Letters to the Editor

Published 1:30 am Wednesday, August 6, 2025

Westport Golf Links project is shortsighted

The Daily World recently published “Westport Golf Links Swings Closer to Tee Time” (July 26), highlighting a presentation by Westport Golf Links (WGL) that leaned heavily on visuals and enthusiasm — but was light on critical examination.

The presentation cited that 1,200 public comments were submitted on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS), with 76% in favor and 23% opposed. However, many comments are brief and repetitive, suggesting that support was likely solicited through databases or organized campaigns.

Of course, golf association members will support new courses — especially in unspoiled areas like Westport Light State Park. But that doesn’t mean most Washingtonians or local residents are in favor.

At the Westport City Council meeting on June 9, local advocates opposing the golf course presented perspectives grounded in science, current usage, coastal resilience and long-term environmental impact. A video and slide deck of that presentation are available on the city of Westport website under Government then City Council.

In The Daily World article, a consultant claimed the project “is supported by and coordinated with the local tribes.” However, the Quinault Indian Nation (QIN) does not support the project.

In its DEIS comment letter, the QIN states that it is “deeply concerned about the impacts of the Project” and found analysis “rushed and incomplete.” The letter also notes that “stormwater runoff impacts are inaccurate” and warns that “the Project should not include cherry-picking which data will paint a light more favorable to this project.”

The consultant also stated that the “federal government would almost have to invest significant money to protect a $30 million golf course along the coastline.” But the notion that we must develop the coastline in order to protect it from erosion is fundamentally flawed. In reality, natural, undeveloped shorelines are the most resilient — buffering storm surge, allowing sand movement and supporting biodiversity.

The QIN calls this logic “troubling and misdirected,” adding that it “indicates that the applicant and the city are complacent in a project that will contribute to shoreline loss, so long as this will incentivize beach nourishment after the damage has been done.”

WGL claims that the park is “underutilized” and that golf will expand public access. But labeling Westport Light State Park as underutilized misunderstands its true value. The park’s open dunes, coastal trail, and natural quiet already offer meaningful public access — rooted in nature, not commercial recreation.

It remains shortsighted for Parks leadership, the city of Westport, and The Daily World to echo the developers’ marketing narrative without critical examination. I believe this bias is also evident in the DEIS itself, which offers many promotional conclusions while lacking supporting analysis.

The commodification of this park will cause irreversible harm — not only to public enjoyment, but to the ecosystems and species that rely on this dynamic and fragile coastline. The land’s worth lies not in how it can be packaged or sold, but in how it is protected — for the sake of all life, now and in the future.

Meghan Anderson

Grayland

Westport Golf Links is all about profit

There’s a dangerous assumption floating around Grays Harbor County lately: that if enough people support building an elite-for-profit golf links course on our Category 1 Wetlands, then it must be the right thing to do.

History tells us otherwise:

For decades, smoking was not only common, it was glamorous. Doctors endorsed it. Ads featured babies and athletes. The tobacco industry buried the truth about health risks. Smoking caused cancer, heart disease and millions of preventable deaths all while the public embraced it.

Factories dumping chemicals into rivers, belching smoke into the air and using lead or mercury in products were once signs of economic success. Entire communities suffered health and environmental damage while public and political support lagged the science.

Category1 wetlands are the most ecologically valuable we have — they filter water, prevent floods, support wildlife and buffer us from the rising costs of sea rise. Once gone they cannot be rebuilt by sand traps and artificial ponds. Even if Westport Golf Links markets their mitigation plan effectively, as a private business their priority is not environmental preservation. Their number one priority is profit.

Westport’s identity and future resilience for human survival depend on these natural systems.

We cannot let peer pressure, profit promises, or popularity override our responsibility to protect what makes this place livable and unique. Doing the right thing often means standing firm against what’s trending.

Popularity does not equal truth.

Let’s choose lasting values over temporary applause. It’s not too late to lead with the wisdom gained from past mistakes.

Marsha Gonzalez

Westport