As Washington Faces Drought Emergency and Historically-Low Watershed Runoff, Misleading I-2117 Would Threaten State’s Lakes, Rivers, and Streams
I-2117 Would Exacerbate Droughts, Make Drinking Water Sources Less Safe, Devastate Outdoor Recreation for Washington Communities
August 14, 2024 – As Washington state faces a drought emergency and historically low watershed runoff, the Seattle Aquarium, small businesses, and outdoor recreation communities are sounding the alarm on how Initiative 2117 would end support for water quality and ecosystem health. If passed, I-2117 would exacerbate droughts, make drinking water sources less safe, and devastate outdoor recreation for small businesses and families.
“The Taylor family has been farming shellfish in the Puget Sound for over a century. Initiative 2117 threatens our family-owned farm and the jobs we provide, eliminating critical resources to protect and restore water quality,” said Bill Dewey, Director of Public Affairs, Taylor Shellfish. “Taylor Shellfish urges families, farmers, and small businesses across Washington to vote no to protect our livelihoods and traditions.”
“Initiative 2117 poses a direct threat to the future of Washington’s lands and waters and the outdoor recreation experiences they provide,” said Betsy Robblee, Conservation & Advocacy Director, The Mountaineers. “We’re urging our members to vote “no” on I-2117 to keep Washington’s rivers, lakes, and streams clean and safe for paddlers and for future generations.” The Mountaineers is a community of more than 16,000 outdoor enthusiasts and educators adventuring with purpose together to explore, learn about, and conserve the lands and waters of the Pacific Northwest and beyond.
I-2117 would jeopardize protections for Washington’s rivers, streams, lakes, and natural lands. It would cut programs for salmon recovery, hurt water quality, threaten forest health, and reduce habitat preservation. That would mean biodiversity loss and fewer water recreational opportunities for Washingtonians.
“Initiative 2117 threatens our access to cold, clean water, which is critical to us as people and to the ecosystem we belong to in the Pacific Northwest,” said David Troutt, Natural Resources Director, Nisqually Indian Tribe. “Salmon will only survive if there is sufficient quality and quantity of water in our streams and rivers. We need all the tools possible to be sure that future generations of salmon, orca, and people will continue to enjoy the quality of life and water in the Salish Sea.”
“Washington state is making vital investments in restoring salmon habitat, reducing toxic pollution, expanding public transit, and more, but Initiative 2117 threatens to undermine all of those efforts,” said Nora Nickum, Senior Director of Conservation Programs, the Seattle Aquarium. “That’s why the Seattle Aquarium has joined a diverse statewide coalition to defeat Initiative 2117. We need to protect the incredible biodiversity that defines Washington state and ensure communities can thrive.”
Washington state has declared a drought emergency in six of the last 10 years, and drought is most severe in Central Washington. Drought conditions exacerbate wildfires in Washington state due to extremely dry soils and fuels in the form of dry vegetation and landscapes.
Yet I-2117 threatens water quality and drinking water sources by cutting funding for critical programs that protect and restore lakes, rivers, and streams, including:
- Cutting funding for the Conservation Reserve Enhancement Program, which compensates farmers to plant native vegetation along salmon bearing streams. This protects the environmentally sensitive land promoting biodiversity and ecosystem health;
- Cutting funding for the State to acquire and protect ecologically sensitive lands that play a critical role in preserving natural habitats, supporting wildlife, and maintaining ecosystem health. These cuts will hurt biodiversity, water quality, and recreational opportunities;
- Gutting funding for projects that restore wetlands along rivers and streams, many of which are required under a federal Consent Decree; and,
- I-2117 would also cut funding for wildfire resiliency and prevention programs across the state that make forests healthier and help local governments, private landowners, and communities prevent and prepare for fires in high-risk areas. Wildfires lead to more pollutants entering drinking water sources like lakes, rivers, and streams
To learn more about projects that would be cut by I-2117, visit Clean & Prosperous Institute’s Risk of Repeal map, which provides robust data on the impacts of the initiative, including transportation, air quality, and restoration for rivers, streams, and lakes.
Nearly 400 organizations and Tribes oppose I-2117 and have endorsed the No on 2117 campaign (no2117.com), including firefighters, small businesses, Tribal Nations, doctors and public health leaders, labor unions, and environmental groups. You can view the full list of organizations opposing I-2117 here.