State Rep. Dave Paul, a Democrat from Oak Harbor, isn’t happy that grants for two Whidbey Island projects he championed were stripped from the state capital budget in what he believes were examples of political grandstanding.

On the other hand, state Sen. Ron Muzzall, a Republican from Oak Harbor, said he had concerns about the two grant proposals and isn’t upset that they were pulled from the budget.

A $600,000 grant for the Whidbey Camano Land Trust to purchase and protect 257 acres of shoreline, a lake and upland forest along Useless Bay in Freeland was removed from the budget during negotiations, even though it was ranked No. 2 in a competitive statewide Estuary and Salmon Restoration Project.

Likewise, a $600,000 grant earmarked for the city of Oak Harbor was supposed to fund repai

See Full Page