PORT ANGELES — Port of Port Angeles commissioner candidates Connie Beauvais and Michael Breidenbach agreed on the port’s role in correcting timber arrearage and subsidizing air passenger service and discussed emergency preparedness during a League of Women Voters candidate forum.
About 20 people attended the Sunday afternoon forum at Port Angeles City Hall, which also included Port Angeles School Board candidates.
In the Nov. 3 general election, Clallam County voters will decide between Beauvais, 64, of Joyce, and Breidenbach, 63, of Forks to replace Commissioner John Calhoun, who is not running for reelection.
Timber arrearage
Both Breidenbach and Beauvais said that the port should be active in influencing corrections of the state timber arrearage, timber the state Department of Natural Resources was authorized to sell but didn’t.
“The port needs to have a very loud voice in that,” said Beauvais, manager of the Crescent Water Association, co-owner of Alpacas of Cedar Wind and a menber of the Charter Review Commission.
Taxing districts including schools, libraries, and hospital districts depend on those funds, she said.
Breidenbach agreed, saying that the port commissioners need to put pressure on DNR leadership to do their jobs and harvest all of the timber allowed under harvest rules.
Breidenbach is a retired Rayonier senior manager now in his seventh year as a Forks city councilman.
He noted that currently DNR enters the year with no intention to harvest 100 percent of the allowed timber, starting with 80 percent.
It is a leadership problem, he said.
“I still haven’t seen [Gov. Jay Inslee] develop a governor’s forest policy,” he said.
Both candidates said in answer to a question that they would not return
$1 million in Opportunity Funds received from Clallam County to complete a building for the Composites Recycling Technology Center at 2220 W. Eighth St., near William Fairchild International Airport.
“These funds are provided to help build up infrastructure,” Beauvais said.
That, she said, is exactly what the funds will do by completing the building, which will generate indirect revenue.
Breidenbach said the benefit will be returned indirectly through the creation of new jobs developed by composites recycling research.
“I think you will get your payback there,” he said.
The candidates were asked how much they are willing to subsidize scheduled passenger airline service between Fairchild International Airport and Seattle.
Breidenbach said that virtually all local airline services are subsidized by local governments, and that he is willing to support an airline as much as is needed to provide safety and medical lifelines to Seattle.
“It is important to build up our businesses,” he said.
Beauvais said she is willing to subsidize regularly scheduled passener air service as much as is needed to establish a “reliable, sustainable airline service.”
Emergency planning
The candidates were asked if, in the event of a major earthquake that isolates the North Olympic Peninsula, the port could be used to off-load container ships for disaster relief.
A major earthquake and probable tsunami likely would destroy port facilities on the Port Angeles Harbor along with much of downtown, the candidates said.
“The airport is what’s going to save us,” Beauvais said.
She said that Freshwater Bay would be a good place for amphibious vehicles to off-load disaster supplies for West End communities.
Breidenbach said he believes the port, even damaged, could be used to off-load barges.
“The port is well situated for an emergency,” he said.
Ballots for the Nov. 3 general election will be mailed to voters on Oct. 14.
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Reporter Arwyn Rice can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 5070, or at arice@peninsuladailynews.com.
