EDITORIAL: Diking district behaves rudely
July 3, 2008 · Updated 11:23 PM
Diking District 3 commissioners have treated Whidbey Island anglers rudely by not giving them a hearing on their request to open an access road to Dugualla Pond.
The district has three commissioner seats, one of which is vacant and one of which is filled by a person whose term has expired. First, they need to get the board up to full strength, then they should announce a public meeting to listen to petitions from the people. Right now, the commissioners arent even polite enough to return phone calls from fishermen, this newspaper and others.
There may be good reasons for not opening the access road. If so, that should be articulated by the commissioners. But on the face of it the fishermen have a good argument: Dugualla Pond has a history of being a fishing hole until closed in the early 1990s by the diking district. Fish grow quickly there, and fly anglers especially would have a great time casting for big rainbows. State Fisheries has already agreed to resume stocking the pond with trout. The only thing standing in the way is the diking district. Even if the answer is no, the American thing to do is to give the public a fair hearing. As things stand, we have a dictatorship right in our own backyard. Explain that to our Operation Iraqi Freedom sailors who are coming home and may want to go fishing.
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