Washington state Department of Ecology Director Casey Sixkiller paid a visit to the Port of Chehalis on Tuesday, May 13, as part of his first outreach to much of the state as the department's new leader under Gov. Bob Ferguson.
The Port of Chehalis gave a short presentation to Sixkiller as well as the Department of Ecology’s Southwest Region Director Bobbak Talebi. The Chehalis Basin Flood Authority also got a chance to present their work with the Port of Chehalis and local partners on flood control projects.
State Rep. Ed Orcutt, R-Kalama, attended the event to advocate for constituents. Also present were staff members representing the governor's office, state Sen. John Braun, R-Centralia, and U.S. Rep. Marie Gluesenkamp Perez, D-Skamania.
The entire event took on a theme of cooperation and partnership in a room full of local stakeholders from all industries. Groups at the event included representatives for the Office of the Chehalis Basin, the Chehalis Basin Flood Authority and the Southwest Washington Growers Cooperative. Before the event, Sixkiller also met with the Lewis County Flood Control Zone District in a private meeting.
The local visit marks the first meeting between many local stakeholders and the Department of Ecology’s new leadership. As the state's main environmental protection agency, the department can impact many industries through financial support in the form of grant money or through the writing of new rules and regulations that can impact local industries.
The new director of the Department of Ecology, Sixkiller said he wanted the Department of Ecology to be working in cooperation with local stakeholders such as the Port of Chehalis or the agricultural industry to balance support for local industry with environmental protection efforts.
“For me, it really is about trying to walk into a conversation with an assumption that people want to be in compliance and that our job is less about finding the errors and our job is more about trying to get you into or keep you compliant,” Sixkiller said. “I’m excited to see where the projects that were described here today go … This idea that ag and environmental regulation can't live together, I don't believe it. I think there is a lot of opportunity.”
During the two-hour visit, Port of Chehalis staff gave short updates on a series of projects that are upcoming, underway or already completed. Projects include the construction of grain silos at the Port of Chehalis, an upcoming Lewis County Transit hydrogen fuel production facility and projects aimed at salmon habitat restoration and flood control.
The presentation from Chehalis Basin Flood Authority staff member Scott Boettcher focused on the Flood Storage Investment Plan, which is a partnership between the Port of Chehalis and the City of Chehalis that will create a comprehensive plan of small projects in the area that could reduce the severity of local flooding. A draft of that plan is set to be completed in February 2026 followed by a period of “robust community engagement" before being finalized in August 2026.
“It’s about partnerships, it’s about floods and it's about jobs,” Boettcher said. “The only way to move forward is in partnership with others. The Flood Storage Investment Plan is intended to do just that.”
Boettcher also spoke about a project to create an online interactive inundation map to show community members how much individual projects will impact the severity of flooding in the area. The project recently received funding from the Office of the Chehalis Basin, which receives its funding for staff and projects through the Department of Ecology.
“An interactive tool that allows you to turn layers on and off and show the results of the inundation is a very effective way to engage the community. We know that because of our flood warning system,” Boettcher said. “If someone says there's a reduction of 6.2 feet, what does that reduction really mean on the ground? Developing a tool that allows for you to see that that 6.2-foot reduction means the inundation footprint goes from Sixth Avenue to First Avenue, that is a surefire way to productively engage the community.”
Keeping with the subject of community engagement and cooperation, the meeting closed with conversations between the Department of Ecology officials and locals on how groups can work together and what is needed from each side.
Orcutt took the time to ask Ecology officials to stay connected with locals and industry officials to best understand the impacts new regulations might have on local industries.
“Let the people you’re writing rules on know what you are trying to accomplish and let them help you get there,” Orcutt said. “There’s a lot of things that the ag industry or any other industry can figure out.”
For their part, the Department of Ecology asked the same of local groups, urging them to stay in touch and communicate their challenges and needs to the department.
“I would just say keep trying, keep doing that outreach, keep educating. As much as it takes time, it's helpful for us to be involved in these conversations,” Talebi said.
