Our mission is to protect the habitat of Puget Sound tidelands from the underregulated expansion of new and intensive shellfish aquaculture methods. These methods were never anticipated when the Shoreline Management Act was passed. They are transforming the natural tideland ecosystems in Puget Sound and are resulting in a fractured shoreline habitat. In South Puget Sound much of this has been done with few if any meaningful shoreline permits and with limited public input. It is exactly what the Shoreline Management Act was intended to prevent.

Get involved and contact your elected officials to let them you do not support aquaculture's industrial transformation of Puget Sound's tidelands.

Governor Inslee:

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Governor Gregoire Leaves Out Coastal Residents Again



Coastal counties and citizens get a "staffer" from the Governor's Office in Olympia to represent their interests in Coastal Marine Spatial planning.

 Gov. Christine Gregoire
(from Chinook Observer, April 3, 2012)

Governor Gregoire has again left coastal communities upset.  In January coastal representatives and citizens complained about being excluded from the $4.5 million in federal funding available from NOAA's Shellfish Initiative (click here for article).  Funds for helping repair failing septic systems and preventing farm waste from entering marine waters in Pacific and Grays Harbor counties would go elsewhere.

March 30, Governor Gregoire vetoed Sections 5 and 6 from Substitute Senate Bill 6263 which, in part, would have created a council of citizens from these coastal counties to help guide the Coastal Marine Spatial Planning process created in the bill.  Instead she has decided to choose a staffer from the Governor's Office to speak for them.  Coastal representatives are disappointed to hear their citizens will have no voice in the creation of what is best described as "zoning for near-shore waters, tidelands and the continental shelf." (read the Chinook Observer article by clicking here) (read the Daily World article by clicking here)

Not mentioned in either of the articles was Section 4's diversion of 8% of revenues from the leasing of aquatic lands or sale of products from those lands, previously used to fund the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA).  This account's primary purpose?  After appropriation, these funds shall be used solely for aquatic lands enhancement projects; for the purchase, improvement, or protection of aquatic lands for public purposes; for providing and improving access to the lands; and for volunteer cooperative fish and game projects.  RCW 79.105.150
Posted by Protect Our Shoreline at 2:32 PM

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