Officials from the City of Port Angeles and Olympic National Park met Thursday at Port Angeles City Hall to discuss and share concerns about ongoing issues

Experts Make Case for More Cooperation Between Agencies

The Environmental Protect Agency is being urged to do a better job of considering the effects that pesticides have on endangered fish and wildlife.
The EPA is responsible for approving pesticides for use. A National Academy of Sciences expert panel released a report this week that says the agency hasn't been working closely enough with fish and wildlife agencies before making its decisions.
Steve Mashuda, an attorney with the environmental advocacy group Earthjustice, testified before the panel. He says the report could help resolve a longstanding concern in the Northwest.
"We have more than 10 years since the agencies were first directed to consult with one another, and we still don't have necessary protections on the ground for salmon and steelhead in the Pacific Northwest," says Mashuda. "We hope that this report will help move EPA to implementing those protections."
He adds farm chemicals aren't the only concerns; that pesticides used on golf courses and residential lawns often end up in the air and water, affecting the fish and animals in an area.
The reportsays the EPA analyzes pesticides in terms of what would be a lethal dose for an endangered fish or animal - when other precautions should also be taken.
Mashuda explains these chemicals at different doses can have serious consequences - affecting growth and reproduction, killing a species' food source or habitat, and more.
"This report says that those what are called 'sub-lethal' or indirect effects need to be accounted for earlier in the process," he says. "And EPA really needs to cast a wide net in order to look at the full range of effects."
The report says a lack of coordination between agencies has hampered the risk assessment process, but that it is possible to improve it with better communication. It says other agencies, such as the National Marine Fisheries Service, should be consulted if an EPA decision would affect a listed or endangered species.

Chris Thomas,Washington News Service

PHOTO: Some pesticides affect a salmon's sense of smell, making it hard for them to migrate back to their "home stream" to spawn. Courtesy U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service.

U.S. Representative Dave Reichert has introduced a bill that would designate a stretch of scenic landscape from Seattle to Ellensburg as a National Heritage Area. The Mountains to Sound Greenway encompasses about 1.5 million acres of forests, peaks and wilderness that stretches along Interstate 90 from central Washington to the Puget Sound. Reichert said at a news conference in Issaquah, Wash., Tuesday that the designation would help preserve an important piece of the state's heritage. National Heritage Areas are designated by Congress as places of national distinction because of its natural, historical and cultural resources. The designation encourages residents, government agencies and others to preserve the landscape.