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Gov. Jay Inslee recently patronized the Swinomish and other local Indian tribes drumming up support for the proposed Loomis Act, HB 1838. (Weekly News, Dec. 22) The act is intended to “save salmon” and would impose enormous costs on local farmers, landowners and taxpayers by requiring the planting of trees and vegetation on public and private lands bordering streams and waterways. The Skagit Valley Herald’s lead article on Jan. 23, “Creating Division,” addressed local opposition to the proposal.

Further, an opinion piece published in the Everett Daily Herald (Jan. 9) also argues just the opposite and that “Inslee has dug up a bad idea to protect salmon habitat.

The real threat is urban development.” The writer asserts that voluntary efforts and millions of tax dollars spent during the past 20 years doing the very thing the Loomis Act advocates has resulted in no measurable fish habitat gains ...

and that “the vast bulk of damage to our watersheds comes not from farming (activity) but from urban development.” In other words, repeating the same process and expecting different results equals insanity! It is highly likely that urban development will continue to occur throughout western Washington unabated, and that in 50 years or so, the entire Puget Sound region will look like the San Francisco Bay Area does today.

This urban development will overwhelm any efforts at preserving fish habitat regardless of effort or cost.

It should be noted that Indian tribes have no standing regarding state laws and are subject only to tribal law and federal statutes. Any concession the state makes is purely a gift, and Washington governors have been especially generous, e.g., Booth Gardner’s “Centennial Accord” that gave Washington tribes a voice in state government; Christine Gregoire’s self-serving decision to forgo federally prescribed tribal casino revenue sharing that has cost Washington taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars in lost revenue; and now Jay Inslee’s support and promotion of the Loomis Act.

The issue boils down to which has priority, humans or fish? Ideally, we would choose to benefit both, but when that is not possible geographically or economically, human interests must prevail.

Bruce Elliot

La Conner