All this discussion of building new roads, etc., may turn out to be strictly academic. An article in the Seattle Times this morning (3/13/00) discusses how the Endangered Species Act is now starting to bring construction basically to a halt.

The article quotes Al King, and operations engineer at the state DOT.

"'I'm about to go nuts. I don't know what to tell people,' said King, estimating that nearly $100 million worth of transportation projects are likely to be stopped in the next few months because of the act."

And it quotes others; "Woodinville public-works Director Mick Moncken tells how one relatively small job - adding turn lanes along 124th Avenue northeast - has been delayed a year and the expected $800,000 cost upped by 30% because of the Act's effects."

And; "A $25 million project to put in sidealks and transit lanes along nearly seven miles of Highway 99 in Lynnwood has been put on hold. 'This issue hit us all blindside', said Bill Vicek, Lynnwood public-works director. 'It was not anything any of us anticipated.'"

It appears to be almost certain that the EPA is going to make ANY significant roadbuilding prohibitively time-consuming and expensive. I don't know what the effect of the act may be on the RTA, but it's early days so we probably will have to wait until they actually try to build something.

This very well may be a show stopper since this is a Federal law, and any initiative by the people or action by the State legislature will have no effect on it. My prediction, pessimistic but probably accurate, is that the life of this region is eventually going to be crushed by the cold, clammy hand of the Federal government, against which there is no protection. Get used to congestion, guys. It's just starting.

-- Albert Fosha (AFosha@aol.com), March 13, 2000

Answers

You know, the best way to solve this problem is to have one construction worker do a one person job instead of 5 construction workers doing a one person job....geez, I wonder if the state can figure this one out???.....

Janice

-- Janice Clark (wesjan@gte.net), March 13, 2000.

At the risk of saying something TREMENDOUSLY politically incorrect, why don't we just let the local salmon die off? I mean, it's not as if the salmon is threatened. There are LOTS of salmon. The issue is the salmon in the Puget Sound basin and the Columbia. We went from defending SPECIES (and the SPECIES) of salmon aren't being seriously threatened to defending individual salmon RUNS. If we seriously thought that the SPECIES was at risk, we might want to stop EATING THEM, but even the hard core environmentalists know that really isn't a threat. So we see a huge property-tights grab based upon the theory that these different runs (which are capable of interbreeding real well) are distinct sub-groups whose biological diversity will somehow be lost if we just have hatchery salmon out there. There is nothing in the scientific literature to back up this legal interpretation, particularly not since we can trade hatchery (or wild run) salmon between us, Alaska, the Canadians, etc., and use these traded salmon for hatchery roe or milt. Or if you are DESPERATE for biodiversity, run the fertile eggs through a reactor at Hanford, you'll have biodiversity coming out the yin-yang. It isn't that hard ladies and gentlemen. We've domesticated dogs for thousands of years, and they are incredibly biodiverse (Chihuahuas and St. Bernards are the same species). We've done the same with horses, pigs, chickens, cattle, etc. These type of breeding programs can be done for a fraction of what the environmental restrictions cost, without infringing on anyone's property rights.

The fishermen who catch the salmon aren't going to care if they are hatchery bred or wild, the Orcas don't care, they'll eat either, what do the sea lions care one way or another. Let's be honest about "the salmon problem." It's made up by those whose political philosophies are benefitted by implementing a superficially reasonable law in this ludicrous way.

Mikey

-- Mikey (m_alworth@olympusnet.com), March 13, 2000.

And; "A $25 million project to put in sidealks and transit lanes along nearly seven miles of Highway 99 in Lynnwood has been put on hold. 'This issue hit us all blindside', said Bill Vicek, Lynnwood public-works director. 'It was not anything any of us anticipated.'"

Sorry Bill...hit on your blindside eh? Just what I thought...it seems most public employees, or I really should say politicians....which start these projects have blinders on. So its no wonder you get hit...you don't ask all parties involved, from the locals populace and including the feds....

-- Doug (dgoar14@hotmail.com), March 13, 2000.