FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE July 10th, 2019
Wild Olympics Media Picture Gallery of The Proposal
Wild Olympics Invoice Rides Wave of New Native Help by means of Home Listening to
New endorsers cite financial development, clear water, salmon restoration as Consultant Kilmer & native enterprise chief testify
QUILCENE, Wash. (July 10, 2019) The Wild Olympics Coalition at the moment cheered a listening to within the U.S. Home of Representatives Pure Sources Subcommittee on Nationwide Parks, Forests, and Public Lands of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 2642). The laws was launched by Senator Patty Murray and Consultant Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) in Might, and would completely shield greater than 126,500 acres of Olympic Nationwide Forest as wilderness and 19 rivers and their main tributaries, a complete of 464 river miles, as Wild and Scenic Rivers. Designed by means of in depth neighborhood enter to guard historic forests and clear water and improve outside recreation, the laws would designate the primary new wilderness on Olympic Nationwide Forest in practically three a long time and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.
It might completely shield vital salmon habitat and sources of unpolluted consuming water for native communities, whereas additionally defending and increasing world-class outside recreation alternatives like mountaineering, tenting, boating, looking and fishing with out closing any roads. The laws has been rigorously crafted by means of in depth neighborhood enter to make sure the proposal could have no affect on present timber jobs.
Consultant Kilmer Testified at at the moment’s listening to in assist of the laws.
“Rising up on the Olympic Peninsula, I’ve realized that financial development and environmental safety go hand in hand,” stated Consultant Kilmer. “I’m proud the Home is lastly working to advance this sensible, balanced technique, that may shield the wildest and most pristine locations on the Peninsula whereas guaranteeing we are able to hold and develop jobs in our pure useful resource industries and different sectors. I’m grateful for the collaboration of native companions – together with Tribes, conservation teams, timber communities, enterprise leaders, shellfish growers, and everybody in-between — to create a proposal that works for our native communities.”
“The Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is a win for the environment, a win for our economic system, and a win for our state,” Senator Murray stated. “I’m proud to champion this invoice to assist protect the Olympic Peninsula’s pristine areas, and I’m excited to proceed working with Consultant Kilmer, in addition to native tribal, enterprise, and neighborhood leaders, to maintain up the momentum to move this invoice in Congress and make sure the preservation of Washington state’s prized rivers, forests, and wild areas for generations to return.”
The listening to comes on a wave of recent assist from over 100 new endorsements from native Olympic Peninsula Tribes, elected officers and companies rallying behind the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The brand new additions convey the whole variety of native Olympic Peninsula companies, CEOs, elected officers, farms, religion leaders, sportsmen, and conservation and outside recreation teams to greater than 800 endorsers, together with the Quinault, Quileute, Elwha & Jamestown s’Klallam Tribes and the mayors of Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Ocean Shores & Elma, amongst many others. The brand new endorsements by native Olympic Peninsula Tribes, enterprise house owners, mayors and metropolis councilmembers from all 4 counties of the Peninsula had been collected over the past 8 months on a sign-on letter addressed to Senator Murray and Rep. Kilmer. Greater than 12,000 native residents have signed petitions in assist.
Aberdeen Businessman Roy Nott stated in his testimony in entrance of the Committee at the moment, “My very own expertise as a CEO and Entrepreneur is that our space’s pure treasures- which offer world-class outside recreation, clear water and our space’s prime quality of living- are what give us a aggressive edge over different areas in attracting and retaining the gifted folks new firms require. Wilderness and wild and scenic river protections would assist shield and develop the native jobs that rely upon our means to compete for expertise towards different areas, and they might improve our recruitment efforts as we work to develop new companies sooner or later. And as a former Timber Business Government, I respect that Senator Murray and Rep Kilmer’s closing compromise proposal was scaled-back to make sure it could not affect present timber jobs.”
The brand new endorsements come after Native Olympic Peninsula Financial Leaders just lately introduced a brand new partnership with REI and Patagonia to advertise the Wild Olympics Marketing campaign in REI’s flagship retailer and on-line to encourage their prospects to go to the spectacular Olympic Peninsula. As a part of the partnership, native elected officers from the Olympic Peninsula, the Wild Olympics Marketing campaign, outside recreation teams, REI, and Patagonia unveiled a brand new “Vacation spot Wild Olympics” map, highlighting among the nice recreation locations within the Wild Olympics proposal. The map was designed with in depth enter from native Olympic Peninsula enterprise house owners, financial improvement leaders and native elected officers, who introduced their assist for the initiative, calling it a tremendous financial alternative for the Peninsula.
The laws now awaits a mark-up within the full Pure Sources Committee and a listening to within the U.S. Senate Committee on Power and Pure Sources.
TESTIMONIALS
Decrease Elwha Klallam Tribe Chairwoman, Frances Charles: “The Decrease Elwha Klallam Tribe (“Decrease Elwha”) strongly helps the proposed Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act, and appreciates Sen. Murray’s and Rep. Kilmer’s sponsorship of this essential laws. We imagine that it represents a good compromise between probably competing pursuits of preservation, financial use, and recreation. This laws creates 126,600 acres of recent wilderness and nineteen new wild and scenic rivers designations within the Olympic Nationwide Forest, the Olympic Nationwide Park and Washington State Division of Pure Useful resource-managed land. For Decrease Elwha, an important facet of those new designations is the elevated safety for salmon habitat. And we respect that it expressly acknowledges the basic pursuits and experience of all treaty tribes within the restoration of fish habitat. This is a crucial complement to our ongoing successes, together with our federal and State companions, in restoring Elwha River fisheries within the aftermath of dam elimination.”
Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp: Our Tribe urges swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. As said within the Northwest Indian Fisheries Fee’s “Treaty Rights at Threat” report, “Salmon restoration is predicated on the essential premise that we are able to shield what habitat stays whereas we restore beforehand degraded habitat circumstances. Sadly vital investments in restoration will not be realized as a result of the speed of habitat loss continues to outpace restoration. The ensuing internet decline in habitat demonstrates the federal authorities’s failure to guard the Tribes’ treaty-reserved rights.” In an period the place we’re witnessing unprecedented rollbacks of environmental safeguards on federal public lands, the Wild Olympics laws would completely shield among the healthiest, intact salmon habitat left on the Peninsula.
Quileute Tribal Council Chairman Douglas Woodruff Jr. “The Quileute Tribe helps passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. It represents a well-crafted compromise that gives vital protections for fish and wild life habitat and water high quality, whereas additionally respecting the treaty rights and administration prerogatives of the Quileute Tribe. Defending the most effective remaining habitat is crucial as tribal, state and federal governments and residents all through the Olympic area commit hundreds of thousands of {dollars} and incalculable volunteer hours to restoration actions within the face of declining salmon populations, fishing closures, threats to Orcas, and the impacts of local weather change. The present model of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act is a major and very important step ahead to “shield the most effective,” and the Quileute Tribe urges swift passage of this laws.”
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Ron Allen: “As said within the Northwest Indian Fisheries Fee’s “Treaty Rights at Threat” report, “Salmon restoration is predicated on the essential premise that we are able to shield what habitat stays whereas we restore beforehand degraded habitat circumstances. Sadly, vital investments in restoration will not be realized as a result of the speed of habitat loss continues to outpace restoration. The ensuing internet decline in habitat demonstrates the federal authorities’s failure to guard the Tribes’ treaty-reserved rights.” In an period the place we’re witnessing unprecedented rollbacks of environmental safeguards on federal public lands, the Wild Olympics laws would completely shield among the healthiest, intact salmon habitat left on the Peninsula. It’s our heritage and cultural rules to guard the lands and waters Nature offers, in addition to the pure assets she sustains. Subsequently, we do proceed to assist and urge swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act”
Port Angeles Mayor, Sissi Bruch: “I’m happy to announce my enthusiastic assist and the assist of a majority of the Port Angeles Metropolis Council for Senator Murray’s and Consultant Kilmer’s Wild Olympics laws, as it’s a sound funding in our future. We be part of greater than 80 present and former Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal Area native elected officers calling on Congress to move the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. We perceive that completely shield our historic forests, clear water and World-Class Outside Recreation locations makes strong financial sense. It really works in tandem with our all of our communities’ funding in salmon restoration and safeguards our consuming water and wild corridors for future generations. Our area is blessed with beautiful surroundings, pristine wilderness areas vital to fish and wildlife and enviable variety all of which contribute to attracting expert workers to our rural cities, and that’s one thing that we desperately want. We thank Senator Murray & Consultant Kilmer for his or her management!”
Aberdeen Mayor, Erik Larsen: “Aberdeen has a historical past of working forests driving our native economic system. As recreation and tourism proceed to develop, our forests are discovering new work. The brand new Wild Olympics laws proposed by Rep. Kilmer and Sen. Murray has benefited from years of public enter to steadiness the necessity to shield our pure assets with the necessity to shield the roles they assist. That’s the reason I’m proud to assist the Wild Olympics laws.”
Invoice Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer’s Wild Olympics laws will assist shield our state’s shellfish business, together with lots of of shellfishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and lots of extra in associated industries like processing, delivery and gross sales. It protects the rivers and streams very important to the well being of our hatcheries and to the well being and restoration of Puget Sound. Our oyster beds rely upon the clear, chilly, silt-free water that drains off Olympic Nationwide Forest into Hood Canal. Defending these watersheds permits our business to develop, broaden and proceed to profit the economic system and ecology of Washington State. We’re grateful for his or her management.”
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Unhealthy Ash Fishing Information Service (Tahola) & member, Sportsmen For Wild Olympics: “Conservation for me on the Olympic Peninsula implies that the subsequent era and generations to return can come out right here and expertise the way in which that I expertise it and the way in which my grandpa skilled it when he fished out right here and that endlessly we all the time have this – what’s wild and what’s the Olympic Peninsula and our tradition at the moment.”
James Thomas, President & CEO Thermedia Corp/MasQs (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics laws would assist shield the excellent lifestyle that is a crucial cause folks select to dwell, work and play right here in Mason County with the beautiful backdrop of the Olympic Mountains in our yard. The traditional forests, wild rivers and scenic great thing about the Olympics are the muse of our excessive “High quality of Life” that pulls guests, entrepreneurs, new residents and funding in our communities, strengthening our native economic system. The truth is, these spectacular public lands had been the ultimate determinant once I selected the Olympic Peninsula as the brand new residence for my medical system manufacturing firm. Ten years later my coronary heart nonetheless sings once I spherical a nook or high a hill and the Olympics come into sight. I applaud Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer for working to guard the Peninsula’s financial future.”
Fred Rakevich, Retired logger and forty-nine 12 months veteran of the timber business (Elma): “I’m a retired logger who labored for 50 years within the timber business. I’ve additionally fished and kayaked a lot of the main rivers within the Olympics. I used to be born and raised in Grays Harbor, however have traveled half method world wide. In all my travels, nothing impressed me greater than the pure great thing about the Olympic Mountain Vary and the clear working waters that start their journey flowing towards the lands under. Timber is and all the time can be a part of the Olympic Peninsula’s proud heritage. However our historic forests and wild rivers are the pure legacy we are going to depart to our youngsters and grandchildren. Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer’s invoice protects our pure heritage whereas respecting our timber heritage. I thank them for his or her considerate management, and future generations will thank them too.”
Casey Weigel, Proprietor & Head Information of Waters West Information Service (Montesano) and member, of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “By means of exhausting work and our ardour for our rivers and fishing, my spouse and I’ve grown our small enterprise sufficient to have the ability to assist 3 different year-round and seasonal native guides assist households, who love fishing simply as a lot as we do. I assist the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act as a result of our rivers and our salmon are our lifeblood and, with out them, companies like ours, the native jobs they assist, and the {dollars} they carry into our native economic system would dry up. The Wild Olympics proposal would merely make the present safeguards defending our rivers on Olympic Nationwide Forest everlasting. That’s all it does. It doesn’t change entry or value timber jobs. And if it did, I wouldn’t assist it, as a result of my household works within the timber business. There are a lot of challenges dealing with our rivers and salmon, with numerous debate and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} spent attempting to assist restore clear water and habitat downstream. However one primary, easy piece of the muse we are able to put in place now that received’t value any of us something, is to completely shield the wholesome habitat on the federal lands upstream towards any misguided makes an attempt to develop them sooner or later. That’s why I’m a proud supporter of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. For Our Future.”
State Consultant Mike Chapman, twenty fourth Legislative District(Port Angeles): “I’ve been very excited in regards to the financial & leisure alternatives Wild Olympics will convey to the Olympic Peninsula. With REI and Patagonia’s assist our nook of the world is now attracting guests from throughout. Wild Olympics is our future, for recent air, clear water, pristine forests and future generations!”
Sarah Muszynski, Proprietor, Blue Horizons Paddlesports(Lake Cushman): “As an out of doors recreation enterprise proprietor and an avid outdoorsman, my livelihood and way of life rely upon clear, free-flowing rivers. Guests to Olympic Nationwide Park and companies like mine yearly contribute $220 million in native financial advantages and assist 2,708 jobs. This financial profit relies on entry to the prime quality pure assets the Olympic Peninsula is understood for and safety of these assets. Guests from world wide come to expertise the place we name residence. Defending these assets is an funding in our area’s financial future, and the sensible factor to do.”
Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend Metropolis Councilor (Port Townsend): “This laws will assist completely shield clear consuming water for native Peninsula communities. For instance, one of many locations proposed for Wilderness safety is within the Huge Quilcene watershed, which filters the clear, chilly consuming water for town of Port Townsend. Defending forests and rivers on federal lands upstream protects our investments in salmon habitat and water high quality downstream. We’re grateful for Consultant Kilmer’s and Senator Murray’s assist in defending Port Townsend’s clear water.”
Harriet Reyenga, Unbiased realtor for Windermere Actual Property (Port Angeles): “The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act will shield and promote the identical spectacular public lands and prime quality of life which are serving to to drive development and create native jobs in actual property, development and lots of different sectors of our economic system at the moment. Our historic forests, salmon, rivers and superb landscapes are the north Olympic Peninsula’s aggressive financial benefit over different areas. We must always do all we are able to to guard and promote these pure treasures. The Wild Olympics laws will do each.”
Dave Bailey, Previous President of the Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Membership in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Individuals suppose that as a result of our salmon streams on Olympic Nationwide Forest seem as they’ve all the time been, that they’re protected. Sadly, that’s the furthest factor from the reality. There are decided efforts underway in Congress and the Administration to roll again present safeguards and open these delicate spawning streams to small hydropower improvement, industrial clear-cutting and extra highway constructing as soon as extra. That’s unhealthy for fish, recreation, and sportsmen. This laws is vital to protect what we’ve.”
Jasmine Dickhoff, Mayor, Metropolis of Hoquiam: “I’m from right here, I grew up right here, and I’m proud to name the Harbor my residence. Harborites are hardy, self-reliant, and we frequently have a distinct perspective than different communities. We select to dwell with out all of the facilities of big-city life and we achieve this as a result of we adore it right here. Lots of of native Peninsula companies, sportsmen organizations & native elected officers like myself are backing Wild Olympics as a result of it embraces that very same pleasure – our shared love of the land and our want to completely shield essentially the most particular elements of our spectacular yard. Nevertheless, as a neighborhood elected official involved about our financial future, I imagine we must be seizing new financial alternatives whereas taking nice care to not harm our present ones. That’s why it’s essential to me that Consultant Kilmer & Senator Murray have labored to make sure their closing proposal received’t harm native timber jobs. It’s additionally why I imagine REI and Patagonia’s promotion of Wild Olympics is a validation of certainly one of our essential new financial benefits.
State Consultant Steve Tharinger, twenty fourth Legislative District (Sequim): “It’s simple to see and perceive the ecological worth of the Wild Olympics thought, conserving clear and free flowing rivers, however what is typically missed is the financial worth that sustaining locations like Wild Olympics brings by attracting folks to the particular open air of the Olympic area. I wish to thank REI and Patagonia for partaking local people leaders like myself to assist design the map, and for recognizing that encouraging folks to get out and benefit from the particular locations within the Wild Olympics proposal brings financial advantages to the communities I symbolize.”
Mark and Desiree’ Dodson, House owners Westport Marina Cottages(Westport): “We’re one of many lots of of native Peninsula companies backing Wild Olympics as a result of it could shield & promote the identical priceless pure treasures which are cornerstones of our economic system. Our historic temperate rainforests & wild rivers are iconic one-of-kind outside recreation locations that draw guests & new residents from world wide.”
Douglas Scott, Proprietor of Unique Hikes and The Outside Society (Hood Canal): “Outdoors my door, the river, forests and mountains of the Olympic Peninsula beckon me to hike and climb. Within the Northwest nook of the contiguous United States, removed from the hustle and bustle of the massive cities, our glacial-fed rivers, filled with salmon and surrounded by majestic eagles always encourage hundreds of thousands of locals and guests to the area. Annually, over 4 million outside recreation fans head to the area, hoping to discover a slice of pure magnificence in pristine forests and impossibly beautiful river valleys. As an writer, tour information and advocate for the Olympic Peninsula, I’ve witnessed the significance of nature and outside recreation within the Pacific Northwest. Due to the assist outside fans from all walks of life, passing the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will assist be certain that much more of the beautiful surroundings can be protected and accessible for all. I’m proud to Help the Wild Olympics. Come go to and fall in love with the fantastic thing about rainforests, wild rivers and breathtaking adventures and you’ll too.”
Contact: Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Marketing campaign / connie@wildolympics.org
Wild Olympics Marketing campaign PO Field 214, Quilcene, WA 98376
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