Why hasn’t the county been able to remove or replace more culverts to help fish?
Restoration projects, which typically require the use of heavy equipment, can harm fish while they are underway. Even though such projects can benefit fish over the long term, if they create short-term negative impacts, then the ESA mandates that a certain process be followed. Like anyone else who develops in Clark County, county government needs permit approval to do work in sensitive areas. This includes projects designed to help restore critical salmon habitat and remove barriers such as culverts that restrict salmon and steelhead migration. Unfortunately, in 2000 the county did not receive the necessary authorization from NMFS and the Army Corps of Engineers to proceed with several projects that we designed and funded. The federal agencies have said there is a huge backlog of regional projects that need to be reviewed before being authorized. The agencies are working to develop a more efficient method for issuing permits.
