Nethercutt’s Sky bill debuts

U.S. Rep. George Nethercutt will introduce legislation today to create a Wild Sky Wilderness that is smaller than previous proposals and leaves protection of the most coveted acres up in the air.

The Spokane Republican wants to place 92,700 acres under strict wilderness protection and direct the U.S. Forest Service to devise a plan for managing 13,300 acres of lowland old-growth forest that would be called “backcountry wilderness.”

“That plan won’t be as restrictive (as wilderness protection), but very close to it,” he said. The goal is to preserve the natural character and protect water quality and water habitat on the land, he said.

Washington Democrats Rep. Rick Larsen and Sen. Patty Murray, who each authored a bill establishing a 106,000-acre wilderness area, rejected Nethercutt’s plan.

“If he is going to come up with an idea to yank out the most important lowland acres, the heart and soul of Wild Sky, and be proud of himself when he comes up with a euphemism, congratulations, but no. No, no, no,” said Abbey Blake, Larsen’s spokeswoman.

Mike Spahn, Murray’s spokesman, said the senator “will fight at every level and at whatever forum for full protection of the land.”

Nethercutt said his bill offers an alternative that can loosen the legislative logjam that has blocked federal protection for the forestland in eastern Snohomish County for three years.

Murray’s bill passed the Senate. Larsen’s bill is stalled in the House Resources Committee, where its chairman, Rep. Richard Pombo, RCalif., won’t allow it to be voted on. He said the lowland acres are not eligible for wilderness protection because they have already been logged.

“If we hold out for the Larsen bill or the Murray bill, nothing will happen this year,” said Nethercutt, who is challenging Murray for the Senate.

Following a July 22 congressional hearing on Larsen’s bill, Nethercutt pledged to come up with an alternative. What he’s proposing arose after his staff reached out to Larsen’s staff, and to those pushing for and against a wilderness area.

John Leary, leader of the Wild Washington Campaign, said he wasn’t contacted. That group has led efforts to win wilderness protection for the land.

He said the plan “fails on its merits,” and by not working with interested parties more closely Nethercutt “squandered the incredible public support that this idea has.”

That could affect Pombo’s attitude as well. He has said that any proposed wilderness area must be backed by the community and the hometown legislator.

Nethercutt had not talked with Larsen as of Tuesday evening. He said he hoped to change the Snohomish County lawmaker’s mind.

“I don’t know if he will or not. I hope he would,” Nethercutt said. “The only real decision maker I need on the bill is the chairman.”

Another obstacle is time. The bill must pass before Congress recesses in mid-October.

“It can pass,” Nethercutt said, “if we can get past the politics and work toward preservation.”

Reporter Jerry Cornfield: 360-352-8623 or .

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