Drafter
Clerk 02/01/2017
Title
A MOTION recognizing the value of federal public lands to King County.
Body
WHEREAS, there are more than three hundred sixty thousand acres of federal public lands in King County, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands comprise nearly twenty five percent of all land in the county, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands offer a wealth of landscapes, including forests, mountains, rivers and wetlands, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands provide essential habitat for a range of native wildlife populations, including chinook salmon, steelhead and cutthroat trout, elk, deer, bald eagles, black bears, mountain lions and many other species, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands provide clean water and serve as a source of municipal water supplies, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands have historically been, and continue to be, an important source of food and medicine for Native American tribes, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands enhance the livability of King County by offering a broad array of recreation opportunities, including hiking, camping, fishing, hunting, rock climbing, skiing, foraging, birdwatching and many others, and thereby contribute to state and local economies, and
WHEREAS, businesses in King County attract and retain employees in part because of the magnificent landscapes and abundant recreational opportunities that the federal public lands provide, and
WHEREAS, the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, which comprises the bulk of federal public lands within King County, supports one thousand four hundred jobs in western Washington communities and nearly sixty six million of labor and business income each year, and
WHEREAS, these federal public lands are owned by all Americans, who value federal public lands as a vital part of our national heritage, and
WHEREAS, continued United States ownership and management of federal public lands in King County ensures public access to and environmental protection of these lands and the resources they contain;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT MOVED by the Council of King County:
A. It is the policy of King County to support continued federal ownership and management of existing federal public lands in King County, as well as in Washington state and the United States generally, because of the irreplaceable value these public lands provide to our environment, economy and quality of life.
B. It is the policy of King County to oppose the transfer of federal lands to Washington state or to local jurisdictions such as King County, both because of the financial burden such a transfer would impose upon local residents, and also because of the limited local resources available to safeguard and manage these lands in a manner that
ensures careful environmental protection, prevents inappropriate uses and provides appropriate public access.