The proposed wetland regulations very soon to be approved by the Island County commissioners (possibly as soon as Jan. 7) need to be stopped and rewritten to comply with state law. Island County has already spent $2 million of our taxpayer dollars defending an illegal Critical Areas Ordinance all the way to the State Court of Appeals who said the county was in violation of the Growth Management Act.

This would be an additional $2 million to defend another piece of gobblydegook by the county’s pro-development hired gun, Keith Dearborn. Keith had veto power over the Best Available Science report and is the lead in writing wetland regulations that are peppered with holes so huge you could drive five bulldozers through them side by side — right through a critical wetland.

The big holes are the words “practical” and “reasonable.” What is practical and reasonable for developers and clear cutters is not practical or reasonable if you expect to protect wetlands and critical areas, which these regulations are supposed to do.

With shock and alarm I witnessed what the Planning Commission and Island County Planning Department have done with our money. Stop them from wasting another $2 million of our money with regulations that will not stand up in any court or before any Growth Management Hearings Board.

More of my comments about other things that are wrong on this can be found at www.tmgan

dhi.blogspot.com.

Please act today and send your comments to: County Commissioners Phil Bakke District1@co.island.wa.us; Mac McDowell District2@co.island.wa.us and John Dean District3@co.island.wa.us.

Theresa Marie Gandhi

Clinton