S‑0445.2   _____________________________________________

SENATE JOINT MEMORIAL 8004

           _____________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Senators Spanel, Swecker, Patterson, Hargrove, Costa, Eide, Fraser, Thibaudeau, Franklin, Regala, Gardner, Prentice, Kline, Kohl‑Welles and Haugen

Read first time 01/12/2001.  Referred to Committee on Environment, Energy & Water.

_1      TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED

_2  STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE

_3  HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF

_4  REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

_5      We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives

_6  of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled,

_7  respectfully represent and petition as follows:

_8      WHEREAS, The marine waters located in the Strait of Juan de

_9  Fuca between the State of Washington and Canada are some of the

10  most pristine and diverse marine waters in the United States and

11  include irreplaceable natural resources; and

12      WHEREAS, The area includes such national treasures as the

13  Olympic Coast National Marine Sanctuary and the Olympic National

14  Park, for which the federal government acts as the trustee

15  thereof; and

16      WHEREAS, The area is home to five federally recognized Indian

17  reservations for which the federal government has the

18  responsibility of protecting treaty rights over tribal fishing;

19  and

20      WHEREAS, The area is the habitat for several threatened and

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_1  endangered species as designated by the federal government; and

_2      WHEREAS, The marine waters are used by a large portion of the

_3  federal government's strategic naval fleet, which poses a risk of

_4  oil spills; and

_5      WHEREAS, The marine waters are used for transportation of

_6  petroleum products that are used to meet the energy needs in the

_7  Western United States; and

_8      WHEREAS, These marine waters are of great environmental and

_9  economic importance to not only the State of Washington, but also

10  to the people of Canada and the United States; and

11      WHEREAS, The marine vessel traffic on these waters presents

12  risks of accidents and oil spills that would be devastating to the

13  environment and to the economy; and

14      WHEREAS, The safety of these waters is currently substantially

15  improved on a temporary basis by an oil spill prevention tugboat

16  stationed at the westward end of the Strait, the cost of which is

17  currently borne solely by the State of Washington;

18      NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that

19  Congress appropriate sufficient budgetary support to permanently

20  station an oil spill prevention tugboat, of adequate size, and

21  with rescue, fire fighting, spill response, and lifesaving

22  capabilities, at the westward end of the Strait of Juan de Fuca.

23      BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately

24  transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the

25  United States, the President of the United States Senate, the

26  Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of

27  Congress from the State of Washington.

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