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:

Wednesday, December 18, 2013

APHETI Year End Update on Taylor Shellfish Mussel Farm Permit Appeal

The following is an update from APHETI (The Association for the Protection of Hammersley, Eld and Totten Inlet) on the status of the Superior Court case appealing Taylor Shellfish's permit approval for a 58 raft mussel farm near the mouth of Totten Inlet.

Note: APHETI is a 501c3 non-profit corporation. All donations are tax deductible. Their efforts help to ensure the waters and tidelands of Puget Sound are protected through the Shoreline Management Act and local county programs as intended - for everyone.
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Contact information:
Association for the Protection of Hammersley, Eld, & Totten Inlets
-APHETI- (a 501c3 non-profit organization)
PO BOX 11523,

Olympia WA 98508-1523
(360) 866 - 0218 www.apheti.com 
 
December 17, 2013
 
UPDATE: Superior Court appeal status / State Shoreline Hearings Board (SHB) decision
Greetings APHETI Members and Supporters -

It has been some time since our last letter to you so we thought this update would be helpful. Here is what has been happening since late June 2013.

We last reported that on June 17, 2013 the SHB overturned Thurston County's denial of Taylor's permit application for expanded mussel raft aquaculture in Totten Inlet (APHETI website www.apheti.com).

APHETI attorney, David Mann, said this of the SHB decision -
“I continue to believe the SHB got it wrong on Benthic impacts, dissolved oxygen, Gallo mussels and cumulative impacts. The only way they (SHB) could get to their answer was to ignore entirely our legal arguments, our cross examination, and the multiple holes in the analysis.”

“Frankly I believe all of the issues the Examiner raised and we defended before the SHB are worthy of appeal. It will be an uphill fight, but it is by no means a slam-dunk against us.”

It was unclear at that time what Thurston County might do in response to the SHB decision. Regardless, the APHETI Board decided to immediately move forward with our own appeal of the SHB decision to Superior Court. APHETI attorney, David Mann, filed APHETI's timely appeal which effectively prohibits any further action by Taylor until the matter is resolved by the Court.

Then, after conversations with Thurston County staff by APHETI Board members, the Thurston Co. Commissioners agreed to join with APHETI and also filed a timely appeal with the Superior Court.

Since then, the wheels of the justice system have moved slowly. Presently, the Superior Court has scheduled the hearing of the APHETI / Thurston Co. appeal for March 28, 2014. We will let you know the outcome when the decision is rendered and what our next action plans will be.

We also wish to THANK YOU! for your outstanding response to our request for financial contributions to help pay APHETI's legal expenses in advancing this Superior Court appeal. Without your support this appeal would not be possible. We are still in the fight thanks again to all your generosity!!

Continuing contributions are most welcome and will be put to good use. If you would care to, please mail your response to APHETI, PO Box 11523, Olympia, WA 98508-1523. APHETI is an IRS registered non-profit charitable organization. Contributions may be tax deductible and all are acknowledged in writing. The identity of all donors is kept strictly confidential.

As always, please feel welcome to contact APHETI (360/866-0218) with any questions you may have. We again, Thank You! for your continued support.

APHETI Board of Directors

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