Two State Officials Honored

Mike Whorton, Washington Fish and Wildlife Department enforcement captain, and Brooks Carmichael, environmental enforcement specialist, were honored recently for their pioneering work in enforcing laws that protect habitat.

The agents have worked to develop partnerships with other agencies to boost fish and wildlife. Carmichael is the agency’s first agent devoted to environmental protection.

Based on this program, Oregon has proposed increased funding for an environmental enforcement program.

“It’s a matter of saving the streams for anglers rather than saving them from the fishermen,” Carmichael said.

As a Washington State University professor of agricultural economics, Ken Casavant says he was comfortable with his base of biological knowledge. Comfortable, that is, until Gov. Mike Lowry called last year and asked him to accept an appointment to the Northwest Power Planning Council.

“Governor Lowry asked me to do three things: Use the best science (to develop a salmon plan), represent all the interests of Eastern Washington and make the best decision possible,” he told a meeting of Pullman’s Clearwater Fly Casters recently. “I thought I knew a lot of biology when I accepted the appointment. What I’ve discovered is how much I don’t know.”

Casavant said his term to date has been an emotional strain and that he’s tired of hearing constant testimony that the Northwest’s salmon problems are simple.

Realizing he’d responded curtly to a member’s question about the infamous Boldt decision, Casavant replied, “If my skin seems a little less than thick lately, it’s because the last couple of months haven’t been pretty.”