Murray and Kilmer renew push for Wild Olympics bill
WASHINGTON, D.C. — Sen. Patty Murray and Congressman Derek Kilmer reintroduced Wild Olympics legislation on June 4, saying it will protect environmentally sensitive parts of the Olympic Peninsula for generations.
It will also support outdoor recreation opportunities and preserve and grow jobs on the Olympic Peninsula.
“The Olympic Peninsula is home to some of Washington state’s most prized wild spaces, and I look forward to working with Congressman Kilmer to make sure this pristine environment is preserved for generations to come,” Murray said. “This plan is the result of years of negotiation and compromise and would represent a strong step in the right direction — so I am thrilled to work with Congressman Kilmer to keep up the momentum and keep working to get this done.”
“As someone who grew up in Port Angeles, I’ve always said that we don’t have to choose between economic growth and environmental protection,” Kilmer said. “We listened to small business owners, landowners, tribes, and environmental advocates in putting together a proposal that works for our local communities. It is part of a practical, balanced strategy to protect the natural beauty of our region while attracting businesses and helping them stay, grow, and invest in our future.”
The bill, known as the Wild Olympics Wilderness and Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 2015, would designate 126,554 acres of existing federal land as wilderness in the Olympic National Forest and designate 464 river miles across 19 rivers and major tributaries on the Olympic Peninsula as Wild and Scenic Rivers.
Politically, the Wild Olympics plan has split environmental interests and timber industry interests. Timber interests have called it a land grab that takes more publicly owned timber out of production and restricts access to the woods. Environmental interests have said it protects some of the peninsula’s most sensitive areas and that nearly all of the land in question is already off limits to timber cutting because it’s already protected.
The Wild and Scenic Rivers designation would add federal recognition to the outstanding river systems on the Peninsula, protecting them as a source of clean drinking water and helping to keep Puget Sound clean for generations to come, said Murray. This bill does not restrict private property rights, says a news release from the senator.
Murray and Kilmer introduced similar legislation in 2014 and that legislation was the offspring of legislation introduced by Murray and former congressman Norm Dicks.