FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE June 16, 2021
Media Sources:
Wild Olympics Media Picture Gallery of The Proposal
Video: Voices from the Wild Olympics
Extra Peninsula Companies, CEOs, Producers, Native Elected Officers Announce Help of Wild Olympics Act as Senate holds Listening to
Name measure very important to guard surroundings and excessive “High quality of Life,” driving development, attracting expertise & creating jobs in native economic system
(Quilcene, WA ) Dozens of extra native CEOs, companies, and native elected officers from a number of sectors of the economic system introduced their assist for the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act as we speak because the invoice acquired a optimistic legislative listening to earlier than the Senate subcommittee on Public Lands, Forests, and Mining. These new supporters add to the lengthy record of greater than 800 native Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal space companies, Tribes, native elected officers, sportsmen organizations, religion leaders, conservation and outside recreation teams already backing the laws due to its advantages to the native economic system, clear water, and salmon restoration.
Eight CEOs and dozens of recent enterprise and native elected official endorsers from the Olympic Peninsula and Hood Canal Area are the newest native financial leaders to induce everlasting safety of Olympic Nationwide Forest’s scenic backcountry, rivers, and streams. In a letter to Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Congressman Derek Kilmer (D-WA06), the heads of Limbsaver (Shelton), The Port Townsend Foundry (Port Townsend), Thermedia (Shelton), The Vacation Inn Categorical and Convention Heart (Sequim), Taylor Shellfish (Shelton) and others urged the lawmakers to move The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to safeguard the Olympic Peninsula’s historical forests, free-flowing rivers, and public lands.
The CEOs level out that the realm’s pure treasures, which offer world-class outside recreation, clear water, and the realm’s top quality of dwelling “give us a aggressive edge over different areas in attracting and retaining the proficient individuals our corporations require.” Wilderness and wild and scenic river safety “would assist defend the 750-plus native jobs that rely on our skill to compete for expertise in opposition to different areas, and they might improve our recruitment efforts to develop our companies sooner or later.”
“Wild Olympics has introduced Washington state households and communities from all walks of life collectively to guard lovely outside areas all of us love, and I’m thrilled to see the progress the invoice is making within the Senate,” Senator Murray mentioned. “I need to thank the Tribes, native residents, companies, shellfish growers, sportsmen, religion leaders, and conservation teams—in addition to Consultant Kilmer—for his or her management and assist in shifting this invoice ahead. To be able to put aside 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, protect and bolster salmon populations, and defend the treasured pure options and assets of our state for present and future generations, I’ll hold combating to get the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild Scenic Rivers Act to the President’s desk.”
“As somebody who grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, I realized first-hand that financial development and environmental safety ought to go hand-in-hand,” mentioned Consultant Kilmer. “I’m thrilled to see new endorsements from native employers, elected officers, enterprise leaders, sportsmen and conservation teams who agree that Congress ought to move this sensible, balanced technique. The Wild Olympics Act will assist develop jobs and assist our pure useful resource and outside recreation economies by defending the wildest and most pristine locations on the Peninsula. I’m grateful for the years-long collaboration to create a proposal that works for people throughout the group.”
Dozens of different new Olympic Peninsula and Hood Canal space native enterprise and native elected official endorsements had been additionally despatched in a separate letter urging swift passage of the Wild Olympics laws to guard and develop native jobs in a number of sectors of the economic system. The enterprise house owners and financial leaders say the laws would each defend and create native jobs in transport and commerce, development, actual property, fishing, info expertise, the shellfish trade, tourism, manufacturing, and different sectors of the area’s economic system.
The Senate listening to comes within the wake of different current new native endorsements backing the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The brand new additions introduced the overall variety of native Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal area endorsements to greater than 800 endorsers, together with the Quinault, Quileute, Elwha and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes; over 30 native sportsmen organizations and fishing guides; the mayors of Port Angeles, Port Townsend, and Ocean Shores; companies and CEOs; farms and religion leaders; conservation and outside recreation teams; and plenty of others. Moreover, greater than 12,000 native residents have signed petitions in assist.
BACKGROUND: Earlier this spring, backed by a broad coalition of native supporters, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and U.S. Consultant Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) reintroduced the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act to completely defend 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. The invoice handed the U.S. Home in March. Designed by intensive group enter to guard historical forests, clear water, and salmon streams,and improve outside recreation with out costing timber jobs, the laws would designate the primary new wilderness within the Olympic Nationwide Forest in over three a long time and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.
Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer spent years gathering intensive group enter on the Olympic Peninsula to craft the rigorously balanced laws. It might completely protect historical and mature forests, important salmon habitat, and sources of unpolluted ingesting water for native communities, whereas additionally defending and increasing world-class outside recreation alternatives like mountain climbing, tenting, boating, looking, and fishing. No roads can be closed, and trailhead entry wouldn’t be affected.
Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer labored extensively with native and regional timber pursuits to take away any at the moment viable timber base from the proposal to make sure the laws would don’t have any affect on current timber jobs, as confirmed in a 2012 Timber Impression Research by the revered unbiased Forester Derek Churchill.
Aberdeen Forest Merchandise Guide and Former Timber CEO Roy Nott mentioned in his July tenth, 2019 testimony earlier than the Home Pure Sources Committee, “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 top quality of dwelling – are what give us a aggressive edge over different areas in attracting and retaining the proficient individuals new corporations require. Wilderness and wild and scenic river protections would assist defend and develop the native jobs that rely on our skill to compete for expertise in opposition to 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 recognize that Senator Murray and Rep Kilmer’s closing compromise proposal was scaled-back to make sure it will not affect present timber jobs.”
TESTIMONIALS
James Thomas, President & CEO Thermedia Corp/MasQs (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics laws would assist defend the excellent lifestyle that is a vital motive individuals 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 inspiration of our excessive “High quality of Life” that draws guests, entrepreneurs, new residents, and funding in our communities, strengthening our native economic system. In actual fact, these spectacular public lands had been the ultimate determinant after I selected the Olympic Peninsula as the brand new house for my medical machine manufacturing firm. Greater than ten years later my coronary heart nonetheless sings after I spherical a nook or prime a hill and the Olympics become visible. I applaud Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer for working to guard the Peninsula’s financial future.”
Invoice Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer’s Wild Olympics laws will assist defend our state’s shellfish trade, together with lots of of shellfishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and plenty of extra in associated industries like processing, transport, 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 on the clear, chilly, silt-free water that drains off Olympic Nationwide Forest into Hood Canal. Defending these watersheds permits our trade to develop, develop and proceed to learn the economic system and ecology of Washington State. We’re grateful for his or her management.”
Fred Rakevich, Retired logger and 49- yr veteran of the timber trade (Elma): “I’m a retired logger who labored for 50 years within the timber trade. I’ve additionally fished and kayaked many of the main rivers within the Olympics. I used to be born and raised in Grays Harbor, however have traveled midway around the globe. 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 at all times might be a part of the Olympic Peninsula’s proud heritage. However our historical forests and wild rivers are the pure legacies we are going to go away 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.”
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!”
Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend Mayor (Port Townsend): “This laws will assist completely defend clear ingesting water for native Peninsula communities. For instance, one of many locations proposed for Wilderness safety is within the Massive Quilcene watershed, which filters the clear, chilly ingesting 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 defend and promote the identical spectacular public lands and top quality of life which are serving to to drive development and create native jobs in actual property, development, and plenty of different sectors of our economic system as we speak. Our historical forests, salmon, rivers, and superb landscapes are the north Olympic Peninsula’s aggressive financial benefit over different areas. We should always do all we are able to to guard and promote these pure treasures. The Wild Olympics laws will do each.”
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 individuals to the particular open air of the Olympic area. I need to thank REI and Patagonia for partaking local people leaders like myself to assist design the map, and for recognizing that encouraging individuals to get out and benefit from the particular locations within the Wild Olympics proposal brings financial advantages to the communities I characterize.”
Douglas Scott, Proprietor of Unique Hikes and The Out of doors Society (Hood Canal): “Exterior 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, stuffed with salmon and surrounded by majestic eagles continually encourage hundreds of thousands of locals and guests to the area. Every year, over 4 million outside recreation fanatics head to the area, hoping to discover a slice of pure magnificence in pristine forests and impossibly attractive 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. Because of the assist outside fanatics from all walks of life, passing the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will assist make sure that much more of the beautiful surroundings might be protected and accessible for all. I’m proud to Help the Wild Olympics. Come go to and fall in love with the great thing about rainforests, wild rivers, and breathtaking adventures and you’ll too.”
Dave Bailey, Previous President of the Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Membership in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Individuals assume that as a result of our salmon streams on Olympic Nationwide Forest seem as they’ve at all times been, that they’re protected. Sadly, that’s the furthest factor from the reality. There are decided threats underway 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 dangerous for fish, recreation, and sportsmen. This laws is important to protect what we have now.”
Casey Weigel, Proprietor & Head Information of Waters West Information Service (Montesano) and member, of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “By way of onerous 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 create into our native economic system would dry up. The Wild Olympics proposal would merely make the present safeguards defending our rivers on the 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 trade. There are lots of challenges dealing with our rivers and salmon, with a lot of debate and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} spent making an attempt to assist restore clear water and habitat downstream. However one fundamental, easy piece of the inspiration we are able to put in place now that received’t value any of us something, is to completely defend the wholesome habitat on the federal lands upstream in opposition to 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.”
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Unhealthy Ash Fishing Information Service (Tahola) and member, Sportsmen For Wild Olympics: “Conservation for me on the Olympic Peninsula signifies that the following technology 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 at all times have this – what’s wild and what’s the Olympic Peninsula and our tradition as we speak.”
Contact: Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Marketing campaign / connie@wildolympics.org
Wild Olympics Marketing campaign / PO Field 214, Quilcene, WA 98376
