The Wahkiakum County Eagle - Established as The Skamokawa Eagle in 1891

Members of Diking District 4 met July 9 to discuss land use options for property owners on the Julia Butler Hansen Wildlife Refuge.

The district was originally formed when the land was owned primarily by farmers in the area. When the Federal Government bought the property and formed the refuge, land owners choosing not to sell remained in the district.

United States Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) Julia Butler-Hansen Wildlife Refuge Manager Joel David said if the USFWS had their preference, there would be proportional representation.

“If you own a certain percentage of the land in the district you would have that percentage of vote,” he said. “There are other options we’re willing to look at too.”

He added one idea would be one person one vote, unless it directly impacts a land owner, just that person affected would vote. If two people are affected, for example in a flooding situation, those people would be able to vote on the issue. As the law stands, only the district supervisor is allowed to vote.

He said that the person or persons affected by flood damage or other occurrences should have a vote. “We just feel like there is some inequity now in the way things are.”

District land owner Rob Sanders agreed but said things could swing the other way as well. He said he is in the same boat as the refuge without owning as much property. “When you get into representational vote, there is a reason our Constitution was set up the way it was,” Sanders said.

The idea of a single vote would benefit the refuge the most, but refuge staff say they are open to other ideas as well. As the law stands now, federal and state agencies are not allotted a vote.

David said it seemed that now would be the opportunity to make changes. He said his boss, Charlie Stenvall, has been working with State Representative Dean Takko (D-Longview). He said Takko would be willing to work with the district and USFWS on changing the law.

Sanders asked if the proposed legislation would be specific to the district. Deputy Project Leader Terri Butler-Bates said the current bylaws would need to be changed.

“Even if all of us agree right now to make those changes, we wouldn’t be able to do so because it needs to be approved by the legislature,” she said.

Public Works Director Pete Ringen warned counties don’t like to take legislation unless other counties are in agreement with changes in the law. “My sense is, generally, they don’t like to tamper with existing law unless there is a real good reason for it,” he said.

Butler-Bates responded saying the way the bylaws exist does not give fair representation to the land owners.

However, she was interrupted by chairman of diking district 4 Maury Mooers.

He told Butler-Bates and David they as USFWS staff had all the power. “You bought into something, those rules were in effect. And now it is biting you in the butt and you don’t like it. That’s where we are at!”

He continued to say under the rules that have existed, promises were made, but every time, the rules were changed when they didn’t fit the agenda of the refuge.

Butler-Bates responded by saying it isn’t just about the refuge, but about people who don’t have voting rights even if they own property in the district.

In order to be equitable to everyone, not just the refuge, but property owners as well, something different needs to be done, she said. “If that’s what it takes, to go to legislature, to try and get this resolved then we need to do so, to make it fair and equitable to everybody.”