Puget Soundkeeper Alliance not invited to show
Jan 26 2011 in Boat Show 2011, Guest Dock by Deborah Bach
There’s one longtime exhibitor you won’t see at the Seattle Boat Show this year.
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance (PSA) has been a regular at the show for a decade or so, occupying space provided at no cost by the Northwest Marine Trade Association (NMTA), which co-produces the show.
But things changed after the nonprofit environmental watchdog group sent intent to sue letters in December 2009 to five Seattle-area boatyards — four of them NMTA members — for alleged violations of the federal Clean Water Act.
A few weeks later, PSA appeared at the show as usual, its booth located just a few rows over from one of the boatyards it was threatening to sue. The organization’s presence outraged some exhibitors, who questioned why the NMTA was providing free space to an organization that was threatening to sue several of its members, who pay for exhibition space — an awkward situation, to say the least.
The five boatyards settled out of court last year with PSA, paying more than $77,000 in combined legal fees and a total of $6,000 to help fund two environmental projects.
NMTA President George Harris said he consequently “had a conversation”with PSA Executive Director Chris Wilke, who took over the organization after former director Bob Beckman abruptly left last July. Harris said he suggested it might be appropriate for PSA to skip this year’s show.
“I initiated the conversation and said I think would be the right year for PSA not to attend,” Harris said. “We agreed that it probably would be in the best interest of both organizations not to have them on display.”
Jane Sorensen said on February 2, 2011
Puget Soundkeeper Alliance was at this year’s boat show. I stopped by the booth they shared with Sea Grant and had a great chat with those folks. I was happy to pick up a copy of their new Boater’s Guide – very handy.
I commend PSA for working to keep our waters clean. And I was happy to see them again at this year’s boat show.
deck hand said on January 31, 2011
PSA you can skip next year too(2012 Seattle Boat Show) . No one missed you.
Jan Nielsen said on January 31, 2011
why lawyers? why not teachers their tactics were in bad taste
Captain John said on January 29, 2011
Sadly, I think it is time for PSA to step down as the Puget Sound Keeper and let other organizations fill the void with helpful oversight of the Salish Sea rather than the confrontational lawyer driven organization that PSA has become. PSA still is a wolf looking for a golden fleece at the expense of boaters of the Salish Sea.