Greetings from Port Angeles, The County Commissioners had a reading of there draft letter to Gorton re. removal of both dams. I feel it would be worth the time to E mail them a simple three liner supporting there call for immeadiate removal of both dams.
The e mail address is commissioners@co.clallam.wa.us
The flat earth society showed up and said they should oppose the removal so a few letters of support are needed thank yourself someday for writing today.

Is there anyplace to go to get hold of a copy of the Commissioners' draft letter? I have e-mailed them, but have gotten no response so far.


[This message has been edited by Preston Singletary (edited 08-17-2000).]

Preston, I obtained a copy of the Draft at the courthouse in P.A. I will type it here
Dear Senator Gorton:
In our commitment to long term planning and implementation of salmon recovery and watershed planning projects, Clallam County is developingits collaberative role in supporting salmon recovery and ecosystem restoration efforts on the north Olympic Penninsula. We have identified, in this developing stage, the importance of providing support for full ecosystem restoration of the Elwha River watershed.

Congress has mandated the full restoration of this ecosystem and its native anadromous fisheries through the Elwha Ecosystem and Fisheries Restoration Act(Public Law 102-495). Consequently, the Department of Interior is moving toward actual removal of both the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams on the Elwha River. This action is due to the uniquiness of the Elwha River and the ecosystem restoration act and does not set a precednt for breaching hydroelectric dams in other areas in Washington.

The Elwha River was historically one of the most productive producers of anadromous salmonids on the Olympic Penninsula, supporting runs of ten different stocks. However, construction of two dams without fish passage facilities restricted fish access to only the lower 4.9 miles of the river. Since construction of the dams, loss of gravel recruitment, woody debris,and alteration of temperature regimes below the dams have degraded the existing habitat conditions to a point that the Elwha River supports only small runs of primarily hatchery-supplemented fish. The majority of the drainage(80 percent)is located above the dams, within the boundries of Olympic National Park, and is in pristine condition. Once accessible, these habitats will be quickly colonized by salmonids.

Cllallam County supports the full restoration of the Elwha River ecosystem and beleive that the removal of both dams is the only action that provides the potential for full restoration. Additionally, we beleive that concurrent removal of the dams presents the most cost effective and ecologically benefical process while resulting least detrimental impacts to exisisting and future fishery and water resources.

The cost associated with removing the Elwha Dam, followed by removal of the Glines Canyon Dam 12 years later, are estimated to amount to an aditional 26.5 million. This action would involve: requiring two contractor stagings, 12 years of additional fisheries monitoring, duplication of fish restoration efforts, and rehabilitation of roads- twice. Regulatory cost will cover at least a 12 year period, with a supplemental EIS immediately required for removal of only the Elwha Dam and another in order to update information following the 12 year period.

We beleive that the restoration of the Elwha River represents a unique opportunity to restore wild salmon stocks on a scale unparalleled on the west coast. Full rsestoration can only occur with the removal of both dams which achieves the goal in the shortest time, with the lowest cost, and with the least enviromental impact.

Sincerly,

Board of Clallam County Commissioners

Well Preston there it is I hope this post generates some much needed Emails to the county they are holding off a vote until a meeting in september timing might be just right for a little campaign rhetoric by the effected partys!

Thanks a lot. I'll see if I can't get a few people motivated.

Hey Bob
This is one worthy of a form to send a letter to the commissioners. Hope you agree on this one and can whip up a form if you can squeeze a couple hours out of your hectic schedule.
Tight Lines

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Marty
Steelheader.net marty@steelheader.net

Thanks for the e-mail tip-will send my .02 worth.

Native Son-
Thanks for the info. Wanted to let you know, I've finally moved into PA! Fished Sekiu once, and been stuffing myself with crab and shrimp from the harbor.... Cant wait to start exploring! Will fire a letter off tonight.

Greetings all, Checked in with the county commissioners secretary and was informed that they were getting quite a few letters of support re. there draft letter to Slade calling for the removal of both Glines and Elwha dams. Actually the word she used was tons, awhole stack, when pressed she said about thirty but they were stll coming in.
Thirty, come on people we need a mandate lets get busy its a three minute project rah rah rah come on now lets have some support for a few local politicians who want to do the right thing, who knows it might be the start of a movement to rational thought regarding the enviroment and fish. To those who wrote thank you to those who haven't please do and please bring your buddies in on this.

Native Son
I have posted the commisioners letter on several other BB's. Hopefully more people will see the dams as a real issue for the future of Healthy fish on the Peninsula.

I Took RT of Ifish to the Lower Dam on Saturday so he could see it. We went to Hurricane Ridge so he could see the drainage on a 3D map and the head waters.

Tight Lines

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Marty
Steelheader.net marty@steelheader.net

I fished the Elwa many years ago. We backpacked up to Hayes river. All I could think of the whole time was whatta awesome river for salmon/steelhead. Definitely need a form letter ala what Bob did last year. Is that what wuz meant by a forum? Pleez, pleez pleez support this issue. W/those dam(n)s removed the elwa could become one of the premier salmon/steelhead rivers in the world! Most of it lies w/in Olympic Nat'l Park so wouldn't be regulated by those putz's in olympia. This is a most worthy cause please support it.

If you want to see what our rivers looked like 100 or more years ago take a hike up the elwa. The fishin aint too bad either . All wild trout too.

up yours Slade...
Roger

Thought it would be a good idea to bring this up again just in case anyone might want to write the Commissioners a short note. The meeting is on for the 6th of Sept. a letter of denial appeared in the Port Angeles paper this morning and we need to counter the negative with some positive reenforcement.

Native son, I read the letter "no on dam removal" by Barbara Mossman in the Port Angeles Daily news. How can she say removal of the dams would have no economical, or environmental effect And could anyone in the area tell me if they were polled?

Corky' I gather it was one of those polls that are in the newspaper from time to time that you are asked to respond to. I personaly don't usually respond to such things but maybe I should rethink that choice. It appears that a group of like minded individuals responded to that one. Another poll the flat earth society likes to quote is when the Save The Dams folks had a rally and took a poll of all the people present who wanted the dams saved guess what they did not want them removed imagine that.
Hope a few more people voice there support for the commissions position on removal the meeting is Weds. the 6th.