News Release
| Release Number: | 04-077 |
| Dated: | 4/23/2004 |
| Contact: | Public Affairs Office, 503-808-4510 |
Portland, Ore.-The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is seeking public comments on a draft environmental assessment to construct a treaty fishing access site on the Columbia River near White Salmon, Wash.
The proposed site is located at about river mile 169, which is about a quarter a mile east of the Hood River Bridge and about a half mile west of the City of Bingen.
Development of the site would require certain work to provide facilities to support fishery of the four treaty tribes: Nez Perce Tribe, the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, the Confederated Tribes of the Warm Springs Reservation of Oregon, and the Confederated Tribes and Bands of the Yakama Indian Nation.
The proposed work would include construction of a paved 24-foot-wide access road, parking area, fish processing building, loading dock, hydryoslate equipment, fish delivery area, and two sewage drain fields.
The proposed work also would require the removal of existing structures and some non-native shrubs and blackberries, as well as the excavation and fill of upland areas to create a more level surface for construction features.
Work would begin in the fall of 2004 and would be completed by the fall of 2005.
A Finding of No Significant Impact Statement was issued by the Corps of Engineers on Jan. 29, 2002, for the acquisition of the site. The site was known as the Kim site at that time and was in private ownership prior to Corps acquisition.
For questions or comments on the draft environmental assessment, or to request a copy of the EA, call Steve Helm at (503) 808-4778 or email at Steve.R.Helm@usace.army.mil. Comments also can be submitted by mailing them to: District Engineer, Portland District, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Attn: Steve Helm, CENWP-PM-E, P.O. Box 2946, Portland, OR, 97208-2946. You also can find the draft EA online at https://www.nwp.usace.army.mil/pm/e/.
Comments must be postmarked by May 17, 2004, and should reference Public Notice Number CENWP-PM-E-04-02.
After being developed, the property management, to include facility operation and maintenance, will be transferred to the Department of the Interior, Bureau of Indian Affairs.
The site will be solely for use by members of the four treaty tribes. The site is not intended for use by the general public.
The Corps began constructing the treaty fishing access sites in June 1996. To date, 23 sites - mostly converted from Corps-managed lands-have been completed or are under construction. Currently, five sites are in progress. The program calls for 31 sites to be established along the Columbia River. The Corps has sought willing sellers to acquire land for some of these sites.
Access to the river for fishing purposes is guaranteed under treaties signed between the United States government and the individual tribes during the 1850s and the Columbia River Treaty Fishing Access Site program authorized by Public Law 100-581, Title IV, and signed into law in 1988.
The sites completed or under construction include: Bonneville, Underwood, Cooks, Lyle, Alderdale, Roosevelt, White Salmon, Maryhill, Goodnoe, Pasture Point, Rock Creek, Moonay, Pine Creek, Alder Creek, and Wind River, in Washington; Lone Pine, Cascade Locks, Stanley Rock, Faler Road, Rufus, Celilo, Threemile Canyon and Preachers Eddy in Oregon. The sites under construction are: Avery, North Shore, Sundale and Crow Butte in Washington and Le Page in Oregon.