Contact: Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Marketing campaign: [email protected]
Media Sources:
Wild Olympics Media Picture Gallery of The Proposal
Video: Voices from the Wild Olympics
QUILCENE, Wash. (September twenty third, 2021) –The Wild Olympics Coalition cheered a serious bi-partisan vote in Congress yesterday that helped advance vital public lands and rivers laws ahead, together with the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act sponsored by Senator Patty Murray and Consultant Derek Kilmer (D-WA-06), which handed with plenty of different public land payments as an modification to the Nationwide Protection Authorization Act. The Wild Olympics laws would completely shield 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 intensive neighborhood enter to guard historic forests and clear water and improve out of doors recreation, the laws would designate the primary new wilderness within the Olympic Nationwide Forest in almost three many years and the first-ever protected wild and scenic rivers on the Olympic Peninsula.
The bipartisan vote in favor of the laws included robust assist from Washington Reps Pramila Jayapal and Adam Smith who supported the modification to the NDAA. The Wild Olympics laws was handed by the Home earlier this Spring. The NDAA gives one other alternative to advance the invoice in each Homes of congress. An analogous legislative technique was utilized in 2014 by Senators Murray and Cantwell and Representatives Reichert and DelBene to connect laws to broaden Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers within the Alpine Lakes and Ilabott Creek, the final main wilderness & wild and scenic payments for WA, which have been handed within the 2014 NDAA.
“As somebody who grew up on the Olympic Peninsula, I discovered first-hand that financial development and environmental safety go hand-in-hand,” mentioned Consultant Kilmer. “Including this sensible, balanced technique to in the present day’s invoice will assist us shield a few of the most environmentally delicate locations on the Peninsula. It’s going to additionally guarantee we will hold 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 neighborhood – together with Tribes, sportsmen, conservation teams, timber communities, enterprise leaders, shellfish growers, and everybody in-between.”
“Wild Olympics has introduced Washington state households and communities from all walks of life collectively to guard lovely out of doors areas all of us love, and I’m excited to see this invoice proceed to earn bipartisan assist,” mentioned Senator Murray. It’s because of the assist and enter from Tribes, native residents, companies, shellfish growers, sportsmen, religion leaders, conservation teams, and so many others that this invoice and this effort have come so shut to creating it over the end line—we’ve managed to construct as broad of a coalition as attainable to get this carried out. I’m glad Consultant Kilmer is making regular progress on this within the Home, and I’m going to maintain working within the Senate to maintain up this momentum and be sure that we’re capable of protect these wild and scenic areas on the Olympic Peninsula for present and future generations.”
Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer spent years gathering intensive neighborhood enter on the Olympic Peninsula to craft the rigorously balanced laws. It might completely protect historic and mature forests, crucial salmon habitat, and sources of fresh consuming water for native communities, whereas additionally defending and increasing world-class out of doors recreation alternatives like climbing, tenting, boating, searching, and fishing. No roads can be closed, and trailhead entry wouldn’t be affected.
Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer labored extensively with native and regional timber pursuits to take away any presently viable timber base from the proposal to make sure the laws would haven’t any impression on current timber jobs, as confirmed in a 2012 Timber Influence Examine by the revered impartial Forester Derek Churchill.
Aberdeen Forest Merchandise Marketing consultant and Former Timber CEO Roy Nott mentioned in his July tenth 2019 testimony earlier than the Home Pure Sources 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 top quality of living- are what give us a aggressive edge over different areas in attracting and retaining the gifted individuals new corporations require. Wilderness and wild and scenic river protections would assist shield and develop the native jobs that depend upon our skill to compete for expertise in opposition to different areas, and they’d improve our recruitment efforts as we work to develop new companies sooner or later. And as a former Timber Trade Government, I recognize that Senator Murray and Rep Kilmer’s closing compromise proposal was scaled-back to make sure it will not impression present timber jobs.”
The Home passage comes on a current wave of assist and new native endorsements rallying behind the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild & Scenic Rivers Act. The brand new additions deliver the entire variety of native Olympic Peninsula & Hood Canal area endorsements to greater than 800 endorsers, together with the Quinault, Quileute, Elwha and Jamestown S’Klallam Tribes; over 30 native sportsmen organizations and fishing guides; the mayors of Port Angeles, Port Townsend, Ocean Shores and different native elected officers; companies and CEOs; farms and religion leaders; conservation and out of doors recreation teams; and lots of others. Moreover, greater than 12,000 native residents have signed petitions in assist.
TESTIMONIALS
James Thomas, President & CEO Thermedia Corp/MasQs (Shelton): “The Wild Olympics laws would assist shield the excellent lifestyle that is a vital cause individuals select to stay, 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 fantastic thing about the Olympics are the muse of our excessive “High quality of Life” that draws guests, entrepreneurs, new residents, and funding in our communities, strengthening our native economic system. Actually, these spectacular public lands have been the ultimate determinant after I selected the Olympic Peninsula as the brand new house for my medical machine manufacturing firm. Greater than ten years later my coronary heart nonetheless sings after I spherical a nook or prime a hill and the Olympics become visible. I applaud Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer for working to guard the Peninsula’s financial future.”
Invoice Taylor, President of Taylor Shellfish Farms (Shelton): “Senator Murray and Consultant Kilmer’s Wild Olympics laws will assist shield our state’s shellfish trade, together with a whole lot of shellfishing jobs in Hood Canal alone – and lots of extra in associated industries like processing, transport, 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 depend upon the clear, chilly, silt-free water that drains off Olympic Nationwide Forest into Hood Canal. Defending these watersheds permits our trade to develop, broaden and proceed to profit the economic system and ecology of Washington State. We’re grateful for his or her management.”
Fred Rakevich, Retired logger and 49- 12 months veteran of the timber trade (Elma): “I’m a retired logger who labored for 50 years within the timber trade. I’ve additionally fished and kayaked many of the main rivers within the Olympics. I used to be born and raised in Grays Harbor, however have traveled midway world wide. In all my travels, nothing impressed me greater than the pure fantastic thing about the Olympic Mountain Vary and the clear working waters that start their journey flowing towards the lands beneath. Timber is and at all times shall be a part of the Olympic Peninsula’s proud heritage. However our historic forests and wild rivers are the pure legacies we are going to depart to our youngsters 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 deliver to the Olympic Peninsula. With REI and Patagonia’s assist, 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!”
Michelle Sandoval, Port Townsend Mayor (Port Townsend): “This laws will assist completely shield clear consuming water for native Peninsula communities. For instance, one of many locations proposed for Wilderness safety is within the Large Quilcene watershed, which filters the clear, chilly consuming water for 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, Impartial realtor for Windermere Actual Property (Port Angeles): “The Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild & Scenic Rivers Act will shield and promote the identical spectacular public lands and top quality of life which can be serving to to drive development and create native jobs in actual property, development, and lots of different sectors of our economic system in the present day. Our historic forests, salmon, rivers, and superb landscapes are the north Olympic Peninsula’s aggressive financial benefit over different areas. We must always do all we will to guard and promote these pure treasures. The Wild Olympics laws will do each.”
State Consultant Steve Tharinger, twenty fourth Legislative District (Sequim): “It’s simple to see and perceive the ecological worth of the Wild Olympics concept, conserving clear and free-flowing rivers, however what is usually missed is the financial worth that sustaining locations like Wild Olympics brings by attracting individuals to the particular outside of the Olympic area. I wish to thank REI and Patagonia for partaking local people leaders like myself to assist design the map, and for recognizing that encouraging individuals to get out and benefit from the particular locations within the Wild Olympics proposal brings financial advantages to the communities I characterize.”
Douglas Scott, Proprietor of Unique Hikes and The Out of doors Society (Hood Canal): “Outdoors 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 massive cities, our glacial-fed rivers, filled with salmon and surrounded by majestic eagles continuously encourage hundreds of thousands of locals and guests to the area. Annually, over 4 million out of doors recreation lovers head to the area, hoping to discover a slice of pure magnificence in pristine forests and impossibly attractive 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 assist out of doors lovers from all walks of life, passing the Wild Olympics Wilderness & Wild and Scenic Rivers Act will assist be sure that much more of the beautiful surroundings shall be protected and accessible for all. I’m proud to Help the Wild Olympics. Come go to and fall in love with the great thing about rainforests, wild rivers, and breathtaking adventures and you’ll too.”
Dave Bailey, Previous President of the Gray Wolf Fly Fishing Membership in Sequim, WA & co-founder of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Individuals suppose that as a result of our salmon streams on Olympic Nationwide Forest seem as they’ve at all times been, that they’re protected. Sadly, that’s the furthest factor from the reality. There are decided threats underway to roll again present safeguards and open these delicate spawning streams to small hydropower growth, industrial clear-cutting and extra street constructing as soon as extra. That’s unhealthy for fish, sport, and sportsmen. This laws is crucial to protect what we’ve.”
Casey Weigel, Proprietor & Head Information of Waters West Information Service (Montesano) and member, of Sportsmen for Wild Olympics: “Via exhausting 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 assist households, who love fishing simply as a lot as we do. I assist 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 assist, and the {dollars} they convey into our native economic system would dry up. The Wild Olympics proposal would merely make the present safeguards defending our rivers on the 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 assist it, as a result of my household works within the timber trade. There are lots of challenges going through our rivers and salmon, with numerous debate and hundreds of thousands of {dollars} spent attempting to assist restore clear water and habitat downstream. However one fundamental, easy piece of the muse we will put in place now that received’t value any of us something, is to completely shield the wholesome habitat on the federal lands upstream in opposition to 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 Outside (Tahola) and member, Sportsmen For Wild Olympics: “Conservation for me on the Olympic Peninsula signifies that the following technology and generations to come back can come out right here and expertise the way in which that I expertise it and the way in which my grandpa skilled it when he fished out right here and that perpetually we at all times have this – what’s wild and what’s the Olympic Peninsula and our tradition in the present day.”
Contact: Connie Gallant, Chair, Wild Olympics Marketing campaign / [email protected]
Wild Olympics Marketing campaign / PO Field 214, Quilcene, WA 98376
