New water users group formed
Things have been just a wee bit busy since the evening of Thursday, October 20, 2005. It feels as if that was several weeks ago, instead of just a few days. Some really newsworthy things started happening then, though.
A group of more than fifty Jefferson County neighbors and their guests from further afield came together at the Chimacum Grange Hall and talked about the Department of Ecology's instream flow rule-making process in WRIA 17. After a presentation and a question and answer session, a vote was taken to decide whether or not we should form an interest group to work together to protect our water rights and those of people who have not yet arrived in our area. With a unanimous decision in hand, an interim board of directors was appointed and approved.
During the WRIA 17 Planning Unit's most recent meeting, the Department of Ecology official present had noted that stakeholders not represented by groups should form associations of some kind if they wanted a better chance of being represented at the WRIA Planning Unit table. So, now Ecology has what it wanted in that regard. The newly formed group will evaluate the current state of the planning unit process to determine whether requesting a seat at the table will be advantageous.
The group is now in the process of going through the paperwork necessary to form as a political action committee, which will provide the ability to lobby elected officials on the instream flow rule-making process and other water issues statewide. There will be an operating fund and a legal fund to support the group's activities. Nominations and elections for a regular board of directors and officers will take place as soon as the group formalization process is complete.
As a PAC, the group will be able to work with organizations with similar interests, and will be advocating its positions directly to Washington's Representatives and Senators. They will also be able to participate in court proceedings as deemed necessary.
We certainly do live in interesting times!
A group of more than fifty Jefferson County neighbors and their guests from further afield came together at the Chimacum Grange Hall and talked about the Department of Ecology's instream flow rule-making process in WRIA 17. After a presentation and a question and answer session, a vote was taken to decide whether or not we should form an interest group to work together to protect our water rights and those of people who have not yet arrived in our area. With a unanimous decision in hand, an interim board of directors was appointed and approved.
During the WRIA 17 Planning Unit's most recent meeting, the Department of Ecology official present had noted that stakeholders not represented by groups should form associations of some kind if they wanted a better chance of being represented at the WRIA Planning Unit table. So, now Ecology has what it wanted in that regard. The newly formed group will evaluate the current state of the planning unit process to determine whether requesting a seat at the table will be advantageous.
The group is now in the process of going through the paperwork necessary to form as a political action committee, which will provide the ability to lobby elected officials on the instream flow rule-making process and other water issues statewide. There will be an operating fund and a legal fund to support the group's activities. Nominations and elections for a regular board of directors and officers will take place as soon as the group formalization process is complete.
As a PAC, the group will be able to work with organizations with similar interests, and will be advocating its positions directly to Washington's Representatives and Senators. They will also be able to participate in court proceedings as deemed necessary.
We certainly do live in interesting times!
posted by olyfarm @ 8:47 PM
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