May 4, 2012 in City

The Washington state Court of Appeals Division III on Thursday overruled a Spokane County Superior Courts decision to allow personal docks to be built along the Spokane River as part of the Coyote Rock Development in theValley.

The Superior Court had upheld an exemption the city of Spokane Valley gave the development group to build up to 30 docks without getting permits in accordance with Washingtons Shoreline ManagementAct.

Washingtons Shoreline Management Act is supposed to be read strictly in favor of protecting our shorelines, so that places like the Spokane River are protected, Bart Mihailovich, of Spokane Riverkeeper, said in a pressrelease.

The Department of Ecology, among other plaintiffs attached to the case, argued that the docks would be destructive to the habitats of native species spawning in the area, yet conducive to invasive predators like the smallmouth bass and northernpike.

It was unclear Thursday evening if the Coeur dAlene-based Neighborhood Inc., which owns Coyote Rock LLC, will appeal the courts latestdecision.

JacobPalmer

The nine baby owls that arrived at Washington State University Veterinary Teaching Hospital a couple weeks ago originally thought to be great horned owls are actually of the screechvariety.

The screech owl, while prominent in the Midwest and the East, is extraordinarily rare on this side of the country, according to a WSU newsrelease.

Excerpt from:
In brief: Personal docks case overruled - Fri, 04 May 2012 PST