CSA discusses CAO at FHHS on Tuesday

There’s going to be a public forum on the CAO this week on Tuesday at FHHS – Gordy Peterson sent this along for me to share with you:

San Juan County’s controversial Critical Areas Ordinance (CAO) has caught the attention of some influential and powerful citizen’s advocacy groups around Washington State. Several distinguished guests from these groups will speak to the issues surrounding this proposal on Tuesday, July 28th, 5 pm, at the Hall Gymnasium, at Friday Harbor High School. They are brought to you courtesy of the Common Sense Alliance.

The Common Sense Alliance is a loosely organized group including business owners, realtors, property rights organizations, members of the building industry, and many other local citizens concerned about how these new restrictions will impact our local economy and private property. The forum is entitled, “The San Juan County Critical Areas Ordinance and The Future Use of Our Land.”

The goal of the Common Sense Alliance is to motivate San Juan County landowners to inform themselves about how the proposed CAO will effect land use, land value, and the social and economic needs of our community. They support a Critical Areas Ordinance that will maintain local control of planning and balance our constitutional rights with protection of our environment.

The speakers for the Tuesday July 28th Forum include:

William R. Maurer the Executive Director of the Institute for Justice in Washington will discuss, “The Washington Constitution, Private Property, and Government Power.” His group engages in constitutional litigation. He recently successfully argued before the Washington Supreme Court against efforts by the government to classify on-air radio commentary as a reportable contribution under the state’s campaign finance law (GAS TAX), a case where San Juan County lost the decision 9-0. Mr. Maurer has published several policy briefs and his cases have been covered in Newsweek, The Wall Street Journal, and all major Washington newspapers.

Dennis Reynolds will speak on “The Legal Obligations and Limitations of Government.” He has 37 years of experience as a public and private land use attorney, most recently with Davis, Wright, Tremaine. Previously he was a Public Attorney with the Washington State Office of Attorney General, representing the Department of Fish and Wildlife, and as Special Counsel for the Department of Ecology. He has worked on issues involving the Growth Management Act, Shoreline Management Act, state and federal Environmental Policy Acts, State Pollution Control Law, State Water Code, Clean Water Act, State Hydraulic Code, as well as other state, local, and federal environmental law matters.

Trent England directs the Citizenship & Governance Center at Evergreen
Freedom Foundation. He will speak about, “How to be an Effective Advocate.” Trent has formerly served as a legal policy analyst and then a visiting fellow with The Heritage Foundation, where his research and writing focused on criminal law, Constitutional issues, and judicial nominations. Trent earned a law degree from The George Mason University School of Law and a bachelor of arts in government from Claremont McKenna College.

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