Washington Mayors Join Wilderness Effort to Protect Wild Sky
Mayors Highlight Benefits to Economy, Water and Air and Quality-of-Life
Seattle - Over 60 mayors from around the state joined the growing number of local lawmakers and concerned citizens supporting efforts to protect the "Wild Sky" area as a congressionally designated Wilderness. In a letter sent today to the entire Washington congressional delegation the mayors made their case for why wilderness protection is good for their local communities and called on the delegation to work together and "make the Wild Sky a reality."
The letter says, "As locally-elected mayors of cities and towns throughout Washington State, we believe that Wilderness and protecting the special places in our backyards is extremely important to our local communities. Wild, open spaces are vital to the future of our local economies, our environment and the health and quality of life for our citizens."
The Wild Sky Wilderness Act would permanently protect 106,000 acres of federal forestland in eastern Snohomish County and Northeastern King County. Amazing stands of ancient forests, some featuring Douglas-fir and cedar trees eight feet or more in diameter, make this area virtually unmatched in this part of the Cascade Range. The proposal would preserve recreational opportunities such as hunting, fishing, hiking, camping and horseback riding for current and future generations of Washington citizens.
Led by a nucleus of mayors who have supported the Wild Sky proposal since early on, the group has been working over the past few months to engage other mayors in this effort. The result was an exceptional show of support from 65 mayors, representing more than 2.1 million constituents in 10 counties throughout Western Washington. The letter was signed by Mayors from across western Washington, from Bellingham to Vancouver and Friday Harbor to Ashford.
"Within two hours, Seattleites can be in some of the most beautiful wilderness areas in the world," said Greg Nickels, Mayor of Seattle who helped distribute the letter to many of his colleagues. "That's a big part of what makes Seattle such a great place to live, work, and play. These peaceful places offer us a much-needed respite from urban life, and a place to both enjoy and learn about nature. They also play an extremely important role in preserving the water we drink and the air we breathe."
The letter continues by pointing out that "[a]s the population of Washington State grows, permanently protecting wild areas like the Wild Skykomish area will be critical in order to safeguard the quality-of-life we enjoy here in the Pacific Northwest." For many rural towns and cities, wild areas provide a natural backdrop defining the values and appeal of their communities. The proposed Wild Sky wilderness would be within an hour and a half from 2.5 million Washington residents.
"Wilderness is important to Monroe not just because of the economic opportunities it will bring but also because it is essential to the quality of life that our residents enjoy," said Donnetta Walser, Mayor of the City of Monroe, which passed a resolution supporting the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal last year. "We enjoy having a foot in both worlds -- being close to a big city like Seattle while being minutes away from permanently protected mountains, forests and rivers."
The Wild Sky Wilderness Act (HR 822, S. 392) passed the U.S. Senate last November and is currently moving through the House of Representatives. The Bush Administration has testified that, if the bill passes Congress the President will sign the legislation into law. The bill enjoys strong support from the Washington Delegation led by lead sponsors Senator Patty Murray (D-WA) and Representative Rick Larsen (D-WA02).
The Mayors called on the delegation to work together and push to pass the Wild Sky this year. "It has been nearly 20 years since any federal wilderness has been designated on national forest lands in Washington State. We are counting on the entire Washington State congressional delegation to work together and finally make the Wild Sky a reality."
Supporters of the Wild Sky proposal welcomed the letter and look forward to working with these mayors on this and similar issues in the future, "These 'Mayors for Wilderness' underscore the broad local support for the Wild Sky Wilderness proposal at the most local level of government," said Tom Uniack, Conservation Director for the Washington Wilderness Coalition. "They offer a compelling voice on the need to protect our wild places to preserve the quality of life, clean environment and local economies that are critical to local communities throughout Washington." The Washington Wilderness Coalition has led efforts to reach out to mayors on the importance of protecting wild landscapes here in Washington State.
This year marks the 40th Anniversary of the Wilderness Act and the 20th Anniversary of the last wilderness bill to protect National Forest land in Washington State. Activists and Washington supporters of the wilderness hope to celebrate these anniversaries by enacting the Wild Sky Wilderness Act this year.