RESOLUTION

 
WHEREAS Hood Canal is a beautiful, yet fragile, gift of nature and a treasure to the citizens of Washington;

WHEREAS threats to the future of this wonderful ecosystem are becoming more known and better understood;

WHEREAS Fred Hill Materials, a Poulsbo gravel company, plans to vastly expand strip mining operations near the shores of Hood Canal;

WHEREAS Fred Hill Materials plans to build an industrial port facility on Hood Canal to load gravel onto huge ships and barges;

WHEREAS this plan would threaten the shellfish industry and recreational uses of the canal;

WHEREAS the proposed project would have enormous detrimental impacts on the environment and regional economy;

WHEREAS the proposed project would threaten the Hood Canal Bridge;

WHEREAS 2200 citizens, 52 organizations, Congressman Norm Dicks and Senator Maria Cantwell have joined together in opposition to this project:

WHEREAS if approved, this project would be the first step in the industrialization of Hood Canal and runs directly counter to the landmark 1976 decision of the Shorelines Hearings Board that rejected a much smaller, but similar project at the mouth of the Hamma Hamma River in Mason County;

THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that Washington Democrats strongly declare their opposition to the Fred Hill Materials “pit to pier” Hood Canal mining proposal.