If the little town of Eatonville is known at all to outsiders, it’s probably as a village on the way to Mount Rainier. But it’s also a great example of private landowners working to restore salmon habitat in nearby Ohop Creek. The local project was just awarded $1.1 million from the state’s Salmon Recovery Fund. (The Tacoma News Tribune has a terrific article).
What’s really encouraging about the Eatonville initiative is that it belies the developer-inflamed hysterics that may generate a takings initiative in Washington, similar to Measure 37 in Oregon. There doesn’t seem to be much "rural rage" in Eatonville, just plenty of farmers and other landowners who value wildlife—and who are looking for growth management to blend regulation with smart incentives.
