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Date: August 18, 2011 To: Community Outreach Director The Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society is writing to request that you consider sponsorship of the “Living with Western Washington Rivers” symposium in Chehalis, Washington. Western Washington is impacted each year by increased numbers of damaging floods and increased volumes of flood waters which lead to catastrophic flood-related damage. This is a harsh fact that elected and appointed officials (local, state and federal), sovereign tribal nations, corporations and others impacted by the very real dangers (including loss of human lives) must take seriously in order to prevent flood-related damage throughout Western Washington. The efforts of the US Army Corps of Engineers to build “flood control” dams and levees to protect existing and planned development in historic floodplains have failed miserably. Dams and levees on western Washington rivers are deteriorating with time given the lack of necessary maintenance. As was reported locally and regionally, an additional $44 million of federal tax dollars was recently spent to temporarily patch the Howard Hansen Dam in order to protect the highly valued property, structures and infrastructure in King County’s Green River floodplain. In the meantime, steep slope logging continues throughout western Washington watersheds without effective regulation. Additionally, residential and commercial development in western Washington floodplains continues at an increasing rate. Both of these ill-advised practices place more of Washington’s citizens and businesses in harm’s way each and every time there are significant floods. For example, the December 2007 flood produced by a storm that stalled over the Willapa Hills caused Interstate 5 to be completely closed for several days. The economic impact of this flood was approximately $1 Billion statewide. This event was followed in thirteen months by another devastating and costly flood in the Chehalis River basin and elsewhere in western Washington. Given the increasing costs to taxpayers of repeated repair and replacement of flood damaged property along with other necessary costs required to accommodate expected growth in western Washington, the Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society will host the “Living with Western Washington Rivers” symposium. Your generous sponsorship, along with those from other community-minded corporations and organizations, of this important symposium will help provide direction for effective planning involving western Washington rivers and our region’s growing population. Thank you. Sincerely,
James E. Wilcox Chairman “Living with Western Washington Rivers”
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Living with Western Washington Rivers
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November 18, 2011
Hosted by: Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society Chaired by: Jim Wilcox Purpose: Provide a forum for presentation of emerging policy and management goals, objectives, and information needs related to “Living with Western Washington Rivers” now and into the foreseeable future. Admission: $25.00 Agenda: 10:00: Welcome: 10:15: Meeting: purpose, goals, Introductions 10:30: Panel 1: Watershed Services 11:30: Lunch 1:00: Panel 2: Floodplain Development 2:00: Panel 3: Transportation 3:00: Break 3:15: Panel 4: Forest Practices 4:00: Panel 5: Watershed management (forestlands, wetlands, floodplains) for foreseeable future 5:00: Adjourn Sponsorship Levels: I. II. III. IV. V.
Event Sponsor ($5,000) Lunch Sponsor ($2,500) State and Federal Agencies ($1,000) Community sponsors: ($500) Poster displays: ($250 for non-sponsors)
Thank you in advance for your participating in the 2011 “Living with Western Washington Rivers” symposium. Please send your generous, tax-deductible sponsorship to: Steelhead and Salmon Conservation Society Living with Western Washington Rivers 3322 104th Avenue SW Olympia, WA 98512