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Methow Valley News March 16, 2000 Endangered Species Coverage Publisher's Comment ~ by Lee Hicks Where is this train wreck? Newspeople look for catchy phrases on which to "hang" a story lead. Those in the public eye understand this and oblige with made-for-news quotes. Last summer several state and federal officials began talking about the "train wreck" that would happen in the Methow Valley if we did not address endangered fish and water issues. It now looks like the choo choo could jump the tracks somewhere down in Olympia even before it could chug its way up our way with a few boxcars of money and legislation that could help solve some water issues statewide. The train wreck analogy was expressed in a story in a Seattle paper last week analyzing how little had been accomplished this legislative session. To no one’s surprise, the session has come down to hand-wringing and the usual bickering over ways to "fix" revenue problems from I-695, resulting in a special session that began last week. Leadership from the governor’s office on fish issues is now critical. One state Senate bill, reportedly backed by the chief executive, to sort water changes and transfers into a separate line from new water applications remains alive in the Senate. That bill now contains new trust water rights provisions from a bill that died in the House. It's important that the substantial efforts of the Methow basin planning unit, county leaders, some state officials and the area’s legislators do not get sucked under in the legislative process. Beyond the money needed for fish projects, state agencies most of all need leadership, not just from the top of their own institution but also from the state’s chief executive. The issues are too important to wait another year. Opinion | Sports |
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