Ask your legislators to protect Maury Island
A multinational gravel company (Glacier Northwest) has long been planning to construct an industrial dock and barging facility right on top of sensitive marine habitat on Maury Island.
The Reserve, located in central Puget Sound, is home to both endangered whales and threatened salmon, and was originally established to ensure this pristine habitat is protected from the pollution and devastation caused by rampant development. Priorities for a Healthy Washington reports on an opportunity to ensure that the area remains safe from development:
If you can't attend the hearing, please call or email your representatives and urge them to support SB 6011. It is imperative we put an end to Glacier's plans. As the Seattle P-I observes this morning:
The Reserve, located in central Puget Sound, is home to both endangered whales and threatened salmon, and was originally established to ensure this pristine habitat is protected from the pollution and devastation caused by rampant development. Priorities for a Healthy Washington reports on an opportunity to ensure that the area remains safe from development:
If we don't take action now, plans for this new project will move forward. It's time for us to send the message loud and clear: Not in our Puget Sound!A short backgrounder on what this is all about:
Fortunately, Senate Bill 6011 would halt industrial construction. The bill would send a loud message that the people of Washington value our special places, and won't put up with new mining operations in the pristine environments of our state's reserves.
Please call your legislators TODAY at 1-800-562-6000 and urge them to support SB 6011 and demand House leadership move it forward.
The Reserve is on the relatively undeveloped east shore of Maury Island, which is strongly favored by the J pod of Orca whales in the winter when they are caring for their new calves. The shoreline is used by salmon from watersheds as far away as the Skagit.Emphasis mine. The hearing is today, so if you want to testify, make plans to head to Olympia later this morning. The hearing is before the House Select Committee on Puget Sound. It will be held in Room E of the John O'Brien Building.
Glacier Mining company has been given an initial go ahead by the Department of Natural Resources to expand its mining operations and construct new facilities in the Reserve. Fortunately, SB 6011, sponsored by Senator Poulsen, would prevent the project from moving forward and will halt the construction of a huge dock related to the expansion of Glacier's gravel mine. The bill passed the Senate with a close vote of 26 to 22, and now is up for hearing in the House.
The Puget Sound Aquatic Reserve system was established to protect the very best pristine habitat in the Sound. Why would we allow these jewels to be destroyed by industrial facilities like gravel mines, especially when we are working so hard and spending so much to protect and restore this special place? Not in our Puget Sound!
The bill will be up for hearing at 1:30 PM on March 21.
If you can't attend the hearing, please call or email your representatives and urge them to support SB 6011. It is imperative we put an end to Glacier's plans. As the Seattle P-I observes this morning:
What would you miss more: Maury Island's Madrone trees, Chestnut-backed Chickadees and a reasonable supply of fresh water or an even larger gravel mine on the south end of the island?Well put. Now is the time for action. Let your representatives know you strongly believe in protecting Maury Island from harmful development. And if you can make it to the hearing...go.
The odds of anyone looking back 100 years from now and saying, "It's a crying shame we never expanded that sand and gravel mine," are slim. We can't say the same thing for further harming more of our region's natural beauty and the vital habitat it affords our plants and wildlife.
