Jefferson County leaders are being asked to oppose the use of state parkland for military training.

Washington State Parks announced in December it had wrapped up its environmental review of an application from the Navy to use more than two dozen state parks as locations for special operations training.

The Navy has asked for permission to do the training at 28 state parks in Western Washington, along the Pacific Coast and across Puget Sound. In Jefferson County, the Navy wants to use five park properties: Fort Flagler, Fort Townsend, Fort Worden, Shine Tidelands, and Triton Cove.

The proposal spurred concern from Jefferson County residents, and some have asked the Port Townsend City Council to adopt a resolution like the one approved by the city council in Langley on Whidbey Island, which opposed the Navy’s request.

“I strongly urge Port Townsend to pass a similar resolution here,” Doug Milholland said in a letter submitted for public comment at Monday’s Port Townsend council meeting.

“The parks were never set aside for military training purposes,” he continued, and raised concerns about people who could get injured during “Navy war games.”

“I find this to be a totally unacceptable use of our parks,” added Port Townsend resident Leslie Aickin. “This is the sort of gross misuse I might expect of a dictatorial country engaged in war....but here in Washington state? No way!”

“Why add to the frustration of residents?” added Patrick Muckleroy of Port Townsend. “Why add to the environmental disturbances already caused by human activities? Happy New Year really? Or, different year, same old stuff?”

In its applications to use state parkland, which were submitted last February, the Navy said state park locations would be used between three to 36 times a year for training.

The training would be scheduled January through May, and June through November, and be done in blocks of two to eight weeks, and involve up to 84 naval special operations trainees and support personnel, which include boat and vehicle drivers, safety observers, evaluators, medical support personnel, and others.

The Navy’s proposal was also briefly discussed during Monday’s meeting of the board of county commissioners.

Board Chair Kate Dean said she hoped the board would offer comments on the proposal before the public comment period ends Jan. 22.

“I’m hoping we will consider a letter next week,” Dean said.

In the past, commissioners raised concerns about military training on state parkland and unmitigated impacts.

“We consistently absorb the greatest amount of impact from the military and ... get no sort of mitigation for that nor tax base, benefits, employment; things that other counties naturally get” from a military presence, Dean added.

Dean noted the large number of parks in Jefferson County that were included in the Navy’s proposal, and said the county endures impacts from the military’s presence without any of the benefits.

Washington State Parks initially said the public comment period would close Wednesday, Jan. 6.

State officials announced late last week the comment period would stay open until 5 p.m. Friday, Jan. 22.

The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission will host a virtual special public comment meeting from 4 to 8 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 26. 

The TVW link for the meeting is www.tvw.org/watch/? (the client ID is 9375922947 and event ID is 2021011044).

The public can provide written comments on the parks website at www.parks.state.wa.us/1168/Navy-proposal.