Bellingham courting NOAA operations

BELLINGHAM – Port of Bellingham officials are mustering a campaign to get the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s marine operations center to relocate.

For decades, NOAA has based its research vessels and shore support staff of about 70 people on Lake Union in Seattle, but the current lease expires in mid-2011, and in October officials plan to begin studying other potential sites.

Possible sites from Bellingham to the Columbia River will likely be winnowed to three by the spring, followed by further study before a final decision is made, said Capt. Jon E. Rix, commanding officer of the NOAA center.

NOAA’s existing home is in the running, and “Bellingham definitely is, no doubt about that,” Rix said.

Two decades ago, the Alaska Marine Highway System moved its southern terminus from Seattle to Bellingham, and port boosters hope to get NOAA to make a similar move.

The shipping terminal at the foot of Cornwall Avenue has space for four to six NOAA vessels, the local marine trades industry is well-equipped to handle maintenance of the ships, and Western Washington University does substantial NOAA-funded research, said James S. Darling, Port of Bellingham executive director.

Darling said a move to Bellingham would also put NOAA closer to many of the northern areas where research is conducted and would eliminate the need to negotiate the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks in Seattle.

Port of Seattle commissioners have written to NOAA that they want to keep the agency in the city but don’t expect to be involved much in site evaluation.