Regarding Peter Jackson’s take on the North Cascades National Park on Sunday: Sometimes American history does repeat itself. I recall the Everett Herald’s big story about the Skykomish River’s scenic beauty and the salmon-spawning ability in the braided channels. After Rep. Meeds, state Sen. Woody and others floated the Skykomish and proclaimed the river scenic and its braided-channel spawning habitat such a rare jewel, it had to be preserved. Hence, a scenic river was established.
Today, 30 to 40 years later, the braided channels are gone, eroded to the bay in Everett and filling the channels up with gravel and log jams. Noxious weeds (Japanese knotweed, etc.) litter the banks. Its channel is now wider and shallower, causing the water to become warmer and not good for salmon fingerling habitat.
This results in a bad deal for everyone, and especially fish and taxpayers. Sometimes a deal that looks good isn’t.
Suggestion: Ask the local people first, not the New York crowd.
Roger Finley
Sultan
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