Tweeters,

To answer Scott Downs question, I am back in town. I am not sure from
where. Actually I am not sure I left or that I am here now.

Anyway, I can rail on for days about the cross-base highway for many
reasons. The first if which is that the area that it will cut across has
been my study site for the past three years, so I know it like the back of
my hand, so I really like the place. It is like my own back yard. However,
putting that aside and being more objective another reason is that a group
of us from school conducted a case study on the highway and its impacts to
the environment, economy, growth management, transportation and so on.

There was an article in the Tacoma paper last week (I think Chris Chappell
mentioned it in a post) which was pretty accurate in what it reported. The
only big difference I had with it was the proposed cost 50 million. By our
estimate which were based on actual figures that Pierce County gave us was
a minimum of 60 million, and that figure did not include mitigation for
any thing except the western gray squirrel underpasses and overpasses. Off
site mitigation for the squirrel and other things could be a whole lot of
money.

Anyway, about this over pass. It is a silly thing. I would not give it a
ice cubes chance in hell of being built. For one thing, the squirrels are
not likely to be interested in it unless you have mature oaks on it. In
case you don't know, Garry oaks have a nice long tap root. This overpass
will have to be pretty damn thick in order to support a mature oak. Having
mature trees would be a hazard as well. Think about the bad press that the
thing would get if the tree falls off the over pass in a wind storm,
killing young mothers with little babies and spilling baby formula all
over the road. Its not a pretty picture.

The other real factor that will keep the over pass from being built is
military regulations. The military requires that they have a "straight
line of fire" along roadways around bases. They do not allow for
overhanging vegitation. Again, think about the bad press that it will get
when the military guard can not have that perfect shot at the crazed
person who broke into the ammo depot stealing bombs to blow up federal
buildings in eight states, killing young mothers with little babies
vaporizing countless gallons of baby formula! (Do you think I might have a
chance in getting a job with the Iraqi press core?)

However, lets say that the squirrels were to use the overpass. Where would
they go? The highway is proposed to bulldoze through the only two stands
of suitable habitat for the squirrels.

The whole highway is a bad idea. Again, using Pierce County's figures, the
highway will increase traffic patterns in the south Pierce county area and
it goes against their own growth mangement plan.

The average time that the highway will cut off any given trip, as compared
to existing roads, is about 4 minutes.

Why then would they be pushing so hard to build it? Well, it makes them
"look" like they are meeting the needs of the people. Slade Gordon and
Norm Dicks are behind it probably because it displaces very few voters
from there homes.

The IES (Environmental impact statement) was due out last year but because
the consulting firm and other planners completely underestimated the issue
with the squirrel and other environmental impacts, it is now delayed until
some time this spring.

The down side is that I really feel that despite the squirrel, the
unbelivable stands of old growth Garry Oaks, White-tipped Aster, and the
likes, that the highway will get built.

In a nut shell, or should I say, acorn shell, that is it.

Sorry to be so brief, but I really need to go,

Russell

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Russell Rogers
4510 Glenn Way SW
Seattle, WA 98116
(206) 935-6280
rrogers at halcyon.com
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