FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Wild Olympics Media Picture Gallery of The Proposal
New Wild Olympics Video: video
Wild Olympics Invoice Rides Wave of Broad Native Assist out of Key Home Committee
- Olympic Peninsula Tribes, Sportsmen teams, enterprise leaders, native officers cite advantages to native economic system, clear water, salmon restoration, searching & fishing
- Wild Olympics Marketing campaign releases new video of native supporters in celebration of key milestone
QUILCENE, Wash. (December 5th, 2019) –The Wild Olympics Coalition in the present day cheered the passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act (H.R. 2642) out of the U.S. Home of Representatives Pure Sources Committee. The laws was launched by Senator Patty Murray and Consultant Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06) in Could, and 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 intensive group enter to guard historical forests and clear water and improve out of doors recreation, the laws would designate the primary new wilderness within the Olympic Nationwide Forest in practically three many years and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.
The Marketing campaign launched a surprising new video that includes a few of their most distinguished native champions to rejoice the milestone, together with an area logger, conservationist, fishing information, scientist, shellfish grower and a metropolis councilmember who’re all backing the laws.
Video On Vimeo: https://vimeo.com/374404086
Video On Fb: https://www.fb.com/wildolympics/movies/936210906778791/
Video On Twitter: https://twitter.com/WildOlympics/standing/1202614173768679424
Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer spent years gathering intensive group enter on the Olympic Peninsula to craft the carefully-balanced laws. It could completely defend historical and mature forests, vital salmon habitat, and sources of unpolluted consuming water for native communities, whereas additionally defending and increasing world-class out of doors recreation alternatives like climbing, tenting, boating, searching, and fishing with out closing any roads or affecting any trailhead entry.
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 present timber jobs, as confirmed in a 2012 Timber Affect Research by the revered impartial Forester Derek Churchill and as Aberdeen Forest Merchandise Guide Roy Nott testified on the July 10th listening to on the invoice earlier this 12 months (See quote from Mr. Nott under).
“As somebody who grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, I realized first-hand that financial development and environmental safety go hand-in-hand,” mentioned Consultant Kilmer. “I’m proud to see the Home Pure Sources Committee advance this sensible, balanced technique, that may defend the wildest and most pristine locations on the Peninsula whereas making certain we are able to maintain and develop jobs in our pure useful resource industries and different sectors. I’m grateful for the years-long collaboration to create a proposal that works for folk throughout the group – together with Tribes, sportsmen, conservation teams, timber communities, enterprise leaders, shellfish growers, and everybody in-between.”
“The Olympic Peninsula is dwelling to one of many nation’s most spectacular ecosystems in addition to a few of our state’s most iconic pure treasures and landscapes—and it’s vital that we defend these important assets for future generations,” mentioned Senator Murray. “As a longtime champion of efforts to protect the Olympic Peninsula’s waterways and wilderness, I applaud Consultant Kilmer and the Home Committee on Pure Sources for advancing this necessary laws, and I thank the numerous advocates, elected officers, group leaders, tribes, and companies which have labored tirelessly to get us up to now. Extra importantly, as a voice for Washington state and a dedicated companion on this effort, know that I’ll maintain pushing till this invoice is handed within the Senate and signed into regulation.”
The committee vote comes on a wave of help from over 100 new endorsements from native Olympic Peninsula Tribes, elected officers, sportsmen teams, and companies rallying behind the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The brand new additions convey the entire variety of native Olympic Peninsula companies, CEOs, elected officers, farms, religion leaders, sportsmen, and conservation and out of doors recreation teams to greater than 800 endorsers, together with the Quinault, Quileute, Elwha and Jamestown s’Klallam Tribes; over 30 native sportsmen organizations and fishing guides; and the mayors of Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Hoquiam, Aberdeen, Ocean Shores & Elma, oamong many others. Greater than 12,000 native residents have signed petitions in help.
Aberdeen Forest Merchandise Guide & Former Timber CEO Roy Nott mentioned in his July 10th Testimony earlier than the 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 prime 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 rely upon our potential 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 Trade Govt, I admire that Senator Murray and Rep Kilmer’s ultimate compromise proposal was scaled-back to make sure it will not impression present timber jobs.”
The brand new endorsements come after Native Olympic Peninsula Financial Leaders 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, out of doors recreation teams, REI, and Patagonia unveiled a brand new “Vacation spot Wild Olympics” map, highlighting a few of the nice recreation locations within the Wild Olympics proposal. The map was designed with intensive enter from native Olympic Peninsula enterprise house owners, financial improvement leaders and native elected officers, who introduced their help for the initiative, calling it an incredible financial alternative for the Peninsula.
The laws now awaits a vote on the ground of the U.S. Home of Representatives 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 necessary 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, crucial side of those new designations is the elevated safety for salmon habitat. And we admire that it expressly acknowledges the elemental pursuits and experience of all treaty tribes within the restoration of fish habitat. This is a vital complement to our ongoing successes, together with our federal and State companions, in restoring Elwha River fisheries within the aftermath of dam removing.”
Quinault Indian Nation President Fawn Sharp: Our Tribe urges swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act. As acknowledged 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 circumstances. Sadly, important 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 defend a few of 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 big and important step ahead to “defend the most effective,” and the Quileute Tribe urges swift passage of this laws.”
Jamestown S’Klallam Tribe Chairman Ron Allen: “As acknowledged 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 circumstances. Sadly, important 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 defend a few of the healthiest, intact salmon habitat left on the Peninsula. It’s our heritage and cultural ideas to guard the lands and waters Nature offers, in addition to the pure assets she sustains. Subsequently, we do proceed to help and urge swift passage of the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act.”
Dave Bailey, Previous President of the Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Membership in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Folks suppose 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 by 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, sport, and sportsmen. This laws is vital to protect what we now have.”
Casey Weigel, Proprietor & Head Information of Waters West Information Service (Montesano) and member, of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “By means 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 help households, who love fishing simply as a lot as we do. I help 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 help, 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 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 help it, as a result of my household works within the timber business. There are various challenges dealing with our rivers and salmon, with a number of debate and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} spent attempting to assist restore clear water and habitat downstream. However one primary, easy piece of the inspiration we are able to put in place now that gained’t value any of us something, is to completely defend 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.”
Ashley Nichole Lewis, Dangerous Ash Fishing Information Service (Tahola) and member, Sportsmen For Wild Olympics: “Conservation for me on the Olympic Peninsula implies that the following era and generations to return can come out right here and expertise the best way that I expertise it and the best way 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 in the present day.”
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 tons of of shellfishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and plenty of extra in associated industries like processing, delivery 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 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, increase and proceed to profit the economic system and ecology of Washington State. We’re grateful for his or her management.”
James Thomas, President & CEO Thermedia Corp/MasQs (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics laws would assist defend the excellent lifestyle that is a vital motive 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 inspiration of our excessive “High quality of Life” that pulls guests, entrepreneurs, new residents and funding in our communities, strengthening our native economic system. In truth, these spectacular public lands had been the ultimate determinant after I selected the Olympic Peninsula as the brand new dwelling for my medical machine manufacturing firm. Ten years later my coronary heart nonetheless sings after I spherical a nook or prime 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 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 half manner all over the world. In all my travels, nothing impressed me greater than the pure great thing about the Olympic Mountain Vary and the clear operating waters that start their journey flowing towards the lands under. Timber is and all the time will likely be a part of the Olympic Peninsula’s proud heritage. However our historical forests and wild rivers are the pure legacy we’ll depart 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.”
State Consultant Mike Chapman, twenty fourth Legislative District (Port Angeles): “I’ve been very excited concerning the financial & leisure alternatives Wild Olympics will convey to the Olympic Peninsula. With REI and Patagonia’s help our nook of the world is now attracting guests from throughout. Wild Olympics is our future, for contemporary air, clear water, pristine forests and future generations!”
Sarah Muszynski, Proprietor, Blue Horizons Paddlesports (Lake Cushman): “As an outside recreation enterprise proprietor and an avid outdoorsman, my livelihood and life-style rely upon clear, free-flowing rivers. Guests to Olympic Nationwide Park and companies like mine yearly contribute $220 million in native financial advantages and help 2,708 jobs. This financial profit will depend on entry to the prime quality pure assets the Olympic Peninsula is understood for and safety of these assets. Guests from all over the world come to expertise the place we name dwelling. Defending these assets is an funding in our area’s financial future, and the good factor to do.”
Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend Metropolis Councilor (Port Townsend): “This laws will assist completely defend 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 the 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 prime quality of life which can be serving to to drive development and create native jobs in actual property, development and plenty of different sectors of our economic system in the present day. Our historical forests, salmon, rivers and wonderful 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.”
Port Angeles Mayor, Sissi Bruch: “I’m happy to announce my enthusiastic help and the help 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 a part of greater than 80 present and former Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal Area native elected officers calling on Congress to cross the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. We perceive that completely defend our historical forests, clear water and World-Class Outside Recreation locations makes stable 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 defend our pure assets with the necessity to defend the roles they help. That’s the reason I’m proud to help the Wild Olympics laws.”
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 dwelling. 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 accomplish that as a result of we like it right here. A whole lot of native Peninsula companies, sportsmen organizations & native elected officers like myself are backing Wild Olympics as a result of it embraces that very same delight – our shared love of the land and our want to completely defend essentially the most particular components of our spectacular yard. Nevertheless, as an area elected official involved about our financial future, I imagine we should be seizing new financial alternatives whereas taking nice care to not harm our present ones. That’s why it’s necessary to me that Consultant Kilmer & Senator Murray have labored to make sure their ultimate proposal gained’t harm native timber jobs. It’s additionally why I imagine REI and Patagonia’s promotion of Wild Olympics is a validation of one in every of our necessary new financial benefits.
State Consultant Steve Tharinger, twenty fourth Legislative District (Sequim): “It’s straightforward to see and perceive the ecological worth of the Wild Olympics thought, 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 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 folks to get out and benefit from the particular locations within the Wild Olympics proposal brings financial advantages to the communities I characterize.”
Mark and Desiree’ Dodson, Homeowners Westport Marina Cottages (Westport): “We’re one of many tons of of native Peninsula companies backing Wild Olympics as a result of it will defend & promote the identical priceless pure treasures which can be cornerstones of our economic system. Our historical temperate rainforests & wild rivers are iconic one-of-kind out of doors recreation locations that draw guests & new residents from all over the world.”
Douglas Scott, Proprietor of Unique Hikes and The Outside 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 large cities, our glacial-fed rivers, stuffed with salmon and surrounded by majestic eagles continuously 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 beautiful river valleys. As an creator, 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 help 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 beautiful surroundings will likely be protected and accessible for all. I’m proud to Assist 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
