CHIMACUM — Representatives of the Yes on 1631 campaign and the Washington Environmental Council will host a tour of the Chimacum Ridge Conservation Easement today.
The tour will be from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The 90-minute tour will start at Finnriver Farm & Cidery, 124 Center Road, from which participants will be shuttled to Chimacum Ridge, described as a “thriving and productive community forest as an example of the positive impact of 1631,” said Jack Patterson, deputy communications director for the Yes on 1631 campaign.
The tour is to highlight the investments Initiative 1631 would make in rural communities across the state, Patterson said.
Initiative 1631, if approved by voters Nov. 6, would establish a carbon emissions fee of $15 per metric ton beginning Jan. 1, 2020, and increase the fee by $2 per year until state greenhouse gas reduction goals are met.
Revenue from the fee would go into three funds: one for air quality and energy programs and projects; one for water quality and forest health projects; and one for investments related to communities.
A public oversight board would supervise expenditures.
“Our state has a legacy of protecting the home we all share: prioritizing our health and a world-class economy.
“We enjoy that quality of life because we invest in our rural communities. But we know if we don’t act now, the threat of pollution will only get worse,” Patterson said in a news release.
“Rural communities are hit first and worst by the decline in our natural resources and pollutants that harm our economies and our kids’ health.
“I-1631 is a practical first step to ensure clean air and clean water for everyone in Washington and gives us the chance to pass on a healthier state to the next generation.”
