04/26/05 Task force gets input on NEPA

04/26/05 Task force gets input on NEPA

April 26, 2005 Four members of congress were in Spokane this past weekend as part of a special task force that is reviewing a cornerstone of the nation's environmental law, the National Environmental Policy Act, or NEPA. That's the law that requires environmental assessments or environmental impact statements for federal agency projects. Former Spokane County Commissioner and mountain climber, John Roskelly, told the task force chaired by Washington Congresswoman Cathy McMorris, that NEPA fulfills its mission and congress could better spend its time looking elsewhere. Roskelly: "I suggest that congress investigate the 133 year-old Mining Act rather than the NEPA." But the attorney for Pacific Seafood Group Craig Urness, described how NEPA has led to outdated information being used to determine fish harvests. Urness: "In other words we are using three-year old data for most species to determine how much fish we can catch. This is no way to currently manage fisheries." Duane Vaagen, president of Vaagen Brothers Lumber of Colville, said little of wildfire damaged timber is being salvaged because of the analysis paralysis of NEPA. Vaagen: "We salvage and rehabilitate less than five percent of those acres as we disagree on how to treat'em." Congresswoman McMorris said she heard some constructive recommendations on how to improve NEPA at the hearing but didn't want to elaborate at this point. She says the group will complete its work in September and issue its findings then. I'm Bob Hoff.
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