1993 RESOLUTIONS
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| 1993
FWOC RESOLUTION #6 |
|
_PRESERVATION OF THE HANFORD REACH SECTION
OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER_
|
| The Federation of
Western
Outdoor Clubs recognizes that the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River,
arching 51 miles from the Priest Rapids Dam to Richland, Washington,
comprises the last free flowing stretch of the Columbia in the U.S.
above Bonneville Dam. As such it has many values: |
|
-- It hosts the main
stem of the Columbia's only major spawning grounds for anadromous fish,
including salmon, steelhead, and sturgeon.
|
|
-- The Reach provides
a safe haven for 48 rare threatened and endangered species, including
the bald eagle, peregrine falcon, pallid bat, Columbia pebblesnail and
dwarf evening primrose.
|
|
-- It is bounded by
the states last best shrub-steppe habitat functioning as an intact
ecosystem.
|
|
-- Its islands and
riparian areas are alive with great blue heron rookeries, gull
colonies, bald eagle roosts, and fawning grounds for deer. The
Reach provides rest for tens of thousands of migrating water fowl and
geese.
|
| It serves as a living
museum for over 150 archeological sites, most of which are designated
as National Register or State Register sites. |
| In recognition of the
Hanford Reach's vast yet fragile wealth of natural history, the
Federation of
Western
Outdoor Clubs resolve and call upon the President, the Secretary of
Interior and the Congress to: |
|
1. Designate the
Hanford Reach as a Wild and Scenic River to be managed by the Fish and
Wildlife Service.
|
|
2. Transfer all
Department of Energy lands on the Hanford Reservation lying north and
east of the Columbia River to the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and
designate the area as a permanent national wildlife refuge.
|
| The FWOC asks expedient
action to preserve the Reach and adjacent shrub-steppe habitat before
it falls to the dredge, plow, or bulldozer. |
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