[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,75,87],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},"mediaId",6161699,"mediaKeyId","5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb","parentId",5441217,"title","Local restoration groups, county and state officials tout nature‑based work to curb sediment, improve fish habitat","audioSeconds",3594,"startMs",731000,"endMs",4325000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb&start=731&end=4325","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb/thumbnail_731000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6161699/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Local-restoration-groups-county-and-state-officials-tout-naturebased-work-to-curb-sediment-improve-fish-habitat","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161699-09d82cbd426ff2b33e04c388ccf3bd8d/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159135&Signature=jkMld57JR-CMiwNtALEfftPRKHDRrnpAm3FvSrQojj0M4yATHDIqRSsKp--op65bYpGkn8IM9DYzZDarxa8EbTfXRngBWwKT2DeTYOnngqEnZwkUlQO7ZGAFKeqhybYarOju5uudjS22VnLQxaVEN5c8S9b93eUgjdgENE3m8Ry6HJDrFdA9yJm6UhU5Mo~Wyyl203ZQ5o6sBevo~4LZ5NjLTAFp4K7iEPa-8ucUmds417S0AzzQccqa4rf8Och4FxZPEoB5nxkpH9YU~kEGqhtVtQfIilieukWVbRxpS5I-khpnNJg~DjuQTo1CXoUtGDWGHa-WLiv6YEBlPibCsA__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","Cowlitz County Commissioners, Washington","date","2025-07-22T20:48:53Z","article","Representatives of three regional restoration organizations told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that nature‑based projects in the upper Toutle watershed are helping retain volcanic sediment, provide salmon habitat and generate local economic activity — and that regular interagency meetings are critical to getting work permitted and built.

The groups described projects that place native wood and channel structures in the South Fork and other upper tributaries to slow channel migration, trap sediment and create pools for juvenile salmon. “Our projects for cubic yard of sediment cost about $2.50. Dredging costs about $12,” Morgan, director of Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group, said, citing the group’s cost comparison while describing multi‑year phases of work in the upper South Fork Toutle.

Why it matters: the upper watershed contains large volumes of lahar and legacy sediment from the 1980 Mount St. Helens eruption. Speakers said working at the source can reduce downstream dredging needs and improve local jobs when contractors and loggers are hired to source and place wood. The groups also said regulatory coordination — bringing the Army Corps of Engineers, Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), Ecology, tribal partners and others into repeated, predictable meetings — materially speeds project permitting and problem solving.

Lower Columbia Fish Enhancement Group project manager examples and county staff at the meeting described rough magnitudes: localized project phases that retain “thousands, maybe even tens of thousands of cubic yards,” while larger sediment retention structures on the North Fork can hold “hundreds of thousands” of cubic yards. Morgan said the organizations are planning annual work at scale in the upper South Fork for the next five years and emphasized efforts to buy and use locally sourced native wood to reduce transportation costs and keep spending in Cowlitz County.

Elaine Placido, executive director of the Lower Columbia Estuary Partnership, described a separate but related approach in coastal bays where community‑led planning and convening helped prioritize dredging in a federal authorization (the Water Resources Development Act/WRDA) after residents and elected officials consistently requested it. Placido said community engagement produced project proposals that entered the Corps authorization process, and she urged the same model — sustained, iterative local outreach combined with technical options — for areas of Cowlitz County that face flooding and sediment concerns.

Mount Saint Helens Institute co‑director Alisa Holt said her organization’s education and outreach work connects students and local residents to the mountain and to restoration projects; she stressed that federal land managers and local partners have been more receptive when they can point to regular collaborative venues where local concerns are raised.

Discussion and limits: commissioners pressed speakers for measurable biological results and long‑term effectiveness. Morgan and others said the restoration groups focus on habitat creation (the “H” in recovery work) rather than direct fish counts; they described improved risk ratings for Chinook and steelhead in targeted reaches but said comprehensive population trends are affected by ocean and main‑stem Columbia River factors beyond local control. Commissioners asked for metrics and “master plan” thinking; speakers and county representatives said such metrics exist within lead recovery entities (Lower Columbia Fish Recovery Board, WDFW and NOAA monitoring) and that collaborative meetings are a venue to align habitat work with regional monitoring.

No formal action was taken by the board on the presentations. Commissioners and staff agreed to continue attending the collaborative; county staff said they will invite other agency officials to future meetings.

Ending: presenters asked the county to continue supporting the collaborative as a convening table for interagency permitting, community engagement and coordinated funding that, they said, makes local habitat and sediment projects feasible and more cost‑effective.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Tuesday Public Meeting - 07.22.2025","oneSentenceSummary","Representatives of three regional restoration organizations told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that nature‑based projects in the upper Toutle watershed are helping retain volcanic sediment, provide salmon habitat and generate local economic activity — and that regular interagency meetings are critical to getting work permitted and built.","taxTitle","Cowlitz County, Washington","taxId",5122,"location","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":76,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":77,"_41":78,"_43":79,"_45":80,"_47":81,"_49":82,"_51":83,"_53":84,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":85,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":86,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161690,"Commissioners approve minutes and consent agenda; set hearings and approve contracts, vouchers",327,120000,447000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb&start=120&end=447","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb/thumbnail_120000.jpg","/articles/6161690/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Commissioners-approve-minutes-and-consent-agenda-set-hearings-and-approve-contracts-vouchers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161690-182e8c0a13e77b0029f999a812fc7e87/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159135&Signature=AoRq007c7mZY5EKck8iCe97pW~uLwi0U7RkrfsBY40OsUrSeG~4RLx8ei1WWA9cbfvsECble6giYvffc34kUnpvSCs-1n0NEGk~twhcMujvhY7z8bZhC8foLI9m5rCkLKdMUAeDBrKoxUbXJhNL7zpka6UX2~Dw7dAX3BXP9H2GWPeJp-xI9Pzcc7vyi-USZCjauLn0QmpLvJL6PR11u9Etx~Cdd49l0GvsNcrDQKKlww1fzxxBsf906O3rsmarfowHqVTbpCA1ATYv3VQT7t6iq-t5aPovPv04tBfqGI47Tsa2wQ5Bbz85pKl6FBKvmsEksqIMfzUyFIdQMfGWpzw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners voted to approve the minutes and the consent agenda during its meeting on Tuesday.

The board approved the minutes of July and then approved the consent agenda without roll‑call details recorded in the transcript. The consent agenda included: calls for hearings on August 12 for an amendment to Cowlitz County Code chapter 1104 (traffic signage and county‑set fines) and a comprehensive plan map amendment covering roughly 51.5 acres of properties off Kildeer Road in the Castle Rock area (proposed change from five‑acre minimums to two‑acre minimums); a one‑time purchase of approximately 7,300 linear feet of high‑density pipe for landfill use; a contract award to Durden Aggregate Inc. for a countywide new guardrail project (approximately $2.98 million) focused largely on Klamath River Road; a right‑of‑way easement for Pacific Utilities District at the fairgrounds gateway project; an equipment purchase (desktop and 50 ruggedized laptops) for the sheriff’s department; a drainage improvement district May 2025 voucher ($1,330.51) and regular county vouchers totaling about $2,000,002.31 (transcript amounts presented verbally).

The board recessed until 10 a.m. to receive a Department of Ecology presentation and a mental‑health workshop later in the morning.

Votes and motions: the transcript records the motions to approve the minutes and to approve the consent agenda and the board voice votes of “Aye.” No roll‑call vote record with member names was captured in the transcript supplied.

Ending: no contested items were raised during the vote; subsequent agenda items proceeded as scheduled.","The Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners approved minutes and the consent agenda, which included calls for hearings on traffic code and a comprehensive plan map amendment, a guardrail contract, equipment purchases and vouchers; commissioners recessed for agency presentations.",{"_33":88,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":89,"_41":90,"_43":91,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":73,"_74":73},6161694,"Provider group proposes 16‑bed crisis facility and larger behavioral‑health campus; county and health officials express interest",0,4468000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb&start=4468&end=4468","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5441217-1afa45c55b206673c9e22b55851c8abb/thumbnail_4468000.jpg","/articles/6161694/Cowlitz-County/Washington/Provider-group-proposes-16bed-crisis-facility-and-larger-behavioralhealth-campus-county-and-health-officials-express-interest","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6161694-d6a971dbdf802e55094a0b5e5b377b69/orig.mp4?Expires=1771159135&Signature=QqFij2UzizxB8QbNodEVk2jlxXuj6M8Ok84m1j~A-okBDlwNbehdiD31PxbrGs4AL7zz6tqcG8kkwJc-tH0NvD0RehYs3HTx82CwdGes4rr2qZBYjyecmmqT~5kh6Aqop0jtJNte15N3-6PX1ZeJw6OVsTQbnlSfmSMQhxaY7N1lCHfB7~~ZRQOLfrAcRXw6YN4ZqMBeXGU4ZCxlGwzdhfLg7uKUPUCW2OJ0d~QWrTjM-N-ALGZkcp2WL~8P-AFzAzJQiuYMP2HP4J3-hpkmLY6AJdZ3E-4To0-9TQ62smjszmu-TBBYTuItJlADT42kJsAcyV8fQfU0uYth0CU3Mw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","A behavioral‑health provider group told the Cowlitz County Board of Commissioners on Tuesday that it is pursuing a 16‑bed crisis stabilization facility at the former Charlie’s restaurant site in Longview and is exploring a larger hospital‑scale behavioral health campus that could house civil commitments now placed at state hospitals.

Claudia Johnston, who described herself as operations lead for the project, said the short‑stay 16‑bed facility would be staffed and licensed to accept community patients and, when appropriate, serve Cowlitz County residents being discharged from Western State or Eastern State Hospital. “The 16 bed facilities are specifically designed to support your community,” Johnston said.

Why it matters: county commissioners and public‑health staff noted longstanding gaps in community behavioral‑health capacity that affect law enforcement, jails and emergency services. County health official Gina James said bringing local crisis, evaluation and step‑down services “would be great” and would enable smoother transitions from inpatient evaluation to outpatient care.

The developers and operators said they have applied for and won some Department of Commerce grants on other projects and are pursuing multiple funding avenues, including state remediation dollars derived from prior enforcement and settlement obligations meant to expand community capacity. They proposed that a larger, hospital‑style campus could be developed in partnership with the governor’s office, the Health Care Authority (HCA) and the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) so that Medicaid billing and accreditation requirements are satisfied.

Board and community reaction: commissioners and public commenters expressed strong interest. County attendees flagged jail impacts and bed shortages; one commissioner said a local facility would reduce the number of single‑cell placements and free sheriff’s deputies for other duties. Presenters discussed use of outpatient billing through managed care organizations (MCOs) and said a successful campus could be financially sustainable under Medicaid once accredited.

Process and constraints: speakers emphasized that larger hospital projects require Joint Commission/CMS accreditation and close coordination with state agencies. The presenters said an initial 16‑bed project could be built and sited faster; the larger hospital would probably require ground‑up construction on a suitably zoned, multi‑acre parcel. Commissioners and others recommended evaluating the existing Memorial Hospital campus and other potential sites; presenters said they would arrange engineering and architectural assessments.

No formal board action was taken. Commissioners asked the presenters to remain in contact with county staff; presenters said they would pursue site evaluations and state discussions about funding and accreditation.

Ending: presenters, county staff and one public commenter described the proposal as a potential local solution to a statewide capacity problem related to civil commitments; several officials asked the group to return with more concrete plans, cost estimates and zoning recommendations.","A developer/operator team described plans for a 16‑bed crisis stabilization facility at a downtown Longview site and a proposed larger behavioral‑health hospital/campus to take civil commitments currently held at state hospitals; county staff and local health officials discussed licensing, funding and siting options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Local restoration groups, county and state officials tout nature‑based work to curb sediment, improve fish habitat

Commissioners approve minutes and consent agenda; set hearings and approve contracts, vouchers

Provider group proposes 16‑bed crisis facility and larger behavioral‑health campus; county and health officials express interest