Tweets: At last week's Nisqually Bird Walk a birder and fellow environmentally active friend (Bruce Hoeft; Thanks, Bruce) alerted us of plans to construct a crude oil terminal in Grays Harbor on the Port owned property directly east of and just across the road from the east end of the Grays Harbor Refuge, popularly known as Bowerman Basin. I knew of two other proposals, located upstream in Hoquiam, that were delayed (at least) by the Shoreline Hearings Board, but I had not heard of this proposal. Here is a link to a publicly available preliminary document, which includes a "vision" of the proposed development. Anyone who has birded at Bowerman and the sewer treatment pond there will recognize the spot:

http://www.portofgraysharbor.com/downloads/crude-by-rail/USD-Commission-Briefing.pdf

I have very little info on this proposal, but I think many birders would like to keep abreast of this, given its proximity to the Basin. Here is Bruce's contact, which I am relatively sure he will not mind me sharing if you want to ask him for more info. I hope I am not spreading alarm prematurely, but I gather this is in its prelim stages.

brucehoeft at gmail.com

Jerry Broadus
Puyallup, WA.