San Juan County Democrats

Senate to hear landmark ocean-management legislation; Ruckelshaus to open the testimony

Tuesday, January 19 2010 - Kevin Ranker | Permalink

OLYMPIA – 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 and implement a comprehensive marine planning (MSP) blueprint for a state. 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 to mandate coordination.

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.

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – Jan. 18, 2010

Dozens of legislators urge U.S. Sens. Murray and Cantwell to review NOAA decision on marine research facility

OLYMPIA –Fifty state legislators have requested, U.S. Senators Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell to convene a congressional oversight hearing to study a recent decision by the National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to move its sole West coast marine research facility from the Puget Sound to Newport, Oregon.
State legislators from across Washington, including Senate Majority Leader Lisa Brown and Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, have signed a letter to Murray and Cantwell requesting immediate action to address what they say is a flawed award for the facility’s 20-year lease to the Port of Newport.
The Federal Government Accountability Office (GAO), the auditing arm of Congress, upheld Bellingham’s appeal of the NOAA decision late last year – expressing concerns of the Port of Newport’s location in a 100-year floodplain – and directed NOAA to reassess its decision. Increasing concerns have now been raised regarding the Newport site’s designation as critical habitat for the North American Green Sturgeon.
“Despite a GAO decision and additional serious concerns about the site and the integrity of the award, NOAA is moving forward and the Port of Newport is preparing to break ground,” said Sen. Kevin Ranker, D-San Juan, who is spearheading the letter from state lawmakers. “These concerns must be addressed before millions of tax dollars are spent. We’re not just going to roll over and let a flawed process take hundreds of good-paying Washington jobs out of our state.”

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For more information: Jeff Reading, 360-786-7845
For interviews: Sen. Kevin Ranker, 360-786-7668