lands by the winter of 2003-04. A final plan is due in late 2004. The next open house is scheduled from 4 to 9 p.m. Monday at the library in the Consolidated Information Center at Washington State University Tri-Cities. The final open house will be from 6 to 9 p.m. Sept. 17 at the Convention Center in Yakima. | |