By Marcy Stamper
Okanogan County will not be getting any extra money from the state Department of Ecology to help finish its plan that protects shorelines, but an Ecology manager commended county staff for their work over the past decade and reiterated …
Ecology
Environmental review of comp plan in the works
By Marcy Stamper
People who have been awaiting the next stage of the county’s comprehensive plan—the environmental analysis of the current draft, which has changed substantially from the one that was the basis for the last environmental impact statement—should soon have …
County seeks more state money to finish shoreline plan
By Marcy Stamper
The Okanogan County commissioners are awaiting a decision from the Washington Department of Ecology (DOE) as to whether the agency will …
Commissioners exempt smaller projects from environmental review across county
By Marcy Stamper
The standards for which construction projects will automatically be reviewed for potential environmental impact will be the same across the county, following …
Season for firewood cutting changed
The Methow Valley Ranger District has decided to limit the season for firewood gathering to reduce damage to roads in the spring and lessen the impact on other resources. By limiting the season for firewood gathering to May 1 to Dec. 31, the district is now consistent with most other ranger districts in the Okanogan-Wenatchee […]
Comment on Buckhorn Gold Mine permit
The Department of Ecology has prepared a new wastewater-discharge permit for the Buckhorn Gold Mine near Chesaw. The draft five-year permit will have more rigorous standards for pollution discharge than the previous one, according to Ecology. The permit regulates the creeks where the mine can discharge treated wastewater. The permit would also allow the discharge […]
Learn about whitebark pine, climate
Connie Mehmel, a Forest Health Specialist for the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest, will discuss whitebark pine and its role as an indicator of climate change and forest health on Sunday (Aug. 25) at the Methow Valley Interpretive Center. Mehmel, a former Methow Valley resident, is the Interpretive Center’s featured speaker in its monthly “Last Sunday” lecture […]
Researchers say ‘adaptation’ makes more sense than fighting wildfires
By ANN McCREARY Rather than spending money to fight extreme wildfires like the deadly Yarnell Hill Fire in Arizona, we’d do better to create “fire-adapted” communities in fire-prone areas like the Methow Valley, according to Peter Morrison of Pacific Biodiversity Institute (PBI) in Winthrop. “We spend billions of dollars a year in our attempts to […]
In search of ponderosa pines
Study looks at ‘imperiled’ trees’ role in the valley ecosystem By ANN McCREARY Walking through the Methow Valley a century ago, you would find yourself in the midst of open stands of large ponderosa pine trees that dominated the landscape. Today, only a fraction of those expansive, park-like ponderosa pine forests remain, and their […]
Planning commission asks for more details in county comp plan
By MARCY STAMPER Okanogan County planning commissioners are trying to strike a balance between including enough detail in the comp plan to guide water use and lot density, with an explicit decision by the board of county commissioners to keep regulations out of the plan. “The county commissioners were very sensitive about loading the comprehensive […]
