The AWB filed this appeal with the Shorelines Hearing Board to stop the Washington Dept. of Ecology (DOE) from the biggest unconstitutional land grab in the history of our state. On Aug. 27, the Board invalidated the “rules” Ecology adopted last November as seriously flawed.

In August 2000, 29 legislators tried to stop Ecology from adopting these rules, but Governor Locke insulated DOE from any legislative intervention. The legislators from Kitsap County who made a valiant effort to protect your shoreline property were Senator Tim Sheldon, Reps. Tom Huff, Kathy Haigh, Bill Eickmeyer and Bev Woods.
Kitsap County has more marine shoreline than any county in the State. On two occasions, I made a formal request for Kitsap County to join in AWB’s effort to protect our shoreline property owners. A letter of request was presented publicly to the Commissioners on October 2, 2000 when I realized no request had been made by our county commissioners in their 2001 Legislative Agenda that these outrageous rules be abrogated.

Again on March 5, 2001, I made another formal request pleading with the commissioners to lend their support to AWB’s lawsuit. Commissioner Jan Angel, our newest commissioner also questioned why Kitsap County was not a part of this lawsuit. Neither one of us has ever gotten an answer.

We are not safe yet. This decision will surely be appealed. The battle is not over. AWB needs money to continue the fight to protect your shoreline property rights.

Take out your checkbook right now and write a check to the Assn. of Washington Business. Send it to Grant Nelson, AWB, P. O. Box 658 Olympia, WA 98 507 ; (360) 943-1600. Make a note on the check that it is for the shorelines lawsuit. Check it out www.awb.org. Don’t make somebody else carry your load.

Ask your county commissioners/city council member to join AWB in this massive effort to protect your property rights and keep lawmaking out of the hands of bureaucrats

Vivian Henderson, Executive Director
Kitsap Alliance of Property Owners.