Return of the Gladiator

They call her the Gladiator. She’s tough, and works tirelessly to keep Puget Sound residents safe. She’s 136 feet long and can pull 150,000 pounds.

 
The Gladiator is a rescue tugboat that has been helping the state prevent oil spills in Sound, and the recent Supreme Court ruling on the Exxon Valdez spill, which dumped almost 11 million gallons in Alaska in 1989, is a powerful reminder that we can’t afford to be on the receiving end of such a catastrophic accident.

 
When an oil tanker encounters difficult weather or becomes disabled, the Gladiator helps guide it into port and clear of any submerged rocks. In her nine years of service, the Gladiator has participated in 40 rescues and assists.

 
Being a long-time sailor, I know intimately how special Puget Sound is—and it would only take one spill to change it irreparably. I love racing sail boats on Port Townsend Bay, feeling the wind whip past me and the salty water spray my face. How many people can say they share waters with orcas and salmon, or that they can take their kids exploring marine life along the mud flats at low tide?

 
Surrounded by such beauty, it’s difficult to remember that the Puget Sound is in trouble. The delicate balance of nature has been upset, and it’s up to use to restore it.

 
Those of us who live along the Strait of Juan de Fuca are glad to see the Gladiator back at her usual post in Neah Bay, where she’s been since July 1. She’ll be stationed there for another year of service on our behalf. But we don’t know yet if she’ll be back next year, because the funding has yet to be secured. I’m working with state and national leaders through the group People for Puget Sound to see that the Gladiator becomes stationed here permanently.

 
Senator Cantwell’s Coast Guard Reauthorization Bill promises year-round funding for the Gladiator, providing us with the security we need to prevent oil spills in our waters. With so much at stake from a catastrophic spill, in terms of our economy, environment and way of life, it is essential that Congress enact this legislation.

 
The tug is one tool to help us protect and improve Puget Sound, but it will take all the tools in the toolbox to do the job, and the most important may be to get everyone involved. Just getting out and showing you care makes a difference. MudUp.org is a great place to see what’s happening around the sound, and it has lots of fun, family-friendly ways to help out, like shoreline restoration work parties and beach celebrations.

 
MudUp is a project of the Alliance for Puget Sound Shorelines, a partnership of conservation groups that are working to support the state’s 2020 Puget Sound restoration initiative by taking immediate action to create new parks, restore the shoreline, support positive legislation and show people from all walks of life how they can get involved.

 
Being out on the water is my way of staying connected with the place I live. Puget Sound is part of our shared natural heritage, and if we combine sound protections with active restoration, we can hand it to the next generation in better shape than we found it.

Find out more at MudUp.org.

Al Bergstein is a computer consultant and a board member of People For Puget Sound. He lives in Port Townsend.