Discussions To Flow From River Issues
It’s all over except the shouting - or at least the reasoned argument and the passionate debate.
“Rivers and Dams: Conflicts and Values,” a symposium and expo, runs from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. on Friday at the Ag Trade Center, adjacent to the Spokane Opera House. It’s free and open to the public.
This is the culmination of the Cheney Cowles Museum’s summerlong project, “Rivers and Dams: Promises, Progress and Perils,” which was intended to stimulate balanced discussion about the use of the Columbia River system. The symposium provides a place, a time and a format for such discussion.
Here’s the symposium schedule:
8:30 a.m. - Welcoming remarks from Glenn Mason, director of the Cheney Cowles Museum; opening prayer and convocation by representatives of regional Indian tribes; and introductory remarks from moderator Ken Casavant, a member of the Northwest Power Planning Council.
8:45 a.m. - Local tribal perspective, featuring members of the Spokane, Coeur d’Alene and Colville Confederated tribes.
10 a.m. - A slide presentation by reporter Dan Hansen and photographer Steve Thompson of The Spokesman-Review about their trip down the Columbia for a series called “The Columbia Chronicles.”
10:40 a.m. - Overview presentations, “The Forces of Change,” featuring Carlos Schwantes of the University of Idaho, Paul Barkley of Washington State University, and Patti Stone, former director of fish and wildlife for the Colville Confederated Tribes.
Noon - Lunch break; $8.50 for lunch, no preregistration required.
12:30 p.m. - Luncheon speaker William Dietrich, author of “Northwest Passage.”
1:30 p.m. - Roundtable panel featuring Jim Baker of the Sierra Club; Les Bryan of Washington Water Power Co.; Dave Clinton of the Columbia River Alliance and Inland Power and Light; S. Peter Forsyth of Kaiser Aluminum; K.C. Golden of the Northwest Conservation Act Coalition; Katherine Ransel and Lorri Bodi of American Rivers Northwest; Jack Robertson of the Bonneville Power Administration; William Stelle Jr. of the National Marine Fisheries Service; and tribal representatives.
3:30 p.m. - “Solutions for the Future,” a talk by author and futurist Glen Hiemstra.
4:15 p.m. - Closing remarks by Ken Casavant.
7:30 p.m. - “A Fine and Pleasant Misery,” a one-man theatrical comedy based on the writings of Pat McManus, performed by Tim Behrens.
The public is welcome to come and go throughout the day.
The expo part of the event will run all day and will consist of booths and literature from businesses and organizations involved in river and dam issues. It will run from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. in Bay 3, adjacent to the symposium.
This event is underwritten by the Bonneville Power Administration, The Bullitt Foundation, Columbia River Alliance, Inland Power and Light, Hoof Prints Printing Co., Modern Electric Water Co., National Endowment for the Humanities, Northern Lights Inc., Northwest Power Planning Council, The Spokesman-Review, Washington Commission for the Humanities and Washington Water Power Co.
, DataTimes