Fiscal Year 2010 Energy and Water Development Subcommittee Appropriations Bill
Our state has been particularly hard hit by the economic downturn – unemployment levels have skyrocketed and I’ve heard from many local communities struggling to cover basic services like education, public safety, transportation and health care. As a United States Senator, part of my job is to help critical priorities in our state receive attention from the federal government so that we can help reinvigorate our economy, create new, high-paying jobs, and help our working families stay ahead in these tough economic times.
Part of that process at the federal level includes making sure that our state gets our fair share of funding from the federal government. Washington consistently pays more in federal tax dollars than we receive back in federal investment and services.
During the annual budget process, I submit requests to the Senate Appropriations Committee for congressionally directed spending for Washington state (sometimes referred to as "earmarks") that benefits our state. Some of these include: flood control levees; airport, rail, highway and mass transit improvements; drinking water and wastewater infrastructure; gang crime prevention and intervention programs; workforce training; and, agricultural research. I am working to continue to make this process even more transparent and to ensure that we’re spending taxpayer dollars wisely.
Every year, I receive hundreds of requests for assistance from cities, counties, water and utility districts, transportation agencies, and others. I carefully review and evaluate these requests — and choose to submit a selection of these projects to the Committee. The final outcome for any request will not be known until the bill has been approved by the House and Senate, and signed into law by the President.
I will be posting each request I make to my Web site as they are submitted to the Senate Appropriations Committee.
Below you will find detailed information about requests I made for the FY 2010 Energy and Water Development appropriations bill.
Baker Bay Channel Dredging at Ilwaco – Army Corps of Engineers, Portland District (Ilwaco, WA)
This project would maintain access to the Port of Ilwaco and its 800 slip marina, which is home to Ilwaco Fish, the largest buyer of Albacore Tuna in the U.S. This is a federally authorized channel leading to the Port of Ilwaco marina, which has 800 slips supporting the commercial, charter and sport fishing industries. The Port of Ilwaco performs maintenance dredging of the marina, at an annual cost of approximately $100,000.
Amount Requested: $849,000
Biofuels/Algae – Washington State University (Pullman, WA)
WSU and its partners Targeted Growth and Inventure will develop a process whereby algae biomass is harvested and processed for the production of biofuel and chemical raw materials, such as isocyanates, required for the production and market of polyurethane products. WSU, Target Growth and Inventure are members of the Washington State Algae Alliance, this project will allow for maximum parallel investigations and creation of important synergisms only possible through coordinated, multidisciplinary research and sharing of particular expertise. In addition, expertise will be developed and capacity will be built that can be leveraged towards other algal species and products. A primary project for the alliance is to modify cyanobacteria (AKA blue-green algae) to produce the desired fuels, chemicals, and chemical intermediates. Cyanobacteria hold much promise for accomplishing this task as: (1) they can grow utilizing carbon dioxide and light as its energy source; (2) its DNA can be manipulated to produce compounds used in biodiesel, jet fuel, and plastics; and (3) compared with land-based energy crops, they are much more efficient in terms of solar energy capture thus allowing for a much higher productivity per unit area. In addition, for large-scale applications, cyanobacteria can be grown in wastewater utilizing the excess nutrients which otherwise can cause environmental concerns. Furthermore, such technology has additional nation-wide appeal as during the course of this project, other algal species will also be evaluated for their utility in producing chemicals, chemical intermediates and fuels.
Amount Requested: $4,370,000
Duwamish/Green Ecosystem Restoration Program – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (King County, WA)
This project supports the restoration of the Duwamish Green watershed by implementing a range of habitat restoration projects for the recovery of ESA listed Chinook in a high priority watershed. The projects are coordinated to the extent possible with flood protection along the lower parts of the river where regional industrial and manufacturing centers are located. The watershed is the second most populous watershed in Puget Sound and encompasses 15 cities, including part of the city of Seattle, the water supply for the City of Tacoma, forest and agricultural production districts, as well as multiple natural resources and public parks and open space. For the restoration of downstream sites, as planned in the Duwamish/Green Ecosystem Restoration Program, will provide habitat needed by the fish that use the fish passage facility at the Howard Hanson Dam. Restoration sites have been identified and the local governments have committed the funds necessary to move forward with design and construction. Since 2004, successful project elements include site remediation and removal of hazardous materials at North Wind’s Weir, design and Phase 1 construction of Lake Meridian Outlet and Newaukum Creek, site designs for Riverview Park, Lones and Fenster Levees, and construction of Lake Meridian Valley Creek. 2009 priorities include North Wind’s Weir construction, and Lake Meridian Outlet Phase 3 construction. 2010 projects will include final design and construction of Upper Springbrook Creek, Riverview Park and Mill Creek and Lones and Fenster Levees, Garrison Creek Restoration, Phase 2 Restoration on Newaukum Creek and Lake Meridian Outlet Phase 2.
Amount Requested: $2,600,000
Elliott Bay Seawall – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Seattle, WA)
The City of Seattle and the Seattle District U.S. Army Corps of Engineers are currently cost-sharing partners engaged in a Feasibility Phase Study of the Elliott Bay Seawall. The portion of the seawall under evaluation extends for a linear distance of approximately 7,100 feet. The approximate project boundaries are along Alaskan Way between Broad Street and S Washington St, near the Port of Seattle bulkheads (in the vicinity of Pier 48). The purpose of the feasibility study is to document the problems and opportunities associated with the seawall, formulate plans, and determine if there is a federal interest in a solution. The study purpose is currently classified under the Corps "Storm Damage Reduction" program. The recently passed Water Resources Development Act expanded the Corps authority to include seismic failure in the cost-benefit analysis.
Replacing the seawall will help to prevent severe damages and economic impact that would occur in the event of a seawall failure. Failure of the deteriorated 75 year old Alaskan Way Seawall would set off a string of events that would be catastrophic for the City of Seattle, State and Nation. The seawall’s failure would immediately impact the utility, telecommunications and transportation network of the entire Puget Sound region, as well as disrupt rail operations along a significant national freight corridor. Once the seawall is replaced and the waterfront is rebuilt, private redevelopment will occur to take advantage of the public investment. The construction of a seawall replacement will provide hundreds of family wage jobs for several years and protect the waterfront and Elliott Bay from environmental damage.
Amount Requested: $1,400,000
Green River Levee Safety Assessment – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Kent and Tukwila, WA)
This project involves a safety assessment of approximately six miles of the Green River Levees, located along the right bank of the Green River from James Street on the south (upstream) end to South 180th Street on the north (downstream) end within the Cities of Kent and Tukwila in King County. By conducting the Green River Levee Safety Assessment, a determination of which levee segments are safe (certifiable) and unsafe (non-certifiable) will be made. Making this determination is important because it targets the City of Kent’s funding efforts to fix and repair the unsafe levee segments. This levee segment provides critical flood protection to the western side of the Kent Valley which includes residential areas and a commercial/ industrial area which is the second largest warehouse distribution complex on the West Coast, and represents 40 million square feet of warehouse/industrial space; 1,800 businesses, 50,000 jobs; $8 billion in taxable revenue; a $2.8 billion combined payroll; and an estimated Gross Domestic Product of over $20 billion. If any segment of this levee system were to be breached, the economic vitality of the Kent Valley would be devastated, and the costs to the local, regional, and state economy would be in the hundreds of millions if not billions of dollars. Once the unsafe levees are repaired, the levees can be federally certified and the Kent Valley can be removed from FEMA’s floodplain. This would save thousands of residents and businesses millions of dollars in flood insurance per year.
Amount Requested: $10,000,000
HAMMER Training and Education Center – Volpentest HAMMER Training (Richland, WA)
The Volpentest HAMMER Training and Education Center is widely regarded as one of the top training facilities in the country. It provides the best in hands-on and classroom training for the thousands of workers who are cleaning up the Hanford site. Since its inception, HAMMER has been a key contributor to a major decrease in the number of injuries and accidents at Hanford. HAMMER also serves Washington state communities by offering its classes and training devices to municipal emergency responders, fire fighters and law enforcement around the region. Through the students who make up more than 33,000 student days a year, HAMMER indirectly contributes millions of dollars to the Tri-City economy. HAMMER is the facility supporting regulatory-required training in support of Hanford clean-up worker health and safety. As such, it is essential to completing the clean-up of Hanford in a safe, cost effective manner. Budget reductions from the current level of funding will be at the expense of the worker safety. In addition, funding for this program will directly support 35 FTE’s, but more importantly, the facility supports the safe operations at the Hanford Site through providing health and safety training to more than 10,000 Hanford clean-up workers.
Amount Requested: $7,500,000
Lower Puyallup River – Flooding Alternative Study Phase 2 – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Pierce County, WA)
This vital project will improve the flood control system along the Puyallup River, protecting the communities of Puyallup, Tacoma, Fife and the Port of Tacoma. The affected area currently has over $1 billion of property improvements at risk of flood losses, as well as several regional transportation corridors. Preventing wide spread flood damage to the Port of Tacoma is central to preserving the economic vitality of Pierce County. Funding for this project will be used to identify alternatives for addressing flood protections on Lower Puyallup River compliant with revised FEMA mapping standards and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee standards, and the ESA. Pierce County is requesting funds for Phase 2 of a study to determine alternatives for addressing flood and related habitat issues of the Lower Puyallup River. The study will examine options available to Pierce County and affected jurisdictions, tribes, and agencies to develop new, multi-jurisdictional flood protections compliant with revised FEMA mapping standards, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers levee standards and the Endangered Species Act.
Amount Requested: $600,000
Mud Mountain Dam Construction Funding – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Pierce County, WA)
Replacement of the current structure is necessary to ensure the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ability to meet existing and future fish passage responsibilities for its Mud Mountain Dam on the White River. The diversion dam and trap and haul facilities enable threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon to be passed to spawning habitat above Mud Mountain Dam. Continued funding for this construction project is essential to avoid the fish passage problems.
Recognizing the catastrophic harm to fish that would occur if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fish passage facilities ceased operation, the Corps entered into a contract with Puget Sound Energy in 2004 to keep the diversion dam and fish passage facilities operational. The funds appropriated by Congress in fiscal years 2005-2008 have been used for the reconstruction of the diversion dam. Continued funding for these facilities is essential to avoid endangering listed fish species.
Amount Requested: $400,000
Mud Mountain Dam Operations Funding –Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Pierce County, WA)
The Corps of Engineers relies upon the White River diversion dam and trap and haul facilities to enable it to meet its fish passage needs for its Mud Mountain Dam on the White River. Using these trap and haul facilities, threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon are able to be passed to spawning habitat above Mud Mountain Dam. If the operation of the White River diversion dam is discontinued, the fish passage facility will not function properly and Mud Mountain Dam will become an impassible barrier to salmon and other anadromous species.
Recognizing the catastrophic harm to fish that would occur if the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers fish passage facilities ceased operation, the Corps entered into a contract with Puget Sound Energy (PSE) in 2004 to keep the diversion dam and fish passage facilities operational. The funds appropriated by Congress in fiscal years 2005-2008 have been used to fulfill the terms of this agreement. The agreement between the Corps and PSE was renewed for another five years in 2005. Continued funding for these facilities is essential to avoid endangering listed fish species.
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Northwest National Marine Renewable Energy Center – University of Washington (Seattle, WA)
The Northwest Marine Renewable Energy Center is a partnership between Oregon State University (OSU) and the University of Washington (UW). OSU will direct the Center and focus its efforts on applied research for wave energy. The UW will focus on research specific to tidal energy. The two universities will leverage their expertise and experience to accelerate the development of ocean energy. The NW Center will build on existing strengths and will develop knowledge and expertise in the following program areas: advanced forecasting technologies (wave); device and array optimization (wave and tidal); collaboration and optimization among marine and other renewable sources (wave and tidal); facilities serving as an integrated Center for US and international developers (wave and tidal); compatibility of marine power technologies and systems with the environment, fisheries and other marine resources (wave and tidal); and increased reliability and survivability of marine power technologies (wave and tidal).
Amount Requested: $1,200,000
Odessa Subarea Special Study – Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia-Cascades Area Office (Adams County, WA)
This project will continue the Odessa Subarea Special Study, which is being conducted by the Bureau of Reclamation in partnership with the Washington Department of Ecology. The completed study will identify a preferred alternative to provide for an exchange of Columbia Basin Project water to replace ground water currently being used for irrigation which is depleting the Odessa Subarea aquifer. This exchange of water sources will allow the ground water resource to be saved for domestic use in the region and the existing irrigated agriculture production base, which is an integral part of the regional economy, to be preserved. Loss of the ground water resource will have severe environmental and economic impact. The primary purpose of the study is to develop a solution that will preserve the existing irrigated agricultural economy based on irrigation of 120,000 in the Odessa Ground Water Management Subarea. A 2005 WSU study, commissioned by the potato industry, determined that loss of potato production in the Odessa Subarea would cost the State 3800 jobs and $630 million per year. Adams County, in 2007, had the WSU School of Economic Sciences use the same economic model to examine the loss of all deep well irrigated crops in Adams and Lincoln Counties. The study found that slightly over $200 million in irrigated crops are produced annually in the two county area. Total impacts include direct impacts of crop production, in-region trucking and marketing activities; indirect effects from the loss of input purchasing by the agricultural, trucking and marketing industries; and the induced impacts of the loss of household consumption due to reduced payrolls are nearly $302 million. Estimated job loss in the two counties from the loss of deep well irrigation would be 4,650 jobs or about 32% of the total jobs in the two counties.
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Power Grid Reliability – Washington State University (Pullman, WA)
This project will develop new control algorithms, communications/information management protocols, fast computation methods, and new grid simulation tools necessary to the Smart Grid. The existing power grid is highly unstable, vulnerable to interruptions, and inadequate for increased power throughput and transmission speed. The control and communications infrastructure from the 1960s cannot incorporate the precise controls a "smart grid" demands. A more reliable, capable and secure "smart grid" requires development on several "software" fronts simultaneously: 1) control algorithms, 2) communications/information management, and 3) fast computation methods, and 4) initial testing of prototype developments on a simulated grid, requiring modern simulation tools now lacking. The purpose of new control algorithms, which require high bandwidth communications and fast computation methods, is to increase transmission system throughput. The volume of real-time data gathering exceeds the capacity of present communication systems, so newly-developed middleware is needed to move data via fiber optic cable over vast distances. Control algorithms will require faster computation methods to identify causes of instability and calculate remedial control response in only milliseconds. Simulation tools need to be upgraded to handle the high-speed communication models.
Amount Requested: $3,000,000
Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters Restoration Construction General Program – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Puget Sound, WA)
The Puget Sound and Adjacent Waters (PSAW) Restoration Program funds projects to restore habitat in the Puget Sound Basin of Washington State. The project is designed to provide an ecosystem response to the ESA and other species-specific restoration and recovery initiatives, and would also benefit migratory bird species and their habitats. Opportunities for conservation in this region are becoming limited, urban areas are expanding, and an extraordinary heritage of native species and ecosystems is at risk. In total, Puget Sound is home to more than 220 species of fish, 26 different kinds of marine mammals, 150 species of birds and thousands of species of invertebrates. At least ten species in Puget Sound are listed as threatened, endangered, or candidates for listing under the federal Endangered Species Act, and more than ten species are listed as federal species of concern by NOAA or the USFWS. The PSAW program will identify and fund important restoration opportunities in the Puget Sound Basin. In so doing, it will benefit several of these federally listed species including: Puget Sound chinook and Hood Canal summer chum salmon, bull trout, Stellar sea lion, marbled murrelet and bald eagle. The PSAW provides funding for early action projects identified by the Puget Sound Nearshore Marine Habitat Restoration project. Federal funds are leveraged with Washington state funds from the newly created Estuarine and Salmon Restoration Program. The Nearshore project will identify restoration and preservation needs and opportunities in the Puget Sound Basin, primarily on lands owned by local sponsors.
Amount Requested: $3,400,000
Puget Sound Nearshore Ecosystem Restoration Project – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (King County)
Puget Sound is a unique ecosystem that supports numerous threatened and endangered species, is home to more than 3 million citizens and supports much of the state of Washington’s economy (40 percent in King County alone). The health of Puget Sound is threatened and its public benefits are in jeopardy. The expenditure of project funds to restore the vital nearshore areas will benefit the citizens, regional economy and fish and wildlife species that depend upon this nationally recognized estuary. The requested $5 million in FY 2010 will allow King County to continue to work in partnership with the Puget Sound Partnership and other stakeholders on implementation of critical near shore restoration projects in the waters adjacent to King County. These projects were identified in the Nearshore Marine Habitat Study that is scheduled for completion in February 2010. This funding will also help support implementation of priorities in the federally adopted Puget Sound Chinook Recovery Plan. The project will identify and help implement the most cost-effective habitat restoration projects in the near shore, estuary and marine areas of Puget Sound, a vital element of salmon recovery in Puget Sound. This need is critical to the recovery of near shore areas of Puget Sound and is part of the Puget Sound Partnership goal to recover Puget Sound by 2020. The project, which encompasses the entire Puget Sound basin, has more than 15 state and local sponsors.
Amount Requested: $1,600,000
Skagit River General Investigation Study – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Skagit County, WA)
The Skagit GI will evaluate flood control projects to determine which projects are economically, hydraulically, environmentally and socially acceptable and justified and provide a comprehensive flood damage reduction plan with broad based support for effective and efficient flood damage reduction and ecosystem restoration projects. Completed environmental studies will provide NEPA documentation for selected projects. Progress will be measured by the reduced risk to the health and welfare of Skagit County citizens and the local economy, the amount of damages prevented and reduction in the frequency of large flood events and a reduction in the amount and frequency of Federal Emergency Funding requests. The Skagit River is the third largest river on the west coast with multiple recorded flooding events that threaten both life and critical local, State, and Federal infrastructure; including local commercial infrastructure, the sole north-south highway and railroad corridor west of the Cascades (Interstate 5 and BNSF Railroad), State and local roads, and fuel pipelines from Anacortes refineries to Seattle and SeaTac Airport.
Amount Requested: $1,300,000
Skokomish River Basin Restoration – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Mason County, WA)
Restoring the Skokomish River ecosystem is a critical action for the overall restoration of several natural resources of national significance in Hood Canal. It is essential for the recovery of multiple species of endangered fish and wildlife, for recovery of the troubled Hood Canal marine ecosystem, and for rejuvenation of local communities threatened by significant, persistent flooding. The Skokomish River is the most frequently flooded river in Washington State. Recovery of Puget Sound Chinook in the Skokomish River must be accomplished to lift federal endangered species act restrictions on Hood Canal. The Skokomish River is also the largest fresh water source for the Annas Bay area of Hood Canal, an area stricken recently by massive fish kills due to low dissolved oxygen levels. The US Army Corps of Engineers has determined there is a federal interest in this restoration effort; this critical river ecosystem will continue to deteriorate unless the watershed is restored. Mason County and the Skokomish Tribe have partnered as co-sponsors with the US Army Corps of Engineers to complete an Ecosystem Restoration and Flood Damage Reduction Study. This study will examine alternative actions and develop feasible restoration projects supported by a completed environmental impact study.
Amount Requested: $700,000
Southwest Washington Tidal Energy Project – Grays Harbor Public Utility District (Aberdeen, WA)
Grays Harbor PUD and Pacific County PUD are working hard to bring more renewable energy resources to load to diversify our energy portfolio and invest in long-term responsible energy planning to meet our community needs. Washington has a relatively high tidal power potential overall and Grays Harbor, Willapa Bay and the Columbia River represent three of the largest tidal estuaries in the United States. Significant analysis and examination of the area to determine its tidal energy potential has already been done. Now the value of this renewable energy asset needs to be determined and what it would take to bring a demonstration project online.
Amount Requested: $1,500,000
Sustainable Works Energy Efficiency Retrofitting – Justice Alliance Education Fund (Spokane, King, Pierce and Thurston Counties)
SustainableWorks (SW) maintains social equity and quality standards while coordinating efficiency retrofit services for aggregated neighborhood residential and small commercial customers. In the first phase, SW plans to retrofit 200 units per quarter in Spokane, Seattle and Tacoma for a total of 2,400 units per year statewide. SW brings online pre-apprenticeship programs drawing from under-represented populations, trains craft workers in energy efficiency systems, and performs energy audit. Audits can then be used for both customer decisions and contractor bidding. Residential and small commercial units aggregated by community partners are then bid on as one project creating economies of scale. SW negotiates reduced prices with contractors based on decreased mobilization costs and with suppliers based on volume. SW certifies that contractors pay prevailing wage and benefits and employs properly trained workers with an appropriate percentage (15-25%) of apprentices as well as apprentices from targeted populations. SW links customers with financing, coordinates utility incentives, and applies appropriate contributions from government and private sources. Loans are repaid with energy savings, which prevent customer out-of-pocket expenses. SW certifies the work done by contractors. Funding for this project will bundle retrofit 200 units as single projects, 2400 total units of small commercial and residential properties per year in Tacoma, Seattle and Spokane.
Amount Requested: $1,200,000
Swift Creek – Army Corps of Engineers, Seattle District (Whatcom County, WA)
Swift Creek is a unique and complex multi-faceted management problem in which the release of naturally-occurring asbestos by flood waters negatively impacts the public, infrastructure, and environment. It is an unprecedented problem of immense scale. An ad hoc partnership comprised of agencies from federal, state and local governments was formed to try to identify a management strategy. The multi-agency partnership concluded that the scope of the problem is beyond any one agency’s ability to manage. Whatcom County was encouraged by the partnership to become a local sponsor to the ACOE in order to initiate an alternatives analysis. This request, in combination with requests for state funding, is the first coordinated step in developing a long-term management solution. The proposed funding will be used to determine the best long-term strategy to mitigate the transport and release of asbestos-containing sediment that negatively impacts human health, private properties, local and regional economies, public infrastructure, international relations, and ecologically sensitive areas. The complex problem is large in scope and the solutions are complicated and financially out of the reach of local government. In addition, the transport and release of asbestos is forecast to expand in scope for several centuries into the future and the negative impacts over time are anticipated to economically depress a broad area.
Amount Requested: $300,000
Tulalip Water Pipeline – Bureau of Reclamation, Columbia – Cascades Area Office (Tulalip, WA)
The Tulalip Water Pipeline will be a 7.6 mile gravity flow water pipeline (Pipeline) that will carry up to 36 million gallons of water per day (MGD) to the Tulalip Indian Reservation and up to 2 MGD to Smith Island. The pipeline is designed with mostly welded steel pipe at diameters ranging from 36 inches to 48 inches. The pipeline route will cross the Snohomish River delta, mostly in existing rights-of-way. It also includes sections that will be constructed under the Snohomish River, three major sloughs, and Quil Ceda Creek. The pipeline will be constructed under these waterways using a trenchless construction method (specifically horizontal directional drilling) to avoid impacts to these waterways and adjoining wetlands. There is also the potential for an additional 7.7 MGD capacity which could be purveyed to nearby municipalities. Predictions indicate that Reservation demands for the water supplied under a Joint Operating Agreement will exceed the supply allocation between the years 2012 and 2017, thus the need for an alternative water source. The water from the Pipeline will supply the residential and commercial development needs on the reservation, provide stream augmentation and reduce dependence on the groundwater aquifer. The Pipeline also has the capacity to supply water to other water purveyors in the region with future need projections not served by existing sources.
Amount Requested: $1,000,000
Walla Walla Watershed OR & WA – Army Corps of Engineers, Walla Walla District (Walla Walla County, WA)
Historically, the Walla Walla River supported significant runs of spring chinook salmon and summer steelhead, as well as runs of fall chinook, chum and coho salmon. For nearly a century, the Walla Walla River near Milton-Freewater, Oregon, and at lower stretches in Washington, ran dry, prohibiting the restoration of salmon. This situation became more significant when bull trout were listed in 1998 and steelhead in 1999 as threatened species under the Endangered Species Act. Beginning in 2000, three irrigation districts pledged to keep a minimum water flow in the river and signed an agreement with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. In 2001, with 18 cfs of water, the Walla Walla River did not run dry, a first since irrigation began. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, in conjunction with the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, are focusing on the restoration and management of a viable ecosystem within the Walla Walla River Basin through co-sponsorship of the Walla Walla River Basin Feasibility Report/Environmental Impact Statement (FR/EIS). The FR/EIS will evaluate and recommend those alternatives that will contribute significantly to established restoration objectives; most benefit biological resources and natural ecosystem functions and processes; and be technically feasible and cost effective. The FR/EIS is expected to be completed in mid-2010.
Amount Requested: $500,000
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