Something fishy at State Fish & Wildlife

Letter to the Editor.

There is a proposed development in Snoqualmie Valley right

by Snoqualmie Falls. This project is called Falls Crossing. The proposal

is to build 388-450 houses, retail and business buildings on land

adjacent and above the Snoqualmie River (and Kimball Creek).

A State Fish and Wildlife (SFW) habitat biologist for the area sent a

letter addressing the major concerns she had with a development being

placed on this site. She requested to speak to the planning commission directly

at one of their meetings. The city of Snoqualmie staff representative

and attorneys told the planning commissioners that, though they had

made repeated attempts to get someone from SFW, there was no response and so

it could be assumed no interest. This statement was repeated again at

the meeting last night (March 15) when planning commissioners asked the

status.

This statement was a flat-out lie. We have copies of e-mails to the

city staffer from the SFW biologist indicating not only a desire to speak

herself, but a desire to bring other experts with her.

We want to know, what are they trying to hide? There are salmon,

bull trout and many other species at risk here. This development will not

only impact the city of Snoqualmie but all others in the state served by this

waterway.

Take a look around people; this is happening everywhere. Agencies

are not upholding the laws that they are charged to protect. Why do

citizens have to resort to lawsuits to enforce the rules that we are paying these

agencies to enforce?

Jeri Fitzbuck

Fall City