Marsh madness

Plus: "Sometimes small mistakes are made"

The Jamestown Tribe has released its 2024 Priority Climate Action Plan, now recorded with the EPA. This plan sets an ambitious goal to achieve net zero emissions by 2032. It builds on a 2022 report from Cascadia Consulting Group, which emphasized the Tribe’s “values and knowledge through its multidisciplinary approach to creating climate solutions” to increase “Tribal capacity to defend and protect land and environment for the next seven generations.”

The plan also references a 2021 study using ClearPath software to analyze carbon neutrality. ClearPath software is available to ICLEI members, including the Jamestown Tribe. ICLEI, a German-based NGO, promotes “compensation mechanisms to former colonized and marginalized developing communities that address historical and ongoing injustices of disproportionate impacts of climate change.”

This year’s report reveals that out of 61 vehicles in the Tribe's fleet, only three are hybrid electric, with 58 needing replacement. Achieving an “implementation milestone” will involve securing funds for electric vehicles and charging infrastructure, though the report does not specify funding sources.

Notably, the Climate Commitment Act (CCA) has already provided the Tribe with at least $1.6 million for charging stations. The CCA, a hidden tax that has driven Washington State’s gas prices to be the highest in the nation at times, has been criticized for disproportionately impacting low-income residents.

The CCA could also fund a new fleet of electric boats for the Tribe’s commercial oyster farming operations in the Dungeness Wildlife Refuge. Electrifying the fleet would reduce carbon emissions in harvesting and transporting shellfish, such as geoducks, which are commonly flown to Asian markets where they are a delicacy.

The report, however, does not address how the Tribe’s existing gas station and plans for a new truck stop on Miller Peninsula will factor into reaching the net zero goal.

The report to the EPA has an introduction that explains the Tribe's long-standing stewardship of the Olympic Peninsula, emphasizing their ongoing efforts to restore and protect the climate.

“Since time immemorial, the Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe (JST) has lived and cared for the land and waters of the Olympic Peninsula of Washington State. Rooted in a deep understanding and knowledge of place, the Tribe continues to restore, maintain, and protect resource-rich ecosystems. Through time, the Tribe has successfully adapted to past climate and societal changes, yet the rapid pace and large magnitude of the current and coming climate impacts requires further strategic and collaborative planning and action.”

Since at least 2013, the Tribe has prioritized climate resilience by protecting wetlands, which act as “carbon sinks” by absorbing CO2 and storing it in plant material and soil.

However, there is a contradictory element.

The TEPA (Tribal Environmental Policy Act) is a legislative framework that ensures federal environmental laws are effectively implemented on tribal land — it essentially serves as the Tribe’s own EPA. Below is a TEPA “request for comment” on a project to expand the driving range at the Cedars at Dungeness Golf Course. This project includes filling and grading over a portion of a Class III wetland and making improvements to a Class II wetland.

It says, “The proposed project includes the demolition and replacement of the existing driving range amenities, grading of the site that will fill in a portion of the existing Class III wetland to the south of the driving range, and mitigation/improvements for the existing Class II wetlands to the north of the driving range.”

Climate resilience is important. Carbon neutralization is important. Wetlands are important.

But not as important as expanding a golf course.

After the Jamestown Tribe purchased the golf course in 2007, it was converted into tribal trust land and is no longer governed by our laws and regulations. Where the County and State would likely not permit filling in a wetland, the Tribe can.

Compare that to the County following the Department of Ecology’s stringent stormwater mitigation requirements for Towne Road. The Tribe demanded that the County exceed those requirements, which increased costs and delayed project completion.

We’re all playing the same eighteen holes, but some of us seem to have a handicap that works in their favor.

Let’s putt things back on course

In other news, CC Watchdog will resume its regular Wednesday/Sunday schedule with a blockbuster recap of the County’s recent budget meeting. You won’t want to miss Sunday morning.

After years of massive overspending, now faced with axing employees and services, Tuesday’s meeting showed how the commissioners might conduct future county business during these lean times.

The three commissioners unanimously approved a “budget emergency” resolution in response to a request from the Auditor’s office, which oversees elections.

“Additional funding is requested due to the following issues: incorrectly predicted the additional cost for the presidential primary that should have been $66,000 instead of $17,000… and an error in the amount of $81,000 found in the programming of the 2024 primary, which resulted in requiring the print vendor to reprint and reassemble all ballots, envelopes and inserts/$159,000.”

In response to the 388% inaccurate price prediction for the presidential primary and the $159,000 printing error, Commissioner French said, “We’ve only had a presidential primary in our state for a few years, so I understand your concern. I also understand that sometimes a ball gets dropped. I’ll just also mention that we have a new elections manager. I don’t think this has anything to do with that situation, but when staff changes over, sometimes small mistakes are made.”