From Stark
Whatcom County Executive Pete Kremen’s effort to get federal help in resolving the Lummi Island ferry stalemate appears to be bearing fruit.
Both Kremen and U.S. Rep. Rick Larsen, D-Everett, have shared a March 2 letter sent to the U.S. Bureau of Indian Affairs, over the signatures of Larsen and U.S. Sens. Patty Murray and Maria Cantwell, concerning the ferry situation.
The letter, addressed to BIA regional director Stanley Speaks in Portland, Ore., seems mild enough. The three say they are “concerned about this matter,” and they ask the BIA to respond to the county and provide “guidance and clarification on the BIA’s role as it relates to the lease of the tidelands held in trust.”
In an accompanying press release, Larsen uses somewhat stronger language:
“The bottom line is, we can not cut off access to the island for residents who depend on the ferry to go to school, shop for groceries or commute to work. Shutting down the ferry is not a solution to this problem. Negotiations on this issue must resume so a productive solution to this issue can be reached without hurting the local community.”
By coincidence, both Kremen and Lummi Indian Business Council Chairman Clifford Cultee are in Washington D.C., and Kremen said he expects to meet with Cultee on Friday, March 4 to discuss the ferry situation.
Up to now, the BIA has shown no inclination to get involved in the ferry issue. Agency officials have said their only role would be to review any new lease agreement between Lummi Nation and the county before it is approved. Here’s an earlier story on the BIA’s role.
If the BIA had orginally done their job properly this lease would not be necessary ! The Lummi Reservation was set aside for the Lummi Community, period.
Since the BIA will not get involved, it must be outta their hands.
Does a signed lease need the approval of the BIA?
Evidently not.
So appealing to a higher authority in that agency might be called pizzing in the wind.
But a hefty signatory to that whiz will surely convince the breeze, won’t it?
Big overnment, all that power and sometimes no responsibilty for their actions. The BIA failed to do their job and so far is of no help and I don’s think they have even apoligized for the problems they have caused.
Rick Larsen & Maria Cantwell talk out of both sides of their mouths. Right now they talk tough for the benefit of the islanders. But when election time comes their greedy little hands will be grabbing up mucho tribal contributions.
I wouldn’t be surprised if they got approval from the tribe before they sent their letters to the BIA. Afterall they don’t want to ruffle any feathers.
Well, that was a lot of nothing. There was an article in the WA Post yesterday, entitled, “The Where’s Waldo Presidency”, I didn’t think that it applied to all the Democrats in WA.
The tribes, through their branch of the SEIU have been big financial supporters of Larsen, Cantwell and Murray. I guess they are getting what they paid for.