Port eyes transfer of Central Ferry land

Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers announced Thursday she introduced language that could provide a way for the Port of Whitman to exchange land with the Army Corps of Engineers.

“We’re really in just the very beginning,” said Joe Poire, Port executive director.

McMorris Rodgers introduced the Port of Whitman Economic Expansion Act which Poire explained is a necessary first step to even start the conversation about the possible transfer.

The last time an exchange like this happened between the port and corps, the Port of Whitman had to install a 400-acre bird habitat in exchange for three dredge cells at the Port of Wilma. It took 17 years for that deal to go through.

This time, the port’s eye is on land north of the port’s site on the upstream side of the Walla Walla highway at Central Ferry.

“Our goal would be to continue heavy industry,” Poire said.

If the deal was to go forward, the port would have to develop the property to the corp’s standard.

“We could be developing land in another state,” Poire commented.

The exchange is too far out to even make an educated guess on what details will be involved

Port officials brought this up to McMorris Rodgers during a recent trip to Washington, D.C., so she could get the language out there.

“The Port of Whitman is the lifeblood of Whitman County,” McMorris Rodgers stated. “This legislation will help move a land transfer forward to allow the port to continue their mission of economic development and business expansion. This land transfer will also help meet the needs of fish and wildlife mitigation efforts. The Port of Whitman and businesses associated with it contribute hundreds of millions of dollars in gross regional product every year, and this legislation will help them continue their mission of improving the quality of life for all citizens in Whitman County.”