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Island County Board of Commissioners NAS Whi dbey

Oak Harbor
P.O. Box 5000 Phone: (360) 679-7354
Coupeville, Washington 98239-5000 From Camano: (360) 629-4522 San de Fu ca
From S. Whidbey: (360) 32 1-5111 CAMANO
Coupeville
Fax (360) 679-7381 ISLAND
www.islandcounty.net Camano
. Keysto e

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Saratoga
August 1, 2017
Langley
Freeland Bayview

Washington State Department of Commerce Clinto n

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Local Government Division - Growth Management Services Maxwelton

Attn: Deanne Watson, Program manager

1011 Plum Street
Olympia, WA 98504-2525

RE: WASHINGTON STATE MILITARY AND COMMUNITY COMPATIBILITY STRATEGY

Dear Ms. Watson,

I greatly appreciate the opportunity to comment on the draft strategy document for improving
compatibility between military installations and the communities they impact. Island County
has enjoyed many decades of collaboration with NAS Whidbey Island leadership and views the
base as a partner and a major force in the local and regional economy. Milita ry personnel and
their families are also greatly valued, and appreciated members of our island community. The
base provides critical search and rescue response, and active duty personnel volunteer
countless hours in support of many local civic endeavors, in addition to their extremely vital
role in our national defense. We have a long history of partnership and Island County leaders
routinely engage with NAS-WI on topics of mutual interest, and the Navy outreach officer has a
designated, non-voting seat on the Island Regional Transportation Planning Organization.

The draft document is correct in its acknowledge ment that critical military operations are to be
sustained and that local communities should collaborate to minimize future development
encroachment. What is lacking is a description of the best process to follow when a military
base proposes to greatly expand its operations and increase impacts to existing local
residential, agricultural and commercial areas and public facilities . What is the mitigation
strategy when there is a broadening of military operations which will encroach upon
established development in the local community and impact local industries, and thus threaten
the vibrancy of its historic and diverse economic base? It is key for Department of Commerce to
address the balancing and mitigation of military operations with the need to sustain local
businesses, retain local public agencies and preserve historic cultural activities to help rural
commun ities keep their traditional character and avoid the vulnerabil ity and dangers of a
monolith ic military economy and a substantial shift of tax burden due to downzoning.
August 1, 2017
Department of Commerce
Page 2

Competing needs require deliberate collaboration and partnership from all parties. Whidbey
Island's rural nature and agricultural history creates a pastoral setting for tourists and locals
alike. It is a beautiful and welcoming place to live, attracting the largest per capita veteran's
population in the state. It is also the basis of a local economy of farming, the arts, and tourism.

This was recognized by an act of Congress in 1978 with the creation of Ebey's Historic National
Reserve "to protect natural and historic values". The occasional use of the NAS-WI Out-Lying
Field for necessary pilot training in this area has occurred for most of the last 40 years with local
business and military needs both being accommodated.

However recently at the OLF, military activities increased in numbers and noise intensity with
the new EA-18 Growler planes. In the near future, dramatically more flight activities are
expected, growing to a 500% increase in a few years, as an influx of new squadrons gain
adequate Field Carrier Landing Practice (FCLP}. It is expected that this peak number of FCLP's
will subside over time with the introduction of new technologies currently being developed,
and base populations will decrease as deployments occur and troops are transferred to other
locations. Mitigation and accommodation is required on both sides of the equation to achieve
the goals outlined in this document.

The assistance of the Department of Commerce is needed to navigate this situation, retain
military objectives and better integrate local government decision-making and citizen input,
support historic local economies, and provide mitigation strategies and technical support which
balance competing needs.

Please know that mutual benefits for both the military and civilian communities are necessary
from the Washington State Military and Community Compatibility Strategy. I look forward to
participating with the Department of Commerce in this vital work.

Best regards,

~Q. .,,:::-.---

Helen Price Johnson

Island County Commissioner, District 1