It is truly astonishing that this happened. Kudos to all the folks that worked on this, including People For Puget Sound who championed this from the get go, and helped get the politicians on board! I remember meeting with a woman on Maury Island, think it was Amy, Iwho lived across from the proposed site and was a scuba diver. A number of us, including my older son, went diving there, what, 11 years ago? So raise a glas, another 2010 win for Puget Sound, and all of us that are wanting to continue protecting this jewel of the US.
12/30/10 Vashon Beachcomber
http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/
Glacier Northwest’s 250-acre parcel on Maury Island went into public ownership Thursday, transforming what might have become the nation’s largest sand and gravel mining operation into an expansive King County park.
Documents finalizing the real estate transaction <http://www.pnwlocalnews.com/vashon/vib/news/111430974.html> were signed Thursday morning and King County took possession of the land, according to an announcement by King County Executive Dow Constantine.
The transaction marks the culmination of a 13-year struggle to keep the once-small mine from significantly expanding its operation. With the battle finally reaching an end, those closest to the effort say they can hardly fathom what the Island has accomplished.
Constantine, who negotiated the purchase and sale agreement with the involvement of the Cascade Land Conservancy, gave credit, in a press release, to the many who were there involved during the twists and turns, setbacks and breakthroughs in the battle against Glacier.
“The heroes of this long battle are too numerous to mention: Tenacious Vashon/Maury residents; Courageous elected officials; Skilled, public-minded lawyers; Dedicated environmental donors and leaders,” he said. “Some are here to celebrate, some no longer with us. Every one was critical in securing this victory for the Sound and future generations.”
He added a special thanks to State Senator Sharon Nelson.
“Senator Nelson worked tirelessly to secure the state funds that were necessary to finalize this acquisition," he said.
Amy Carey, head of Preserve Our Islands (POI) <http://http://www.preserveourislands.org/> , the grassroots organization that formed to fight the expansion, said that although she didn’t doubt the deal would close Thursday, she and the others at POI were still thrilled to see the sale completed.
She said that the end of the battle will require shift in psyche for those at POI, many of whom have worked daily for the past decade or more to fight the mine’s expansion, she said. “I think we’re all a little blissfully shell shocked,” she said.
The private fundraising campaign, however, is not yet concluded. Conservation organizations must finish raising $2 million towards the $36 million purchase price, the amount they promised when the deal was struck last month.
POI and the Vashon-Maury Island Land Trust have garnered $500,000 from Vashon donors, meeting their goal for the Island.
“Its just remarkable,” Carey said, “We came forward and gave this community an incredibly audacious goal. … That they met that goal is a remarkable feat and a really remarkable example of how phenomenal this community is.”
…A party celebrating the purchase of the Glacier Northwest mine site will be held at 7 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 8, at the Open Space for Arts & Community. Food will be served and music provided. There’s no charge to get in.
See the rest of the story at…
12/30/10 King County News Release
County gets the keys to Maury Island Property
Open space acquisition brings end to 13 years of efforts to expand mine
http://www.kingcounty.gov/exec/news/release/2010/December/30Maury.aspx
Filed under: Puget Sound | Tagged: Puget Sound |
