Next steps for Yakima plan

Last week’s federal government shutdown, the antithesis of working together, has overshadowed a massive transaction emblematic of cooperation.

On Sept. 30, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife, the Department of Natural Resources, and Forterra, a non-profit land trust, marked the official purchase of 50,272 acres in the Teanaway River Valley north of Cle Elum, an area critical to the health of the Yakima Basin watershed. It was the largest single land purchase in Washington in 45 years ($99 million from the state), and a first-ever experiment with an innovative model, a community forest.

“This incredible landscape will be managed into perpetuity for the benefit of fish and wildlife and the citizens of the state of Washington, and is now secure as a source of both economic and recreational vitality.” WDFW Director Phil Anderson said.

Forest management will center on a working-landscape model to provide timber jobs while preserving the Teanaway’s recreational and conservation values (read: no suburban sprawl.)

“The Teanaway has been a holy grail for the conservation community for a long, long time,” said Forterra President Gene Duvernoy.

That holy grail was attainable thanks to a series of old-school horse trades. And here transparency and strict scrutiny are essential. The Teanaway is part of the Yakima Basin Integrated Water Resource Management Plan, a $5 billion project to bolster water supplies for irrigation and people in Eastern Washington that also fulfills an enviro wish list. The meta question is whether group interests add up to the broader public interest, and whether Washington taxpayers are properly served.

Two legislators, Rep. Hans Dunshee, D-Snohomish, chairman of the Capital Budget Committee, and Rep. Reuven Carlyle, D-Seattle, chairman of the Finance Committee, are asking the hard questions. Earlier in 2013, they inserted language in a senate substitute bill to ensure that half of the project’s total costs are funded through private, federal and non-state sources.

In a Sept. 30 letter to Gov. Jay Inslee, Carlyle writes, “Given the current volatility of commitments from the federal government regarding funding of public infrastructure projects, it is particularly important to develop a robust, flexible, usage-based funding plan that protects state taxpayers.”

There’s the big catch — the other Washington (see “shutdown,” above.)

A source in the Inslee administration, a booster of the project, said the governor will engage with the state treasurer, lawmakers and interest groups to make certain it’s done right. Let’s hope so, because the Yakima plan will have giant implications for generations to come.

Talk to us

> Give us your news tips.

> Send us a letter to the editor.

> More Herald contact information.

More in Opinion

toon
Editorial cartoons for Thursday, March 28

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

Initiative promoter Tim Eyman takes a selfie photo before the start of a session of Thurston County Superior Court, Wednesday, Feb. 10, 2021, in Olympia, Wash. Eyman, who ran initiative campaigns across Washington for decades, will no longer be allowed to have any financial control over political committees, under a ruling from Superior Court Judge James Dixon Wednesday that blasted Eyman for using donor's contributions to line his own pocket. Eyman was also told to pay more than $2.5 million in penalties. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren)
Editorial: Initiative fee increase protects process, taxpayers

Bumped up to $156 from $5, the increase may discourage attempts to game the initiative process.

Protecting forests and prevent another landslide like Oso

Thank you for the powerful and heartbreaking article about the Oso landslide… Continue reading

Boeing’s downfall started when engineers demoted

Boeing used to be run by engineers who made money to build… Continue reading

Learn swimming safety to protect kids at beach, pool

Don’t forget to dive into water safety before hitting the pool or… Continue reading

Comment: Why shootings have decreased but gun deaths haven’t

High-capacity magazines and ‘Glock switches’ that allow automatic fire have increased lethality.

Washington state senators and representatives along with Governor Inslee and FTA Administrator Nuria Fernandez break ground at the Swift Orange Line on Tuesday, April 19, 2022 in Lynnwood, Washington. (Olivia Vanni / The Herald)
Editorial: Community Transit making most of Link’s arrival

The Lynnwood light rail station will allow the transit agency to improve routes and frequency of buses.

toon
Editorial cartoons for Wednesday, March 27

A sketchy look at the news of the day.… Continue reading

An image of Everett Mayor Cassie Franklin is reflected in a storefront window during the State of the City Address on Thursday, March 21, 2024, at thee Everett Mall in Everett, Washington. (Ryan Berry / The Herald)
Editorial: State of city address makes case for Everett’s future

Mayor Franklin outlines challenges and responses as the city approaches significant decisions.

FILE - The massive mudslide that killed 43 people in the community of Oso, Wash., is viewed from the air on March 24, 2014. (AP Photo/Ted S. Warren, File)
Editorial: Mapping landslide risks honors those lost in Oso

Efforts continue in the state to map areas prone to landslides and prevent losses of life and property.

Burke: ‘Why not write about Biden, for once?’ Don’t mind if I do.

They asked; I’ll oblige. Let’s consider what the president has accomplished since the 2020 election.

Comment: Catherine missed chance to dispel shame of cancer

She wasn’t obligated to do so, but she might have used her diagnosis to educate a sympathetic public.

Support local journalism

If you value local news, make a gift now to support the trusted journalism you get in The Daily Herald. Donations processed in this system are not tax deductible.