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THE DAILY ASTORIAN • TUESDAY, APRIL 3, 2018
Salmon: Army Corps will
increase spill water today
Continued from Page 1A
today at some dams on the
Snake River and next week
on some dams in the Colum-
bia, one of the largest rivers
in North America. The Snake
is its largest tributary.
Conservation groups said
it’s the fourth time since
2005 that increased spill has
been mandated by the district
court.
“It’s tragic that the fed-
eral agencies are still ignor-
ing their own science in
fighting spill at every step of
the way,” said Glen Spain,
Northwest regional direc-
tor of the Pacific Coast
Federation of Fishermen’s
Associations.
Army Corps spokesman
Matt Rabe declined com-
ment on the litigation. He
said the corps will follow
the ruling and increase spill
today.
Spilling water in the
springtime over the tops of
dams — rather than sending
it through turbine blades — is
seen by conservation groups
as an essential way to protect
threatened and endangered
salmon and steelhead.
Advocates say it allows
juvenile salmon to quickly
pass over dams, rather than
sending them through the
structures, which can cause
traumatic damage to the fish
as they head to sea.
“After more than 20 years
of federal failure, salmon
are in desperate need of help
now,” Todd True, Earthjus-
tice attorney representing
conservation, fishing, and
clean energy advocates in the
case, said in a statement.
“The measures the court
upheld will give salmon a
fighting chance while the
federal government catches
up to the scale and urgency
of what the law requires
to protect these fish from
extinction.”
Courtney Flatt of North-
west Public Broadcasting
contributed to this report.
Colin Murphey/The Daily Astorian
Volunteers are briefed on the plan to plant trees at the Clear Lake property as part of a wetland restoration project.
Wetland: ‘We need more of this
primitive land kept in this condition’
Continued from Page 1A
“This is a big wetland cre-
ation project, but in the future,
it’s more passive restoration,”
Owen said. He plans to step
back and let natural plant suc-
cession occur, some of which
is happening already.
He will come through again
to do work such as pulling
weeds and checking on native
plant health, but, he said, “It’s
a really good, healthy native
plant community already.”
For this, the land conser-
vancy can thank Gramson and
his goats.
Gramson hadn’t planned to
sell. He had been taking care
of the property for many years
and grazed goats on it, which
helped take care of invasive
brush. For the most part, it was
pretty pristine, he said.
Gramson had health prob-
lems and was looking at major
heart surgery. He didn’t know
what would happen, but he
knew he didn’t want to see the
property fill up with houses if
he died. He decided to sell it
to the land conservancy before
his operation.
“I’m still alive, and I’m so
happy I did it,” he said. “I made
a good deal and, well, it was a
good deal for both of us … It’s
not a huge piece (of land), but
I think it’s an important piece.”
His house is on the lake
and he had a recent reminder
of how quickly a landscape
can change. Several nearby
lots are in the process of being
developed, altering both the
ambiance and the surrounding
landscape.
“We need more of this
primitive land kept in this con-
dition,” he said. “It’s getting
harder and harder for this kind
of land to survive.”
Though the land conser-
vancy’s Gardenia Wetland
and Ridge Road Swamp hab-
itat preserves are nearby, com-
plimenting Clear Lake and its
restored wetlands, no prop-
erties directly abut the Clear
Lake property. But similar
wetlands overlap and spread
out from it. The animals that
frequent the area can’t tell the
difference, Owen said. Add-
ing Clear Lake as a protected
site into the mix provides even
more of a corridor for native
animals and plants to survive
and thrive.
The land conservancy
maintains a mix of properties.
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Some, like the large Circle
Creek preserve near Seaside,
are open to the public. Clear
Lake is not, nor are there any
plans to provide public access.
The only access is across pri-
vate property and the wetland
habitat doesn’t lend itself to
much human rambling. It may
be included in a tour of stew-
ardship lands in the future, but
for now it is left to nature.
“Really the long-term ben-
efit will just continue to be that
the property will remain ‘as is’
in perpetuity,” said Jon Wick-
ersham, the land conservan-
cy’s associate director.
The land conservancy plans
to continue having discussions
with adjacent and nearby land-
owners, but the organization
has no immediate projects on
the horizon in the area.
Mitchell: Running grassroots
campaign, faces uphill battle
Continued from Page 1A
ble education funding and
equal pay. She has received
endorsements from a variety
of labor, education, women’s
and conservation groups.
“I believe that my vote
will always fall on the side
of the working-class person,
because that’s who I am,” she
said. “I have believed for a
long time that we all deserve
fairness in the way that we’re
treated. We all deserve health
care. We all deserve the
things that are supposed to
make our nation great.”
When she withdrew,
Ousley said she was con-
cerned about splitting the
vote among three Demo-
cratic candidates and that her
base was not strong enough
to prevail. Both Mitchell and
Orr, running more grassroots
campaigns, face an uphill
battle against Josi. The for-
mer state representative has
broader name recognition
and more political contribu-
tions, including from a mul-
titude of large companies,
Boone, D-Cannon Beach,
and state Sen. Betsy Johnson,
D-Scappoose.
Seaside teacher Vineeta
Lower has filed as a Repub-
lican, and Brian Halvorsen as
an Independent.
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Contact: John Anderson • 360-269-2500
Native Plant Sale!
Large variety of plants for landscaping,
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Saturday April 7 • 9 AM to 1 PM
Bob Chisholm Community Center
in Seaside
Call 503-325-4571 or
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Questions? Call Clatsop SWCD 503-325-4571
9 1 1
TM
THE NUMBER TO KNOW
F O R U M
WHEN:
7 p.m. Tuesday, April 3
WHERE:
Astoria High School auditorium,
1001 W. Marine Drive
Presented by the Astoria Branch of the
American Association of University Women
and The Daily Astorian
Come listen to and ask
questions of primary
candidates for Clatsop
County Commission, state
House of Representatives
and U.S.Congress
Questions? Bartell.Liz@gmail.com or 503-200-8605
As April is 9-1-1 education month,
Medix Ambulance Service would like to thank
the dispatch teams at Medix, Astoria,
Seaside and Pacifi c County, WA 9-1-1 centers
for their hard work.
REMAIN CALM, BE PREPARED
• Try to stay calm, give information and follow all instructions.
• Professional call-takers are trained to get information
from you. Listen very carefully and answer as concisely as
possible.
• Remember that even if the dispatcher is still asking
questions or giving instructions, help is on the way.
• You can save a life! Do not hang up until the call-taker does.
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