Commission will hold public comment meeting Jan. 26
||| FROM STATE PARKS & RECREATION COMMISSION |||
OLYMPIA – Dec. 22, 2020 – Today, staff of the Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission released a State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA) Mitigated Determination of Nonsignificance (MDNS) finding for the U.S. Navy’s application to conduct special operations training at 28 state parks in western Washington along the Pacific coast and Puget Sound.
The MDNS places conditions on the Navy’s request that would ensure no impacts to the environment would occur from the proposed activities. The public can review the SEPA determination on the State Parks website.
If the public wants to comment on the SEPA threshold determination documents, they can do so by providing written comments, here. SEPA comments must be received by 5 p.m. Jan. 22. (Note: The original deadline was Jan. 6.)
Following the release of the SEPA review, the commission will hold a virtual special public comment meeting on Jan. 26. At the comment meeting, the public can provide oral comments on the proposal directly to the commission before the item is presented for a decision.
The Navy proposal is anticipated to be on the agenda for consideration at the next regular commission meeting on Thursday, Jan. 28.
The public must register in advance to provide oral public comment. Registration opens at 9 a.m. on Monday, Jan. 4, on the Navy Training Proposal webpage. The public will find additional information about registration and participation on the webpage.
Anyone who wants to participate, but not give oral comment, can view the meeting on TVW or via phone.
In compliance with the Public Open Meetings Act, a meeting space is available for the public to come and watch the meeting unless the governor waives this requirement in an executive order prior to the meeting. Commissioners and staff will participate remotely and will not be onsite/in-person.
WHAT
Special public comment meeting on U.S. Navy training proposal
WHO
Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission
WHEN
4 p.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26
WHERE
TVW — link (Updated)
Phone
312-626-6799 or 888-788-0099 (Toll Free)
Webinar ID: 979 7491 6906
In person
1111 Israel Rd. SW.
Tumwater, WA 98501
The public can provide written comments on this proposal at any time using the following methods:
- Parks website: https://parks.state.wa.us/
1168/Navy-proposal - Email: Commission@parks.wa.gov
- Mail: WSPRC, Attn: Becki Ellison, PO Box 42650, Olympia, WA 98504
BACKGROUND
The U.S. Navy has a history of conducting special operations trainings in Washington State Parks. For many years, the Navy worked directly with parks to coordinate trainings. In 2015, Parks issued a five-year right-of-entry permit to the Navy allowing for regular trainings in five parks. That permit expired in May 2020.
The Navy submitted its most recent applications in February 2020.
The Commission has five regular meetings a year in pre-determined locations around the state. Time for public comment is provided at all regular meetings. A full agenda for the public comment meeting is available on the Parks website.
The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission is made up of seven citizen volunteers appointed by the governor to staggered six-year terms. The commission is charged with providing policy direction for the agency.
I haven’t read the proposal yet, but if there’s not a sound(db) limitation within the proposal I dread to to think about the affect the “training” will have on the ecosystem and attendees of the national parks.
The F35s we all hear are an example of noise pollution that is affecting everyone and everything in the PNW and have caused both animals and people to leave or die. Let us all consider the implications if the proposal is not in the best interest of the people… and people cannot survive without a sustainable ecosystem.
Correction to previous – what we all hear is the EA-18G, not the F35.
Just so everybody understands what kind of Navy training is proposed for State Parks, please read this from a press release:
“Camouflaged troops carrying realistic looking rubber rifles – that imitate standard military weapons – will sneak out of the water and across beaches to hide in upland vegetation for 2 to 72 hours while stalking park visitors…”
Navy assault teams will and have been stalking your family, children and pets. This is counter-insurgency training against the American population.
Link below:
https://www.change.org/p/no-military-training-in-washington-state-parks/u/28072774?cs_tk=AqRNizpmmc8MAM_NtV8AAXicyyvNyQEABF8BvJR9qAAH0LXKzH4C3ITVQq4%3D&utm_campaign=6d5ca3dee3d248b79800d3ce8575aca2&utm_content=initial_v0_4_0&utm_medium=email&utm_source=petition_update&utm_term=cs
And this:
““The Navy has said you might wander unaware into a secret military exercise,” said Karen Sullivan, co-founder of West Coast Alliance..”
https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/navy-wants-more-washington-state-parks-for-stealth-seal-training/
And this is a must-read:
“In the new scenario, which the military calls “realistic military training,” Navy SEALs carrying “simulated” weapons may also travel across public and private property within city limits, and may swim through public and private marinas occupied by people living on boats. They could conduct war game patrols on roads through residential communities.”
https://truthout.org/articles/exclusive-navy-uses-us-citizens-as-pawns-in-domestic-war-games/
Everybody ok with this?