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  A LETTER TO FRIENDS OF THE CHEHALIS RIVER

February 2008

Friends,

Since the December floods the Chehalis River basin has been in the news. It
is, after the Columbia, the second largest watershed in the state. The flood
and its aftermath have fueled a movement to "do something" to control the
river and prevent future losses to the citizenry. An ad hoc group, "One
Voice," is actively pursuing the creation of a basin-wide flood control
district, and they have the vocal support of the Centralia Daily Chronicle.
While establishment of a flood control district may be appropriate, clearly
not all proposed efforts to control the river would be good for the
environment. For example, there is talk of dredging and of dam building in the upper watershed. At the same time, it can safely be predicted that reasonable measures such as ceasing filling and development in the floodplain, appropriate management of timber harvests and strict stormwater regulations will get little support from well-entrenched local development interests who have great influence over the local governments.

There are two small all-volunteer organizations in the Chehalis Basin that are devoted to protecting the natural resources of the watershed. These are the Chehalis River Council (CRC) and the Chehalis River Basin Land Trust (CRBLT). CRC members will be attending meetings, speaking out, writingletters to the editor, drafting comment letters, and representing an environmental perspective in all the great and small ways these matters must be addressed at the local level. The CRBLT will continue to pursue protecting sensitive lands through holding conservation easements and fee simple ownership and restoring riparian vegetation, often in partnership with other groups, among other things.

These groups need more horsepower. How much more could be done, for example, if they shared a half-time office manager? They already share an office at 417 North Pearl Street (Carpenter's Hall) in Centralia.

Both organization have websites. The CRC's is http://www.crcwater.org/ . That for CRBLT is http://www.chehalislandtrust.org/ . Membership and contribution forms are linked in these websites.

Yours,
Pete Holm, Board Member
Chehalis River Council and Chehalis River Basin Land Trust

SPOTLIGHT February 2008

Hello to all who support the Chehalis River, and the Land Trust.

It has been a rough couple of months, and it is not over yet. Some members have been slowed by health issues. Other members survived the flood, but lost much in the way of personal property and family heirlooms. Some members look at the river, the eroded banks and downed timber and wonder if it is really possible to save the lands and waters we love. And all of us wonder if the politicos, forest practices and Corps of Engineers can stem the force of nature!

But we do realize that life goes on. As Shirley Kook (a flood survivor stated), "What gets me is the resiliency of our minds the event seems a distant memory." Yes, the human race is hard to stop! We will proceed with plans and work to change our environment.

The work of your Chehalis River Basin Land Trust continues. The Board recently had its annual retreat to review the work of 2007 and make plans for 2008. And we did accomplish many things in 2007. Stewardship of our lands and easements is always a priority and has been successful.

The goal for 2008 is (probably) at little beyond our reach. The plans for 2008 include acquisition, easements and stewardship of the land. The plans include restorations, membership and finances. The plans include partnerships and outreach to the communities within the basin. All the plans rely on you.

We hope you will plan to attend the annual members meeting in April. We hope you will plan to continue your financial support, and join us in restoration or outreach efforts. The lands and waters will truly need our support in the years to come. One and all are needed, so find your place and take your action. The Chehalis River basin needs every one of us !

                Festival Highlights Chehalis River Watershed
                    By Janet Strong, Chehalis River Basin Land Trust president


    Although Saturday, October 13 dawned cold and foggy, it grew into a warm, sunny

afternoon for the hundreds of attendees at the Chehalis Watershed Festival held in

Morrison Waterfront Park in Aberdeen.  Children angled for live fish in a big tank

supplied by the Chehalis Basin Fisheries Task Force.  Chehalis tribal members

fire-roasted Chinook salmon and served generous portions of the delectable fish to the public.

And the tall ships cruised up and down the river re-enacting days of yore; blasts of the cannon

were terribly exciting!  Photo below thanks to Nancy Ness.

   Organizations from throughout the basin exhibited displays chock-full of\

information on beavers, noxious weed identification and methods of removal,

trees and their leaf identification, books on local nature lore, animals and forests.

Your CRBLT educated children and their parents on the art of leaf rubbings and

supplied interested citizens with pamphlets explaining our mission and works.

    This event culminated a Watershed Awareness Week which began on Saturday

October 6 with a Farm Tour in eastern Grays Harbor County.  The Chehalis River

basin hosts a great variety of agricultural areas and the tour featured just a few of them.

Citizens visited an organic vegetable farm, a dahlia field, a greenhouse full of ornamental

Japanese trees and a buffalo ranch. In between tour members stopped at the Sharon

Grange for apple crisp and a quilt show.  The final treat was a stop at a Vance Creek

riparian restoration site where tree seedlings planted by local students marched off into

the horizon.

   Throughout the entire Festival Week, participants had the opportunity to gain a

tremendous knowledge about our large and beloved Chehalis River Watershed.

Let's hope many will continue their journey toward appreciation of its history
and importance and the role of each of us in protecting and restoring its natural

systems.

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