Damage to wetlands in Grant County results in $267,540 fine

The Washington Division of Ecology has fined Wade and Teresa King, house owners of King Ranch, $267,540 for illegally damaging no less than 23 alkali wetlands situated close to Park Lake in Grant County.

In complete, Ecology estimates that 6.37 acres of wetlands have been immediately impacted with excavation and fill, and 1.76 acres of wetland buffer have been broken by means of spoil deposits. The wetlands are protected beneath state regulation that forestalls the discharge of air pollution into state waters.

“Harm to those necessary alkali wetlands has degraded the water high quality, and broken habitat for migratory birds and distinctive plant and animal species,” mentioned Joenne McGerr, Ecology’s Shorelands and Environmental Help Program supervisor. “Though these are individually small wetlands, they play an necessary position within the setting of the area.”

Alkali wetlands are unusual in Washington, solely occurring in localized areas east of the Cascade Mountains. The mineral concentrations in alkali wetlands end result from a long-term strategy of floor water runoff and groundwater surfacing, forming swimming pools, after which evaporating. These circumstances can’t be simply reproduced or restored as a result of the steadiness of minerals, evaporation, and water inflows is tough to imitate.

Along with their habitat worth, alkali wetlands are a supply of crops and sources of great cultural significance to native Tribes, who’ve relied on these methods for millennia.

Ecology decided no less than 22 alkali wetlands have been broken between January and April 2021 after King Ranch excavated deep swimming pools inside the shallow wetlands. A twenty third location was found in Spring 2022, after King Ranch was contacted concerning the criminal activity. Eighteen of the broken wetlands are on leased state-owned land, two are on federal land and three are on non-public land owned by King Ranch.

Together with the penalty, Ecology issued King Ranch an administrative order requiring restoration of the three broken wetlands on their property. King Ranch should additionally present entry by means of their land for the restoration efforts on state lands.

“These actions are regarding as a result of they do not match our understanding of the agriculture neighborhood’s need to take care of the land,” Brook Beeler, Ecology’s Jap Area director mentioned. “Accountable farming and ranching can shield our surroundings and protect pure sources.”

Ecology and the Washington Division of Pure Assets, which manages the state lands leased by the ranch, are engaged on a plan to revive the 18 state wetlands affected by the ranchers’ actions.

“DNR is dedicated to the very best requirements of environmental stewardship on all state lands, and the destruction of those uncommon wetlands is unacceptable,” mentioned Michael Kearney, DNR’s Product Gross sales and Leasing division supervisor. “Our expertise has been that the majority ranchers who lease state lands perceive the necessity to protect and shield Washington’s pure sources. We’re deeply disenchanted with the actions taken by King Ranch, and we’ve got terminated their lease in consequence.”

King Ranch has 30 days to pay the advantageous, or to enchantment the penalty to the Air pollution Management Hearings Board.