Methow Valley Citizens' Council
Newsletter Archives
MVCC Archive IndexThe Valley VoiceNews from the Methow Valley Citizens Council Fall 2001 |
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In this issue...
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Life in the Balance Art by Kirsten |
Ecological Restoration as an Antidote to Despair
by Roger A Rosenblatt MD, MPH, MFR (cand) The world is in need of care and stewardship. Environmental degradation – a product of too many people consuming too much stuff – is destroying the world our children will inherit. So what are you going to do about it? (It always comes down to you, in the end, because there isn’t anyone else). Many of us choose to write our representatives, wallow in despair, or ignore the whole festering mess. Although each of these remedies has its charms, I have found that I gain the most personal solace from a fourth approach: trying to adopt one small hammered part of the world, and restoring it to something like it was before European settlement. My wife and I have been seasonal inhabitants of the Okanogan for thirty years, having built a log cabin in the Loup Loup area in the early 1970’s. When we arrived – the latest in nearly a century of European settlers – the only remnants of the ancient pine forest were three foot wide charred stumps. These ancient and awesome trees had been cut down over a period of fifty years, and the ground cleared for farming. With the onset of effective fire suppression in the 1930’s, the forest was becoming choked with small pines and invading firs, although we weren’t really aware of this on a conscious level. This all changed in 1993, when the growing bark beetle population exploded during a dry year, and many of the trees took on the dingy brownish cast of a moribund conifer. With the invaluable help of the forest entomologist at the University of Washington’s College of Forest Resources, and a local consulting forester, we designed and carried out a combined pre-commercial and commercial thin, spacing the trees out and increasing their ability to resist the ubiquitous beetle. We were transformed from passive tree-huggers to active forest mangers by the realization we could probably do a better job of managing our forest than the bark beetle. That was the first step. The second and larger step came four years later when an enterprising neighbor purchased a half section of land next to us and sold off all the merchantable timber. What had been an 80- to 100-year-old second growth forest was reduced to small spindly stems, snapping in the wind. The new portion also was home to about one half-mile of the Little Loup Loup Creek, a potentially splendid riparian habitat. Unfortunately, the herd of cows that drifted in from the adjacent DNR open range had made cow pies the dominant biological form in the severely degraded creek. At this point, we had a choice: watch while the adjacent parcel was split up into marketable ranchettes with no hope of ever providing habitat for the diverse animals and plants that used to call this place home, or get involved in a more intense way. We took a deep breath, bought the adjoining parcel and were launched on a new path. Now, five years, later, we are engaged in a full-blown attempt to restore the entire area to a vibrant and vital habitat. The following are the major components of that effort: Craft a forest management plan: Our introduction to forest management was the Stewardship Forest Course run by DNR and the USDA Extension. The stewardship folks provided some superb on-site consultation in wildlife biology and silviculture, and we were able to write a coherent plan for managing the forest for forest health, wildlife habitat, biodiversity, and appropriate timber harvest. Begin ecological restoration of the riparian area: In eastern Washington, the creeks are both the most fragile, and the most fertile, part of the ecosystems. We immediately began the arduous and expensive process of building fence to exclude cattle. With the help of the Okanogan Conservation District, we successfully applied to the Wildlife Habitat Incentive Program which provided invaluable expertise in stream restoration and cost-share money for purchasing and planting trees and shrubs. Through the program we have planted literally thousands of conifers and deciduous trees, which are flourishing in the cow-free environment. Get involved with local institutions: Working with a creative teacher in the Omak schools, we have begun an annual field day for the eighth grade class in Omak. Dozens of talented natural resource professionals in the County have volunteered their time to assist in teaching the students, and also provided their valuable insights on ways to restore the property. Work at the state level on environmental policy: We joined the Washington Farm Forestry Association, which is made up of other forest landowners around the state. This provides a political, organizational and social base from which to work on forest-related issues, and get involved in the regulatory issues that impact the ability of private people to sustain forests. Create a conservation easement: We realized immediately that land fragmentation and development were even more destructive than cows. Working with the Methow Conservancy, we created a conservation easement for our property that will ensure that the forest we began can function naturally long after we have left the scene. These activities have given us a focus and a purpose to our life in the Okanogan that goes beyond cross-country skiing and attending the county fair. Ecological restoration on a modest scale is definitely an area where one family can make an immediate and sustained difference. Public and private organizations and people are out there that are eager to lend a hand, and the scope of the activity is within our physical and financial means. One doesn’t need to be an expert ecologist to adopt one corner of our beleaguered planet and act to mitigate or repair the damage caused by prior human activity. So put some of your time and your money into restoring the land. Find and purchase that over-grazed field or logged-over forest next to your house, build a fence, eradicate the noxious weeds, and plant trees. Create a conservation easement that will keep your land from being sub-divided by your kids – or the people they sell it to. Get involved with the public and private organizations that deal with natural resource issues in the Okanogan, speak out, and lend your time and money. And think what a difference it would make if everyone - in their own way - took similar steps.Knapweed-eating Weevils on the Attack
by George Wooten
This year many people in the Methow Valley began to notice their knapweed,
a.k.a. barnaby (a local misnomer), was looking a little sick. Some plants
had tiny black beetles on the upper branches, indicating that Larinus minutus,
one of the knapweed seedhead weevils, had arrived on their plants.
Larinus species are host-specific biological control agents recently
released by the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS) for
controlling diffuse and spotted knapweed. Introduced? Is this a case of
bringing in one pest to replace another? Will these critters gobble the
tomato plants as well?
The answer seems to be that Larinus minutus, unlike generalist insects,
can only feed and lay its eggs on knapweed. Certain characteristics of
knapweed make it essentially impossible for Larinus to migrate to other
plants. These characteristics include the following: (1) Larinus larvae
can only develop in a protective chamber the size and quality of that found
in a few knapweed species. Even related bachelor's buttons will not serve
as a home. (2) Larinus appears to require bitter chemicals found only in
knapweed as part of its diet.
In view of the above specificity, Larinus is unlikely to find a home
in our flora, where no close relatives of knapweed exist.
Overwintered Larinus adults emerge from the ground in late May or June
where they hibernate. The female weevil must feed on the flowers of knapweed
for ovary development; therefore egg laying begins after the knapweed has
started to bloom. Females lay eggs in clusters which hatch within three
days. The larvae begin feeding on the flower parts and immature seeds within
the seed head. Pupation takes place inside a cocoon made of seed and flower
parts that is attached inside the developing seed head. When development
of the larvae is complete in July and August, new adults emerge from the
seedhead. These adults feed on the plant foliage before going into the
ground litter to hibernate.
Both adult and larvae are destructive to knapweed plants. Larinus attacks
both spotted and diffuse knapweed with a slight preference for diffuse
knapweed. Adults feed on young leaves in spring, and leaves and flowers
later on. A larva may destroy all the seeds in a single seedhead.
Sites that are chosen for Larinus release should be considered for long
term availability and should be left undisturbed by development or pesticide
use for at least ten years. The release site should be dry with some bare
ground and knapweed plants should be one to two feet apart. Frequently
this will be the outer edges of the knapweed infestation.
The knapweed complex has been targeted by the USDA as a high priority
for control. This weevil was introduced along with over a dozen other knapweed-eating
species as part of that program. In our area, other biological controls
that have become established include two species of seedhead eating gall
flies (Urophora species), and a root-excavating beetle (Sphenoptera jugoslavica),
which causes plants to become multi-stemmed dwarfs. Also, this year the
Methow experienced an outbreak of case bagworms and cutworms which caused
damage to knapweed, along with our gardens. No one is sure why these two
generalist pests both exploded this year.
The Soil Resource Conservation Service and local Noxious Weed Board
can provide Larinus and other biological controls to individuals that have
need of them. Currently, our Methow population is expanding so rapidly
that Larinus will be common here in a couple of years. Sphenoptera and
Urophora species are already well-established. Landowners should consider
replacing the bare areas left in the retreat of knapweed with 100% noxious-weed
free seed, before new weeds come in. If you are interested in restoration
of the native flora, there is a great deal of local expertise here in the
Methow Valley:
Methow Natives (native plant nursery) 509-996-3562
Gardner Gardens (landscaping) 509-996-2368
Floradora Farms (botany consulting) 509-996-3835
Steve Dupey (Twisp Farmer’s Market) For a riveting account of the war on knapweed, see Weed Whacker! Tim Seastedt Takes No Prisoners in the War Against Knapweed, by Harrison Fletcher, Westword Online (http://westword.com/issues/2001-08-09/feature2.html).
Paying more and enjoying it less?
If you’re in the Okanogan County Public Utility District, your electric rates just went up another 20%, making a 50% increase in the last six months. The rate hikes are needed to pay for the PUD’s 13 million “investment” in 16 diesel generators purchased during the California energy crisis. PUD manager Harlan Warner gambled that rising energy rates would allow the PUD to sell diesel-generated energy to California at $90-$140/MWH. Unfortunately, this was a losing hand. Bonneville Power Administration now projects the price of energy will stay below $75 per MWH through 2016, making it completely uneconomical to run the diesels. Another boondoggle, the fiber optic project, designed to bring Okanogan into the 21st century, will be costing ratepayers $13.7 million during the next five years. Income for this project is estimated at $60,000-$160,000 for 2002, making fiber another costly gamble that has yet to pay off.
Okanogan's Future?
PUD: No Support for Conservation
Why is it that PUD Commissioners routinely oppose conservation (inverted tier) rates? Such a rate structure charges higher rates for higher electric consumption, thus encouraging conservation. Commissioners Rowland and Bunch refused to even second Commissioner Johnson ‘s (Methow) motion just to look into the matter, claiming financial analysis was too costly. Roger Meader of Okanogan County Electric Coop, when contacted, said such calculations could be easily done in a day at most. The Coop, much smaller than the PUD, adopted conservation rates in April 2001. For the same reason, Rowland and Bunch also refused to look into mothballing the PUD’s 16 diesel generators, which will cost ratepayers $759,000 this year in maintenance and operation. Rowland and Bunch also nixed using funds available from Bonneville Power’s Conservation and Renewables Discount program for distributed generation using solar, biomass and wind, within the county.
The Nuclear Connection
Energy Northwest (EN) , formerly known as Washington Public Power Supply System (WPPSS), was responsible for the construction and operation of several nuclear power plants in the Hanford and Satsop areas, four of which were mothballed in l984 at great expense to the public and investors. Okanogan ratepayers cost of participation in this unrealized project was several million dollars. It is interesting to note that while the PUD wrote off $581,683 in WPPSS debt from PUD loans for the nuclear plants this year, Energy Northwest showed billings in excess of cost of $88 million, according to their 2000 Annual Report. PUD Commission President, Darrell Bunch, sits on the Executive Board of Energy Northwest and is also the Assistant Secretary on their managing Board of Directors. Commissioner Jim Roland is employed as a lobbyist for Energy Northwest. Does being on EN’s payroll affect their commitment to generation projects within Okanogan County?
Protecting Your Land With Conservation Easements
(from the Methow Conservancy web site http://www.methowconservancy.org/) Conservation Easements:
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Help families keep their farms and ranches.
Provide landowners with alternatives to subdivision.
Help the community to preserve open space.
Can help to reduce property, estate and income taxes.
Oh Say Can You See ... that house on the ridgeline
by Vicky Welch In recent years, the Methow Valley has become home to a number of large houses gracing the hilltops and creating new angular silhouettes on the altered skyline. Many residents feel that these changes adversely affect the loveliness of the valley. Many other counties in the Tetons, California, Sun Valley etc., with tourist-based economies have created zoning that regulates ridge-top construction. The Methow Valley Citizens’ Council is now drafting an amendment to the current Methow Review District Zoning that attempts to utilize the best ideas from other locations to prevent structures from interfering with the natural skyline in the Methow as seen from county and state roads. As it now stands, the draft would prohibit skyline penetration except in rare cases where limited choice of building sites leaves no alternative to the home breaking the skyline. When this occurs, builders will seek variances to setbacks and adhere to certain design codes including restrictions in height, form, roofing material, and earth-moving, and screening requirements will need to be met to minimize the impacts to the skyline.
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| According to Environmental Working Group, stationary sources of pollution (factories and power plants, as opposed to cars and trucks) account for 96 percent of SO2 emissions, 56 percent of particle pollution, and 48 percent of NOX emissions— the three major forms of EPA-regulated pollution. Each year, tens of thousands of people die prematurely from microscopic toxic particles in the air we breathe. - http://www.ewg.org/pub/home/reports/smoke/smoke.html |
