Letter to the Editor: Against Hoh purchase

Peninsula Daily News

October 27, 2004

The question still remains:

How is it that Norm Dicks is able to hand over millions of dollars of taxpayers’ government funds to a “private enterprise” that calls themselves private property owners. to purchase more private property?

I am speaking of Western Rivers Conservancy.

In my opinion, there is more than a snake in the grass here!

The Hoh River issue is only a large smokescreen to what the conservancy has already done. Follow their own paper trail and buy-ups.

From Humptulips, ending at the Sol Duc, every river and large stream in between is in their plan to protect the fish and wildlife, they reason.

Isn’t that why we have a state Department of Fish and Wildlife?

This thing is happening all over the states, under a different name, place and time, and is led by a group called Wild Salmon Center (www.wildsalmoncenter.org which operates in Russia, Alaska, Mexico and coast to coast.

In my opinion, this is not about wild things, it’s about control and land grab.

Remember the Columbia River Gorge issue? Isn’t North Olympic Land Trust a follower?

StreamFest helps fund them. Jefferson Land Trust is busy buying up property.

What will the government expect in return for these million?

The conservancy says it has no intentions of selling out to the park.

But, the conservancy is turning this property over to the nonprofit Hoh River Trust, which so far has made no such promise.

So where is this money really going?

Certainly not for a useful cause.

Marilyn Lewis

Port Angeles, WA