Out-Of-Work Timber Workers Rally Unfunded Program Puts Jobless To Work On Restoring Environment

Gov. Mike Lowry and Congressman Norm Dicks on Tuesday urged support for a state program that puts dislocated timber-industry employees back to work restoring the environment.

The Jobs and Environment Watershed Restoration Program “makes sense from every standpoint,” Lowry said at a rally on the Capitol steps that drew nearly 200 dislocated timber workers and environmentalists.

“It puts the experience of good, hardworking people who lost their jobs right back into the woods.”

Dicks, D-Wash., encouraged the crowd to go one-on-one with legislators to see that the program gets funded.

“The money is not in either the House or Senate budgets - it will have to be added in conference committee,” he said. “Let’s see that this gets done.”

Some members of the crowd carried signs bearing slogans such as “Wildlife Needs Help” and “Create Jobs Not Dislocation.”

Rep. Lynn Kessler, D-Hoquiam, said she was outraged that the House budget contained no money for the program.

“It boggles the mind that we’re not willing to put one damn dime into a program that gives people dignity. We found a program that works

and makes sense, and now we’re going to get rid of it,” she said. “It makes no sense.”

Sen. Jim Hargrove, D-Hoquiam, urged the crowd to pressure members of the Republicancontrolled House to back up the state’s timber workers.

“The House budget is $17.3 billion and they say they are not budging off of that number,” Hargrove said.

Timber workers lost their jobs through no fault of their own, he said.