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Bailey bill adding ‘lost’
islands to Island County
gains Senate approval
The Senate today approved
a measure, 46-0, that would officially add to Island County several
islands "lost" for 153 years. House Bill 2908, prime-sponsored by
Rep. Barbara Bailey, R-Oak Harbor, is now headed to the governor.
The measure would add Strawberry Island, Baby Island, Minor Island and
Kalamut Island in state law to Island County. It would also correct the
name of Ure’s Island in statute to Ben Ure Island, and Smith’s Island to
Smith Island.
"How does somebody lose an island? In this case, we actually lost four,
and they have not been recorded in the state law books for well over 153
years," said Bailey, who earlier testified before the Senate Government
Operations and Elections Committee.
Bailey told committee members that a constituent, Roger Sherman of
Coupeville, brought it to her attention that the islands were
overlooked.
"He indicated that Strawberry Island was not identified as a part of
Island County. How that came about, I’m not sure. However, Skagit County
has its own Strawberry Island and some may have thought that was the
island that actually sits in Island County. However, it is not. They are
two separate islands with the same name – Strawberry Island," said
Bailey. "As the result of further research, we found that there were
three other islands that also had not been delineated within the
boundaries of Island County – and they do exist within those boundaries.
They are now included in the bill."
Bailey said the oversight dates all the way back to January 6, 1853
before Washington became a territory or a state, when the Oregon
Legislature first created Island County. The oversight continued, even
after the Washington Territorial Legislature formed the county
boundaries in 1867.
Bailey said she was pleased that the measure made it through the Senate.
However, she noted that even as non-controversial as this bill was, it
barely made it out of the Senate committee.
"I was delighted this bill got a hearing in the Senate. Unfortunately,
it was no slam dunk. I worked very hard to convince reluctant majority
leaders in the Senate to move this bill. It finally was heard on the
last day as the final bill considered by that committee," noted Bailey.
"This bill brings all of our islands in Island County together," added
Bailey. "Someone asked me about the size of these islands. Strawberry
Island is four acres. I’m not sure of the size of the others, except
that they are small. However, I intend to take an island tour this
summer. Hopefully, the governor will sign this bill so that by the time
I tour those islands, they will all be included within Island County."
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For more information, contact:
John
Handy, Assistant Director: (360) 786-5758
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