HomeMy WebLinkAboutClimate Action Jun 6 20231. : , County
Council Climate Action and Natural Resources Committee
COUNTY COURTHOUSE
311 Grand Avenue, Ste #105
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
(360) 778-5010
Committee Minutes m Final
Tuesday, June 6, 2023
9AM
Hybrid Meeting
:HYBRID MEETING - ADJOURNS BY 10:10 A.M. (PARTICIPATE IN -PERSON,
SEE REMOTE JOIN INSTRUCTIONS AT www.whatcomcounty.us/joinvirtualcouncil,
OR CALL 360.778.5010)
COUNCILMEMBERS
Todd Donovan
Ben Elenbaas
Kaylee Galloway
CLERK OF THE COUNCIL
Dana Brown -Davis, C.M.C.
Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final June 6, 2023
Resources Committee
Call To Order
Roll Call
Committee Chair Kaylee Galloway called the meeting to order at 9 a.m. in a
hybrid meeting.
Present: 3 - Todd Donovan, Ben Elenbaas, and Kaylee Galloway
Also Present: Barry Buchanan, Tyler Byrd, and Carol Frazey
Announcements
Special Presentation
1. AB2023-379 Presentation on the Yakima River Basin adjudication
The following people read from a presentation (on file):
• Tom Tebb, Washington State Department of Ecology
• Danielle Squeochs, Yakama Nation
• Steve Malloch, consultant to American Rivers
• Urban Eberhart, Kittitas Reclamation District
• Wendy Christensen, Bureau of Reclamation
Tebb presented on an overview of the Yakima River Basin, its tendency for
drought conditions, its challenges in balancing needs for fishery recovery
while preserving the agricultural economy, the elements and goals of the
Yakima Basin Integrated Plan and its workgroup members, and Integrated
Plan accomplishments between 2013 and 2022.
Squeochs spoke about ongoing work in the basin in the areas of habitat
restoration, conservation of watershed land, and forest health and
acquisitions, including the Teanaway Community Forest.
Malloch spoke about habitat projects including the Yakima Delta
restoration, bull trout recovery, and the Nelson Dam removal.
Eberhart spoke about water supply reliability projects to help prepare for
erratic weather conditions and the changing way they are receiving their
water supply.
Christensen spoke about structural and operational improvements, including
the Cle Elum pool raise and Cle Elum Dam fish passage projects.
Whatcom County page I
Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final June 6, 2023
Resources Committee
The presenters closed the presentation by talking about the lessons they
have learned about the importance of working together.
Satpal Sidhu, County Executive, thanked the presenters and stated they are a
perfect example of what works and what does not work and that is
something our community needs. He stated their efforts in sharing their
process have been inspiring.
Councilmembers and the speakers discussed that the collaborative
governance model can and does work, that getting everybody up to speed
and aware of the issues in the basin helps build a firm foundation, the fact
that there was more infrastructure in place in the Yakima Basin than we have
in place here, how we get around the use it or lose it doctrine, how we get
everyone on board to the thought that maybe moving into the future the best
approach is going to be a tightly managed system as opposed to an
unmanaged system, and whether any of the solutions happen with an
adjudication process.
Squeochs stated the trust water rights system addresses concerns about
use -it -or -lose -it and the core of findings solutions is to sit together in a
room, really listen to what others need, and see if there is a shared approach
that you can go through. The solutions may look different in this area than in
the Yakima River Basin.
Malloch stated adjudication does not solve the problem but it provides a
significant amount of the information and clarity needed to get to a
solution, and Elenbaas asked whether a judge is the right one to be deciding
that.
Squeochs stated that all of them fighting for forty years brought them to a
point where they did not want to do it anymore and forced them to
recognize that there was no solution in that pathway.
Galloway thanked the presenters.
This agenda item was PRESENTED.
Items Added by Revision
Other Business
There were no agenda items added by revision.
There was no other business.
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Council Climate Action and Natural Committee Minutes - Final
Resources Committee
Adjournment
The meeting adjourned at 9:55 a.m.
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Kristi Felbinger, Minutes Transcription
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
WHATCOM COUNTY, WA
June 6, 2023
Kaylee Galloway -via email 6/7/2023
Kaylee Galloway, Committee Chair
Whatcom County Page 3