PORT ANGELES — If he had a magic wand, Clallam County Commissioner Jim McEntire said he would bring back the Elwha River dams — but with fish ladders to allow salmon to move upstream.
Mark Ozias, who is trying to unseat McEntire, said he would not reconstruct the Elwha and Glines Canyon dams.
The antiquated dams were removed in recent years as part of the National Park Service’s $325 million restoration of the Elwha River.
“I probably would bring them back,” McEntire said in a Wednesday forum, “but in a different configuration, one that’s transparent to fish movement upstream.
“That was the one unfortunate circumstance of the two previous dams, but they did provide some power, and it was power that was generated here locally.”
McEntire, R-Sequim, and Ozias, D-Sequim, answered a wide range of questions from an audience of about 40 at a League of Women Voters of Clallam County forum at the Elwha Klallam Heritage Center in Port Angeles.
Dick Pilling, county Republican Party chairman, asked the District 1 candidates to weigh in on dam removal.
“I would not bring the dams back if I were to wave my magic wand,” Ozias told Pilling.
He said he thought McEntire’s answer that he would bring back the dams but with fish ladders was “a little disingenuous” because that was not Pilling’s question.
Ozias conceded that the dam removal project is part of an experiment.
“But the ecological impact that we’re starting to witness and the special nature of that river makes that a truly groundbreaking project,” Ozias said.
McEntire said the reservoirs behind the dams would alleviate drought concerns if it ever stopped raining.
In a repeat of past debates, McEntire and Ozias differed on their spending philosophies, leadership style and climate change.
They agreed that government starts and stops with individual citizens and that the county’s main job is to provide public safety.
McEntire, 65, is a retired Coast Guard captain and former Port of Port Angeles commissioner who is seeking a second four-year term on the three-member county board.
Ozias, 45, is the director of the Sequim Food Bank and a former business owner who is making his first run at public office.
Since fellow Republican Bill Peach took office in January, McEntire has championed the spending down of excess county reserves to help spur the local economy.
Commissioners this year approved $1.3 million in grants for port and city infrastructure projects as well as $300,000 for area shelter providers, restored a 40-hour workweek for county employees who were previously working 37.5 hours and lowered the sales tax rate by 0.2 percent for unincorporated areas.
Spending process
McEntire and Ozias were asked to comment on the process the board used to determine how to spend that money.
“The main idea was to avoid an economic dry rot,” McEntire said, referring to a 0.9 percent return on county investments and 1.7 percent growth of inflation.
“It seemed to the majority that we should get the money to work rather than just let it sit in a bank.”
Ozias said there was no process to determine how the money was spent.
“If the determination is made that there are excess dollars in the general fund and that the right thing to do is to get those out in the community, there ought to be a thoughtful process put into place before that happens,” Ozias said.
When asked by a longtime county employee how to improve low morale at the county courthouse, McEntire said: “That’s the first I’ve heard that.”
“I would suggest that county employees talk to their department heads and discuss the issue, whatever the issue might be,” McEntire said.
“Then that department head can come and contact the county administrator or the commissioners. And, as always, my door is open to anyone.”
Shortly after he announced his candidacy, Ozias said he began to receive emails, phone calls and visits from county employees who complained about low morale.
“I really don’t think that it should have been a mystery,” Ozias said.
“The relationship between many of the unions that represent county employees and county government is at an absolute low point.”
Climate change
When asked to comment on climate change, Ozias said: “We need to acknowledge that global climate change is a reality.
“It’s not sufficient to hand-pick a couple of statements out of a couple of different paragraphs of a report and use those to conclude that we aren’t expecting a problem,” said Ozias, referring to a Sept. 21 forum in which McEntire cited two sentences from a 2013 United Nations report that questioned the accuracy of surface temperature models.
“The reality is that we are,” Ozias said.
McEntire said the key to understanding scientific reports is to look at the data.
“The scientists will tell you all of their uncertainties,” he said.
“Once you understand what the scientists are certain of and uncertain of, then you can read with some educated eye the policy recommendations.
“Policy recommendations are not written by scientists,” McEntire added. “They’re written with an agenda by whoever writes them.”
North Olympic Peninsula residents are already dealing with the effects of global climate change, including the diminished snowpack in the Olympic Mountains, Ozias said.
He cited the Hoh tribe’s efforts to move to higher ground “due to increased flooding and storm surges as a result of global climate change.”
“We need to plan,” Ozias said.
McEntire said the Quileute and Hoh tribes are primarily concerned about tsunami risks, not sea level rise.
“In summary, the climate exists and it always changes,” McEntire said.
“People, plants and animals adapt. And so we will.”
________
Reporter Rob Ollikainen can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5072, or at rollikainen@peninsuladailynews.com.
