Mediator joins water planning process

The following article appeared in the July 26 edition of the Port Townsend & Jefferson County Leader.

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Mediator joins water planning process

By Kasia Pierzga
Leader Staff Writer

The mediator hired by state Ecology officials to get water resource planning back on track in Jefferson County comes across as knowledgeable, affable and direct.

Tom Anderson, water resources engineer for Bellingham-based Hydrologic Services Co., has just begun making visits to Jefferson County to size up the challenge of bringing local residents together to develop a plan that leaves enough water in the region's biggest watershed for both fish and people.

The watershed, known to Ecology officials as Water Resources Inventory Area 17, includes East Jefferson County from about Mount Walker north, extending to the northwestern shore of Sequim Bay in Clallam County.

Balancing the needs of farmers, homeowners, wildlife habitat and threatened species of salmon has proven to be a challange, in large part because of a strong sense of mistrust toward Ecology officials.

The process of developing an in-stream flow rule for the Quilcene-Snow watershed broke down in late 2005 after locals accused officials from Ecology of going too far with proposed restrictions on water use and failing to take the needs of people into account.

Relations between Ecology and some locals and government officials soured to the point that Olympic Peninsula legislators were called in to mediate the crisis.

Before a crowded audience in Port Townsend in November 2005, Joe Stohr, special assistant to state Ecology Director Jay Manning, admitted the agency "probably went too far, too fast," and promised to step back and come up with a way to include more voices in the watershed planning process.

Time to regroup

That's where Anderson comes in.

He and his employer have been hired by Ecology to develop a public-involvement process that ensures that Jefferson County stakeholders — everyone from farmers, property owners and developers to government agencies, Indian tribes and environmental groups — have a voice in the water resource planning process.

Anderson, a professional engineer, said he has had a lifelong interest in water rights, Western water law and how people use and value the resource.

As the manager for 16 years of the public utility district that provides water and electricity to much of Whatcom County, including Bellingham-area oil refineries and the Intalco aluminum smelter, Anderson gained a strong understanding of the legal aspects of water management and watershed planning. But it was his early experiences growing up on a small Camano Island cattle ranch that shaped his understanding of how people relate to water resources.

"I'm a farmer at heart," he said.

He said one of his biggest challenges will be overcoming common misconceptions about water rights and water law in Washington.

"Water is something that's part of the commons," he said. "People don't always know or appreciate that."

Anderson views his role as a "hired gun" who is expected to help Ecology rebuild damaged relationships with local residents.

"I've been hired to come up with a public process to help dig them out of their own hole," he said.

The current controversy over Jefferson County's critical areas ordinance could actually help make Anderson's job easier.

Because the environment and water protection laws are already on the minds of so many people, Anderson said it shouldn't be too difficult to get people interested in the rather dry process of planning for water.

Then again, "easy" might not be the right word.

"This community kind of has a reputation for facilitator-bashing," Anderson said with a wry smile.

A key first step is getting opinion leaders and other high-profile stakeholders to buy into the process.

"I need to make allies out of them or I'm dead meat," Anderson said.

What's ahead

Under its contract with Ecology, Anderson and Hydrologic Services have one year to bring people together to start developing a plan.

Ecology's Joe Stohr said he's optimistic that Anderson will be able to bring local stakeholders to the table.

"We want him to develop a process that connects DOE with people in WRIA 17 and helps us understand how water is used in the basin," Stohr said. "The biggest challenge will be coming up with a process that people feel engaged in."

Stohr said he got to know Anderson during his days at Whatcom Public Utility District 1.

"He's independent, and he does not always agree with DOE," Stohr said.

Anderson agreed with Stohr's characterization.

"I don't necessarily have any great love for Ecology," Anderson said. "They've pissed me off more than once."

A reputation for being fair, even-handed and open should come in handy as Anderson begins bringing Jefferson County stakeholders together for a dialogue about water.

"We need to have some open, sometimes tough discussions," Stohr said.

Anderson and his team will spend this summer and fall researching the issue and talking to local stakeholders.

"We hope to have a locally engaged group in place by the end of the year to facilitate the process," Anderson said.

The next step will be to identify options for regulating water use in the region. By summer 2007, the first draft of an in-stream flow rule should be ready for public review.

Anderson said he's confident the people of Jefferson County will come together to develop a plan to protect water resources for both people and wildlife.

"My sense is there's a strong ethic in Jefferson County to protect quality of life," he said. "You're going to have to employ water law to protect those attributes."