King County Councilmember Dow Constantine will speak in support of legislation strengthening Washington ’s aquatic reserve program at this Wednesday’s meeting of the Washington House of Representatives Select Committee on Puget Sound.

The Select Committee on Puget Sound will meet on Wednesday, March 21, at 1:30 p.m. in Hearing Room E of the O’Brien Building in Olympia .

The aquatic reserve program was created to protect, restore and enhance Washington state’s most valuable shorelines. To date, only the Maury Island Aquatic Reserve has been designated.

“Regrettably, the management plan for that reserve created a loophole allowing for the introduction of an industrial barge-loading facility,” said Constantine . “As we work to form the Puget Sound Partnership and take on the enormous task of restoring Puget Sound , we must first stop the destruction of our shorelines.”

International mining company Glacier Northwest has proposed construction of a barge-loading facility on Maury Island that would extend more than 300 feet into the state’s only aquatic reserve. The management plan created by the state Department of Natural Resources in 2004 opened the door to the potential construction of this industrial facility in a habitat area critical to endangered orcas and Chinook salmon.

Constantine will testify in support of Sen. Erik Poulsen’s Senate Bill 6011, which would prohibit industrial and barge-loading facilities within the state’s sole aquatic reserve. This legislation has been approved by the Washington State Senate.

“The Puget Sound Partnership, if it is to succeed, will require the type of leadership shown by the State Senate in approving this legislation,” said Constantine . “I’m looking forward to asking the House of Representatives to join in restoring the integrity of the aquatic reserve program.”