08/27/2007: "Duplicative Bureaucracy"

Every week it seems there is a proposal by the County council to impose some new layer or level of regulation on the citizens of the San Juan County. The latest is the letter of intent the Council voted to send to DNR to consider designating all of San Juan County an “Aquatic Reserve”.

Someone needs to be able to answer the question, “What is this designation going to accomplish that isn’t already covered by the current layers of regulation?”

Anyone who has proposed to do anything on or near the waters of San Juan county already has to satisfy the oversight and regulation from the County; Washington State Department of Natural Resources; Washington Fish and Wildlife; The Washington State Department of Ecology; the US Army Corps of Engineers; and Indian Tribes.

Satisfying these agencies and organizations often requires hiring lawyers and various experts, expensive surveys and extensive studies. Then comes the appeal from the Friends of the San Juan’s.

The “Aquatic Reserve” notion is about the same as the proposal years ago by the federal government to create a marine sanctuary in the waters of the County. That proposal was defeated and replaced with the San Juan County Marine Resource Committee.

The San Juan County MRC idea has grown into similar citizen-driven marine resource committees in a number of counties that boarder the Sound. This citizen-based approach has been very affective.

The Council should realize that the potential impacts of this new proposal are significant. Agencies and businesses that have to use the waters of San Juan County are in for a bureaucratic nightmare if the “aquatic reserve” goes through. Wait until OPALCO has to replace a marine cable that brings electricity to all of us. Even with existing permit processes, it took years and tens of thousands of dollars to accomplish the last cable replacement. Next time, with yet another bureaucratic layer, it will cost even more and take even longer; if it can be done at all.

Then there are the Washington State Ferries. They are on the ropes right now. Do we think an “aquatic reserve” designation for the ferry routes and terminals will make ferry travel any less expensive or improve the service? The list of potential negative impacts is long. There will be new hoops for the sewer districts to jump through; for the Port of Friday Harbor; for water-based businesses of all kinds, and for marina operators.

The Council only seems to listen to the environmental lobby. They don’t seem to give a passing thought to the vast majority of our citizens who are struggling to keep a toehold in the islands. This new layer of duplicative bureaucracy is unnecessary, and potentially very disruptive.
Shoreline businesses will be affected, marinas and resorts will suffer and the ferry system will have yet another stumbling block to overcome. Eventually an “aquatic reserve” designation bureaucracy will raise the cost of living for everyone in the islands.

If the Council was really paying attention to doing the public’s business, they would make an effort to bring in some of the folks who are likely to be affected by their proposed new regulatory bureaucracy, and hear what they have to say before jumping into something on the recommendation of a few folks with a narrow agenda.

One of the councilman said this would increase employment. You bet…the taxpayers will need to hire more bureaucrats! Congratulations to Councilman Rich Peterson for doing some research and voting against the proposal.