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November 24, 2009

Grant PUD Proceeds Toward Finalization of Shoreline Management Plan
Commissioners Direct Staff to Formulate Options for Crescent Bar Island

EPHRATA, WA – Shoreline management planning for the Priest Rapids Project is on target with submission of a Shoreline Management Plan (SMP) to the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC) expected by the end of 2009. Grant PUD is required by FERC to finalize and implement a SMP as part of the utility’s new license to operate the Priest Rapids Project. The FERC-issued license stipulates that the plan must manage the many resources and uses of the lands and waters necessary to operate Wanapum and Priest Rapids dams. Currently the FERC-identified stakeholder comments on the draft SMP are under staff and legal review. After review, minor modifications reflecting valuable comments will be made. Grant PUD commissioners will review and approve the SMP in mid-December, which will then be filed with FERC.

The reservoirs and shorelines above both dams, including Crescent Bar Island are included in the SMP. The policies, goals and objectives of the SMP address the FERC requirement to protect and enhance the island, but do not make specific recommendations for its future. At the request of commissioners, Grant PUD staff will now move forward by creating a range of options for Crescent Bar. Alternatives must improve public recreation access and use and be compliant with existing state and federal requirements. Ideas submitted by members of the public for the island will be considered in the staff recommendations. Over 300 interested citizens expressed opinions about Crescent Bar Island during the four-month public outreach period. Views ranged widely from those who felt the primary focus should be on public use to some who favored balancing public access with existing private leaseholders. Others felt little need for significant changes. A summary analysis of comments received along with the full body of comments submitted can be accessed from the Grant PUD Web site: http://www.gcpud.org/resources/resLandWater/shoreline.html

“We appreciate the efforts of citizens who submitted their opinions, attended meetings and participated in the dialogue on shoreline management and Crescent Bar Island,” stated Commission President Terry Brewer. “We received many thoughtful ideas, confirming our belief that our customer-owners care about the unique resources of the Priest Rapids Project. We value this input and take seriously the task of making decisions regarding the future of Crescent Bar Island and other sites as we implement the new license.”

Commissioners expect to review options for Crescent Bar Island in the first quarter of 2010.

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Grant County Public Utility District is a Washington state municipal corporation that began electric service in 1942.  Owned by the people it serves, Grant PUD generates and sells electricity to Grant County residents and millions of customers throughout Central Washington and the Pacific Northwest.  The Priest Rapids Project, comprised of Priest Rapids and Wanapum Dams, produces nearly 2,000 megawatts of clean, renewable and reliable electricity – enough to supply a city the size of Seattle.  A leader in science based technology; Grant PUD is committed to finding effective measures for the protection, mitigation and enhancement of salmon, steelhead and other natural and cultural resources.

MEDIA CONTACT:
Dorothy Harris
(509) 793-1516 / dharris@gcpud.org