Farmlands cannot be moved

There are people who appreciate the wild, forested greenness of Washington State and there are those who see land as a resource to be exploited. There are those who work and live in harmony with nature and all that she offers, and there are those who fail to realize the richness that comes without dollars.

The fight over the new mega-airport location pits the two against each other and whether it is located in Pierce or Thurston County, we will all lose. Even the language used is an onslaught against the value of the land and its current inhabitants and a clue into the final decision.

'Greenfield sites' assumes the land is currently unoccupied and open for the taking. The problem is, that just isn't the case. In Thurston County, the land selected holds the water used to nourish the Lacey/Olympia/Tumwater area. It holds the best farmland in the state and many farmers take advantage of that fact to provide the surrounding area with a variety of fresh produce and seasonal farm experiences.

Our prairies hold endangered species that will disappear in the wake of the airport. There is no way to mitigate the destruction this airport site will cause. Clean water cannot be created out of thin air.

Farmlands cannot be moved. Forests and prairies do not spontaneously regenerate, allowing animals to be relocated.

Even if we ignored the wildlife, pretended we could create a sufficient water source and cost-effectively ship in food grown elsewhere, consider the human cost of those who would be relocated and why they might not want to go. Farmers live and work on the same property in a job that is labor and love-intensive and profit poor. Farmers often work land held by their families generationally. Their generational wealth, income potential, and home could all be stripped away with a single eminent domain decision. Never is this more debilitating than it is to a farmer.

For those of you who think this is as simple as moving to a new neighborhood - it's not. This is like stripping someone of their job, their home and their retirement accounts in a single fell swoop. With a pittance, they are sent on their way to start again. This is not justice, it's theft. Once again, vulnerable people become human collateral in the pursuit of progress. The CACC looking at this location keeps suggesting "...but what if this is an 'airport of the future' where space and pollution are not an issue?" If that is truly an option, maybe they should do that with SeaTac and Paine Field first. Make them airports of the future.

Demonstrate the value of technology that doesn't even exist in airports today. Then maybe, the Evergreen State can be both a place that values the environment and one that thrives in the transportation industry. Maybe then existing airports will be able to absorb the growth and a new airport won't be necessary. But if it is - maybe, just maybe, will my children consider selling them our land.

Catherine Carmel, Olympia

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