Tourism

Many communities around Puget Sound and the Salish Sea depend on tourism, especially those on the Olympic Peninsula, the San Juan Islands and other regional communities. (Olympic National Park is by far the largest contributor to the Olympic Peninsula economy.) Allowing the area to become a giant military staging ground will cripple the tourism industry and threaten small businesses: inns, B&Bs, restaurants, farms, wineries/distilleries, retailers, and outdoor recreation (whale watching, diving, kayaking, paddle boarding, boating).

Coupeville is the second oldest town in Washington State. It attracts upwards of 90,000 tourists per year. A four-fold increase in Growler flights would drive tourists away and diminish the economic vitality of Coupeville.

Outdoor recreation is valued at $21.6 billion and helps to create 199,000 jobs. Outdoor enthusiasts spend the most when they are recreating on the water. This is more than the $15 billion contributed to our economy by military and defense industries.