Rep. Norm Dicks, D-Belfair, and Sen. Maria Cantwell have introduced companion bills “to provide the Quileute Indian Tribe tsunami and flood protection and for other purposes” (H.R. 1162 and S. 636).
Dick tweeted today, “Great video on need for Quileute tsunami protection legislation, recently introduced by Norm and Sen. Cantwell: http://youtu.be/nYksWOoP9pU.”
From the bill under findings:
(C) for many decades, the Tribe and the Park (National Park
Service/ Olympic National Park) have had a dispute over the
Reservation boundaries along the Quillayute River;
(D) in recent years, this dispute has intensified as the Tribe has faced an urgent need for additional lands for housing, schools, and other Tribe purposes outside the tsunami and Quillayute River flood zones; and
(E) the lack of a settlement of this dispute threatens to adversely impact the public’s existing and future recreational use of several attractions in the Park that are accessed by the public’s use of Reservation lands.
They’ve lived here for tens of thousands of years??? Try about 12,000 years.
People should come before the Park and a land swap makes sense.
But what is the elevation of Thunder Field? Wouldn’t it be threatened as well since the tsunami will travel up the river valley?
One way of escaping a tsunami is to get on the boats and head out to sea before the waves build up in height. Why isn’t that being discussed?
What about Ocean Shores and other low elevation peninsulas? There’s only a 2 lane road leading out of Ocean Shores for a population in the thousands. Nearly the entire peninsula would be swept over. Why isn’t Dicks and Cantwell getting the DOT to widen the egress to 4 lanes, AND, making it a reverse flow road? I’ve personally brought it up to them but they’ve remained silent.