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:

Thursday, June 14, 2012

Burley Lagoon Shoreline Master Program Comment Period Extended

Gig Harbor Shoreline Master Program
comment period extended to June 18, 5PM.

Send comments to: Gig Harbor City Council, c/o Planning Department 3510 Grandview Street, Gig Harbor, WA 98335; or,
Email to: katichp@cityofgigharbor.net (Peter Katich -253-853-7616)

Also Contact Representative Larry Seaquist at: Terra.Rose@leg.wa.gov

Gig Harbor's Shoreline Master Program hearing was attended by an overwhelming number of people concerned about Burley Lagoon and Henderson Bay's ecological functions being impacted by industrial aquaculture (read article in The Olympian here). Interest was so high the City of Gig Harbor extended the public comment period until 5PM, June 18.

Industry Considers this "Habitat" 
(click to enlarge)
(oyster cages in Totten Inlet, courtesty of APHETI)

Taylor Shellfish has already begun scheduling meetings with legislative representatives to try and get around the public meeting process and craft the regulations to their benefit. A few people stand to get rich by converting Burley Lagoon into a geoduck farm and loading/unloading facility.

8AM, Sunday Morning in Hammersley Inlet
(click to enlarge)

2012 Tidelands Cleared of Eelgrass
With Bags of PVC Pipes for Planting
(click to enlarge)

This transition will bring along with it industrial activities which Taylor Shellfish wants whenever there is a low tide, whether it be midnight or 6AM. The disruption to wildlife habitat corridors will be permanent. The disruption to a way of life will be permanent.

The intent of the Shoreline Management Act was to prevent the fragmentation and industrialization of Puget Sound's shorelines. Taylor Shellfish and industry lobbyists have convinced a few people this industry is "water dependent" providing "ecological benefits" and therefor should be allowed to do as it pleases, when it pleases.

If you're not involved, Taylor Shellfish and a few large corporations will have been allowed to transform Puget Sound's tidelands for their benefit, with future generations wondering why.
Posted by Protect Our Shoreline at 3:24 PM

No comments:

Post a Comment

Subscribe to: Post Comments (Atom)