Mike Cooper: County Council #3, Snohomish County

Mike Cooper has already secured the endorsements of many other leaders in the environmentalist, labor, and firefighter communities. When he served in the state House of Representatives, Mr. Cooper sponsored and passed legislation to improve oil spill prevention and response in Puget Sound, and secured funds for a rescue tug stationed at Neah Bay. He also secured improved funding for non-motorized recreation activities and was instrumental in passing legislation to provide for comprehensive recycling of electronic waste (“e-waste”). He also supports the conversion of publicly owned fleets to biodiesel or other clean fuels.

Mr. Cooper views the heavy pollution of Puget Sound and its degrading water quality as a problem that demands a high priority in county government. He wrote, “First the county needs to set an example by reducing its own use of chemicals in and around our water supply. In addition, we need to make sure that we have strong regulations on setbacks [...] to make sure that septic, sewer, and storm-water systems are designed not to allow pollution to find its way into streams and Puget Sound.”

Mr. Cooper supports the Critical Areas Ordinance and hopes that progressive environmentalists in office, working closely with environmental groups like the Sierra Club, will help overcome radical property rights activists. Regarding the protection of the integrity of the Urban Growth Boundary and provision for urban separators, Cooper recommends promoting incentives and opportunities for transit-oriented development. Highway 99 is “ripe for this type of redevelopment,” he noted. This will preserve open space, historic neighborhoods, and agricultural lands in the rural county, while also helping us meet our population goals.

Campaign website: www.mikecooper.org