Now’s the Time to Submit Your Comments for the SRKW’s

Dear Safe Shippers and Orca Protectors,

Governor Inslee’s Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery and Task Force has issued round 2 of the draft recommendations for actions — winnowing 63 recommendations to 36. This is our chance to comment on every one — for the orca!

The Southern Residents are well-represented by this hard working Task Force (many fellow islanders have a seat at the table), so let’s help them help the orca by showing that we care. On the first round, 3,400 public comments were received! Thank you for taking previous action, now let’s top that on this next round!

************

How to Comment:

• Take the survey on the Task Force online public comment portal.
  Comments must be submitted no later than midnight, Monday, October 29, 2018.
• Via U.S. Mail (postmarked by October 29):
  Puget Sound Partnership
  Attn: SRKW Draft Recommendations
  326 East D Street
  Tacoma WA 98421

************

Need Help Commenting?

• Commenting Guidelines
  Friends of the San Juans’ survey answers and comments are available here (their responses are highlighted with yellow).

Note: Safe Shippers prioritize and “Strongly Support” Draft Recommendation 24: Reduce the threat of oil spills in Puget Sound to the survival of Southern Residents as an essential recommendation that also addresses projected increases in vessel traffic from Canadian-based projects. Reducing noise impacts from vessel traffic is critical to SRKW population growth, and the noise reductions achieved through the Task Force’s recommended actions must be maintained. Note that any increases in vessel traffic could diminish or eliminate the noise reductions made through the implementation of Task Force recommendations and could even cause a net increase (from current levels) in vessel noise impacts to the SRKW. Preventing oil spills is critical, given that a single major spill could cause extinction of those whales in the vicinity of a spill.

• Commenting Workshop
  Hosted by CALF (Community Action – Look Forward)
  Saturday, October 27
  11:00am – 2:00pm
  Cheesecake Café, 1 Spring Street, Friday Harbor
  For more info: [email protected]

************

Looking Ahead:

• The next Task Force meeting will be Tuesday, November 6 from 9:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the Washington State Fair Events Center (110 9th Ave. SW, Puyallup)
• The final Year 1 report and recommendations are due to Governor Inslee on November 16.
• Our orca work doesn’t end with this survey. Implementation of many of the recommendations will require state legislation, so…
  Please contact your State Senator and Representatives http://app.leg.wa.gov/districtfinder to let them know you support Southern Resident Killer Whale recovery actions.

Thank you, Safe Shippers, for never giving up on our orcas!

You can support the San Juan Update by doing business with our loyal advertisers, and by making a one-time contribution or a recurring donation.