Laura Blackmore, executive director of the Puget Sound
Partnership, was among six leaders from so-called “national
estuaries” who spoke to Congress last week about the need for
increased funding.
Laura Blackmore, Puget Sound
Partnership
The natural beauty of Puget Sound and its recreational
opportunities have attracted people and businesses, including 11 of
the nation’s Fortune 500 companies, Laura told the House
Transportation and Infrastructure Committee.
“Unfortunately,” she added, “Puget Sound is also slowly dying.
Southern Resident orcas, chinook salmon and steelhead are all
listed under the Endangered Species Act. We continue to pollute our
waterways and our shellfish beds, and habitat degradation outpaces
restoration.”
The issue of ocean acidification gained some traction this week
in the U.S. House of Representatives, where bipartisan support led
to the approval of four bills designed to bring new ideas into the
battle to save sea life from corrosive waters.
If passed by the Senate, the legislation would allow federal
agencies to set up competitions and offer prize money for the best
ideas for reducing ocean acidification, adapting to ongoing changes
or solving difficult research problems. The bills also foster
discussions about climate change by bringing more people to the
table while providing increased attention to the deadly conditions
that are developing along the coasts and in estuaries, such as
Puget Sound.
U.S. Rep. Derek
Kilmer
“We know that changing ocean chemistry threatens entire
livelihoods and industries in our state, said U.S. Rep. Derek
Kilmer, D-Gig Harbor, in a
press release. “There are generations of folks in our coastal
communities who have worked in fishing and shellfish growing — but
that’s endangered if we don’t maintain a healthy Pacific
Ocean.”
Later in this blog post, I will reflect on other
Kilmer-related issues, including the so-called Puget Sound Day on
the Hill.
In a phone conversation, Rep. Kilmer told me that he was
encouraged with the widespread support for a bill that he sponsored
called the Ocean
Acidification Innovation Act of 2019 (HR 1921), which passed
the House on a 395-22 vote. The bill would allow federal agencies
to sponsor competitions and offer prize money for the best ideas.
Money would come out of existing funds that agencies use for
related purposes. The bill was co-sponsored by Northwest Reps.
Jaime Herrera Beutler, R-Battle Ground, along with Rep. Suzanne
Bonamici, an Oregon Democrat, and Rep. Don Young, an Alaskan
Republican. Five representatives from coastal areas in other parts
of the country added their names to the bill.
“There is a legitimate problem, and people are beginning to see
the impacts of the changing ocean chemistry,” Derek said. “This
should a bipartisan issue.”
