raven
03-25-2004, 06:09 AM
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/editorialsopinion/2001887030_wildskyed25.html
As a congressman from Spokane, George Nethercutt could get by with a safe, neutral stance on a proposal to designate 106,000 acres in Snohomish County as wilderness. As a candidate for U.S. Senate, Nethercutt should state a clear position on the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness.
Campaigning for Senate requires decisiveness on issues affecting the whole state. The politics of Wild Sky cry out for Nethercutt to play a role in securing support for the bill in the House of Representatives.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, would protect a chunk of mountain and forestland mostly in Snohomish County near Index, Gold Bar and Skykomish. Many in the towns recognize the future is less about logging and more about economic opportunities tied to outdoor recreation.
The bill passed the Senate but faces a rough ride in the House because the House Resources Committee chairman, Richard Pombo, is skeptical of wilderness designations.
White House officials say President Bush would sign the bill because it enjoys bipartisan support. Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn of Bellevue is a co-sponsor of the bill.
Nethercutt said this week he would start paying attention to the bill this year. Start paying attention? The Senate race is well under way. Action on the bill is needed quickly if it is to survive the 108th Congress. A strong stance from Nethercutt would be particularly helpful.
Nethercutt may be reluctant to hand opponent Murray a success for her re-election brochure. But if it is a good idea to protect acres of lowland forests as wilderness, then it is a good idea.
Nethercutt has a reputation for heavily nuanced positions on tough issues — term limits, gay marriage, affirmative action.
Wild Sky provides an opportunity for the Spokane congressman to provide relief for Western Washingtonians experiencing a dramatic increase in urban density. The wilderness designation would close miles of logging roads and protect a forested area with 25 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning streams and habitat.
Nethercutt ought to make a well-placed phone call or two, call in a chit and help protect a valuable piece of the great Northwest.
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company
As a congressman from Spokane, George Nethercutt could get by with a safe, neutral stance on a proposal to designate 106,000 acres in Snohomish County as wilderness. As a candidate for U.S. Senate, Nethercutt should state a clear position on the proposed Wild Sky Wilderness.
Campaigning for Senate requires decisiveness on issues affecting the whole state. The politics of Wild Sky cry out for Nethercutt to play a role in securing support for the bill in the House of Representatives.
The bill, sponsored by Sen. Patty Murray, D-Wash., and Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Lake Stevens, would protect a chunk of mountain and forestland mostly in Snohomish County near Index, Gold Bar and Skykomish. Many in the towns recognize the future is less about logging and more about economic opportunities tied to outdoor recreation.
The bill passed the Senate but faces a rough ride in the House because the House Resources Committee chairman, Richard Pombo, is skeptical of wilderness designations.
White House officials say President Bush would sign the bill because it enjoys bipartisan support. Republican Congresswoman Jennifer Dunn of Bellevue is a co-sponsor of the bill.
Nethercutt said this week he would start paying attention to the bill this year. Start paying attention? The Senate race is well under way. Action on the bill is needed quickly if it is to survive the 108th Congress. A strong stance from Nethercutt would be particularly helpful.
Nethercutt may be reluctant to hand opponent Murray a success for her re-election brochure. But if it is a good idea to protect acres of lowland forests as wilderness, then it is a good idea.
Nethercutt has a reputation for heavily nuanced positions on tough issues — term limits, gay marriage, affirmative action.
Wild Sky provides an opportunity for the Spokane congressman to provide relief for Western Washingtonians experiencing a dramatic increase in urban density. The wilderness designation would close miles of logging roads and protect a forested area with 25 miles of salmon and steelhead spawning streams and habitat.
Nethercutt ought to make a well-placed phone call or two, call in a chit and help protect a valuable piece of the great Northwest.
Copyright © 2004 The Seattle Times Company