Dam-Removal Plan Faces Upstream Battle Elwha Project Highlights Federal Spending Plan For Washington

President Clinton says he wants to tear down two dams on the Olympic Peninsula within five years, boost spending on mass transit and largely preserve Boeing’s military and space programs in the midst of defense-budget cuts.

Clinton also included money in his proposed 1998 budget for several building projects in Washington state, including $14 million to expand a U.S. Border Patrol station in Blaine and $17 million to buy land for a new federal courthouse in Seattle.

But at least one of the Northwest initiatives in Thursday’s budget proposal - tearing down two dams on the Elwha River in a $100 million bid to boost salmon runs - likely will hit rough waters in Congress.

Federal spending long has been crucial to Washington state residents, who, according to an annual study by Harvard University economists, received roughly $250 million more in federal spending and benefits than they sent back to the nation’s capital in taxes last year.

Clinton’s budget drew mixed reviews from Washington state Republicans.

Sen. Slade Gorton said he is glad Clinton budgeted $25 million to purchase dams on the Elwha River. The dams eventually would be demolished to restore salmon runs.

But Gorton, who heads the Senate subcommittee that decides funding for national parks, noted the country spent only $54 million this year to purchase parkland all over the country. Spending nearly half that total on the Elwha dams is “clearly unfair.”

On another issue, Clinton’s budget would cut spending for airport improvements. That could make it difficult to find money for a third runway at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and pay for ongoing improvements at the Spokane, PullmanMoscow and Walla Walla airports.

Rep. George Nethercutt of Spokane criticized Clinton’s proposed fee hikes to pay for increased spending on food-safety inspections, welfare and education programs.

“I believe the president must work with us in Congress to improve America’s public education by returning these dollars directly to our state and local governments,” Nethercutt said.

Under Clinton’s proposal, buying the Elwha dams from the James River Corp. and beginning engineering studies to remove them would cost $24.9 million next year, eating up one-third of the National Park Service’s spending on new projects. Clinton also suggested that Congress earmark an additional $83 million over the next five years to complete the dam removal.

If the president’s plan is approved by Congress, the dams could come down by 2002.

The Interior Department estimated last year that removing the dams would cost $111 million but would increase the number of salmon in the river from 4,000 to 400,000 over 20 years.

Hanford Nuclear Reservation

Clinton did not propose a cut in the cleanup of the Hanford Nuclear Reservation. Under his plan, Hanford would receive about $1.2 billion, the same as last year.

How Boeing fares

Boeing fares well in the proposed defense budget, despite overall cuts. The budget proposes assigning priority to several of Boeing’s core defense programs, including the purchase of five V-22 Osprey aircraft and the development of the F-22 fighter, the Joint Strike Fighter, the Airborne Laser and the Comanche helicopter.

In November, Boeing won a $1.1 billion contract to develop the laser on a modified 747-400.

Mass-transit proposals

Clinton also proposed increasing spending on mass transit to $4 billion - 5 percent higher than last year, making it more likely the Puget Sound area’s regional transit system will receive federal support.

, DataTimes The following fields overflowed: CREDIT = Staff and wire reports Staff writer Jim Camden contributed to this report.