Native Supporters Cheer Profitable Senate Listening to on Wild Olympics Invoice 

Contact: Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Marketing campaign: connie@wildolympics.org

Media Sources:
Wild Olympics Media Picture Gallery of The Proposal
Video: Voices from the Wild Olympics

QUILCENE, Wash. (July 12, 2023) – At this time the Wild Olympics Coalition cheered a Senate listening to of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act sponsored by Senator Patty Murray and Consultant Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) earlier than the Public Lands, Forests & Mining Subcommittee of the Senate Vitality and Pure Sources Committee. With a powerful basis of broad native assist and the steadfast efforts of the 2 Congressional leaders, the invoice has made regular progress every successive Congress. Final 12 months the invoice handed the Home with bipartisan assist and superior farther than ever earlier than within the Senate. At this time’s listening to completes a key step within the Congressional course of in direction of it turning into regulation. The Wild Olympics laws would 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. Designed by means of in depth neighborhood enter to guard historical forests and salmon streams and improve out of doors recreation, the laws would designate the primary new wilderness within the Olympic Nationwide Forest in almost 4 a long time and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.

“The motion behind our Wild Olympics laws has introduced folks from all walks of life collectively to guard the Olympic Peninsula’s wild forests and watersheds—a few of Washington state’s premier pure treasures,” Senator Murray mentioned. “This effort has been years within the making, and we’ve made progress transferring this laws ahead in every successive Congress with the assistance of tireless advocates, Tribes, sportsmen, native enterprise leaders, and so many others working on the grassroots and at each stage of presidency. At this time’s subcommittee listening to is a crucial step ahead within the path to getting this invoice to President Biden’s desk, and I’m going to maintain working laborious to construct the assist and momentum we have to lastly get this actually essential laws signed into regulation.”

“Rising up on the Olympic Peninsula, I’ve seen firsthand that we are able to defend the environment and develop our financial system on the identical time,” mentioned Rep. Kilmer. “I’m proud to see our balanced plan – a plan that may hold the Peninsula’s pure magnificence intact whereas serving to our job market – take a giant step ahead. This progress is a testomony to everybody who has pitched in over time to assist transfer this proposal nearer to the end line. That features our area’s Tribes, people who love the good outside, these championing conservation, timber business stakeholders, shellfish growers, and everybody who’s a part of our neighborhood.”

Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer spent years gathering in depth neighborhood enter on the Olympic Peninsula to craft the fastidiously balanced laws. It will completely protect historical and mature forests, vital salmon habitat, and sources of fresh consuming water for native communities, whereas additionally defending and increasing world-class out of doors recreation alternatives like 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 haven’t any impression on current timber jobs, as confirmed in a 2012 Timber Impression Examine by the revered unbiased Forester Derek Churchill.

Aberdeen Forest Merchandise Marketing consultant 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 give world-class out of doors recreation, clear water and our space’s top quality of living- are what give us a aggressive edge over different areas in attracting and retaining the proficient folks new firms require.  Wilderness and wild and scenic river protections would assist defend and develop the native jobs that depend upon 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 Trade Government, I respect that Senator Murray and Rep Kilmer’s last compromise proposal was scaled-back to make sure it might not impression present timber jobs.”

The invoice’s progress in Congress comes on a latest wave of assist and new native endorsements rallying behind the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The brand new additions deliver the whole 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, Ocean Shores and different native elected officers; companies and CEOs; farms and religion leaders; conservation and out of doors recreation teams; and lots of others. Moreover, greater than 12,000 native residents have signed petitions in assist.

  TESTIMONIALS

 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 defend what habitat stays whereas we restore beforehand degraded habitat situations.  Sadly, vital investments in restoration is probably not realized as a result of the speed of habitat loss continues to outpace restoration.  The ensuing web 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 defend among the healthiest, intact salmon habitat left on the Peninsula. It’s our heritage and cultural rules to guard the lands and waters Nature supplies, in addition to the pure sources she sustains.  Due to this fact, we do proceed to assist and urge swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.”

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 side of those new designations is the elevated safety for salmon habitat. And we respect that it expressly acknowledges the elemental 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 removing.”

Invoice Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer’s Wild Olympics laws will assist defend 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, transport, and gross sales. It protects the rivers and streams important to the well being of our hatcheries and to the well being and restoration of Puget Sound. Our oyster beds depend upon the clear, chilly, silt-free water that drains off Olympic Nationwide Forest into Hood Canal. Defending these watersheds permits our business to develop, increase and proceed to profit the financial system and ecology of Washington State. We’re grateful for his or her management.”

Ashley Nichole Lewis, Dangerous Ash Open air (Tahola), Sportsmen For Wild Olympics and Member of the Quinault Indian Nation: “Wild Olympics protects the Olympic Peninsula’s historical forests, free-flowing rivers and salmon streams for the long run,” Nichole Lewis pressured. “It should defend fishing, boating and looking entry with out closing any roads, but it surely additionally completely protects among the final wholesome upstream salmon and steelhead habitat left on the peninsula.”

 State Consultant Steve Tharinger, twenty fourth Legislative District (Sequim): “It’s simple to see and perceive the ecological worth of the Wild Olympics concept, conserving clear and free-flowing rivers, however what is usually missed is the financial worth that sustaining locations like Wild Olympics brings by attracting folks to the particular outside of the Olympic area. I wish to thank REI and Patagonia for partaking area 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 characterize.”

Fred Rakevich, Retired logger and 49- 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 midway around the globe. In all my travels, nothing impressed me greater than the pure fantastic 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 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 kids 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.”

James Thomas, President & CEO Thermedia Corp/MasQs (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics laws would assist defend the excellent lifestyle that is a crucial purpose folks select to dwell, work and play right here in Mason County with the gorgeous backdrop of the Olympic Mountains in our yard. The traditional forests, wild rivers, and scenic fantastic 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 financial system. The truth is, these spectacular public lands have been the ultimate determinant after I selected the Olympic Peninsula as the brand new residence for my medical gadget manufacturing firm. Years later my coronary heart nonetheless sings after I spherical a nook or high a hill and the Olympics become visible. I applaud Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer for working to guard the Peninsula’s financial future.”

Casey Weigel, Proprietor & Head Information of Waters West Information Service (Montesano) and member, of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “By means of laborious 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 bring about into our native financial 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 business. There are lots of challenges going through 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 muse 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.”

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 deliver 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!”

Harriet Reyenga, Impartial 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, building, and lots of different sectors of our financial system right this moment.  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.”

Dave Bailey, Previous President of the Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Membership in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Folks assume that as a result of our salmon streams on Olympic Nationwide Forest seem as they’ve all the time been, that they’re secure. 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 street constructing as soon as extra.  That’s unhealthy for fish, sport, and sportsmen.  This laws is vital to protect what we now have.”

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 large 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. Every year, over 4 million out of doors recreation fans 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 out of doors recreation within the Pacific Northwest. Because of the assist out of doors 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 gorgeous 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 fantastic thing about rainforests, wild rivers, and breathtaking adventures and you’ll too.”

Republican Former Washington U.S. Senator and Washington Governor Daniel J. Evans: “The Olympic Peninsula is my favourite panorama within the state and I’m blissful to assist the efforts of the Wild Olympics Marketing campaign. Their native outreach efforts have resulted in laws that will add to the Wilderness areas on Olympic Nationwide Forest designated 30 years in the past and defend the primary ever Wild & Scenic Rivers on the Olympic Peninsula. The Wild Olympics invoice has additionally taken nice care to protect and improve leisure entry to the areas it’s defending. By not impacting entry roads or trailheads, it should retain entry and spotlight these wild locations to people who’re more likely to be lively supporters of defending the wilderness expertise.”