Public Process & Outreach: Reaching Out to Local Stakeholders Early and Often

Our goal is a conservation plan tailor-made for diverse local recreation, access and economic needs designed through extensive public and community input. The Wild Olympics Campaign has been working for more than five years to craft a carefully balanced proposal that provides the strongest possible protection for salmon habitat, clean water and recreational opportunities while accommodating concerns and requests from diverse local stakeholders. We have had more than 400 small group or individual meetings, 80 large group presentations and workshops, 60 tabling events with local stakeholders, timber land owners and resource managers, local Tribes, timber interests, local elected officials, conservation groups, backcountry horsemen, mountain bikers, businesses, shellfish growers, sport and commercial fishermen, community leaders and other local residents. We have received feedback on our conservation vision and have refined it repeatedly to address different needs, concerns and requests from different local constituencies. We continue to reach out to different local groups, work to address concerns and refine our draft proposal today..

Outreach Efforts

To date the Wild Olympics Campaign has spent significant effort reaching out to local stakeholders and community leaders on the Olympic Peninsula about its proposal, including:

  • Conducted more than 80 group presentations, listening tours and workshops in all four counties of The Olympic Peninsula and Kitsap County with local community groups, churches, civic organizations and local community leaders.
  • Initiated more than 400 small group or individual meetings with local stakeholders and land owners, including local Tribes, timber interests, local elected officials, conservation groups, backcountry horsemen, mountain bikers, businesses, shellfish growers, sport and commercial fishermen, federal and state land management agencies and community leaders and other local residents.
  • Made dozens of appearances on local talk radio in all four counties to inform the public, take feedback and answer questions.
  • Garnered support from more than 250 local businesses, farms, elected officials, hunting and fishing organizations, religious leaders and conservation and recreation groups for the Wild Olympics proposal.
  • Gathered support from more than 6,000 Peninsula residents who have written letters, signed postcards or petitions in support of the Wild Olympics Campaign
  • Commissioned a Mellman Group/Public Opinion Strategies public opinion poll (June 2012) that found that nearly two out of three (64 percent) of likely voters expressed approval for the Dicks/Murray Wild Olympics draft proposal. A near majority (49 percent) not only supported the proposal but also supported it “strongly.”
  • Commissioned an independent study by Stewardship Forestry (October 2012) to assess the timber impact of the Wild Olympics legislation which concluded that the proposed Wilderness within the Wild Olympics legislation will not limit timber supply under the current management policy framework, and thus would not result in reduced harvesting or job losses.
  • Generated more than 100 published editorials, opinion editorials,  letters-to-the-editor and articles in local or regional media outlets on the Wild Olympics issue

If you want to set up a meeting with the Campaign, contact us through the comment section of the web site.

Campaign Chronology

The Wild Olympics Campaign has been developing its proposal to protect watersheds on the Olympic Peninsula since 2008. Since then we have been committed to soliciting feedback from local stakeholders, educating the public through local public workshops, the media and the Campaign’s web site. Visit the Campaign Chronology page to view the timeline.

Addressed Issues

We have received feedback on our conservation vision and refined it repeatedly to address different concerns and requests from different local constituencies. We continue to reach out to collect public input to refine our draft proposal today. Visit the Addressed Issues page for full details.

DONATE to The Wild Olympics Campaign!