So much focus has been going to other problems here in Kitsap County, which range from Wal-Marts to impact fees, that we may just be missing one of the worthier battles in recent memory.

Anyone and everyone who enjoys the Hood Canal should be concerned about Fred Hill’s plan to expand its operations at Shine and create an enormous pit-to-pier project. Yet when many hear the words “Jefferson County,” residents here lose interest.

Truth is that the waters of Hood Canal are something residents from both counties and well beyond deem an essential part of the local environment. Those claiming that the project won’t really impact everything from traffic on the HC Bridge to marine life and water quality are simply blowing smoke.

How can a project of this magnitude not harm the Hood Canal region? From bridge closures to inevitable issues with the environment, the only folks who would win on this one are the folks backing it.

Rumors that a Japanese company was funding the project were recently squelched. We don’t care whether there are foreign dollars involved or whether it’s all being paid for by Fred Hill Materials. To use such claims are irrelevant.

What isn’t is what this proposal could do to our way of life, on both sides of the canal.