Restoring the Skokomish: Restoration and Jobs Mix on the Olympic

Congressman Norm Dicks, reporters and Washington Watershed Restoration Initiative coalition members spent part of Tuesday, August 24, visiting a Legacy Roads and Trails Remediation Initiative project in action in the Skokomish watershed of the Olympic National Forest. This work is not only restoring the watershed by reducing sediment and road pollution, but is supporting local businesses with family wage jobs and keeping some contractors afloat during this prolonged economic downturn. This road reclamation and stormproofing work is also critical for reducing the potential impacts forest roads may have in winter storms - which have been getting increasingly severe over the past few years.

Congressman Dicks' is the key champion for Legacy Roads and Trails, which Dicks created in 2008 to restore clean drinking water and fisheries habitat.  The Tacoma News Tribune article quoted Dicks as follows:

“The Olympic National Forest is getting more money than any other national forest in the country, and it should – it has serious problems,” Dicks said during a tour of Skokomish River watershed restoration projects Tuesday. “That’s why we are up here – to keep the dirt out of the water.”

The article also included interesting information about the great local jobs being created through Legacy Roads and Trails funding:

"I’m up here decommissioning and maintaining roads my dad built,” noted Dusty Watz, owner of JZ Construction in Union.

Watz said the legacy roads program has allowed him to keep eight employees busy who otherwise might be out of work.

Click the links below to read news stories about the tour.

Seattle Times - Associated Press Article by Associated Press

Tacoma News Tribune/Olympian Article by John Dodge

Public News Service Article by Chris Thomas