PORT ANGELES –Lower Elwha Klallam tribal members hope to “educate” legislators and possibly even Gov. Christine Gregoire about the tribe’s side of the Hood Canal Bridge graving yard controversy when they travel to Olympia on Wednesday.
“We want to educate them about why we’re standing firm,” Tribal Chairwoman Frances Charles said Monday, referring to the tribe’s decision to request a halt to graving yard construction after $58.8 million was spent by the state on the waterfront project.
“We will try to answer how did it come to be where we are now.”
Charles said she doesn’t expect the lawmakers to offer a compromise that might revive the project — nor the Lower Elwha to accept one — although she says such an overture might be made.
“I’m not too sure what to expect from the meeting,” she said.
“You try to go through the protocol, you try to go through the process, but their agenda could be a lot different from what we anticipate.”