SEATTLE, WA – U.S. Senators Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Patty Murray (D-WA) today announced $25,000 in federal funding for a study of the Eagledale Ferry Dock site on Bainbridge Island, which served as a point of departure for members of the Japanese American community on their way to internment camps during World War II.
“These funds are a critical step toward commemorating the sacrifices and the strength of the Japanese American community and to recognize an important chapter in the history of Bainbridge Island,” Cantwell said.
“These federal dollars are the first step towards helping Washingtonians recognize and protect a part of our history that we must not forget,” Murray said. “We can’t undo the injustice suffered by Japanese Americans during World War II, but we can give them the recognition they deserve and a reminder to all that this should never happen again.”
In March 2003, Cantwell, Murray, and Senator Daniel Inouye (D-HI) sent a letter to the National Park Service in support of the funding. Cantwell and Murray praised National Park Service Director Fran Mainella’s decision to allocate $25,000 to start the study. The study is expected to cost $250,000.
Last year, Congress passed legislation sponsored by Cantwell, Murray, and Representative Jay Inslee (D-WA) authorizing the National Park Service to conduct a study to determine whether the Eagledale Ferry Dock Site should be designated as a National Historic Site.
The special resources study is the first step in the process toward a National Historic Site designation. Once the funds for the study are secured and the study completed, the next step would be for Congress to consider legislation designating the area as a National Historic Site and approving funding for the site.
Today’s announcement marks the beginning of the process to secure the necessary funds to do the study. Cantwell and Murray plan to work with other members of the delegation to secure funds in the federal budget for the upcoming fiscal year.
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