Seeking equilibrium between two-fold ambitions, the State Growth Management Act is spinning out of control like an unbalanced top. While strong on natural resource management, GMA has done little to assure economic stability and both are extremely important to our community’s future. Kitsap County can play an important role in demonstrating that this type of balance is possible.

Because GMA is state law, Kitsap County government follows the rules, but, I am appealing to elected officials from around Western Washington to join me in requesting a statewide evaluation of the Act’s effectiveness in meeting reasonable benchmarks towards both of these important mandates.

At my recent Washington State Association of County Officials – Western District meeting, board members agreed a review of Act impacts is among the most worthy and necessary endeavors we will pursue in our tenures as elected officials. As chair of that group, I am moving forward with this request.

In Kitsap, a few notable projects have demonstrated that striking a balance between nature and economic vitality is possible. Custom solutions provide new hope for stagnant sites that lie dormant due to past environmental abuses, or on sites where inflexible rules fail provide options that pencil.

The new Kitsap County Public Works Annex and the renovation work ongoing at the Kitsap County Fairgrounds and Events Center demonstrates multiple “green” building techniques that improve site efficiency while reducing impacts on the surrounding areas. Finally, the Gorst Estuary Project – an exciting project that proves the GMA’s two goals can, in fact, co-exist quite successfully together.

Others appear to agree with Kitsap’s common sense approach, as the Gorst Estuary project was awarded $1.1 million in grants from multiple reviewers to date and another $800,000 is pending for direct reclamation and redevelopment of contaminated properties countywide. It is with much pride that I’ve encouraged and advocated for public-private stakeholders to facilitate solutions, like the land swap with Port Orchard Sand and Gravel; an environmental-economic development triumph.

Choices made as a community today dictate opportunities for generations to come. Each one of us potentially has an opportunity to help navigate our state to an improved future regulatory climate. The era of rigid regulatory solve-alls must draw to a close. We now have the science to generate lasting solutions that weave reason and logic into the planning process.

There are many opportunities for win-win. These opportunities require liberating ourselves from the win-loose mentality. Clinging to polarizing positions may seem more comfortable, but doing so robs the community of ideas!

Ours is an era of rapid change and high stakes. We’ve spent 10 years using a state controlled approach that reduces options rather than providing them and chases employers out of state. Kitsap demonstrates that elegant solutions do exist and that economic and environmental legacy-building can work together as one. I encourage you to make a difference by staying engaged, avoiding locking into a specific solution early, working to understand each other’s point of view, and by showing up when important discussions occur.

Who better than the residents of beautiful Kitsap to provide an example?.