Rep. Larsen Visits San Juans On Oct. 23

Rep. Rick Larsen. Contributed Photo

Larsen to Meet with Marine Resource Committee, Friends of the San Juans, County Transportation Staff, Port Leaders

By Rep. Rick Larsen’s Office

On Friday, Oct. 23, Rep. Rick Larsen (WA-02) will meet with the San Juan County Marine Resources Committee at Cattle Point to discuss the MRC’s efforts to reduce vessel traffic on endangered Southern Resident killer whales in the Pacific Northwest.

He will also meet with Friends of the San Juans Executive Director Brent Lyles and staff to hear about the nonprofit’s work with the San Juan Preservation Trust and private property owners to restore coastal habitat on San Juan Island.

Larsen is fighting to ensure SRKWs and salmon recover and thrive in Puget Sound.

A co-chair of the Congressional Estuary Caucus, he recently led bipartisan efforts to fund the National Estuary Program, a vital resource to protect critical habitats and endangered wildlife in Northwest Washington.

In July, Larsen secured funding to improve fish passage and critical habitats under the Water Resources Development Act of 2020. He also supported House passage of the FY2021 defense spending bill, which would require the U.S. Coast Guard to report on improving SRKW conservation and assess methods to reduce noise impacts on SRKWs in Puget Sound.

Larsen will then meet with San Juan County Public Works Director Colin Huntemer at a road improvement project at the intersection of Bailer Hill Road and Douglas Road to discuss the county’s transportation priorities and their importance to growth and development in Northwest Washington.

He will also meet with Port of Friday Harbor Executive Director Todd Nicholson and Commissioner Greg Hertel to receive an update on the port’s expansion plans and use of CARES Act dollars.

Larsen’s visit to San Juan County is part of an ongoing effort to highlight the importance of federal funding to local transportation and infrastructure projects.

Over the past few months, Larsen, a senior member of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, toured transportation projects in Whatcom, Skagit, Island, and Snohomish counties and in Bellingham, Arlington, Marysville and Camano Island. In July, he supported House passage of the Moving Forward Act, a comprehensive infrastructure package that would invest nearly $7 billion over the next five years in Washington’s transportation network, including nearly $5 billion in highway funding and more than $2 billion in transit funding.

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