Editor,

William Burnett wrote a scathing criticism of former commissioner Angie Homola’s environmental efforts. Certainly Angie was and continues to be a dedicated environmentalist. But is she over the top and unreasonable as Mr. Burnett insists as he points out her interest in converting Swan (or Bos) Lake to a salmon rearing estuary?

Natural estuaries for rearing salmon fry have been disappearing with urban development, and the more we can get, the better. No one seems to know that better than our local native tribes who have depended on the salmon for centuries.

Some think environmentalists are off their rockers for pointing out global warming and its effects on salmon survival.

The destructive effects of warm water on young salmon have been documented.

Our island has been blessed with some excellent local historians. Pictorial histories by both Peggy Darst Townsdin and the late Dorothy Neil have wintertime photos of people ice skating in the Oak Harbor area.

Our late former Sheriff Arnie Freund told me that in his youth he used to take his car out on the ice of Cranberry Lake for wintertime fun.

How long has it been since we’ve had winter weather like that? It makes it hard to argue against global warming.

If we want to preserve one of the most important features of our Pacific Northwest, we need to give estuary-improvement measures consideration.

Projects to increase salmon-rearing estuaries will be presented to the county’s Water Resources Advisory Committee 2:30-6 p.m. Thursday, May 7, at the Heller Road Fire Station in Oak Harbor. It is open to the public. Come and share your views.

Al and Barbara Williams

Oak Harbor