Ruckleshaus to open the testimony
By Chase Gallagher for the Washington State Senate Democrats
It’s only appropriate that Washington – with its 3,000 miles of shoreline, its 2.6 million acres of state-owned aquatic lands, and the millions of dollars that both contribute to our state economy – be in the vanguard of states in the management of its aquatic resources.
Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan Island, wants to build one comprehensive marine planning approach so that everyone who depends upon Washington’s aquatic resources – fishing, energy, industry, government, conservationists and recreationists – can all make informed and coordinated decisions on the use of marine resources.
Last year, President Barack Obama convened a task force to pursue a similar planning approach for federal waters, and is expected to move forward to implement the effort soon. Ranker, who testified before the task force at the White House Conference Center, says action this year on a state marine plan would put Washington in excellent position to coordinate with an eventual federal plan.
“Our Puget Sound and coast face an era of unprecedented activity,” Ranker said. “Important existing uses – such as fishing, aquaculture, shipping, recreation and proposed wave, tidal and other energy facilities – are competing for what once seemed like limitless space. In order to maximize the benefits our Sound and ocean provide – both ecologically and economically – we urgently need a process to rationally guide the multiple management objectives. This bill gets us there.”
Senate Bill 6350 would establish only the second marine spatial planning (MSP) blueprint for a state, after Massachusetts. The bill would strengthen the MSP elements of the existing state, federal and local collaborative marine management planning activities. It would also charge the governor with forming a marine interagency team composed of all of the state agencies with marine management or regulatory responsibilities.
SB 6350 will receive a public hearing in the Senate Natural Resources, Ocean & Recreation Committee on Thursday, Jan. 21 at 10 a.m. in Senate Hearing Room 2 of the John A. Cherberg Building. Sen. Ranker will chair the committee hearing.
Bill Ruckelshaus, the first head of the federal Environmental Protection Agency, will open the testimony at the hearing.
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Massachusetts was enacted to overpower local community objections to wind farms off the coast of Ma. Sen. Ranker’s Senate Bill 6350 would mean the loss of any local planning control by San Juan County citizens; replaced by more State bureaucrats and the Senators special interest friends and associates. This effort by Sen. Ranker is a “doubling down” on the current State/Puget Sound Partnership’s imposition of their agenda on the citizens of the County through the Critical Areas Ordinance draft, the San Juan Initiative and the upcoming re-draft of the shoreline regulations; private citizens and shoreline property owners beware.
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Massachusetts was enacted to overpower local community objections to wind farms off the coast of Ma. Sen. Ranker’s Senate Bill 6350 would mean the loss of any local planning control by San Juan County citizens; replaced by more State bureaucrats and the Senators special interest friends and associates. This effort by Sen. Ranker is a “doubling down” on the current State/Puget Sound Partnership’s imposition of their agenda on the citizens of the County through the Critical Areas Ordinance draft, the San Juan Initiative and the upcoming re-draft of the shoreline regulations; private citizens and shoreline property owners beware.
The Marine Spatial Planning (MSP) in Massachusetts was enacted to overpower local community objections to wind farms off the coast of Ma. Sen. Ranker’s Senate Bill 6350 would mean the loss of any local planning control by San Juan County citizens; replaced by more State bureaucrats and the Senators special interest friends and associates. This effort by Sen. Ranker is a “doubling down” on the current State/Puget Sound Partnership’s imposition of their agenda on the citizens of the County through the Critical Areas Ordinance draft, the San Juan Initiative and the upcoming re-draft of the shoreline regulations; private citizens and shoreline property owners beware.