Haugen requests $2.7 million to shield NAS Whidbey from encroachment

OLYMPIA – In a bid to protect Naval Air Station Whidbey Island (NAS Whidbey) from area development and possible inclusion in congressional base-closing plans, Sen. Mary Margaret Haugen, D-Camano Island, is asking the state to appropriate $2.7 million to the City of Oak Harbor to purchase 17.7 acres of adjacent land.

The area, designated an “accident potential zone,” is needed to ensure the long-term viability of NAS Whidbey to conduct flight and training operations.

“NAS Whidbey accounts for more than two-thirds of employment for all of Island County,” Haugen said. “Losing NAS Whidbey would be a disaster for Oak Harbor and Island County and for the entire state.”

Once purchased, the land would go into conservation futures status and be reforested. The city of Oak Harbor would own the land and the federal government would own an easement.

“If we can acquire this property now, it will address this issue through perpetuity,” said Oak Harbor Mayor Patricia Cohen. “We’re very appreciative of the support and recognition Mary Margaret Haugen has given to this matter.”

Haugen considers the budget request vital for keeping NAS Whidbey in good standing with the federal Base Realignment and Closure Commission (BRAC), which targets military bases for closure. NAS Whidbey, one of eight military bases in Washington, was placed on a BRAC closures list in 1991 before state officials were able to persuade the commission that it should be kept open.

“After we were removed from the list, there was a sense that the threat went away,” Haugen said. “That’s not the case. Acquiring this land now will protect us against future closure plans.”

Cohen said Haugen’s level of support “stands right alongside” that of Gov. Chris Gregoire, who traveled the state repeatedly to visit military communities to better understand their needs. “That was huge,” Cohen said. “For us, that was huge.”

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