Oct. 26, 2001: Funding for Reach's future uncertain

Funding for Reach's future uncertain

This story was published Oct. 26, 2001

By Mike Lee
Herald staff writer

Excitement over charting the future of the Hanford Reach National Monument is being overshadowed by the effort running out of money.

The Reach citizens advisory committee met Thursday in Pasco, but its next meeting is uncertain at least until the Interior Appropriations bill for 2002 is signed into law.

The bill reportedly strongly encourages the Fish and Wildlife Service to spend $850,000 for planning and operations on the Reach as part of a $10 million boost to the wildlife refuge system. However, it could not be confirmed Thursday evening whether that direction is still in the bill.

Even if it is, it's not certain that the Fish and Wildlife Service will follow congressional advice, given the demand for money across the nation's wildlife refuges and the political hazards of spending such a large chunk in one place.

"It is supposed to be earmarked, but sometimes those things get lost in the shuffle," said Jim Watts, chairman of the advisory committee. "The concern is that lacking that budget infusion, we are going to have problems planning an effective mission for the Fish and Wildlife Service" on the Hanford Reach.

"We're getting close to the end of the funding," Watts said after he told committee members they may not meet in December as planned.

A large cash outlay is critical to establishing the Reach as a monument and keeping in motion planning activities that cover everything from public access to protection of natural resources.

Without it, Fish and Wildlife Service officials would be hard-pressed to move forward with the advisory committee while keeping up with day-to-day operations and building a planning staff in Richland.

"The committee would like to have the people in place so we could give them some advice," Watts said.

Greg Hughes, monument manager for the Fish and Wildlife Service, hopes to know his budget within two weeks. He said Thursday that he doesn't want to waste committee members' time if he knows he doesn't have any way to handle their recommendations.

"The group is ready to go," he said.

After three meetings largely committed to setting a planning process, committee members also are eager to get started. On Thursday, they outlined several topics to address over the next three years.

"I am pleased that we are starting to talk about the issues ... and a timeline that gets us to action," said Jeff Tayer, vice chairman of the committee.

Among the issues are how to stop sloughing of the White Bluffs, a visitors center, game management, water rights, Columbia River flow levels and protection of cultural resources.

"There is quite a lot of commonality between everyone at the table," said Mike Lilga, an alternate committee member representing the conservation community.

Among concerns addressed Thursday is the protection of existing uses of monument land, something President Clinton guaranteed in the proclamation that formed the monument in the summer of 2000.

The South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, Energy Northwest, Benton Public Utility District and the Bonneville Power Administration sent representatives to describe activities they view as protected under the charter and to convince the committee how important those actions are.

So far, "I don't have particular heartburn" about monument management, said Shannon McDaniel, irrigation district manager. "We're just trying to make sure our bases are covered."

Another question revolved around changes at Energy Northwest, the nuclear plant operator that draws water from river pumps in the monument.

At issue is whether a future license extension for the existing nuclear plant and completion of Plant No. 1 would be protected.

"Our lawyers ... assure me that we have a valid right to renew the license and continue to operate" the existing plant, said Douglas Coleman, an Energy Northwest official. "I want to make sure that we clearly get that authorized."