WRIA 62 WMP 032305 - Washington State Department of Ecology

March, 2005 -12- 023-1289-003.3040
2.2.7 Plan Scope
The WRIA 62 Initiating Governments agreed initially to address all four elements of watershed
planning (i.e., the mandatory component of water quantity and the optional components of water
quality, habitat and instream flow). Prior to applying for supplemental funding, the Planning Unit
approached the County Commissioners regarding the setting of instream flows. After a presentation
to the Commissioners, the Commissioners decided not to support the setting of instream flows and, as
a result, the Planning Unit, amended their contract with Ecology to exclude Phase II instream flow
studies.
2.3 Public Outreach
Public outreach and participation are important components of Watershed Planning. A Public
Outreach Plan was developed by the Pend Oreille Conservation District and the Watershed Planning
Unit Public Relations Committee as part of Phase III Watershed Planning. The Outreach Plan and
documentation of outreach related activities are provided in Appendix E. Planning Unit members
undertook responsibility for briefing their constituencies about the Plan as it was developed. A list of
all of the public outreach activities and entities that were informed throughout the watershed planning
process is included in Appendix E.
Public outreach activities included:
• Formation of a Watershed Planning Public Relations Committee;
• Frequent briefings and updates with the Pend Oreille County Commissioners including
two presentations on WRIA 62 watershed planning in general and two presentations on
instream flow issues;
• Briefings with the Newport City Council, the PUD No. 1 Commissioners, Pend Oreille
County Planning Commission, the Tri-State Water Quality Council and the Newport
Kiwanas Club;
• Public meetings (two) in Cusick;
• Booths at the 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 and 2004 annual Pend Oreille County Fair;
• Booth at the 2004 Newport Centennial;
• Flyers included within 7,500 utility bills;
• Local survey of landowner problems specifically directed at watershed issues;
• Utilization of the Pend Oreille Conservation District’s website (www.pocd.org) to
advertise watershed planning activities and to post technical documents for public
downloading;
• Production of an infomercial for broadcasting on cable television ten times per day for
three months. The infomercial is available on VHS from the Pend Oreille Conservation
District office in Newport, WA and can be downloaded from the Pend Oreille
Conservation District’s web-site; and,
• Published articles in the local newspapers and the Quarterly Pend Oreille Conservation
District’s Watershed News.
WRIA 62 WMP 032305