Activity Report Explorer

Cascade Volcanoes • Entered by Laurie Kerr on June 30, 2020

Washington Broadband Leaders chat

June 10, 2020 – June 30, 2020

Key Issue: Multiple apply
Activity Type: Broadband Meeting (prep, implementation & follow up)
Key Partners: Cascade Forest Conservancy

Short Description of Activity

Washington Leader Broadchat | 6-10-2020 10:00am

Agenda:
What do we want this regular WA leaders call to look like?
Chehalis River Flood Control Project
Pumice Plain proposed road
LSRD
Hanford Nuclear Plant waste issue
Bristol Bay, AK
Pumice Plain Road
Attendees: Laurie, Annie, Linda & Katya
Invited: Laurie, Annie, Linda, Terry, Barbara (she called Katya to apologize for missing this call, but wants to participate in July), (Katya forgot to include Krestine, but she should be included as well)
Leader Emails:
Laurie Kerr lauriekerr@pacifier.com
Krestine Reed pnvoices@gmail.com
Linda Buckley lindab353@sbcglobal.net
Barbara Phalen phalenbarbara11@gmail.com & lazyann@msn.com (include both emails)
Annie Cubberly anniecubberly@gmail.com
Terry Karro karroterry@gmail.com
Katya Spiecker katya@greatoldbroads.org

What do we want this regular Washington Leaders BroadChat to look like?
Laurie: Include advocacy issues and projects
Annie: Wants it to include advocacy and leadership aspects, i.e. membership, events, stewardship, etc.
Leaders wanted their own email listserv so Katya created a Washington Leaders Google Group and added everyone to it: washington-broadband-leaders@googlegroups.com.
Calls/Zooms will occur monthly on the second Wednesday of the month at 10:00 am via the Broads HQ Zoom account. Katya will send meeting info to group, but it will stay the same ea. time:
Zoom Meeting Link: https://zoom.us/j/97387214185?pwd=dUZMZmhJVTNucVFmeEhnQUlsUVhpQT09
Meeting ID: 973 8721 4185
Password: 782605
Dial by your location
+1 669 900 6833 US (San Jose)
+1 253 215 8782 US (Tacoma)
+1 346 248 7799 US (Houston)
+1 646 876 9923 US (New York)
+1 301 715 8592 US (Germantown)
+1 312 626 6799 US (Chicago)

Chehalis River Flood Control Project
WSCOT Stage 2 Alternatives Analysis to widening/raising I-5. Dept of Ecology published Draft EIS. Comment period is over for draft.
Brian Stewart, Conservation Northwest
Cascades to Olympics Program Coordinator
Lewis River Chronicle article about Chehalis Tribe opposing Proposed Chehalis River Dam
The office of the Chehalis Basin is shifting at looking at mitigation possibilities rather than just the retention project now.
Pumice Plain Road
The Broads submitted comments and objections to FS road proposal. We have since asked for a meeting and waiting for their response to our objections. Susan Saul submitted a 24-page document which describes in detail the problems with the FS road proposal. We are waiting for a response and will contact Susan to notify us of a possible meeting.
LSRD
A sign on letter to Gov Inslee was submitted by Whales Need Us and coalition. (Peggy Oki)
Zoom Conference after June 13
A letter was distributed to send to Kilmer about the letter to take down the dams on the Lower Snake. Annie noted that Kilmer was one of the sponsors of the Wild Olympics Campaign.
-Put pressure on politicians. Make the public aware and make them CARE.

-Broaden our audience to others worldwide. Make sure there is a huge turnout at Ice Harbor dam when the March 4 The Dams Breach ends.

-Ensure the SROs have a legal right to life, so that they are considered when policies are made that affect them.

-Ask the environmental groups who were plaintiffs in the 2016 lawsuit how they plan to get meaningful action taken to save the salmon, steelhead and orcas. Have a SRKW focused group.

-Erode public confidence in and attack the credibility of federal agencies such as ACOE, BPA, NOAA, etc. in a reasoned, scientific way.

-Combat the misinformation with TRUTH.

Here is the “Lower Snake River Dam “Fact” Sheet” that Krestine referred to. https://www.bpa.gov/news/pubs/FactSheets/fs-201603-A-Northwest-energy-solution-Regional-power-benefits-of-the-lower-Snake-River-dams.pdf
Perhaps you’ve already seen it. Just makes my blood boil! I think one action we can take that has potential is refuting these claims, point by point, with citations on our own REAL fact sheet. I heard so many great statistics quoted in the public testimony. It would be great to have all those salient points with citations in one, easy to read Fact Sheet. Maybe that already exists??

Gloria – I agree that we need to spread the word far and wide about the march. Getting famous people involved who would be willing to be spokespeople about this issue would be great. Maybe we could even get someone famous to speak at the final rally at Ice Harbor? Whatever it takes to bring attention to our cause! There are some famous folks out there who have already spoken out about this issue. You may be familiar with this video by Kesha: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHdJM0Ansik
Also, Maisie Williams who starred in Game of Thrones is involved in making another documentary called Searching For Chinook https://searchingforchinook.com/
These are the only two I know of. Any others??

With regard to Howard’s suggestion that we work to erode the pubic’s confidence in/attack credibility of the federal agencies who support the dams – if there was ever a time that the public lacked confidence in the government, it is NOW. Another reason to compile our own FACT SHEET. Maybe we could get organizations to support and promote such a sheet, thereby adding to its credibility.

Bristol Bay, AK
Barbara asked Katya to bring up the Bristol Bay issue in Alaska and the salmon nursery that is threatened in that area from the Pebble Mine. It is expected to be approved this week.

Marine Sanctuary in Olympics

The comment period may be over. Annie reported that the jets create noise pollution. The navy also created sonar messaging that is interfering with marine animals. It is also nesting grounds for marbled murrelets, as well. Annie will share info on this topic on our google group.
Pumice Plain Road
The Broads submitted comments and objections to FS road proposal. We have since asked for a meeting and waiting for their response to our objections. Susan Saul submitted a 24-page document which describes in detail the problems with the FS road proposal. We are waiting for a response and will contact Susan to notify us of a possible meeting.
Next call: Wed, July 8, at 10 am Linda will facilitate

Reflection/Evaluation

We have a start and I expect leaders to join in more and get more involved as we go. I think we have the beginnings of something very cool. I am excited to get some advocacy going for my lush, wet, green state of Washington! thank you to Katya for helping take notes and posting it on our google group/doc.