NOTE: This is a form letter handed out to 250 members of the Shilshole Liveaboard Association, to use in their own correspondance to the Governor and local state Senators and Representatives.

I am writing you to express my dismay at the actions of the Commissioner of Public Lands Jennifer Belcher and the Department of Natural Resources in trying to evict liveaboards throughout the state of Washington. They have reinterpreted the Aquatic Lands Act of 1984 to now include people residing on recreational boats under the definition of residential uses as stated in the law. The state legislature after much discussion and research over three years in the early 80's passed the Aquatic Lands Act as a way to address encroachment of houseboats and other developments over state owned lands. The legislators went to great lengths to define these residential uses. They did not include boats or anything that remotely describes boats. Suddenly sixteen years later boats are deemed to be included just when boaters are taking aggressive actions to be good environmental stewards.

The DNR is now saying that using your boat, as a residence (without defining whether that is one or seven days a week) is not a water dependent use because you can live elsewhere. What could be more of a water dependent use than living on a boat?

In a time of affordable housing shortages throughout western Washington, living aboard a boat is something that should be promoted, not discouraged. It is one way to afford housing in the city and an example of the desirable high-density housing that urban planners often discuss. Liveaboards have a small environmental impact on the region's limited resources. A normal household uses more water per day than a liveaboard boat uses in a week.

Liveaboards are the first line of defense for marina operators. They provide security for the other tenants. They are almost always the first response in case of fire or storms. They provide the eyes and ears at the water's edge for looking out for the health of the environment. They care about the ecology because they have chosen to live there.

The preponderance of liveaboards complies with all regulations regarding sewage, best management practices about gray water discharges, garbage, etc. Like other neighborhoods, there are problems. They can range from certain individuals not following federal or state mandates on garbage, sanitation or mooring. Let us deal with those issues together rather than take the adversarial approach of outlawing what has historically been part of the unique soul of Washington.

Living aboard a boat is a great example of the diversity of lifestyle that makes the Pacific Northwest such a great place to live. In the Seattle area, thousands of folks from nearly every profession permanently occupy a wide variety of boats. Doctors, architects, librarians, lawyers, engineers, mechanics, retirees and more live on boats, large and small, sail and power. We are from all walks of life and have chosen something a little different for our house. By forcing liveaboards out of their homes it could displace hundreds of working families, cause undue financial hardship, exacerbate an already demanding housing shortage, and remove some of the most ardent sensors of environmental quality of Washington's waters.

Please request the DNR to stay their actions until they can provide the legislature with a clear and compelling rational why boat liveaboards must be excluded from moorage over public lands.

Thank you.