POSTED: Sunday, Sep. 20, 2009

Tide of comment favors 'Salish Sea' name proposal

Bellingham resident Bert Webber wants "Salish Sea" adopted as the overarching name for the inland marine waters of Western Washington and southern British Columbia.

The Washington Board of Geographic Names will consider his proposal Oct. 30.

"Cautiously optimistic," is how Webber described his mindset. "This is a bureaucratic process ... you just don't know."

Webber suggested the same idea 19 years ago, but officials then said there was little support for the notion and said Salish Sea wasn't a widely used term. This time, sentiment seems to be flowing in Webber's direction.

In recent years, marine scientists, Indian tribes, agencies and other people have begun using the term Salish Sea when referring to the waters of Puget Sound, the Strait of Georgia and the Strait of Juan de Fuca. And of the 36 comments sent to the state board, 29 support Webber.

A retired professor of marine ecology at Western Washington University, Webber says Puget Sound and the two straits are ecologically distinct from the ocean, and giving them a common name would highlight their connected nature.

A shared name would remind people of the need for cross-border approaches to marine issues, he says, and would acknowledge the Salish tribes who originally inhabited the inland waters.

Nine of the 29 comments in support came from Whatcom County residents.

"It fills a need for a catch-all term for the waters, replacing such awkward colloquialisms as 'North Puget Sound' commonly (but inaccurately) used to designate the waters around Bellingham," wrote Eric Bowen of Bellingham.

Valerie Partridge, who works in an environmental assessment program for the state Department of Ecology, also likes the idea.

"... It would make my job easier and my reports more readable!" she wrote. "(Instead of writing reports referring to the 'southern Strait of Georgia, eastern Strait of Juan de Fuca, and Puget Sound proper, 'I could refer to the 'Salish Sea.')"

Opponents, including three people from Bellingham, characterized the idea as unnecessary, unhelpful and historically off-base.

"This is some loose group's hobby horse," wrote Allen Rosenberg of San Juan Island. "It seems to be motivated by some warped sense of political correctness, and the belief that it will somehow give impetus to preservation efforts."

Canada's national board for geographic names hopes to issue its opinion before the October meeting, said Janet Mason, of British Columbia's agency for place names. Whether people already use the term Salish Sea is a key question for decision-makers, she said.

"Local usage is very much considered," Mason said. "Bert certainly did his homework and presented a compelling package."

ATTEND THE MEETING

What: Washington State Board of Geographic Names considers proposal to adopt the name Salish Sea for the combined inland marine waters of Western Washington and southern British Columbia.

When: 1 p.m. Oct. 30 in Olympia.

Details: (360) 902-1280.

Extra: For an online map of the Salish Sea, click here.