It’s a done deal.
The Coquille Valley flood plain (Winter Lake) is going to be bought for
Oregon Department of Fish and Game for permanent wetland protection,
conservation, and restoration projects.
Or until the next overdue magnitude 9 subduction earthquake re-adjusts
the surface geomorphology.
Up to ‘approximately 3,000 acres of lowlands’ of the
‘larger initiative’ will be acquired for the land set aside for ODF&W. The federal ‘National Coastal Wetlands
conservation grant program’ proposal seems to be a done deal. The ‘primary partners: Nature Conservancy, Oregon Depart of fish and
Game and other groups such as Doris duke Charitable Foundation, FWS, OWEB, TNC,
Coquille Tribe, Coquille High School, Bandon High School and Ducks Unlimited
have agreed to participate in the land purchase (at approximately $4,028 per
acre).
Granted, the actions of Fish and Game will improve local
fish production (and bird watching) that provides more money for the local
economy (some estimates set about $400.00 per pound for salmon caught by
‘local’ fishermen/women). Most of the
animals, birds, fish and people will benefit.
So will fish eating populations like seals, cormorants, etc. also benefit
from eating the salmon?
The ‘benefits to coastal – dependant or migratory birds’
list of 80 or so birds failed to list starlings or cormorants, I guess their
populations will not be increased. As a
blueberry grower, I’m always interested in robin populations to increase as
they just love our berries! Maybe some
crop damage could be mitigated with money?
There are at least two major concerns about this great
plan. The first is: how about the harm
to local farmers who can’t possible afford the cost of summer feed for the
cattle, sheep, goats, etc. caused by no source of summer pasture. The uplands graised by live stock can’t
support ‘pasture feed’ livestock during dry summer months.
The second concern of mine is call salt water
intrusion. A study (get it on line –
Coquille River Salt water intrusion) already shows salt water intrusion 41
miles up the Coquille river. What is
going to happen to the Coquille Valley fresh water sources if it is made easier
for salt water intrusion to take place?
It would be a lot cheaper to let climate change (warmer)
raise sea water intrusion into the Coquille Valley as a more ‘natural’ cycle
warming trend. Of course if the great
earthquake causes the Coquille River, wetlands to drop more, problem
solved. Coquille River Valley is now
classified as a drowned river valley, so it drowns even more. The ‘normal’ geological time scale is that
‘wetlands’ usually fill in by sedimentation and become great pasture/farm
land. But who are we to stop progress or
retrogression even if it is temporary – so is life.
As for Pacific coast salmon, the main problem is that
they are old non-adaptive DNA. That is
to say most pacific coast salmon spawn only one time and die. What a waste.
How about breeding Pacific coast salmon with Atlantic coastal salmon
that spawn 2, 3, or 4 times before they die?
They are much more able to adapt (more generations) to earth
changes!
It’s all about the money.
