Commissioner of Public Lands visits Hoquiam

By Dan Hammock • February 28, 2020 4:45 pm
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A diver prepared to ascend to the Lady Grace at the bottom of the Hoquiam River. Divers were doing some repairs to the vessel’s hull and placing flotation devices which will be used to raise the sunken vessel.
DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A diver prepared to ascend to the Lady Grace at the bottom of the Hoquiam River. Divers were doing some repairs to the vessel’s hull and placing flotation devices which will be used to raise the sunken vessel.

State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz paid a visit to Hoquiam Thursday to check on the progress contractors were making as they raise the Lady Grace, from the bottom of the Hoquiam River.

The 80-foot commercial fishing vessel sank nearly two years ago off the west bank of the river, at the end of Karr Avenue. Since then, the City of Hoquiam has been working with the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Removal Program to remove it from the river.

A one-time shot of money from last year’s state budget cycle specifically for larger derelict vessels afforded the money for the Grace’s removal. The City of Hoquiam pays for the removal up front, then will be reimbursed 100% by the program.

As Franz arrived Thursday afternoon, divers from Associated Underwater Services, the outfit contracted for the job, were repairing holes in the vessel and starting to place air bags on the Lady Grace, which will be inflated to lift it from the bottom so it can be towed for recycling. Crews had planned to raise the vessel Friday morning, but couldn’t get enough lift on the mast with the floats, so a crane will be brought out to finish the job Monday, according to the Derelict Vessel Program.

Franz said there are currently more than 200 derelict vessels the program is aware of, which are removed as funding is available.

A priority is removing these vessels as quickly as possible, said Franz, relating the story of a vessel in Snohomish County. There, a vessel’s removal was estimated at $1 million. By the time funding was available, the cost had doubled to $2 million.

“The sooner we can get them out the cheaper, and the less damage they can cause,” said Franz.

Hoquiam Mayor Ben Winkelman said it has been a long process, but city staff and Derelict Vessel Removal Program staff including Manager Troy Wood worked closely together for more than a year to make the removal possible.

Franz talked about Senate Bill 6528, legislation designed to ramp up the types of prevention measures the Derelict Vessel Removal Program can take in dealing with derelict vessels. A component of the bill is the removal of the per-vessel spending cap. Currently, no more than $200,000 can be spent to remove a vessel, limiting the program’s ability to act in some cases.

The legislation would be “a significant step forward, especially the cap,” said Franz. “It would untie our hands so we can use the resources we have to get them out.”

The bill also contains provisions to capture more vessels that become a threat of becoming derelict or abandoned before they get to the point of the Lady Grace, sinking and creating environmental and in some cases navigational issues. The bill would provide grants to local law enforcement to enforce vessel registration and aquatic laws, and also calls for a pilot project to create a vessel recycling waste stream — places derelict vessels can be taken after removal to be recycled or otherwise disposed.

The bill passed the Senate easily Friday, and is currently scheduled for a House committee hearing next Friday.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz speaks to Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay on the west bank of the Hoquiam River. Franz stopped by to see the progress on the raising of the Lady Grace, which will be removed from the river with funds from the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz speaks to Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay on the west bank of the Hoquiam River. Franz stopped by to see the progress on the raising of the Lady Grace, which will be removed from the river with funds from the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz visited Hoquiam Thursday ahead of the removal of the vessel Lady Grace from the Hoquiam River.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz visited Hoquiam Thursday ahead of the removal of the vessel Lady Grace from the Hoquiam River.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A diver prepared to ascend to the Lady Grace at the bottom of the Hoquiam River. Divers were doing some repairs to the vessel’s hull and placing flotation devices which will be used to raise the sunken vessel.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP A diver prepared to ascend to the Lady Grace at the bottom of the Hoquiam River. Divers were doing some repairs to the vessel’s hull and placing flotation devices which will be used to raise the sunken vessel.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz speaks to Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay on the west bank of the Hoquiam River. Franz stopped by to see the progress on the raising of the Lady Grace, which will be removed from the river with funds from the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program.

DAN HAMMOCK | GRAYS HARBOR NEWS GROUP State Commissioner of Public Lands Hilary Franz speaks to Hoquiam City Administrator Brian Shay on the west bank of the Hoquiam River. Franz stopped by to see the progress on the raising of the Lady Grace, which will be removed from the river with funds from the Department of Natural Resources Derelict Vessel Program.