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 Skamania County News
Enhancing Quality
of Life and the Environment:
Timber Payments
to Counties:
In years past, sales tax revenue from timber sales on the Gifford
Pinchot National Forest provided funding for local community schools,
roads, hospitals, and other emergency services. With the decline
of the timber industry, local communities have suffered a downturn
in the economy and their ability to pay for local services and education.
To help these communities, Congressman Baird helped to pass the Secure
Rural Schools and Community Self Determination Act. Of all the counties
in our state, Skamania and Lewis Counties receive the largest payments
from this program. The counties have used this funding for forest
enhancement projects such as removing culverts, thinning overstocked
plantations, and habitat restoration. They have also applied the
money to critical county needs, such as road maintenance, education,
fire prevention, and search and rescue.
In 2008, Congressman Baird joined with other Members of the Northwest delegation to extend the program for an additional 4 years.
Air Quality:
The U.S. Forest Service and the Columbia River Gorge Commission are
charged with maintaining the scenic Columbia River Gorge. Management
of air quality and visibility has been an issue in the Gorge for
years. In order to identify pollution control measures, a study is
currently underway to identify point source polluters contributing to air quality
and visibility conditions in the Gorge. Congressman Baird secured
the necessary $675,000 for the Southwest Clean Air Agency (SWCAA) to perform the Columbia
Gorge Phase I Technical Foundation Study.
Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge
and Mosquito Issues:
Congressman Baird was approached by the Skamania County Mosquito
Control Board, the County Commissioners, and private citizens regarding
increased mosquito population in Skamania County, particularly in
the Franz Lake National Wildlife Refuge area. The Skamania County
Mosquito Control Board was unable to treat the Franz Lake National
Wildlife Refuge for mosquitoes with chemicals for fear of the impact
to juvenile listed salmon species in the area.
Congressman Baird along with Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell brought
the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the Skamania
County Mosquito Control Board, and Skamania County together
to resolve issues regarding the treatment of the Franz
Lake NWR for mosquitoes. As a result, the Skamania County
Mosquito Control District received a special use permit
to treat and monitor areas near Franz Lake.
Upper White Salmon River:
The White Salmon River, which feeds into the Columbia River between
Underwood and White Salmon Washington, is known for its exhilarating
whitewater rapids, stunning scenery, and abundant fish and wildlife.
In 1986, the river's outstanding qualities received national recognition
when Congress designated the lower eight miles of the White Salmon
as a National Wild and Scenic River. Congress also directed the Forest
Service to study the upper White Salmon for possible designation
into the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System.
Congressman Baird introduced Upper White Salmon Wild and Scenic Rivers
Act to designate a portion of the upper White Salmon River as a component
of the National Wild and Scenic Rivers System. This designation preserves the river's free-flowing nature, enhances tourism and
fosters economic growth by protecting the river's natural beauty. The bill was signed into law in 2005.
Mount St. Helens:
To protect the safety of communities located near Mount Saint Helens,
Congressman Baird worked to secure an additional $1.5 million for
the United States Geological Survey to monitor and research volcanic
activity in Mount St. Helens. As Mount Saint Helens has come back
to life in recent months, this funding will increase the safety of
citizens living near the area and help protect commercial aircraft.
Increasing Public
Safety and Combating Crime:
Methamphetamine:
As a founding member of the Congressional Caucus to Fight and Control
Methamphetamine, Congressman Baird has diligently worked to provide
Washington communities with funding to fight this menace. Baird's
efforts have helped to bring in more than $11 million to combat methamphetamine
use and clean meth contaminated sites in Washington state.
Improving Federal Law Enforcement:
As Southwest Washington communities continue their rapid growth,
we must make sure that law enforcement framework is in place to deter
crime and hold criminals accountable for their actions. Local law
enforcement approached Congressman Baird with concerns that a greater
federal law enforcement presence was needed in Southwest Washington.
With recent growth, Clark County became the fifth largest in our
state, yet the surrounding region had no full-time federal magistrate
or prosecutor to investigate serious federal crimes such as bank
robbery and other offenses. The nearest federal district court and
U.S. Assistant Attorney from which a warrant could be obtained was
in Tacoma, 140 miles north of Vancouver. Because of this difficulty,
federal crimes committed in Southwest Washington were often prosecuted
under state or local laws, and at lower numbers, failing to hold
criminals fully accountable for crimes they committed.
Congressman Baird worked with local law enforcement officials and
the U.S. Attorney for Western Washington to bring an enhanced federal
law enforcement presence to Southwest Washington. On November 10,
2003 the Federal Investigative Center officially opened in Vancouver.
The new center provides a centralized office for federal agents from
the U.S. Marshals Service; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms
(ATF); Bureau of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE); Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA); U.S. Secret Service and U.S. Postal
Inspection Service into a single Vancouver headquarters. By having
a single, coordinated location to work from in our area, these agencies
can share information and resources and will be much more successful
in pursuing cases.
Making Government
more Effective and Efficient:
Streamlining the environmental permitting
process:
Protecting the environment is always a priority, but regulatory processing
and permitting have become unnecessarily costly and time consuming.
In recent years, Congressman Baird has organized a series of meetings
throughout Southwest Washington to bring local business leaders,
farmers, builders, ports and others together with federal, state
and local officials to improve the permitting process. As a direct
result, several federal and state agencies have made significant
progress in streamlining permits, reducing application backlogs and
complexity, and improving coordination to expedite the process. There
is still work to be done, and much room for improvement, but Congressman
Baird will continue to work with the consumers of permits and agency
representatives to push for further improvements in efficiency and
savings in time and money.
Wind River Nursery Conveyance:
In order to help Skamania County bring economic growth to the region,
Congressman Baird worked closely with local elected officials and
with the U.S. Forest Service to help Skamania County take possession
of the Wind River tree nursery. This beautiful and historical setting
encompasses 187 acres, as well as historic buildings and warehouse.
Ensuring Equal Access to Mental Health Services
As a mental health professional, and one of only two clinical
psychologists serving in Congress, Congressman Baird has firsthand
knowledge of the impact and importance of mental health treatment and
the inequities that often exist in funding and consideration for mental
health treatments. In order to correct this imbalance Congressman Baird
was a leading advocate of the bipartisan Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act which became law on October 3, 2008. The law prohibits health plans from imposing time limits and
similar restrictions on the treatment of mental health disorders, if
similar restrictions are not imposed on medical and surgical benefits.
The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) reports that this will lead to
less than a two percent increase in premiums, and it will remove one
of the barriers that keep millions of Americans from receiving the
mental health care they need. .
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