— by Janet Alderton —
Instead of taking bold actions to help the starving Southern Resident Killer Whales, our County Council at its October 8, 2018, meeting voted to do only the minimum required by a recent Growth Management Board ruling on the County’s Shoreline Management Plan. During the public hearings on this ruling, all public testimony favored increased protections for those parts of County shorelines that provide food and shelter for juvenile Chinook salmon. As the whales feed almost entirely on Chinook salmon, such habitat-protection measures would enhance their chances of survival. This is probably the most important contribution San Juan Islanders could make to address their plight.
But despite massive local, state, and national concerns being expressed for the survival of our orca whales, Council members Rick Hughes and Jamie Stephens voted to adopt only the minimum shoreline protections that county attorney Amy Vera thought would satisfy the Growth Board. Whenever Bill Watson tried to increase shoreline protections beyond the minimum, he was out-voted by the other two Council members.
Hughes opened the October 8 proceedings by saying, “I need to know what are the minimum changes we need to do to be compliant.” Stephens quickly echoed him, saying, “I agree with what Rick’s asking.” And Stephens — a member of the governor’s orca task force — later asked, “Is this going above and beyond what we have to do?”
The decision of Council members Hughes and Stephens to do only the bare minimum required by law fails to help the state-wide efforts to increase the population of Chinook salmon and give our starving orcas a chance to survive.
If people were to look back at my life and declare, “She did only the minimum,” I would not judge my life worthwhile.
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I question the “leadership” of elected officials who still, in these dire times for the planet, are thinking small – thinking only of the “minimum” they have to do to be “compliant” with environmental protections, always choosing the minimum in every case. The council voices who fought for us were ridiculed and smeared in ugly campaigns to vote them out by people who don’t seem to understand that without a healthy environment, we’ve got nothing.
I’m beyond frustrated, having seen this same attitude from other commissioners & council members who got us the particular CAO & SMP (and on Orcas – ES Subarea Plan) that we have now – in every case, weakening environmental protections to be toothless, meaningless, and unenforceable anyway, with ignorant “statements” like “big dumb buffers”. This type of ignorant thinking always puts the environment last.
We know what must be done to save resident orcas. WHY this county hastened the extinction of our resident orcas with lax and worthless attitudes of slackness and refusing to take a stand? What do we tell our children when they ask? What are they going to tell all those tourists they are inviting by giving out unlimited VRBO permits, when the whales are gone because they did the “minimum?”
I want council members that say “let’s do the MAXIMUM we can to protect the resident orcas” and the environments that support diversity. Where are leaders that are willing to stand by the conviction that this precious archepelago is worth saving, as are its SRKWs, wetlands, and shorelines? I hope a few of thepeople who actually walk their talk and don’t put growth and profit ahead of carrying capacity, will consider running for Council next election.
Disappointment is too weak of a word for what I’m feeling now “betrayed” (again!) comes a lot closer.