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Monument area could continue to grow
More of central Hanford likely could be added to the newly formed Hanford Reach National Monument under a directive from President Clinton. And until that happens, much of 163,000 acres of Hanford's shrub-steppe habitat that is not yet part of the monument should be managed as if it were included in the 195,000 acres already set aside. Clinton issued the additional order Friday to protect "objects of scientific and historic interest" on remaining lands in the central Hanford plateau. The president's memo, largely overlooked in the hubbub surrounding the Richland visit of Vice President Al Gore on Friday, directs Energy Secretary Bill Richardson to consult with Interior Secretary Bruce Babbitt about how to protect permanently the shrub-steppe, including possibly adding lands to the monument as Hanford is cleaned up. The current configuration of the Reach monument forms a giant "C" shape around central Hanford. It includes the Arid Lands Ecology Reserve on the west edge of Hanford and the Saddle Mountain National Wildlife Refuge to the north and east of the Columbia River. It also includes the 51-mile stretch of the Columbia River north of Richland. In Washington, D.C., congressional offices scrambled to interpret the newly discovered memo, while Tri-City environmentalists praised the president's foresight. The official monument proclamation signed by the president on Friday largely ignored the future of federal non-monument land, leaving environmentalists to ponder its future. "This is just wonderful," said Rick Leaumont, one of the Mid-Columbia leaders in the Reach preservation movement, when he was told of the memo. "As cleanup is complete, then most of (central Hanford) should go into the monument." Environmentalists initially pushed for all 560 square miles of Hanford to gain monument status, a request Babbitt said he was considering during a May visit. But Leaumont said it soon became clear the designation would fragment Hanford lands and possibly detract from cleanup. Some zones - including Energy Northwest's nuclear energy plant, the Fast Flux Test Facility and the local economic development section at the southeast corner of the site - "would not be appropriate at any point" for monument status, Leaumont said. Max Benitz Jr., Benton County Commission chairman, said he expected the government to try to lock up more land in the monument, but he opposes the move in part because the county has developed with the Energy Department a land use plan for federal holdings as well as a working relationship. "Now, that is all out the window," said Benitz, who believes some central Hanford land eventually should be used for economic development. Also on Monday, Benton County commissioners followed the lead of their Grant and Franklin county counterparts by signing a letter to Babbitt asking that they be designated a joint lead agency for an environmental review of proposed land uses of the monument. In similar letters, the counties say they offer "special expertise relating to analysis of the federal agency's proposed decision on the physical environment, custom, culture and local tax base." The counties' request is based on the National Environmental Policy Act, known as NEPA, which is essentially a review of environmental impacts of land-use decisions. Benitz said county Prosecutor Andy Miller has been instructed to see whether the environmental policy act applies to the monument. Deborah Moore, Grant County commission chairwoman, said it appeared the NEPA process may not apply now that the monument status was final. But, she added, "We did put the agency on notice that we want to be at the table." County officials aren't the only ones angling to be part of the management discussion. Among the interested parties is the South Columbia Basin Irrigation District, which operates canals and wasteways on monument land. District manager Shannon McDaniel said Monday that the president's proclamation and discussions with Babbitt give him hope district operations won't be curtailed. The president said Friday that his executive order should not interfere with the maintenance and operation of the Columbia Basin irrigation project. "I think it will go well," McDaniel said. But, he added, the proclamation "leaves a lot of room for discussion." He said the district intends to meet with the monument management agency, the Fish and Wildlife Service, as soon as possible. The Bureau of Reclamation, which owns the irrigation project, also will be included in discussions about how the district can maintain its canals. "You can't have a project if you can't maintain it," McDaniel said. "We just have to work together. We don't have many options." | |