tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41346465293026910682024-03-13T11:15:08.446-07:00Protect Our Shoreline NewsProtect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.comBlogger782125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-88668618885819866742023-08-21T16:48:00.003-07:002023-08-21T17:01:41.513-07:00USFWS/Dept of Interior Lawsuit <p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wvX_byuIrodyaq4lAyYjRLzoQLQ1d-gwRaqDEG8Q8aDLKM1ftexDs-q755zXI90rfYtXW1O5BQYdk13wATw6Q0nifTF4oC1uu0KuGpcbqsrnlmdoE8HC_Jte18pv9ou9PjEX5yfuXLABwrKdsuuOqIcCeX0xp0Ia9U0ZPEcqxEjmlCT-NUI5j0bEXBE/s760/Screenshot_20230821-165838.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="760" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg0wvX_byuIrodyaq4lAyYjRLzoQLQ1d-gwRaqDEG8Q8aDLKM1ftexDs-q755zXI90rfYtXW1O5BQYdk13wATw6Q0nifTF4oC1uu0KuGpcbqsrnlmdoE8HC_Jte18pv9ou9PjEX5yfuXLABwrKdsuuOqIcCeX0xp0Ia9U0ZPEcqxEjmlCT-NUI5j0bEXBE/s320/Screenshot_20230821-165838.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /> <span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">DUNGENESS NATIONAL WILDLIFE REFUGE UPDATE (DNWR):</span><span face="sans-serif" style="font-size: 14pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;"> </span><p></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; font-size: 14pt; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Groups Sue USFWS For Failure to Protect the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge </span></b></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Thank you for your support and concern about the proposed industrial-shellfish operation in the DNWR in Sequim WA.<u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u> <u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u>On August 17, Protect the Peninsula’s Future (PPF) was joined by The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat and the WA D.C. national organization Beyond Pesticides in a legal action to hold the <span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) </span>accountable to follow its regulations and protect the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. We are represented by the <span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Seattle WA law firm Bricklin and Newman </span><a href="https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/PR_8.18.23_%20Groups%20Sue%20U.S.%20Interior%20Department%20to%20Protect%20the%20Dungeness%20National%20Wildlife%20Refuge%20from%20Industrial%20Aquaculture.pdf" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #188fff; font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">https://www.beyondpesticides.org/assets/media/documents/PR_8.18.23_%20Groups%20Sue%20U.S.%20Interior%20Department%20to%20Protect%20the%20Dungeness%20National%20Wildlife%20Refuge%20from%20Industrial%20Aquaculture.pdf</a></p><div style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">The August 17 federal complaint, submitted to the</span><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"> </span><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">United States District Court For The Western District of Washington,</span><span style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"> </span><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">states that the USFWS must “take action that is required by the Refuge Improvement Act and conduct a compatibility determination and require a special use permit for a proposed industrial aquaculture use” that will abut and impact the Refuge. Plainly, the compatibility determination would decide whether this industrial- shellfish operation is compatible with the mission of the Refuge.</span></div><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;">The Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge was created in 1915 by President Woodrow Wilson. The Refuge provides habitat, a preserve, and breeding grounds for more than 250 species of birds and 41 species of land animals. </b>The <span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">shellfish operation lease is for 50 acres of Washington State bottomlands. 34 acres would be covered with up to 80.000 plastic grow-out bags of non-native shellfish spat, staked into the bottomlands and potentially killing all marine life underneath and snaring wildlife in the netting. These plastic bags will cover the primary feeding grounds for the birds, essentially starving them as they peck through the plastic trying to reach nutrients. This operation would shift the natural year-round-sediment drift, moving the sediment into and covering the eelgrass beds - beds protected for rearing salmon for whales and nourishment for particular migratory ducks.</span> <span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">To protect the birds, the area is closed to the public during the migratory bird season. However the USFWS will allow the shellfish operation in to the area all year long to the detriment of the birds. Please see this publication for further detail. <a href="https://www.ehn.org/dungeness-national-wildlife-refuge-oyster-2660613389.html" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #188fff; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">https://www.ehn.org/dungeness-national-wildlife-refuge-oyster-2660613389.html</a><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u></span></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Now we need your help in two ways. First, please circulate this to your friends and family so they are aware of what is at risk to this </span></b><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">public land maintained at taxpayers’ expense.</span></b><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u></span></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Second, please make a financial donation to support this legal action at any amount comfortable for you. Your donation is tax deductible. </span>Protect the Peninsula’s Future is a federally recognized 501c3 non-profit.</b><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;"> <u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u></span></b></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Checks can be sent to PPF, PO Box 421, Sequim WA 98382.<u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u><u style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"></u></span></b></p><p class="yiv6048485647MsoNormal" style="font-family: sans-serif; overflow-wrap: break-word;"><b style="overflow-wrap: break-word;"><span style="font-family: New; overflow-wrap: break-word;">Donations through PayPal can be made here: <a href="https://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/donate/" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: #188fff; overflow-wrap: break-word; word-break: break-word;" target="_blank">https://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/donate/</a> </span></b></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-82559575489627131142023-08-08T14:50:00.000-07:002023-08-08T14:50:04.691-07:00<p><span style="font-family: arial;"><b><u> <span style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-size: 15px; white-space-collapse: preserve;">Permit Hearing: 1 p.m. August 9 at 411 N. 5th Street in Shelton</span></u></b></span></p><div class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Floating Oyster Farm Hearing in Mason County's Oakland Bay, WA</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">50 acres of navigable water and tidelands is needed for a 9 acre floating oyster farm.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">[Article on citizen concerns here: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://www.masoncounty.com/story/2023/08/03/news/oakland-bay-hearing-wednesday/2967.html?fbclid=IwAR0Z1ZthTkh8vtI6X-bnfcFHYieFfzlf0Ol15qw9KEDwyrNmwv_sRndQDPs" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://www.masoncounty.com/.../oakland-bay.../2967.html</a></span></div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit;" tabindex="-1"></a></span>August 9 a permit hearing on a proposal by Taylor Shellfish to create a 9 acre floating oyster farm requiring a 50 acre lease in south Puget Sound's Oakland Bay will occur. While presented as "only" 9 acres, Taylor Shellfish has said due to drifting of the structure, lines and anchors, a 50 acre area of public subtidal tidelands and navigable waters is required.</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">To date, 49 comments have been received with 43 of those being opposed. Impacts to native marine life, the public's use of navigable waters, and plastic pollution are only a few of the concerns expressed. </div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">On Mason County's web site, Taylor's response to those comments has been a litany of past studies used to support a variety of industrial shellfish farms, dismissal of others as not being important (e.g., Friends of Burley Lagoon don't know anything about Oakland Bay, so their concerns are not relevant), and the belief that giving access to 16 acres tidelands in other parts of Oakland Bay, only exposed during a small portion of the day, is sufficient mitigation to offset the loss of the 50 acres of navigable waters Taylor needs. </div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">[See Mason County's web site and permit documents here: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmasoncountywa.gov%2Fhearings-examiner%2FTaylor-Shellfish%2Findex.php%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2h1fd2l3Tppf-aM7EpVqxboe0hDuft2rXeBL7kDuPArTRwl6tMNbxuPyY&h=AT2_3pbhNKz6Ap7UFwWjtiHM-MQzZNNixGx2PZxwyFaYWrlArsE8jA4PvYZHjNBDvOA0DmXUn_0ZeSqDVrs1KqqvSwRupNMxM7tAC8EldHQvTF606WaQb3-qSv6rRG8M1IFZK5cV4Mf0lBz5sQ&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT2vIibfbsTyAVY7edZS9bGpzCaFDNJI8RM8hGNHbE3GXowgH5_MxN-XnCroK1kXpZFniCmy9I-GzpVWpitg88ntCs2jangoQtxHd85k2bjikhYjWuo4t4SDPP00RP1ReOOeHjxW7GLrD-ORgI68gGyuz-CAnA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://masoncountywa.gov/hear.../Taylor-Shellfish/index.php</a></span> ]</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">In addition to attending in person, the hearing will also be available on Mason WebTV.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">[Find Mason WebTV here: <span style="font-family: inherit;"><a class="x1i10hfl xjbqb8w x6umtig x1b1mbwd xaqea5y xav7gou x9f619 x1ypdohk xt0psk2 xe8uvvx xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r xexx8yu x4uap5 x18d9i69 xkhd6sd x16tdsg8 x1hl2dhg xggy1nq x1a2a7pz xt0b8zv x1fey0fg" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fmasonwebtv.com%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0Z1ZthTkh8vtI6X-bnfcFHYieFfzlf0Ol15qw9KEDwyrNmwv_sRndQDPs&h=AT3aJHUd4blQrdeni3ApE5QQo12SSRO4UXU2Vd1bKw6MZmXHqo2lHljpDAFKHyQKsdy2t6Cg3iznqJyTKGX9z8NFTDX3rEMbMsnMiwOvYPZdIVO3brKOSmdmBzFVemJMV-O8KMFFCEk62W9x8A&__tn__=-UK-R&c[0]=AT2vIibfbsTyAVY7edZS9bGpzCaFDNJI8RM8hGNHbE3GXowgH5_MxN-XnCroK1kXpZFniCmy9I-GzpVWpitg88ntCs2jangoQtxHd85k2bjikhYjWuo4t4SDPP00RP1ReOOeHjxW7GLrD-ORgI68gGyuz-CAnA" rel="nofollow noreferrer" role="link" style="-webkit-tap-highlight-color: transparent; background-color: transparent; border-color: initial; border-style: initial; border-width: 0px; box-sizing: border-box; cursor: pointer; display: inline; font-family: inherit; list-style: none; margin: 0px; outline: none; padding: 0px; text-align: inherit; text-decoration-line: none; touch-action: manipulation;" tabindex="0" target="_blank">https://masonwebtv.com/</a></span> ]</div></div><div class="x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x1vvkbs xtlvy1s x126k92a" style="background-color: white; color: #050505; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; margin: 0.5em 0px 0px; overflow-wrap: break-word; white-space-collapse: preserve;"><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;">Through a series of delays, Taylor Shellfish has had ample opportunity to review concerns submitted and develop what they feel are sufficient responses to them. Coupled with time spent developing shoreline regulations which are favorable to industrial shellfish farm development, citizens who are concerned have an uphill climb.</div><div dir="auto" style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4qAlVb5MgOnPP3wqesUZnp68cDpzeqNLZLtqnU3jL0ZC4KnLuRWxQYRybHzS6vKpGoH1Tz7F2JD4e4TQ4j--OoGreT0ym4nf6kVX_FPdRGjMMn_SNld0D4OXdQrK0QhzBhIP4mVx0a_MR_JeH0Rh3-vkXFUSeNpymCAVedDa5fbS-KDI0GpLayAJV2Y/s767/Oakland%20Bay%20floating%20farm.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="618" data-original-width="767" height="258" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF4qAlVb5MgOnPP3wqesUZnp68cDpzeqNLZLtqnU3jL0ZC4KnLuRWxQYRybHzS6vKpGoH1Tz7F2JD4e4TQ4j--OoGreT0ym4nf6kVX_FPdRGjMMn_SNld0D4OXdQrK0QhzBhIP4mVx0a_MR_JeH0Rh3-vkXFUSeNpymCAVedDa5fbS-KDI0GpLayAJV2Y/s320/Oakland%20Bay%20floating%20farm.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /></div></div>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-76179193377122126492023-06-17T15:48:00.001-07:002023-06-17T15:48:23.528-07:00Taylor Shellfish Hearing Update: Delayed Again<h2 style="text-align: center;"><br />Taylor Shellfish Oyster Barge</h2><h2 style="text-align: center;">New Public Hearing Date: August 9, 1PM</h2><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Mason County Building 1, Shelton, WA</b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>Attend or mail comments to: </b></div><div style="text-align: center;"><b>lviscusi@masoncountywa.gov</b></div><div><br /></div><p>Taylor Shellfish has again requested, and been granted by Mason County, a delay of the public hearing on its proposed 50 acre project area in Oakland Bay. Within that area it is proposing to initially place a 9 acre floating structure to grow oysters. Local citizens are concerned over the growing cumulative impacts an approval would have. To the north, Burley Lagoon is also facing a similar industrial level project, this one being a 25 acre geoduck farm within the low flushing lagoon. There, an Environmental Impact Statement was required which is currently being appealed.</p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;">Pod of Orcas in Hammersley Inlet, </div><div style="text-align: center;">later seen in Oakland Bay near Shelton.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-bRYWW2C6EQ4QX8GJbIKESbFn_Pk_vrmGFzDw30dIi2oK5fanee9o5kFpHkpWQaN_ot9_9CDKljKoP-rysl5doiba_Kp7vDbOjmbZMu7eebmEJENbI4C1jdhrh2fpVZPG6FlhB_U-JEAliAHhpcA9Tt8pt8Hr5RQS-LAWA28p7jrgxBOA-EbOF0u/s1867/Orcas%20in%20Hammersley%20Inlet0014.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1334" data-original-width="1867" height="229" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEji-bRYWW2C6EQ4QX8GJbIKESbFn_Pk_vrmGFzDw30dIi2oK5fanee9o5kFpHkpWQaN_ot9_9CDKljKoP-rysl5doiba_Kp7vDbOjmbZMu7eebmEJENbI4C1jdhrh2fpVZPG6FlhB_U-JEAliAHhpcA9Tt8pt8Hr5RQS-LAWA28p7jrgxBOA-EbOF0u/s320/Orcas%20in%20Hammersley%20Inlet0014.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">In both areas, citizens are concerned about the impacts on native species, including Orcas. A letter posted in the July 15 edition of the Shelton-Mason County Journal rightfully pointed out the risks which anchor and suspension lines in this small enclosed bay would present to one of Washington's icon species.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e5vE8P_8leBe6zqUQvgNURVKhzZKI_eyJAr6SkNlA2FcsXNvrm3JOmw3CQYnCBXfpLT84fLgevli95Q8SwvNNId2B34zZhEcd7sPKFobJrHbX_TVU26b298QCG_bOedI24h84Lkt-u7yict20VL-O3wMJgq9OyXosxQcVy3mlZJKUzAEHvk1Onyz/s1148/Screenshot_20230531-165236.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="743" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi5e5vE8P_8leBe6zqUQvgNURVKhzZKI_eyJAr6SkNlA2FcsXNvrm3JOmw3CQYnCBXfpLT84fLgevli95Q8SwvNNId2B34zZhEcd7sPKFobJrHbX_TVU26b298QCG_bOedI24h84Lkt-u7yict20VL-O3wMJgq9OyXosxQcVy3mlZJKUzAEHvk1Onyz/w259-h400/Screenshot_20230531-165236.png" width="259" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Cumulative impacts are real. Get involved. </div><p></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-24951615019142417862023-05-31T16:57:00.003-07:002023-05-31T16:57:33.763-07:00Taylor Shellfish Hearing<p>A hearing for a proposal to place a 9 acre floating oyster structure in Oakland Bay, within a 50 acre project area, has been moved to <b><i><u>June 14 at 1pm.</u></i></b> Concerns already expressed include risks to Orca which regularly visit Oakland Bay; visual impacts; navigational hazards created; and, cumulative impacts. Notice of the rescheduled Hearing as well as Army Corps' comment request is below.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">50 acre project area</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJUe3ezdzWJ3Z9OTzXxSU8VEK_QjNxL5T6YY8RKoBtCydwSNn--0-o-PPKrwDh4rmeHHeDl-WLmnj9Qn35ECosIfKz_DYO-PdAdd5l4yhy1BpSfKAwvLZGfC6xgmOu1hTB4YK0kBYBkVhq0bSCK_yfoHTqum6va8kw2Eclg74tVY_WGlpsAwszOHd/s1148/Screenshot_20230531-165236.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1148" data-original-width="743" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRJUe3ezdzWJ3Z9OTzXxSU8VEK_QjNxL5T6YY8RKoBtCydwSNn--0-o-PPKrwDh4rmeHHeDl-WLmnj9Qn35ECosIfKz_DYO-PdAdd5l4yhy1BpSfKAwvLZGfC6xgmOu1hTB4YK0kBYBkVhq0bSCK_yfoHTqum6va8kw2Eclg74tVY_WGlpsAwszOHd/s320/Screenshot_20230531-165236.png" width="207" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(From Army Corps' pdf below)</div><p>MASON COUNTY NOTICE: Shellfish hearing moved to June 14</p><p>The Taylor Shellfish proposed floating oyster bag proposal in Oakland Bay has been moved to <b><i><u>1 p.m. June 14 at Mason County Building 1 in Shelton.</u></i></b></p><p>According to the agenda on the hearing examiner’s website, Taylor Shellfish is applying for a shoreline substantial development and shoreline conditional use permit to grow Pacific oysters and install a floating oyster bag system in Oakland Bay. The system will use an estimated 9.1 acres of surface water within a 50-acre area for the floating oyster gear.</p><p>Also seeking public comment is the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers in Seattle. The organization posted a public notice May 19 for the Department of Army Permit for Taylor Shellfish’s floating oyster bag farm.</p><p>According to a flyer mailed out by the Corps of Engineers, Taylor Shellfish is proposing to install and maintain 30 pairs of synthetic rope lines, each pair 1,800 feet long, across 9.1 subtidal acres of Oakland Bay. Rope line pairs would connect the tops and bottoms of a row of plastic mesh bags with each bag between a pair of floats above and below the bag. Rope line pairs will be arranged 20 to 30 feet apart across the 50-acre site.The bag will be used for oyster seed and oyster growing cultivation and the purpose of the project is to provide shellfish to eat, according to the flyer.</p><p><b>The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Seattle District has posted the public notice for review and comment at: <a href="https://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Portals/27/docs/regulatory2/Public%20Notices/2023/NWS-2023-0305-AQ-PN.pdf">https://www.nws.usace.army.mil/Portals/27/docs/regulatory2/Public%20Notices/2023/NWS-2023-0305-AQ-PN.pdf</a> </b></p><p><b>If you wish to comment and do not have internet access and would like to request a paper copy of the notice, contact Rory Lee at 206-427-0732. Comments must be received by June 18.</b></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-74668610893421710112023-05-28T14:51:00.004-07:002023-05-28T14:55:04.681-07:00Geoduck for China<p>Tacoma's The News Tribune writes on resistance to a 25 acre geoduck farm in Burley Lagoon proposed by Taylor Shellfish. Tidelands currently used to produce clams and oysters sold in the US would be converted to grow geoduck exported to China, requiring 42,000 PVC tubes per acre in the process. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WjmF_v3bxTYaHCtHiTWm7vFPmQ4uQxpRK-4t2Z1O7OZy-x86VcotxApJ-mJLUCrkRP1ceTsCv5zmlTjvafkwsv3vw8CAoKfFNP8zNQm91_r9u5a9GNpMZyEkev2cEh_i_y1qfUu4d358v7uCe41CkQsM7GZjwSUxC4usrFzir1nDO_qnA3Mai_Dl/s737/Screenshot_20230528-145254.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="737" height="267" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj8WjmF_v3bxTYaHCtHiTWm7vFPmQ4uQxpRK-4t2Z1O7OZy-x86VcotxApJ-mJLUCrkRP1ceTsCv5zmlTjvafkwsv3vw8CAoKfFNP8zNQm91_r9u5a9GNpMZyEkev2cEh_i_y1qfUu4d358v7uCe41CkQsM7GZjwSUxC4usrFzir1nDO_qnA3Mai_Dl/s320/Screenshot_20230528-145254.png" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p><p>https://www.thenewstribune.com/news/local/community/gateway/g-news/article275833816.html</p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-77870796495048932772023-05-25T15:59:00.000-07:002023-05-25T15:59:11.978-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Burley Lagoon Geoduck Farm: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222223; font-family: Lato;">Gig Harbor Advisory Commission (PAC) votes to DENY Taylor Shellfish permit for a geoduck farm in Burley Lagoon.</span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222223; font-family: Lato;">(Summary of meeting follows)</span></span></b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="color: #222223; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.2px;">Burley Lagoon in Pierce County</span></div><span style="background-color: white; color: #222223; font-family: Lato; font-size: 15.2px;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfDDGHyVE2ZmMP-BXPmwlbQ8pdzObTiywEf583wMsa68F6qidaasYmxXc0EkABYniz_SZatztq89SpkP85di8oj5DZTgs7qn6na6poHJv1dcVd-RjK-tXAFnOslbDafgG2lkXYmarKySrfHyIS730f2rRFDUBp8Kl2zaT8Laf8xp_27z4jlO26ARs/s818/20230103%20feis%20notic.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="818" data-original-width="575" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTfDDGHyVE2ZmMP-BXPmwlbQ8pdzObTiywEf583wMsa68F6qidaasYmxXc0EkABYniz_SZatztq89SpkP85di8oj5DZTgs7qn6na6poHJv1dcVd-RjK-tXAFnOslbDafgG2lkXYmarKySrfHyIS730f2rRFDUBp8Kl2zaT8Laf8xp_27z4jlO26ARs/s320/20230103%20feis%20notic.jpg" width="225" /></a></div><br /></span><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Example of what a geoduck farm looks like.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd6zoHh3OVCuzvgNUM-1xVtvHC0rWSNJYNp9i0iLxTxxKlHcvEQEnPpjVsho3nkqJ2Bv_anofedIvgB84vyLfEUGMfrsvuOsh20jMvO2bSggdCfCs0vAM1GUeXlYO1gh881-h5bJMPqijeBxGqS3XLCEXE88a3A8mfld8rzl8zh0ZGwVZa6mQOXjk/s819/20230103%20tubes%20for%20burley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="458" data-original-width="819" height="179" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbd6zoHh3OVCuzvgNUM-1xVtvHC0rWSNJYNp9i0iLxTxxKlHcvEQEnPpjVsho3nkqJ2Bv_anofedIvgB84vyLfEUGMfrsvuOsh20jMvO2bSggdCfCs0vAM1GUeXlYO1gh881-h5bJMPqijeBxGqS3XLCEXE88a3A8mfld8rzl8zh0ZGwVZa6mQOXjk/s320/20230103%20tubes%20for%20burley.jpg" width="320" /></a>.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Taylor Shellfish has proposed up to 25 acres be converted.</div><p>May 24: At a meeting held May 24, after hearing testimony from Pierce County and Taylor Shellfish representatives, Gig Harbor votes against Taylor Shellfish's proposal for conversion of tidelands to a geoduck farm. While only advisory, the decision reflects strong local opposition to the proposal. </p><p>(A recording of the meeting may be found here - scroll to "Agendas and Documents", then click on "5 24 23 PAC Recording - Audio": <a href="https://www.piercecountywa.gov/5934/Gig-Harbor-Peninsula-Advisory-Commission">https://www.piercecountywa.gov/5934/Gig-Harbor-Peninsula-Advisory-Commission</a>)</p><p>Highlights:</p><p>Question - Was all 300 acres farmed? Taylor Shellfish claims all 300 acres have historically been farmed. Some question whether that is the case, or if the acreage actually farmed is less. Taylor claims the geoduck farm would represent "only" 8% of the Lagoon. If fewer than 300 acres was actually used, the percentage of tidelands impacted would grow dramatically.</p><p>Question - How long will harvesting take place? Taylor Shellfish noted harvesting would occur during low tides in the summer and dive harvesting would occur during winter.</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Sediment disturbed during dive harvesting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmeGatbqbb1FBmbssN77Dsv3uGjFCg6Jgr87vlFeFwg1sPDAaXowN51O_51pdTvjtNwPAAQfKJ5WulCIpMi0YAuqUlmDZhjtNc6EWUdMNyJDSCD0GXbUHpPRitQU7lm67IE8mWR4vrlE_uYif9eMVqJPGDecO3y71BmvTmMUYRapMkd_OT03wLZ2j/s656/1dive%20harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="483" data-original-width="656" height="236" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhSmeGatbqbb1FBmbssN77Dsv3uGjFCg6Jgr87vlFeFwg1sPDAaXowN51O_51pdTvjtNwPAAQfKJ5WulCIpMi0YAuqUlmDZhjtNc6EWUdMNyJDSCD0GXbUHpPRitQU7lm67IE8mWR4vrlE_uYif9eMVqJPGDecO3y71BmvTmMUYRapMkd_OT03wLZ2j/s320/1dive%20harvest.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: How will this farm uphold the values reflected in the community plan? (focus on how the farm would uphold these values) The County responded there are subjective opinions but felt the EIS addressed these concerns, pointing out the EIS is being appealed.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: If, after 5 years, it was found that goals were not being met, what recourse is there? The County stated the Hearing Examiner might require the county to monitor complaints. While revocation of a permit is possible, it is a "heavy lift" and staff does not have a boat to run out on. Not liking how it looked sounded unrealistic to address.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: If the 25 acres is approved, what is the process should Taylor wish to expand to 50 acres? The County said Taylor has told them 25 acres is all they want. But, a permit revision for expansion is available, or possibly a new permit would be required. (It was noted past regulations are not what future regulations may be. There was no clear answer.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Isn't this just farmland? If so, aren't they also under the same sort of restrictions as upland farms (e.g., wetland setbacks)? The County said tidelands are different as the public use of waters is also involved, bringing up why it's so difficult to install a dock, touching on issues of the "Public Trust".</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Aren't tidelands taxed far less than upland parcels are? The County "did not know" (For readers unaware, tidelands are taxed at a fraction of upland parcels.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Opinion: Farming is good, all farming creates monocultures, in short, a farm is a farm is a farm. Except this is taking place in a marine environment. The County responded that if an existing upland farm wanted to expand they too may be subject to new regulations.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Has the County acted on citizen complaints about debris and operational hours? The County said Taylor has been responsive to complaints about noise and debris. No attempt at setting up mediation has occurred, but it may be worth considering. The County expects complaints to continue.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Statement: The County said limit hours of operation has been attempted in the past but shellfish companies do not like those restrictions. It's possible the Examiner may put something in place.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Logging and forestry are restricted, isn't aquaculture? The County said not really because this area is an existing farm and much of it was established when there was no noise requirement. While there is a noise pollution ordinance, it is enforced by the Health Department and they do not have the staff. Theoretically, it's possible, but, there is a question of whether only the new 25 acres would be impacted.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question to Taylor: How long has Taylor actively farmed the area? Taylor responded they begun leasing tidelands in 2012 and actively farmed since 2014.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question to Taylor: Why change to geoduck now? The owner asked Taylor to change. Taylor's attorney's "recollection" is markets change and product demand changes, creating a need for "diversification" of the "portfolio", including the risk of disease. (Taylor's attorney again pointed out 25 acres is "only" 8% of the area.)</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question to Taylor: Aren't there other areas Taylor can use? Taylor's attorney responded yes, although the attempt to do so was simply a scattering of seed in the water, both within and outside of the Lagoon.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question to Taylor: If scattering is successful, why the need for PVC tubes and netting? Predation is too high and survival too low without PVC tubes and netting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Have all of Taylor's permit applications been approved? The County responded yes, pointing out his is the possibly the largest of all applications. (One in a subtidal area, the "Detienne" farm, was ultimately denied.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Comment: The County noted other agencies are involved in permitting.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Is this site typical in proximity to residential surroundings? The County responded that most are on exposed tidelands, but not similar to a lagoon such as Burley Lagoon. "This one is different." In part it was why an Environmental Impact Statement was required.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Are aware if any areas where upland owners are compensated? The County noted again that Burley Lagoon is different in that there is a high density of development and use, again pointing out his was why an EIS was required.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Did past applications have existing farms? The County responded that most did not.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: What is the County's take on the reduction in property values as farming increases? The County has said no reduction in property values has occurred, that they know of. The County could not say clearly what they would need in order to be convinced property values do become lower, although independent appraisers might be helpful. Taylor's attorney had recollections of the Haley farm testimony being experts having differing opinions and the examiner not acting on it.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: How would the County address a "taking" if property values decreased? It was no known, but the EIS did attempt to address probable significant adverse issues, and property values was not one of the issues. The questioner responded that many of the community members, who she spoke for, does have concerns.<br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: What was the County's involvement in the creation of an EIS? The County provided issues, responses were made, more issues were brought up, more information was provided, in short, that the County was involved from the beginning.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Because of the involvement, does the County agree there is no net loss from whatever base line is established? The County agreed, pointing out, no net loss is not the same as no impact, and why mitigation may be required.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: Did the County have any input into who the consultant creating the EIS was? The County discussed the amount of time Dave and Ty have spent on previous permitting questions. Many of those past actions have presented consultants who were involved in the EIS's creation, but the County did not chose them. The County pointed out the applicants do chose the consultants and every EIS has had complaints about bias.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: With the change in tideland use, is there any mitigation in place to offset the changes which will occur? The County said there were things required, but visual issues were important, but they were unclear about what requirements there may be to minimize the visual impact, pointing out the subjectivity of it. </div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Opinion: Many people don't find PVC pipes in the tidelands very appealing.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: What is the grandfathered use of tidelands in the past? The County was not clear, but that there were many letters describing exactly what was taking place, disagreeing with the statements of past use. The question of expansion/intensification was addressed years ago, but there was no clear answer beyond having to go re read the letters again.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Question: If shellfish were being grown in the past, where is the line between one shellfish species and another? The County responded the means and methods used to grow geoduck are very different than how clams/oysters are grown and harvested.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxaTRWdagvwN7nhh3iDcl0A39lFYyXMHTXwQxvitfrw1rB2rMcgaoC17XnaYOcP2Zrxi0uXZnVV1wkKF9SjxwaxoD-a8rIeU4WtNj9V4fU5f1eSOCM3xhCoWjVP6h6zaKatSOkPdYweBM6p2xs3aqVHG3LH3MK4gVxMBhjMfrcrGpnAUanjsZVWF2/s1348/before%20after.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1348" height="228" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAxaTRWdagvwN7nhh3iDcl0A39lFYyXMHTXwQxvitfrw1rB2rMcgaoC17XnaYOcP2Zrxi0uXZnVV1wkKF9SjxwaxoD-a8rIeU4WtNj9V4fU5f1eSOCM3xhCoWjVP6h6zaKatSOkPdYweBM6p2xs3aqVHG3LH3MK4gVxMBhjMfrcrGpnAUanjsZVWF2/w400-h228/before%20after.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Opinion: Silt and sediment and water create a large disturbance within Burley Lagoon. The County determined only a "moderate" impact would occur, and why in part, an appeal of the EIS has occurred.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Dive harvesting disturbs large volumes of sediment.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl2FepmVS1XeSDccucsJc_k57QsHxZhNmMNGCERG6vhY1W-1rb-x_OuBPDTpbrjNr6ucBcMzeP7_w0SeWbwuAmTLRkj_5vRfKyLw2eKAsNc5qkIo_paXKVBPPGuKecpu96MbDudFVpmrE1_HrgwJA02MNfnpky-jIt1g4i8RwY_f6EIQxYGj9h6_X/s677/2%20dive%20harvest.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="391" data-original-width="677" height="231" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPl2FepmVS1XeSDccucsJc_k57QsHxZhNmMNGCERG6vhY1W-1rb-x_OuBPDTpbrjNr6ucBcMzeP7_w0SeWbwuAmTLRkj_5vRfKyLw2eKAsNc5qkIo_paXKVBPPGuKecpu96MbDudFVpmrE1_HrgwJA02MNfnpky-jIt1g4i8RwY_f6EIQxYGj9h6_X/w400-h231/2%20dive%20harvest.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Final comments: It's a farm; it does not fit within the community plan; nets are a navigational hazard; it's unique but geoduck are grown differently and property rights of upland property owners are as important as tideland owners; there won't be less geoduck for sale at Safeway if this does not go in; hours of operation should be put in place; it's an estuary with two important creeks; selling farm products to China make money; residential and aquaculture have competing interests; we're not taking aquaculture away from Taylor as they may continue to grow oysters and clams as they have; products sold overseas may benefit a few economically, but not the general population; environmental protection and sustainable practices are important to the advisory commission; changing the nature of the Lagoon and what the Lagoon has become is an important aspect; is selling natural resources overseas what the US really wants</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">Motion to DENY approval the permit as requested: Motion carried (i.e., DENIAL of approval). </div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><br /></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"> </div>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-32595629590787805592023-01-06T15:48:00.000-08:002023-01-06T15:48:07.989-08:00<p> </p><div class="x1ed109x x1iyjqo2 x5yr21d x1n2onr6 xh8yej3" role="presentation" style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; cursor: text; flex-grow: 1; font-family: "Segoe UI Historic", "Segoe UI", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; height: 151.891px; position: relative; width: 500px;"><div class="x9f619 x1iyjqo2 xg7h5cd x1swvt13 x1n2onr6 xh8yej3 x1ja2u2z x11eofan" style="box-sizing: border-box; flex-grow: 1; font-family: inherit; height: fit-content; padding-left: 16px; padding-right: 36px; position: relative; width: 500px; z-index: 0;"><div class="x78zum5 xl56j7k" style="display: flex; font-family: inherit; justify-content: center;"><div class="x76ihet xwmqs3e x112ta8 xxxdfa6 x9f619 xzsf02u xmper1u xo1l8bm x5yr21d x1a2a7pz x1iorvi4 x4uap5 xwib8y2 xkhd6sd xh8yej3 xha3pab x6prxxf xvq8zen" style="border-color: initial; border-style: none; border-width: initial; box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); cursor: inherit; font-family: inherit; font-size: 0.9375rem; height: 151.891px; line-height: 1.3333; outline: none; padding: 4px 0px 8px; width: 448px;"><div aria-label="What's on your mind?" class="xzsf02u x1a2a7pz x1n2onr6 x14wi4xw x9f619 x1lliihq x5yr21d xh8yej3 notranslate" data-lexical-editor="true" role="textbox" spellcheck="true" style="box-sizing: border-box; color: var(--primary-text); font-family: inherit; height: 139.891px; outline: none; position: relative; text-align: initial; user-select: text; white-space: pre-wrap; width: 448px; word-break: break-word;" tabindex="0"><p class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x16tdsg8 xdpxx8g" dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; text-align: inherit;"><span data-lexical-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">Pierce County has released the Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) on a proposed 25 acre geoduck farm in Burley Lagoon. There will be no public comments accepted. A 14 day period for an official appeal is currently in place. </span><br /><span data-lexical-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">The FEIS, supporting documents and timelines are available on-line, here:</span><br /><a class="x1fey0fg xmper1u x1edh9d7 xdpxx8g" dir="ltr" href="https://www.piercecountywa.gov/burleylagoon" style="cursor: inherit; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span data-lexical-text="true" style="font-family: inherit;">https://www.piercecountywa.gov/burleylagoon</span></a></p><p class="xdj266r x11i5rnm xat24cr x1mh8g0r x16tdsg8 xdpxx8g" dir="ltr" style="font-family: inherit; margin: 0px; text-align: inherit;"><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5pF7E0zMQeXav6bs2ZSlZOIf2Wc5dZOi4pfgpazPfRwL_V4nrOwJgEb7fu12-0oLloEsN2zqaSMkmTYEsktfwhWugkSMEZEdOx7yg1ToCOEJyKEviYDnBmD7_3_6EoW5D9WlrFiroL3OfCJpP6KCPjxmjIb8yxck4fEFiPD1lk8LJmP_wllXiH6k/s750/geoduck%20farm%20wo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="461" data-original-width="750" height="246" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn5pF7E0zMQeXav6bs2ZSlZOIf2Wc5dZOi4pfgpazPfRwL_V4nrOwJgEb7fu12-0oLloEsN2zqaSMkmTYEsktfwhWugkSMEZEdOx7yg1ToCOEJyKEviYDnBmD7_3_6EoW5D9WlrFiroL3OfCJpP6KCPjxmjIb8yxck4fEFiPD1lk8LJmP_wllXiH6k/w400-h246/geoduck%20farm%20wo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><br /></div></div></div></div></div></div>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-33863348548715835422022-12-06T13:55:00.005-08:002022-12-06T13:55:35.866-08:00<p style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2AlfOFoyGx9c81fjyEK6QOIQUQp57kgAyWHF65n6vWA2IWkLk0XFIm9QyL0Ek3Cxb-LNKwFfpginTuwkM55uMTI2dVck3fDmkIJ2YUg7H79tFNeHTT6l4RI87hfNWSKC0NIuZSrxdtWZ7hx5RI4zW8PyZZoAxe8VBMnVk4BN8DASigJDFUxLGg40/s1267/20221206%20cfs%20presentation.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="706" data-original-width="1267" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2AlfOFoyGx9c81fjyEK6QOIQUQp57kgAyWHF65n6vWA2IWkLk0XFIm9QyL0Ek3Cxb-LNKwFfpginTuwkM55uMTI2dVck3fDmkIJ2YUg7H79tFNeHTT6l4RI87hfNWSKC0NIuZSrxdtWZ7hx5RI4zW8PyZZoAxe8VBMnVk4BN8DASigJDFUxLGg40/w400-h223/20221206%20cfs%20presentation.jpg" width="400" /></a></p><p style="text-align: left;">Al Bergstein writes on the recent presentation by the Center for Food Safety's attorney Kristina Sinclair. Ms Sinclair discusses the ongoing lawsuit against the Army Corps' permitting of shellfish farms in Puget Sound. </p><p>Mr Bergstein's piece: <a href="https://olyopen.com/2022/11/18/what-you-should-know-about-industrial-raised-shellfish-aquaculture-an-overview/">https://olyopen.com/2022/11/18/what-you-should-know-about-industrial-raised-shellfish-aquaculture-an-overview/</a></p><p>Ms Sinclair's slide presentation: <a href="https://olyopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-11-17-Industrial-Shellfish-Slides.pdf">https://olyopen.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/2022-11-17-Industrial-Shellfish-Slides.pdf</a></p><p>Contact Center for Food Safety here:</p><p><strong style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;">Pacific Northwest Office</strong><br style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;">2009 NE Alberta St, Suite 207</span><br style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;">Portland, OR 97211</span><br style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;" /><span style="background-color: #fbfbfb; color: #545456; font-family: "Gotham SSm A", "Gotham SSm B", sans-serif; font-size: 14px; letter-spacing: 1px;">phone (971) 271-7372</span></p><p><br /></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-31091264717154842942022-11-07T08:53:00.000-08:002022-11-07T08:53:27.336-08:00<p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">(From Protect the Peninsula)</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">What You Should Know About</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: large;">Insudstrial Raised Shellfish</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"><br /></span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Join Protect the Peninsula’s Future for its 49th Year Celebration (Virtual)</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Thursday, November 17, 7:00 PM </span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"> RSVP to </span></b><a href="mailto:PPF@olympus.net" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" style="color: blue; cursor: pointer;" target="_blank" ymailto="mailto:PPF@olympus.net"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">PPF@olympus.net</span></b></a> <b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">to receive the Zoom connection*</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Our featured speaker this year is Kristina Sinclair,</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;">Associate Attorney at the Center for Food Safety</span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: 6pt;"> </span></b></p><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: center;">*Space is limited to 100.<b><span style="font-size: 13.5pt;"></span></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h1MHU_t0-jmULSGA_vcTQGB4yw_QZ-ezFSjqwf_MQHk7Kr1J__FJ4lTAVNU92CNC_kQi-hG505LICb53QFRVHntaiUD-N8GiTQm5dpMFcYpm-GRzYGxkEpFxwsqT6xkNH-xEWL30g7cMS63KROlBhvtggZgfjIWLNlEuYU2ALK9c_-Ow1pCTsBxT/s208/1kristina.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="201" data-original-width="208" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0h1MHU_t0-jmULSGA_vcTQGB4yw_QZ-ezFSjqwf_MQHk7Kr1J__FJ4lTAVNU92CNC_kQi-hG505LICb53QFRVHntaiUD-N8GiTQm5dpMFcYpm-GRzYGxkEpFxwsqT6xkNH-xEWL30g7cMS63KROlBhvtggZgfjIWLNlEuYU2ALK9c_-Ow1pCTsBxT/s1600/1kristina.jpg" width="208" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Kristian Sinclair, Associate Attorney</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">Center for Food Safety</div><p align="center" class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Kristina Sinclair is an Associate Attorney at the Center for Food Safety (CFS), where she focuses on environmental cases challenging industrial <span style="color: #242424;">agriculture, including commercial shellfish.</span><span style="font-size: 10.5pt;"></span></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="color: #242424;"><br /></span></p><div style="text-align: center;"><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt; text-align: start;">Kristina earned her J.D. from the University of California, Berkeley, <span style="font-size: 14pt;">S</span>chool of Law. While in law school, Kristina was an Articles Editor for the California Law Review. She also participated in the Environmental Law Clinic, served on the steering committee for Students for Economic and Environmental Justice, and worked as a teaching assistant for Appellate Advocacy. Upon graduation, she received recognition for her pro bono work and a Certificate of Specialization in Environmental Law.</p></div><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><br /></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;">Since joining CFS, Kristina has been working on a lawsuit challenging highly disruptive industrial shellfish operations in Washington. In this case, CFS and Coalition to Protect Puget Sound allege that the <span style="background-attachment: initial; background-clip: initial; background-image: initial; background-origin: initial; background-position: initial; background-repeat: initial; background-size: initial;">U.S. Army Corps</span> (USACE) failed to properly consider the potential risks before reissuing the nationwide permit for commercial shellfish activities in January 2021, in violation of the Clean Water Act, National Environmental Policy Act, and Endangered Species Act. In addition, USACE has authorized over 400 commercial shellfish operations without any public notice or environment review. Consequently, these operations have significant adverse, effects on Washington's local environment and wildlife. <span style="font-size: 8pt;"></span></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;"> </span></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt; margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt;"> In this webinar, Kristina will provide an overview of USACE's shellfish permitting requirements, as well as the ongoing litigation challenging USACE's unlawful shellfish permitting actions. She will also share some insights from this legal work and potential opportunities for future advocacy. <span style="font-size: 8pt;"></span></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;"><br /></p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">Background on USACE's Permitting Requirements<br />History of USACE's Unlawful Permitting Actions in Washington<br />Previous Case<br />Current Case</p><p class="yiv4178404210MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 0.0001pt 0.25in;">Future Opportunities</p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-9218195911797338882022-06-08T16:50:00.001-07:002022-06-08T16:50:13.087-07:00<h2 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;"><span style="vertical-align: inherit;">Tell DNR and USFWS It's a Wildlife Refuge</span></span></h2><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI4rGy1syj_8RgqM2AiniGIPzTriLDLXGdU7kxD9r5PgArwRxTBt4WIQsXj2eo5ES9CQG8s628g9UMGXYZwaNrU0LZWS4UrpCc2GbGG3BBWM4cf0aKb1-EUmaqDgciTtnL6PfLpMjtc1wlTSFfcylnchU0eRQZRbxHZ4mFslkc8aKch20TbACLxWh/s1789/birds%20of.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="417" data-original-width="1789" height="94" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtI4rGy1syj_8RgqM2AiniGIPzTriLDLXGdU7kxD9r5PgArwRxTBt4WIQsXj2eo5ES9CQG8s628g9UMGXYZwaNrU0LZWS4UrpCc2GbGG3BBWM4cf0aKb1-EUmaqDgciTtnL6PfLpMjtc1wlTSFfcylnchU0eRQZRbxHZ4mFslkc8aKch20TbACLxWh/w400-h94/birds%20of.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">(<a href="https://www.fws.gov/project/birds-dungeness-national-wildlife-refuge">See some of the many species here</a>)</div><p>Get involved and make a difference for today and tomorrow, to help preserve one of the few National Wildlife Refuges supporting the great migrations of sea birds. An industrial shellfish farm does not belong in the <a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/dungeness">Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge</a>. </p><h4 style="text-align: center;">Plastic Grow Out Bags Do Not Belong in a Wildlife Refuge</h4><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJceJaq-QSVSlKAV-Cs9QLD3MMhXtr09NgkGHElPclvmeYql_M5PZL7skKKU07Ji8JdyH6HsXQnv7DOIxNElyl9xtCXEvn-TyGgVvosKsrKUMS3_SiHFlhinaNTM7M-NDtDHsMoZhzs3WFgodLMecTFGyEyCBzpcenOiJ1vr88KZHqol2AWYjwaKU/s900/925TottenOysterBagse.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="675" data-original-width="900" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsJceJaq-QSVSlKAV-Cs9QLD3MMhXtr09NgkGHElPclvmeYql_M5PZL7skKKU07Ji8JdyH6HsXQnv7DOIxNElyl9xtCXEvn-TyGgVvosKsrKUMS3_SiHFlhinaNTM7M-NDtDHsMoZhzs3WFgodLMecTFGyEyCBzpcenOiJ1vr88KZHqol2AWYjwaKU/s320/925TottenOysterBagse.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br /><a href="https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2022/06/protect-a-treasured-national-wildlife-refuge-from-shellfish-farming/">Beyond Pesticides</a> has written a piece on why plastic grow out bags do not belong in a Wildlife Refuge, which includes a <a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/FhkOkC6-z06uHzzPLPrMsg2?contactdata=&emci=bf04e5af-78e3-ec11-b656-281878b85110&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=">link for comments</a>. <p></p><p>As they note so well: </p><p><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;"><i>The Dungeness Bay Wildlife Refuge was created by Executive Order in 1915 by Woodrow Wilson, directing the area to be set aside as a “refuge, preserve and breeding ground for native birds and prohibits any disturbance of the birds within the reserve.” The Refuge provides habitat, a preserve and breeding grounds for more than 250 species of birds and 41 species of land animals.</i> </span></p><p><i><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">The </span><a href="https://www.fws.gov/refuge/dungeness" style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #228ae6; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; line-height: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;"><span style="box-sizing: border-box; color: #0000cc;">front page</span></a><span style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #222222; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Oxygen, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Fira Sans", "Droid Sans", "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif;">of the Refuge website states: “Pets, bicycles, kite flying, Frisbees, ball-playing, camping, and fires are not permitted on the Refuge as they are a disturbance for the many migrating birds and other wildlife taking solitude on the Refuge.” With this level of concern, it is counterintuitive to allow destructive industrial aquaculture. </span></i></p><p><a href="https://beyondpesticides.org/dailynewsblog/2022/06/protect-a-treasured-national-wildlife-refuge-from-shellfish-farming/">Beyond Pesticides Article</a><br /></p><p><a href="https://secure.everyaction.com/FhkOkC6-z06uHzzPLPrMsg2?contactdata=&emci=bf04e5af-78e3-ec11-b656-281878b85110&emdi=ea000000-0000-0000-0000-000000000001&ceid=">Submit Comments Here</a><br /></p><p><br /></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-18931495588680239342022-05-18T18:06:00.000-07:002022-05-18T18:06:11.969-07:00It only takes a little bit: 10 billion, only 10 to get you sick<br /><br />CBC News on the Norovirus outbreak from oysters harvested in British Columbia.<br />(Read article here:<br />https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/oysters-norovirus-bc-1.6452571)<div><br /></div><div>The aquatic environment is impacted by many things, from climate change to recreational owners of boats discharging untreated waste to failing septic systems to ecosystem transformation from industrial aquaculture. In this article from CBC, the impact of what is suspected to be human waste has impacted the reputation of industrial shellfish operations in BC through illnesses contracted from the consumption of raw oysters. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /><br /><br /></div>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-54146056495229835872022-01-14T08:13:00.001-08:002022-01-14T08:13:55.456-08:00<h1 style="text-align: center;"> WA Supreme Court Affirms Non-native Atlantic Salmon Should not be Grown in Puget Sound</h1><h2 style="text-align: center;">Leaves Unanswered Whether Extra Genetic Material in Triploids are Native or Not</h2><p style="text-align: justify;">Washington Supreme Court affirmed unanimously, 9-0, that non-native Atlantic salmon do not belong in Washington's Puget Sound. All agreed that the Department of Fish and Wildlife did not have to require an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) when Cooke Aquaculture proposed moving to triploid Rainbow trout. It left unanswered whether the Department of Natural Resources (DNR) should renew leases and what should be considered in that decision. Whether British Columbia will follow and remove non-native Atlantic salmon remains unknown as is whether Rainbow trout with extra genetic material is "native" or not. </p><p style="text-align: center;">Normal (left) and Extra Genetic Material (right)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdlLBrxQ3eBGNisMjtGdxJQC-GTLdQMOgUnNrP-cyO73TBg_0ytiRNBqLf61oRgNxowiOM7OgpbLQg-cVgiQeaTCoRP_ysoidghKrr6T7YjXso3Lg27vgAhHI8sx5w1A4B8BNboREqMMeT9i9OBRL7x3Lwc6OohOTiHWAcYI4jXRc97a0UNY6PLzCv=s706" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="357" data-original-width="706" height="162" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEjdlLBrxQ3eBGNisMjtGdxJQC-GTLdQMOgUnNrP-cyO73TBg_0ytiRNBqLf61oRgNxowiOM7OgpbLQg-cVgiQeaTCoRP_ysoidghKrr6T7YjXso3Lg27vgAhHI8sx5w1A4B8BNboREqMMeT9i9OBRL7x3Lwc6OohOTiHWAcYI4jXRc97a0UNY6PLzCv=s320" width="320" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">= a sterile female </div><p style="text-align: center;">(is a triploid native?)</p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1-wvc0KWDU39SX5xrYPV8iLtMJbaSR1Y2NwvNIjuO0WxWpXiRLBSRGryiJLtcIS_s6nEljXBXFiqOOZrzsSAC9J5t9cdkum3SqTifviwpFh0Fw6dQGmdh_l31AFQ2x3ssnufigzA0Rg5FUb1-ERvA7boA1B_kpW6J9UEbFRtvrctMTBaqsCaus4x=s538" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="538" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiS1-wvc0KWDU39SX5xrYPV8iLtMJbaSR1Y2NwvNIjuO0WxWpXiRLBSRGryiJLtcIS_s6nEljXBXFiqOOZrzsSAC9J5t9cdkum3SqTifviwpFh0Fw6dQGmdh_l31AFQ2x3ssnufigzA0Rg5FUb1-ERvA7boA1B_kpW6J9UEbFRtvrctMTBaqsCaus4x=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><p><br /></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-74132447884466186302021-12-20T16:38:00.000-08:002021-12-20T16:38:35.329-08:00<p><span style="font-family: times;"> <br />Army Corps is sued again by the Center for Food Safety (CFS) and the Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat (Coalition). The suit once again asks the court to stop the Corps from "...continuing the excessive expansion of industrial shellfish operations without considering the cumulative impacts to Washington's rich and diverse coastal waters [and tidelands]."</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">(See article here: https://olyopen.com/2021/12/20/groups-again-sue-army-corps-to-protect-washingtons-coastal-areas-and-endangered-species-from-industrial-shellfish-operations/)</span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">(See papers filed here: https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2021-12-20--ecf-01--complaint_33955.pdf)</span></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheRrRbwMK-hMxFPrOOwxEnrIhHsyj8c3wI6GcgXDp3vPcYfQs33kcPHxbpMUFg0LZyYzJoaDksF-Lqo50iQf3T7D6QDoApeqJOHW1lXL2_LOWJzIc7kYf5yV8cE3JwRFZU9XuPl5hE65EDU6zbYlLT1hA22xI_VU4ihOggmMFI6VKgr9nZziwMGJ3w=s3296" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2472" data-original-width="3296" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEheRrRbwMK-hMxFPrOOwxEnrIhHsyj8c3wI6GcgXDp3vPcYfQs33kcPHxbpMUFg0LZyYzJoaDksF-Lqo50iQf3T7D6QDoApeqJOHW1lXL2_LOWJzIc7kYf5yV8cE3JwRFZU9XuPl5hE65EDU6zbYlLT1hA22xI_VU4ihOggmMFI6VKgr9nZziwMGJ3w=s320" width="320" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWuOsIe7Z2WeDGVjYTGQ2ynnHYdVJD--lp2Q-Lcm8i8ZU3v4wcevWWbqLy4z3jICj2z_dCcnz8_MeYcz8BBCcY7eWaX7pJsOYEW7dXlGE62Ze79KkcNydLNCcnynnz_1lPYW8YfS3_cCYNL2geVEnXQ2y__15KoMEGvJ2t1MZfmb1_5bF2bsYOrA4o=s960" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="704" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEiWuOsIe7Z2WeDGVjYTGQ2ynnHYdVJD--lp2Q-Lcm8i8ZU3v4wcevWWbqLy4z3jICj2z_dCcnz8_MeYcz8BBCcY7eWaX7pJsOYEW7dXlGE62Ze79KkcNydLNCcnynnz_1lPYW8YfS3_cCYNL2geVEnXQ2y__15KoMEGvJ2t1MZfmb1_5bF2bsYOrA4o=s320" width="235" /></a></div><br /><span style="font-family: times;"><br /></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Amy Van Saun, senior attorney at CFS notes, <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">“Despite clear statutory mandates and a previous court decision requiring the government to fully consider the potential impacts of proposed shellfish operations, </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">the Corps continues to ignore its duties by allowing industrial shellfish operations to degrade important aquatic habitats, including through the use of plastics and pesticides, endangering Washington’s shorelines, biodiversity, and surrounding communities</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">,” </span><strong style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">s</strong><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">aid Amy van Saun, senior attorney at CFS.</span></span></p><p><span style="font-family: times;">Laura Hendricks, director of the Coalition notes, <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">“The Coalition is outraged that the Corps would try to avoid doing what is necessary as a bare minimum under the law to protect orcas, salmon, and marine life in Washington from the toxic and physical impacts of the massive number of industrial-scale aquaculture operations that have been proposed. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #333333;">This is precisely the sort of agency action that gives ‘government’ a bad name.”</span></span></p><p>Puget Sound's marine ecosystem is under pressure from a number of sources. While some argue "ecosystem services" from shellfish outweigh the transformation occurring to this critical habitat, it cannot simply be accepted without looking at the entire system and the cumulative impacts various actions have. This was argued once in court and was won. That it has to be argued again simply speaks to an agency's inability to do what it's role is.</p><p><br /></p>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-76886458675485306532020-10-19T07:07:00.000-07:002020-10-19T07:07:35.674-07:00<p> October 20, 1PM PCT/4PM ECT the Center for Food Safety will present a webinar on protecting the public's marine ecosystem from industrial scale aquaculture. While focused on Washington State, the significant and adverse impacts are a current and growing worldwide problem. Make a difference in life today which continues into the future.</p><p>To register, click on this link: </p><p><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/join/6168/webinar-the-fight-to-save-our-oceans-the-faces-behind-the-cases">https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/join/6168/webinar-the-fight-to-save-our-oceans-the-faces-behind-the-cases</a></p><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhAZYtJydno/X42bmzyNAZI/AAAAAAAAFq8/f02VQfrNRW0MeFlyuf88V2JMqnFWoCCngCLcBGAsYHQ/s783/CFS%2BWebinar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="781" data-original-width="783" height="399" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-mhAZYtJydno/X42bmzyNAZI/AAAAAAAAFq8/f02VQfrNRW0MeFlyuf88V2JMqnFWoCCngCLcBGAsYHQ/w400-h399/CFS%2BWebinar.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br /><span style="background-color: white; color: inherit; font-family: system-ui, -apple-system, BlinkMacSystemFont, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, "Helvetica Neue", sans-serif; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-weight: inherit; white-space: inherit;"><br /></span></div>Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-48010430550372251232020-06-14T16:00:00.001-07:002020-06-14T16:00:11.786-07:00Cumulative Impacts Not Considered: District Court Issues Ruling on Vacating Shellfish Farms <div style="text-align: center;">
Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat and the Center for Food Safety</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
succeed in proving the Army Corps did not consider </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
cumulative impacts when issuing permits.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Court found that it [the Army Corps] violated </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
the CWA [Clean Water Act] and NEPA </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(National Environmental Policy Act)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
by
failing to take a hard look </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
at the anticipated environmental </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
impacts of NWP 48*</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
(<a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/order-vacating-nwp-48-in-the-state-of-washington_89778.pdf">US District Court, June 11, 2020</a>)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Geoduck market collapses in China.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Court finds permits void.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqinRr7B6CA/TZqg8jJMQgI/AAAAAAAAADI/ZhO2hATyETENuJyt7LxTliPjvZ7w2ltFgCPcBGAYYCw/s1600/farm%2B3%2B-%2Blow%2Bres.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="528" data-original-width="790" height="213" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aqinRr7B6CA/TZqg8jJMQgI/AAAAAAAAADI/ZhO2hATyETENuJyt7LxTliPjvZ7w2ltFgCPcBGAYYCw/s320/farm%2B3%2B-%2Blow%2Bres.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Who will clean up the mess when growers</div>
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just walk away from their plastics?</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
*NWP 48 is a permit issued every 5 years to authorize common shellfish activities in the waters of the US. In Washington, it allowed permits to be issued on tidelands not used for aquaculture up to 100 years ago. Acreage numbers as high as 72,300 acres were presented. The Court stated: <i>"its data regarding past uses of the permit was incorrect and its estimates of future
uses are suspect"</i></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Cumulative Impacts Matter</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In the Court's<span style="color: red;"><b> <a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-10-10-dkt-65--order-holding-nwp-48-unlawful_67393.pdf">October 2017 Order</a></b></span>, the District Court ruled the Corps of Engineers had not considered cumulative impacts in approving their Nationwide Permit 48 in 2017 thereby voiding all permits issued. In its<b><span style="color: red;"> </span></b><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/order-vacating-nwp-48-in-the-state-of-washington_89778.pdf"><b><span style="color: red;">June 11, 2020 decision</span></b> </a>on whether to void all current permits, the Court found the logic presented by the Corps and shellfish growers lacking in evidence.</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="text-align: left;">
<i>"...there is insufficient evidence in the administrative record to support the U.S. Army
Corps of Engineers’ conclusion that the 2017 reissuance of Nationwide Permit (“NWP”) 48
would have minimal individual and cumulative impacts on the aquatic environment for purposes
of the Clean Water Act (“CWA”) and (b) that the Corps’ environmental assessment related to
NWP 48 did not satisfy the requirements of the National Environmental Policy Act (“NEPA”)."</i></blockquote>
<b>Operators to go on vacation?</b><br />
Following the decision, the Court was then faced with whether to force growers to vacate areas now found to be operating under an invalid permit, considering "(1) the seriousness of an agency’s errors and (2) the “disruptive consequences of an
interim change that may itself be changed.” It was up to the Corps and growers (Taylor Shellfish and Nisbet Oyster) to provide the logic and evidence showing why they should be allowed to continue operating.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"...courts may decline to vacate agency decisions when vacatur would
cause serious and irremediable harms that significantly outweigh the magnitude of
the agency’s error. . . . Courts have considered remand without vacatur to be
appropriate where serious irreparable environmental injury would result from
vacatur. . . . In addition to environmental harm, it is appropriate to consider other
practical concerns when weighing the consequences of vacatur"</i></blockquote>
<br />
<b>Court to growers and the Corps: You made a serious error.</b><br />
The Corps and growers argued the mistake was neither serious nor consequential because both the District and State were involved in oversight, minimizing the environmental impact. The Court did not agree, stating:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The Corps/Intervenors have not shown that the District level verification process or state,
local, and/or Tribal oversight of commercial shellfish aquaculture activities in Washington
overcome the seriousness of the agency’s errors in this case."</i></blockquote>
<b>Disruptive Consequences - Economics don't trump the environment. </b><br />
<i>"environmental impacts of these activities are more than minimal,
both individually and cumulatively"</i><br />
In considering the disruptive consequences of finding all shellfish farms "unauthorized and in violation of federal law" the Court considered a number of things. Included was the Corps being "overwhelmed" by new permit applications; tribes may be unable to provide food for tribal members; growers would face devastating impacts on the continuing viability of their farms,
their employees, their communities, the state and local economies of which they are a part, and
the ability of Washington shellfish farmers to compete on a national or international basis; shellfish are "filter feeders" and their removal would harm the marine ecosystem; and, shellfish growers "retard" upland development activities. Growers argued they should just be allowed to continue on, harvesting and seeding. Even on tidelands which had no activities for 100 years.<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The problem is not that the Intervenors have failed to establish that the loss of their authorization
to install shellfishing equipment and to discharge materials into the waters of the United States
would have devastating impacts on their businesses, but rather that they have not shown that
those impacts outweigh the environmental consequences of continuing their activities as
currently permitted."</i></blockquote>
<b>The Court's solution </b><br />
Because neither the growers nor the Corps could not support not vacating the permits, the Court stated:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"In the absence of meaningful assistance from the Corps and the Intervenors
in helping to shape a compromise remedy, the Court will adopt a remedy based on the
suggestions of plaintiffs, amici, and Swinomish."</i></blockquote>
That remedy crafted by the Court vacates all current permits but allows a pause of 60 days for an appeal; would allow currently planted shellfish to be harvested; seeding and planting within 6 months in areas without eel grass could occur; and, tribal rights would be respected. If growers intend ongoing activities (e.g., harvesting) they must, within 6 months, apply for a new permit. Planting new areas would not be allowed without a new permit. The Corps must process new individual permits but not without following CWA and NEPA steps outlined in the <b><a href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2019-10-10-dkt-65--order-holding-nwp-48-unlawful_67393.pdf"><span style="color: red;">October 10, 2019 Order</span></a> </b>which concluded:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<i>"The Corps’ issuance of a nationwide permit, at least with respect to activities in
the waters of the State of Washington, was arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with
NEPA or the CWA. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), the Court holds unlawful and sets aside NWP
48 insofar as it authorizes activities in Washington."</i></blockquote>
<b>Get involved.</b><br />
Make a difference in life and help protect Puget Sound's critical marine habitat. Whether from open net pens discharging plumes of untreated waste or plastics used in shellfish aquaculture, this habitat is under extreme pressure.Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-13767554957635213062020-05-21T14:28:00.000-07:002020-05-21T14:28:04.953-07:00An Industrial Shellfish Farm in the Dungeness National Wildlife Reserve is Not in the Public Interest<div style="text-align: center;">
Make a difference in life. </div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Help keep the Reserve intact.</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Comments due by May 30.</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Abandoned in 2005 - It should remain so.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Commercializing a Wildlife Refuge is NOT in the public interest, only in the interest of a few who stand to profit greatly from this rare public resource. Those few who profit will do so at the expense of fragmenting an intact ecosystem which is one of the few remaining on the West Cost used by migrating and resident water fowl. Shellfish farms can go elsewhere. Wildlife cannot. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See Friends of Dungeness National Wildlife Reserve here: <a href="http://www.fodnwr.org/dungeness_oyster_farm.html">http://www.fodnwr.org/dungeness_oyster_farm.html</a></div>
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<br /></div>
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They have nowhere else to go. Shellfish farms do.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7V292xtQ8IA/XsbrqyVNitI/AAAAAAAAFnU/7b42iMLh_Bg_kJmSFTggsAYuPXPE24fGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="1588" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7V292xtQ8IA/XsbrqyVNitI/AAAAAAAAFnU/7b42iMLh_Bg_kJmSFTggsAYuPXPE24fGgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Birds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>80,000 plastic bags do not belong in a Wildlife Refuge.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Putting a commercial shellfish operation, starting with 20,000 plastic bags and potentially growing to 80,000 bags, should not be permitted. It is not in the public interest. It is an unheralded expansion of intensity of an operation which was abandoned in 2005. There are alternative tidelands outside of the Wildlife Reserve available. </div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See application here: <a href="http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NWS-2007-1213-PN.pdf">http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/NWS-2007-1213-PN.pdf</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See Protect the Peninsula's Future "alert": <a href="http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/dungeness-refuge-alert/">http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/dungeness-refuge-alert/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
See Protect the Peninsula's Future "how to comment section" here: <a href="http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/how-to-comment/">http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/how-to-comment/</a></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<b>Get Involved.</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Make a difference in life. Be able to say, "I helped to ensure the diversity of wild life will be here for future generations."</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek3VrgbTUU4/XsbpohCfrhI/AAAAAAAAFnI/-ppcrz2W9A0DpFnhJZDfSA5hzwqtnZetwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bagsX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="904" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ek3VrgbTUU4/XsbpohCfrhI/AAAAAAAAFnI/-ppcrz2W9A0DpFnhJZDfSA5hzwqtnZetwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bagsX.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Comments to the Army Corps of Engineers due by May 30th: </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">email </span><a href="mailto:pamela.sanguinetti@usace.army.mil"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;">pamela.sanguinetti@usace.army.mil</span></a><span style="font-family: "Times Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">Reference
Case #: 2007-1213.</span><span style="font-family: "Times Roman"; font-size: 12pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Comments to the Department of Ecology:</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", serif; font-size: 16pt;">email
</span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt;"><a href="mailto:ecyrepermits@ecy.wa.gov">ecyrepermits@ecy.wa.gov</a> Reference Case #: 2007-1213</span><span style="color: #1f497d; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 16.0pt; mso-themecolor: text2;"></span><span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 14.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt;">(click to enlarge)</span></div>
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(click to enlarge)</div>
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Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-36185818612919098822020-01-14T17:32:00.001-08:002020-01-14T17:32:43.518-08:00Hearing Examiner Recommends Industrial Shellfish Farm Permit within Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge be ApprovedDespite Clallam County staff recommending the permit for an industrial level shellfish farm not be approved, the Hearing Examiner has said it should be, allowing for an initial 20,000 plastic growout bags to be placed on tidelands within the Refuge. Should millions of dollars spent on upland habitat restoration justify the transformation of tidelands in a Wildlife Refuge?<br />
Read more on Protect Peninsula's Future site here:<br />
<a href="http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/?p=1129">http://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/?p=1129</a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Upland restoration of watersheds</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
should not justify this. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ASA5HPMgtJ4/Xh5qwwHgh_I/AAAAAAAAFlk/UOljwEH2boYw9hu2XuzckkZ3Vo_Ftf0EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bags3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="904" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ASA5HPMgtJ4/Xh5qwwHgh_I/AAAAAAAAFlk/UOljwEH2boYw9hu2XuzckkZ3Vo_Ftf0EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bags3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-51659389465537207672019-12-23T17:27:00.002-08:002019-12-23T17:27:16.353-08:00Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge: Permit Decision Delayed Until January 10<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQGgztIhNVY/XgFmBKsEzNI/AAAAAAAAFk4/2j1za2Km09UBVKh0Y28kln-EIOPF6qJ3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bagsX.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="617" data-original-width="904" height="218" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DQGgztIhNVY/XgFmBKsEzNI/AAAAAAAAFk4/2j1za2Km09UBVKh0Y28kln-EIOPF6qJ3QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bagsX.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<b>Voluminous Amount of Information, A Simple Reality</b><br />
Clallam County has announced a delay until January 10 on the decision on whether a permit should be approved which would allow up to 80,000 plastic grow out on the tidelands within the boundaries of the Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge. The Hearing Examiner was flooded with information on why non-native Pacific oysters grown in grow out bags should not be allowed within the Wildlife Refuge, and more supporting why the industry thinks it's a good idea.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Native Olympia Oyster vs</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
nonnative Pacific oyster</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGpJ05xGxW4/XgFmj5pC94I/AAAAAAAAFlA/vzYhuFmoRK8VbiMInefS3lCbzU96lJU9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/pacific%2Boyster%2Bnative%2Bnonnative.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="132" data-original-width="200" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-XGpJ05xGxW4/XgFmj5pC94I/AAAAAAAAFlA/vzYhuFmoRK8VbiMInefS3lCbzU96lJU9wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/pacific%2Boyster%2Bnative%2Bnonnative.jpg" /></a></div>
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Native Avian Species Using the Wildlife Refuge</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fc9N0UxThfc/XgFmonzAEMI/AAAAAAAAFlE/r-M60OeTvU8TLxJrDDzl9ODeXxrvoRxXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Birds.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1468" data-original-width="1588" height="295" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Fc9N0UxThfc/XgFmonzAEMI/AAAAAAAAFlE/r-M60OeTvU8TLxJrDDzl9ODeXxrvoRxXwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Birds.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<b>Native Species have No Where Else to Go</b><br />
At the core, the question before the Hearing Examiner is whether a small shellfish operation which was abandoned in the mid-2000's due to water quality issues should now be allowed to return in an intensity never seen in any Wildlife Refuge, nor for that matter anywhere in Washington State. 80,000 plastic bags layering over the tidelands is disruptive and belong somewhere else. Also weighing on the decision is the precedent it would set, being used by other commercial shellfish operators as an example of why other Wildlife Refuges should have commercial shellfish operations allowed.<br />
<br />
<b>Not conjecture, but reality.</b><br />
Attorneys for the industry would argue the issue of precedence is merely conjecture. But one only need look at the precedent argument used by those same attorneys to justify expansion of new geoduck farms, pointing to other permits having been issued, establishing a clear reliance on the use of past permit decisions as a precedent for future permit decisions. It is the industry's legal reality they live in and for that reason alone the permit should be denied.<br />
<br />
Enjoy the HolidaysProtect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-29099410794123420222019-11-07T17:11:00.004-08:002019-11-07T17:12:25.495-08:00Cooke Aquaculture and Football Shaped Rainbow Trout: Are they really "native steelhead"?<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Comments due by November 22</div>
<div class="" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
Our Sound Our Salmon provides a <a href="https://www.oursound-oursalmon.org/submit-comments">how and why to <b>submit comments here</b></a></div>
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Fool me once, shame on you.</div>
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Fool me twice, shame on me.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybc_c04Ij9Q/XcSzqv7ipqI/AAAAAAAAFkE/p8Hvu4vap4cEgJUOW7WTmn-ZzRQfbl9RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/cooke%2Bis%2Bback.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="598" data-original-width="1537" height="124" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ybc_c04Ij9Q/XcSzqv7ipqI/AAAAAAAAFkE/p8Hvu4vap4cEgJUOW7WTmn-ZzRQfbl9RwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/cooke%2Bis%2Bback.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Above - 2017</div>
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Below - 2019</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6L0DDP_2mx0/XcS0c2Zyg5I/AAAAAAAAFkM/8JP1GLPKlK8MzAcfsPwO3lKfH0T0C9YvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/second%2Bpen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="351" data-original-width="646" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6L0DDP_2mx0/XcS0c2Zyg5I/AAAAAAAAFkM/8JP1GLPKlK8MzAcfsPwO3lKfH0T0C9YvQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/second%2Bpen.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Genetically altered sterile rainbow trout are not native.</b></div>
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<a href="https://www.oursound-oursalmon.org/">Our Sound Our Salmon</a> is encouraging citizens to take advantage of the extended comment period on whether Cooke Aquaculture should be allowed to grow genetically altered rainbow trout in Puget Sound. Cooke intends to brand these rainbow trout raised in Puget Sound as "steelhead".*</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
*<a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/species-habitats/species/oncorhynchus-mykiss-steelhead"><b>Steelhead are rainbow trout</b> </a>which have out-migrated from fresh water into salt water, then returned to their native streams to spawn. In the case of Cooke's fish, they are genetically modified to become sterile, will be fed pellets enriched with Omega 3, obtained from harvested forage fish, and fed supplements such as astaxanthin to turn the flesh pink. Whether raising a rainbow trout this way qualifies it as a "steelhead" is questionable, at best.</blockquote>
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What altered genetics gets you:</div>
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Fish "shaped like footballs, with smaller heads"</div>
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(Seattle Times article)</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uB77rIZYfKc/XcSpzHnAuZI/AAAAAAAAFj4/37E_7fZ9gPoTJqxkkEVBosfCf8ko29uggCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/farmed%2Brainbow.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="293" data-original-width="538" height="174" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-uB77rIZYfKc/XcSpzHnAuZI/AAAAAAAAFj4/37E_7fZ9gPoTJqxkkEVBosfCf8ko29uggCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/farmed%2Brainbow.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"They're steelhead"</div>
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Maybe, but that's not native.</div>
<br />
By altering the genetics of rainbow, most of the female fish will be sterile (Cooke cannot guarantee all will be), unable to develop gonads. Because of this, energy continues to be focused on growth as the fish age and continue to be fed. Documents submitted by Cooke, as reported in <b>t</b><b><a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/environment/cooke-aquaculture-seeks-to-farm-native-steelhead-in-puget-sound-after-2017-atlantic-salmon-escape/">he Seattle Times</a>, </b> describe the fish as "..often shaped like footballs, with smaller heads and stout bodies" (see image above, provided by WDFW). Economically, these genetically altered fish create more "meat on the bone." But they are not native.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
These cows on the Serengeti </div>
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can spread into native habitat.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzfYrzU3cbk/XcS1Ybh-oWI/AAAAAAAAFkU/nRjThvDPsesTlYiHlyePaeBAzPQHuRbnACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/triploid.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="610" data-original-width="680" height="287" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-qzfYrzU3cbk/XcS1Ybh-oWI/AAAAAAAAFkU/nRjThvDPsesTlYiHlyePaeBAzPQHuRbnACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/triploid.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Old science, new science, the reality is</div>
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farmed fish spread when they escape.</div>
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(WDFW estimated in a worse case scenario </div>
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up to 1,000,000 genetically altered rainbow</div>
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may escape from Cooke Aquaculture's pens)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<b>But "science" said they wouldn't travel far if they escaped.</b></div>
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One of the most significant lessons learned from <a href="https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/negligence-primary-cause-august-salmon-collapse">Cooke Aquaculture's <b>alleged negligence</b> in 2017</a> which allowed over 250,000 farmed salmon to escape was they do not simply sit by the pen. As seen in the map above, created by WDFW from reported catches of Cooke's escaped salmon, they spread not only throughout the Salsish Sea, they also migrated up rivers use by native and endangered salmon for spawning. Despite documents submitted which try to show escapes would not travel far, not know where to go or what to do, the facts provided by WDFW clearly showed they do spread and do know how to find rivers with spawning habitat. There is no reason to believe these "steelhead" would not follow the same behavior as their closely related Atlantic salmon did. A fact based on reality, not a model created from behavior of fish somewhere else in the world. </div>
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Cooke Aquaculture needs to move</div>
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into the future and stop polluting</div>
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public and tribal waters.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qYTSFyXugU/XcS3ptQDUqI/AAAAAAAAFkk/zgcNtH7f_p0xG6DXA8bGb9udZwMH8AY3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/hatchery3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="549" data-original-width="865" height="203" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6qYTSFyXugU/XcS3ptQDUqI/AAAAAAAAFkk/zgcNtH7f_p0xG6DXA8bGb9udZwMH8AY3ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/hatchery3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can grow smolt here, </div>
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you can grow steelhead here. </div>
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And you have an additional 300 acres</div>
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less than 5 miles away to the west.</div>
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<b>There is a better way to do things, creating jobs and infusing capital. You have the money and the land.</b></div>
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Of most significance to anyone concerned about the risks these genetically altered rainbow trout pose to Puget Sound, whether it be nutrients discharged from the pens or habitat and spawning grounds, is that Washington's Department of Fish and Wildlife did not consider the alternative of upland/contained operations. These facilities are being built throughout the world. <a href="https://atlanticsapphire.com/"><b>Atlantic Sapphire</b></a> has a facility in Florida which when complete will grow an estimated 50% of the USA demand for farmed salmon. <a href="http://www.nordicaquafarms.com/"><b>Nordic Aquafarms</b></a> has 2 projects, one in Maine and another in California. <a href="https://wholeoceans.com/"><b>Whole Oceans</b></a> has a project in Maine. And around the world facilities are being built, close to population centers. Water is filtered and treated. Risks from disease and sea lice are eliminated. Cooke could be a shining example of the future if they wanted to be. Or were forced to be. Or they could return to Canada.</div>
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<b>Get involved. Cooke is. </b></div>
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Canadian owned Cooke Aquaculture and operators before them have dominated the political process in Washington State. <a href="https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/negligence-primary-cause-august-salmon-collapse">Cooke's <b>alleged negligence</b> in 2017</a> which led to the collapse of the Cypress Island net pen and subsequent release of over 250,000 nonnative Atlantic salmon motivated the public and legislators to ban these operations in Puget Sound. Cook's current attempt to claim these genetically altered rainbow are "native steelhead" is not what the public intended when legislation was passed in 2018. Cooke and their lobbyists are now heavily involved in convincing regulators and legislators that in fact, this is what the public intended.</div>
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Educate yourself on <a href="https://www.oursound-oursalmon.org/#cooke-is-back"><b>Our Sound Our Salmon's</b></a> website, then <a href="https://www.oursound-oursalmon.org/submit-comments">submit meaningful comments</a>. If you don't you'll end up with what somebody else wants.</div>
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<br />Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-21216045032728166522019-11-05T18:05:00.001-08:002019-11-05T18:06:43.608-08:00Geoduck Market Experiences a Collapse: Washington considers it a junk clam for a reason.<h3 style="text-align: center;">
The Junk Bond of Clams</h3>
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They taste like they look. Unless you're Chinese.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUsUM1Ux9gA/XbYsRqCMSxI/AAAAAAAAFio/gHaU2-BHqGQj7w5rQaoT8iwNLaAf8AqWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/junk%2Bclam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="700" data-original-width="997" height="224" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bUsUM1Ux9gA/XbYsRqCMSxI/AAAAAAAAFio/gHaU2-BHqGQj7w5rQaoT8iwNLaAf8AqWgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/junk%2Bclam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Like the collapse of the junk bond market</div>
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so too is the market for geoduck collapsing.</div>
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(<a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/export-markets-cool-for-washingtons-giant-clam-the-geoduck-as-tariffs-mount-and-chinese-consumers-get-picky/">Picture from the<b> Seattle Times</b></a>)</div>
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Most Washington citizens have considered the geoduck clam to be little more than a junk clam. Beyond its size, there was little it had to offer. It was difficult to dig, difficult to cook, and difficult to chew. It had no intrinsic economic value beyond its odd shape.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYllVra9LsY/XbYtNjowf9I/AAAAAAAAFiw/8rn2Gp3xDU4fdQPiEyF84VWi06BkNDrygCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/junk%2Bclam%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="645" data-original-width="694" height="297" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-EYllVra9LsY/XbYtNjowf9I/AAAAAAAAFiw/8rn2Gp3xDU4fdQPiEyF84VWi06BkNDrygCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/junk%2Bclam%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The junk clam becomes a phallic symbol</div>
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with marketers in WA convincing Chinese men...</div>
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(<a href="https://www.bbc.com/news/magazine-33261666">From BBC</a>)</div>
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<b>I've got the cure for what ails you.</b><br />
Then somebody discovered a weak point in the Chinese culture, men specifically, convincing them a Puget Sound clam was the cure. The junk clam became the item in China which would solve whatever it was Chinese men felt they were lacking. With a wink and a nod, and disbelief to Washington State citizens, a market exploded in China and the junk clam experienced a demand never dreamed of. Like shark fins, Manta Ray gills, Black Bear gall bladders, a superstition was born. An extraction business in Washington's tidelands exploded. Geoduck over 130 years old (believed to be the longest living species) began to be clear cut from subtidal lands and commercial farms with PVC tubing appeared in the intertidal areas. </div>
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You too can become rich. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bolsDHlomA/XbYwhERaJ5I/AAAAAAAAFjA/zlUhTajCMloVC0aQbrPQCXKsOBWdCL-EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/2Diane%2BCooper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="615" data-original-width="883" height="222" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2bolsDHlomA/XbYwhERaJ5I/AAAAAAAAFjA/zlUhTajCMloVC0aQbrPQCXKsOBWdCL-EQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/2Diane%2BCooper.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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We'll keep 85% of the revenue</div>
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and farm whenever we think it's best,</div>
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however much we think we should.</div>
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Your tidelands? No, you can't use them now.</div>
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That's fair, isn't it?</div>
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<b>A fungus spreads in Washington's tidelands.</b></div>
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With the demand for geoduck came the demand for tidelands which never naturally supported the densities planted, let alone the plastic tubes and netting required for this mono-culture to take hold. Like the carpet baggers of the south, growers knocked on doors, left fliers and called tideland owners who were unaware of the value they had in those tidelands. Worse was the control they were giving away. Not known was when their lease was signed, the percentage of revenues paid was nothing more than an amount agreed on among a few growers as "fair" (as low as 10%, predominantly 15%, maybe higher if someone signed a decades long lease). It is an <a href="https://www.myaccountingcourse.com/accounting-dictionary/oligopoly">oligopoly</a> in the classic meaning of the word. Their properties became encumbered for decades, with the commercial operations in some cases reducing the value of their neighbors' property. </div>
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"Don't I have some say</div>
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in when you harvest these clams?"</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wt-Y4LLfyU/XbYzJyAIYkI/AAAAAAAAFjQ/1Vdwj2xOuLMA1ZBBAj87GKIGUSSUj2VmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/10374024_10152395697430552_7895630813375951175_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="960" data-original-width="704" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--wt-Y4LLfyU/XbYzJyAIYkI/AAAAAAAAFjQ/1Vdwj2xOuLMA1ZBBAj87GKIGUSSUj2VmgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/10374024_10152395697430552_7895630813375951175_n.jpg" width="234" /></a></div>
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Didn't read the fine print in the lease.</div>
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<b>If you don't know the value of what you have...</b></div>
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Of significance today, given up by tideland owners in their leases to these few growers was control over when their tidelands would be harvested, as well as use of them. Today, <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/export-markets-cool-for-washingtons-giant-clam-the-geoduck-as-tariffs-mount-and-chinese-consumers-get-picky/">as written about in the <b>Seattle Times</b></a>, as a result of a tariff war between China and the USA, and changing "tastes", the geoduck market has collapsed. The "wild" geoduck are now fetching $6/pound versus $16/pound in the first quarter of 2016, a drop of over 60%. Cultured prices, depending on who you listen to at what point in time, have dropped from 25% to 45% from their peak.</div>
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Like a bank, geoduck growers are insulated</div>
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when a market collapses.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ewavuk5z6C4/XbeB1Do_6II/AAAAAAAAFjg/5BEtk1fdugAjIo0QmwmiPDr6IhC38AORACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/price.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="669" height="192" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Ewavuk5z6C4/XbeB1Do_6II/AAAAAAAAFjg/5BEtk1fdugAjIo0QmwmiPDr6IhC38AORACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/price.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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"<span style="text-align: center;">Why were geoduck on my tidelands harvested</span></div>
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at the low point of the market?" Good question, </div>
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but a little late to ask.</div>
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<b>A tariff war is never good, especially when product is available from other countries. </b></div>
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In any business there is risk which, in theory, is taken on by the producers, or in this case, those leasing tidelands to grow geoduck or those bidding on wild geoduck. In the case of wild geoduck, Washington's Department of Natural Resources <a href="https://www.dnr.wa.gov/news/geoduck-tariffs-prompt-dnr-offer-refunds-harvesters">provided <b>"financial relief"</b></a><b> </b>to the bidders when tariffs initially caused prices to drop. Those leasing tidelands weren't so fortunate. Instead, they found growers who had leased their tidelands were harvesting at the lowest price in recent history, and they had no say in whether they should wait for higher prices to arrive. That control they gave away, along with encumbering the title of their property for decades. Meanwhile, Canada, Mexico and New Zealand benefited from the battle between China and the USA, selling their geoduck, tariff free.</div>
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Think politics doesn't matter?</div>
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It will when it comes to tariffs.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2SOLtjGLJ8/XbeFPh2IrWI/AAAAAAAAFjs/MdVztok6yUElvMEVdZkrRKs6MFAh62KIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/vote.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="376" data-original-width="543" height="221" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-v2SOLtjGLJ8/XbeFPh2IrWI/AAAAAAAAFjs/MdVztok6yUElvMEVdZkrRKs6MFAh62KIQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/vote.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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He who put tariffs on</div>
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can take tariffs off and claim</div>
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a "great deal" has been made,</div>
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whether real or not.</div>
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<b>Your geoduck are gone, but mine are just waiting for prices to rise.</b></div>
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Anyone who believes the current tariffs between the United States and China will remain in place as the election approaches is naive. Too much is at stake during election cycles, and this is no different. Between now and election time, there will be a "great deal" made between the US and China, and with it the removal of tariffs. And when those tariffs are gone, geoduck prices will once again rise to levels significantly higher than today. But those who leased their tidelands will have nothing to sell, having had them harvested by growers who, because prices were low, paid even less to those whose tidelands were leased (lower revenue times X% means less paid out to the lessor). On the other hand, geoduck growing on tidelands owned by the growers, tidelands purchased with the immense profits generated in years past, simply waited for higher prices to return, and can now begin harvesting.* A "great deal".</div>
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*Seattle Shellfish, Arcadia Point Seafood and Taylor Shellfish, directly or indirectly, separately or together, have purchased large tracts of tidelands over the past decade in South Puget Sound, on which they have planted large tracts of geoduck. Examples include tideland parcels purchased in Spencer Cove on Harstine Island; Totten Inlet's Totten Shores; and Fudge Point on Harstine Island. Even well paid "scientists", involved in creating studies, purchased tidelands along the shoreline of Totten Inlet. All tidelands growing geoduck which don't have to be harvested at low prices because all have leased tidelands which have geoduck which can be harvested, and from which a lower rent will be paid. </blockquote>
<b>Banks don't lose and tideland owners likely aren't too happy. But business is tough.</b><br />
The two markets - wild and cultivated - have experienced a significant loss in revenue and with it planning. Bank loans made based on prices now driven down by the current tariffs are in question. <a href="https://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/export-markets-cool-for-washingtons-giant-clam-the-geoduck-as-tariffs-mount-and-chinese-consumers-get-picky/">The <b>Seattle Times</b> article</a> mentions salmon restoration projects being impacted because DNR's revenues are expected to be lower, leading to less in the Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA).* (The Times notes $28 million from geoduck auction, of which the LEAP legislative document shows $6.6 million being allocated to ALEA.) And tideland owners wonder whether that lease they signed and encumbered their property with for, in some cases decades, was such a good deal after all. But that's business.<br />
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*A portion of revenues received by DNR from aquatic leases and wild geoduck harvest are allocated to the <b><a href="https://rco.wa.gov/grant/aquatic-lands-enhancement-account/">Aquatic Lands Enhancement Account (ALEA)</a></b> which was intended to enhance public access to aquatic lands and for "restoring shorelines for salmon habitat." The <a href="http://leap.leg.wa.gov/leap/Budget/Detail/2019/scLEAPDoc2019-301S_0327.pdf"><b>LEAP document for 2019</b></a> shows projects in the ALEA account totaling $6.6 million. The Seattle Times notes revenues from geoduck auctions for wild geoduck totaling $28 million. It's not known where the $21.2 million difference was allocated to.</blockquote>
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Business is tough. Products whose price is artificially inflated are laden with risk. Risk which has now come home to roost in the geoduck market.</div>
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Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-71447185599553303082019-10-11T18:06:00.000-07:002019-10-11T18:06:59.816-07:00US District Court Rules Against US Army Corps' Shellfish Permits: Impact analysis and environmental assessment were inadequate.<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">Decision will have impact </span></h2>
<h2 style="background-color: white; color: #1c1e21; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; margin-bottom: 6px; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;">on current proposals.</span></h2>
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<b><br /></b></div>
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<b>US District Court rules that Nationwide 48 permits for aquaculture issued by the US Army Corps were based on an inadequate "...impact analysis and environmental assessment".</b><br />Read complete decision here: <a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fapp.box.com%2Fs%2Fdwftuu3wnam6bxfv32qlq5e03wo5t0hr%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3lmsx6iU8-Z-M6iiYGiv2QhFglCW5DyCtBTYisVsbbS-6hHCF8-9WoP6Y&h=AT3ZsG6GTtVZw0UaTDaR-GICHlJ8DtQrcG95J6EdDw6Awwh7L6QwA5lSEiSm9Hwdiv-jBUhXE01kqf6AEjFVhwqZ6W43k6782htWYYT5rpyZF_ZEU3MCsrZOf655UUfL5X8MFBzOjJksCAdMzrnuLnmMAnyqvmlJF8WNaqqeJvXSX9W0beZV1B07Anxn78shjR_r3uIuSTYmBOvlNziG0pZ8C2uVLqxoYdrRVx76_V1BMTKX-CxFQSoxSVZUDIiYblGbNmATc6NHayTEi2yqpWGA96scfL6Po2T_Bd-Lu8tfZGc5x4TYmnYAIXcNhi-Ia4dN97SUhkmgk_9BBV4jbbdJDFFqDfonSTAr5TcGgDHN8JeIjlID_kiAF2MZEGu1rbVH-tK3rYcGbdufnLwbpp8vCQi9RwKK0oNj7iw4YIoZCzzfjfmBN_hpPNap8K5eCCfdtZrq-RiLaE3-omb6pEolY4M89gpBM6gcmBfsL1wsWxjGkjq-KRjMPUO9d9sG5N6tLDC3TJsuR2b0I99JGPs1jGHnqaRHer38hl_g0W_8bDBZVVrZQIXNm7eRbyKlYJac26QawkbBiG-wNTrSaXcNYbe9qzIq3oNFoYRkz0JY22Ogu3ALyzzqoKvzGG-Op13wWtpITM8lW2lgoaXNlJLpV8-oPA" href="https://app.box.com/s/dwftuu3wnam6bxfv32qlq5e03wo5t0hr?fbclid=IwAR3lmsx6iU8-Z-M6iiYGiv2QhFglCW5DyCtBTYisVsbbS-6hHCF8-9WoP6Y" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://app.box.com/s/dwftuu3wnam6bxfv32qlq5e03wo5t0hr</a></div>
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(Read original case filed by Coalition here:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcoalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2016%2F06%2Fcomplaint-22jun2016.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0s-9kx4QjsHGeVIEioWwiwRyxTg_na3CUhim4HtI6_TU0XRN_aAu8OmXE&h=AT2EIb-H0Cn2ldQw3n37WlXzF5HZBETnAPMokq5ZNoDoxnC7_PQN2tpW446jFjQqfEaPm__OSgoDIpboH-GtsEyyMV4sTFMVdT9Zy0i8P7Zx_1mPLBhJAxKFunduTHA0a0JMOWiXMna1kW8ZPhuqtCE_QbZltguJJVNYu-5y0MhJI9jT105-7eNhx6x8umm11wIU1-qvs0DGKYHCal9GvXzfhJI_VXrnEY57wlu6H0U5--ikI0su6w11mn9YatvV9ql_7Ff4s9H2cqNewL9YAmp5Ds9QPXR7fOayVNJdw6aD0Z_rraicHjyhQyGUIBEKhBm_kZADg3yty7fACQ6Ncv6PfQvyFdA5gdMVgkPt5t6wTrYS54xsjPOCgYG6Lvcneau_14NWczuhDlesdJYXkwLKZAwI1N-5EH_jVXGwXCwNe10y8y7Cp1WjRH5JkvepJmgBS5S9CY6Ck1iQQOFiZUnNxBTI18JVwdPBDdzkq9Q3I5pvbOXBADvEE3-lG5VMAWkUyC_rAQRSjc9yfxlcKhAo_slALpYWTcpdk1MoK6JYsZeEoYlgfSqH-3wjEOq3dLFAbQlINJEBaye2YR9mWCSBplwIOeqbQs7bWIBhSqZvf8JamYNdn2ZGo2Y7A8xLn-ReP684f2Qp3zEc2rDhpcYCv7Q-Tw" href="http://coalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/complaint-22jun2016.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0s-9kx4QjsHGeVIEioWwiwRyxTg_na3CUhim4HtI6_TU0XRN_aAu8OmXE" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://coalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org/…/complaint-…</a><br />(Read Center for Food Safety filing here:<span class="text_exposed_show" style="display: inline; font-family: inherit;"><br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.centerforfoodsafety.org%2Ffiles%2F2017-8-10-complaint_final_95352.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR0m4gYTNuTIHq9LjR7ty31UvkQ2xZnGm2Zl-ardiPDpiN02lNj3JKPQx84&h=AT07pQvKdY702BKi4CK9x-LpNJ5Q2uSnkTAc4wx1G60g6fTWaDwTFcE2oIQfRujbDUbVNsNzh93Qt-9Qzc5Vw6qaHUyLRlgzj3N9zkShudS0-LJ7TIOywmJNLrlDPfDgsFZ17gcFHb55dB3DQ9WiqohyH8gZtWK44RnPTtGDJZ7gTIYQHUiNXvAc0hEknY973GzEhi0Y4mw9jaG8VKU08mY1ef5m4ZU0gQePoV1jTwuzHuY-PCQP1XbJQHRnGHx4EUQvW8_BbTQhWbJnFbYC9qItkq6qxHqj1a62WBMzg-B5i5-vxYuU7QzhUfEnfDShGusWKenAOC9ixWxKAX8_lphsCC3Y6ibVB9Y16lF4DfbHMsadm_zgk3u3xG7z6DZUtSBizeKmCCPKV2YtkGGUehC0BZzUMEFQ_2D7wi9X2w8Ky4_Bzpg1BXQKObr35gbNU8U647G0TcFPhrGvNxjEKRHs2Ac-wBzXoxMCeqzr7Evz8bY4ZWxoS4ZOKTfcespvxeBKgIgofzzmdGTzWFrdxnNM5pHob4MaXq47UoLTNw1U5qS609jTu5vihf6P_LjTFUDYdu7aMuYAOU8Reg-y88iWTuljfJ4FoXEPRCKrIPp0LyifWl1whOqe4NnoFUAUNT0hsB9Ma0Zyvklx-5ffwN3POD1ceA" href="http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/files/2017-8-10-complaint_final_95352.pdf?fbclid=IwAR0m4gYTNuTIHq9LjR7ty31UvkQ2xZnGm2Zl-ardiPDpiN02lNj3JKPQx84" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/…/2017-8-10-complaint_fi…</a>)<br />(Read Swinomish Tribe complaint, also considered, here:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Folyopen.files.wordpress.com%2F2018%2F05%2Fswinomish-lawsuit-against-corps-3522-1-complaint.pdf%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR2Rrtkz1K3y9rXE5MH_QvqqpaJM9HCdcGBlrvGTCEVUCq_nqC4jDdqjiu4&h=AT0wmHD3yMRINclEeDcuO_-Vqp3_J7l3HxOomFHPv_EZMJ-mBjqfVbzAyNAzyjWvpiqmVOwBovfY3vtYAMm5dbD7j57CCw7b_ejYxjDLlc-HYmAaV2rsyLSE9ydn4kV32S0ucmuVhGbFw8b0brRa_eGYuzxSJTptSghUWA-2306_LRiZraUamwwJejg9_8t5YCN_ES0nL8Pv-KuyvqMfkgwEdel9a5OcbAERIljJYUUvI2Yii6UnmMdSDWyz-6dBpEWQK2Zi2HgITtONy-M2RvqrKFG4l85qGydXu9p93TvKhi7_DA2EvmKN3T5DP5TRvyf3d8o8md_vtR7cdkwMZugguyrNFXxm2_P6ITMPPW_LOVumlFV15RBejAdRnptF9rR0EUfvcZuBP2ANdKwjSwv-TQUTjuPPZgWSsKSNcaDjpdVrDsQIDXsK-xuSIgczkjEc74dmAaXqjBBoH_1ff2FOl9-aIqkJbgUEB6Y4jShblW-RA3NnFp2_eA58oB1JAPtJnM80-Jy4DMibKdh3UuO8PGjKKGoxxEvrYF3QQgjSwYXCTzL7PMvuC1mjPGBkBhXCDE71sXa8S8_b_0DNa4qQf-tKFWyMJWt7nk8mmiqqnpuRi1kfNmk1MvugSQ430bXwopRKKH5tcSqj5KbMR5_wdHBjwg" href="https://olyopen.files.wordpress.com/2018/05/swinomish-lawsuit-against-corps-3522-1-complaint.pdf?fbclid=IwAR2Rrtkz1K3y9rXE5MH_QvqqpaJM9HCdcGBlrvGTCEVUCq_nqC4jDdqjiu4" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://olyopen.files.wordpress.com/…/swinomish-lawsuit-aga…</a>)</span></div>
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Clalllam County permitting decision just lost</div>
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a significant leg: US District Court rules</div>
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the Corps' analysis was inadequate.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLHaZkli2Bw/XaEV04cXqRI/AAAAAAAAFho/gmWDVyltd3IIaiVOaEdS9WdVutavLO0MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bags1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="551" data-original-width="904" height="195" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-LLHaZkli2Bw/XaEV04cXqRI/AAAAAAAAFho/gmWDVyltd3IIaiVOaEdS9WdVutavLO0MQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bags1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This does not belong in the</div>
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Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge.</div>
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(<a href="http://websrv2.clallam.net/tm_bin/tmw_cmd.pl?tmw_cmd=StatusViewCase&shl_caseno=SHR2017-00011&projectcasetag=Y"><b>Click here </b>for proposal and to comment</a>)</div>
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(Comments due by Nov 21)</div>
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<i><b>"The Corps’ issuance of a nationwide permit, at least with respect to activities in the waters of the State of Washington, was arbitrary and capricious and not in accordance with NEPA or the CWA. Pursuant to 5 U.S.C. § 706(2), the Court holds unlawful and sets aside NWP 48 insofar as it authorizes activities in Washington."</b></i></div>
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One small farm lead to another, and another,</div>
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and another, and another....</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2HG-poTfiQ/XaEZOudD-5I/AAAAAAAAFh0/Wvz8ybAlUykjd0qe1rqKiqnFiT76tbdAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/geoduck%2Bfarm2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="519" data-original-width="819" height="202" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-F2HG-poTfiQ/XaEZOudD-5I/AAAAAAAAFh0/Wvz8ybAlUykjd0qe1rqKiqnFiT76tbdAQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/geoduck%2Bfarm2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Which all added together make a difference.</div>
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And the Corps didn't consider that.</div>
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<i><b><br /></b></i></div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Never give up</b></div>
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For over a decade the Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, driven by Laura Hendricks, has been saying there was never an adequate cumulative impacts analysis done in order to determine whether small discrete projects, taken as a whole, had a significant and adverse impact on Puget Sound's critical marine habitat. Today the US District Court agreed.</div>
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PVC tubes and netting are transforming</div>
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Puget Sound's critical marine habitat<span style="font-family: inherit;">.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Zangle Cove is only one area</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">where expansion is occurring.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi9f7tinmcM/XaEZ6X9Y2-I/AAAAAAAAFiA/ehk2dk0T7moARwjvV4t7EPYIJYtvkSwpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/zangle%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1201" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Oi9f7tinmcM/XaEZ6X9Y2-I/AAAAAAAAFiA/ehk2dk0T7moARwjvV4t7EPYIJYtvkSwpgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/zangle%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Native aquatic vegetation is displaced by shellfish farms.</div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Shellfish farming impacts eelgrass, a critical habitat.</b></div>
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Agreeing with the Coalition and Center For Food Safety, as well as considering a case brought the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community over concerns about impacts to eelgrass, the decision still to be made will be whether to vacate all of the Nationwide 48 permits issued, or to consider what the Swinomish may suggest. The tribe has until November 15 to file papers. <span style="font-family: inherit;">Also being allowed to file papers on alternatives to cancelling all Nationwide 48 permits issued will be the intervenors, Taylor Shellfish and the Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association, and defendant, the Corps of Engineers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">Net pen fish farming is only one</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">of the many forms aquaculture takes.</span></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wksw-0lwhR8/XaEa_u8Y97I/AAAAAAAAFiQ/W0Zxg1Xq3lI4IzdzTdmDgYZorJX2fHIPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/broken%2Bmodel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1240" height="197" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wksw-0lwhR8/XaEa_u8Y97I/AAAAAAAAFiQ/W0Zxg1Xq3lI4IzdzTdmDgYZorJX2fHIPgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/broken%2Bmodel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Its impacts are additive to the </div>
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marine ecosystem.</div>
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Tell WDFW their analysis of Cooke Aquaculture's proposal</div>
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to grow steelhead in Puget Sound was inadequate</div>
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and an Environmental Impact Statement </div>
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analyzing ALL alternatives, including upland/contained systems</div>
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needs to be performed.</div>
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(<a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/wdfw-seeks-sepa-public-comment-cooke-aquaculture-farming-rainbow-troutsteelhead">Click here for proposal</a>)</div>
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Email here: SEPAdesk2@dfw.wa.gov</div>
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Comments due by Oct 22</div>
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<b style="font-family: inherit;">Get involved. Marine ecosystems are being impacted by many shapes and in many ways.</b></div>
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Get involved and make a difference in helping to protect the critical marine habitat as The Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, Center for Food Safety, and the Swinomish Tribe did.<br />See Coalition web site here:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fcoalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org%2F%3Fp%3D841%26fbclid%3DIwAR0LgqEDtC8WPTgpf47nThgy-Vm0vvGTBw5ZE5Be6S1V9rP7bg-8zXeExhs&h=AT3-z_JhbWOQPuVbi8HnheBXcdb0jTY2Q2pK0-5-4Ia2W-DCjrfIP1KYAbt_2WWbl1GrLG6kDp8X2aCHzJ1WGAYd2n6zJ7-goS37vmo2fVFeq8WcDExS0wNBBA8o388m5pAKVNlF_a4TAIborIeyKW6rQ0NODMiQpeml4H2ycgtdsitDRxe8rinzBqJaE3bk8TzDk3k5lOuR-LN5D_iMdH3TvFvtlfUZCCfGcLVoUPG8v3QQiqdcuwmYrzBi_q5Jkn9-LZomQ9GJ7a0VTnovPP9fgKEFc157UNuBaSkcZGqR9usuki0DsIycfk7HuWHtc4YaOsagL-DonkcoqhT79JZN0U53TNCnhEDEHY9g3ytlfcYE_P_nMXViawkiXGPdnst5s_sBx9ZLrexS9L7w1HjfC3PJt7IUxN09Y0BARjneNVoW3ztQLkel2lMK_pPEEKMciq5crk5nKpjf15B4TE0Col0c5RFXMu6n0n8CKeChG457RC8XJv96PH7LmJ5uCfLXsml0gkDScOsle_-emHsrapPXrsoVH1lAv97BUMCIxs3dmaXqyjshr__hdNd6RIAYPdhp29rkTL5nJdvCeJard_FRQ7o1Ft5NY7R8xQNfpK4UwikoMHG-bIJwuD7wEkqywuSj6tk5llAxdtlb6MFms7QwdQ" href="http://coalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org/?p=841&fbclid=IwAR0LgqEDtC8WPTgpf47nThgy-Vm0vvGTBw5ZE5Be6S1V9rP7bg-8zXeExhs" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://coalitiontoprotectpugetsoundhabitat.org/?p=841</a><br />See Center for Food Safety site here:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" data-lynx-uri="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.centerforfoodsafety.org%2Fpress-releases%2F5039%2Fcenter-for-food-safety-sues-trump-administration-to-protect-washingtons-coastal-waters%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR3SqAiHIJxpQGo9nGxXCTpyXe_OLrAFmG-0XqYhfANGYumcosjtJ9n79o8&h=AT35yVCy22KgeRNRW65mXpXUMHBNlJGWA4HDS2KVmRH2kl0tV4RsX3eoh-f3ZEcEqIKeeKMmXldFO2y8pK324kPCzr3aBFjsbaMUMYmj0GPggs-K227V5fNme3cbnivrX6hJd82CNyyKFWbWXTJfp-evDGXiNm-oTvkld8dYcSEDrYrM8AEdp48eoVF0wCaphk1_qjRRcfCKX8uEiaHpkGY479AkBLf9OpguMUGdADWBCNuXxjMmpQUUuh3pytz2pJ7ahBPYNCk5gu1Sy-upCvBcdQ8r13TmemErd8eRDJU1yr3GmVN6LxuulW86qEbmh-qVQWTLFqUcK5aOMUE29llA9o2f1OEeTHGhdgO58FQ-1nB4qix7VyX-iWRP0cNQNvrvialJ6xIIThUMbKfp7T_ClCbGmImLxsSigC2D-pGoNCovdSf2aPrgDe3_7-QCodu0QY4TPXfGaHNIrxpBOWB_EB9XrsyTfbiMZjzbppzSrXwI7Z6fV5OXqiYE4r4LigtDYpbpf1v7uhQBzq_wlXXnmr_DUwK9jpIl5WKANXcdUBUfoHkdXvlVZsiPhpkNTt7gT5vnNvuKXvuBuEDBlk3riI1WNxhnqyi75DqfhW0Fh__-tukbK-nRkI4oSA6funzvnME-vM2C0uRljHiG2GgAnsfdAg" href="https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/press-releases/5039/center-for-food-safety-sues-trump-administration-to-protect-washingtons-coastal-waters?fbclid=IwAR3SqAiHIJxpQGo9nGxXCTpyXe_OLrAFmG-0XqYhfANGYumcosjtJ9n79o8" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">https://www.centerforfoodsafety.org/…/center-for-food-safet…</a><br />See Swinomish site here:<br /><a data-ft="{"tn":"-U"}" data-lynx-mode="async" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.swinomish-nsn.gov%2F%3Ffbclid%3DIwAR263ghqdVCFPpAKD-rrjCEYNh3KBjsQ_HgMT7bN03w5zXjLhzn3clxeRBI&h=AT1y1nr__B3VDs0Ietv_al8n4uhrXk3f3V7jyDJ6qXTwMlB_az1wSRsL-PpddkglVwHYNR9o28bT9LYMbIGmzckNwPOZkqQtspVh-PpaVPduQ9Bjte9O-Q1fca3aewK0Hx1Ff3s6XaDrDGKkkgsxVW5CRikoh3MGap0LmCyREkrdy45eL0dekBTqqI9XafGgztglaMWGWB31dLe6V7nT6xQvKPE3L9-opcqmN1f4aRmQP7uhpLkQM8a9JBgaQ1cEKbFV7mmZp84_La0lK71ZN99bfwuEXGaz82IYRdDa9TpesMjDro-uos-IaJjIb65IS_YBeoesk3rfN7WUUZlXlx2ErmH7F-DXFGgvbGOyGxON7gskKdhH3qKSKGDKC6J1nTQ9ChYVUpA5XieLqNofojeLksuPdy1DAQWvUPGjGr1-odKUZ1QLcN8k8Pu-7mhSExTzOr2HZculfUnMhUjawcHR_qycJ7xycHZMtAn1CDgSHN4_uEWxDX6OTyNR0Ja3675SVP_Ch-yk0VQWtVL3Vl_C0baQydOpA-Uhglni65OqWr_lMHNggcY4zuoiZXjoD1HCOuQs_rJkv3OR0Jzd5Ml9480WMr8_afxxEMEWlbsSSDgZ5ZsDYQdouG0qMtdcJNyKBVzZ50kMLMRp0E7x6bZJnnQ89Q" rel="noopener nofollow" style="color: #385898; cursor: pointer; font-family: inherit; text-decoration-line: none;" target="_blank">http://www.swinomish-nsn.gov/</a></div>
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Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-54173420916946113742019-10-09T19:04:00.000-07:002019-10-09T19:04:44.074-07:001.8 Million Farmed Salmon Die from Warming Waters - Puget Sound Does not Need Steelhead Farming by Cooke Aquaculture<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Tell WDFW an EIS is required.</div>
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Comments: SEPAdesk2@dfw.wa.gov (By Oct 22)</div>
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Documents: <a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/environmental/sepa/open-comments">https://wdfw.wa.gov/licenses/environmental/sepa/open-comments</a></div>
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Governor Inslee: <a href="https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message">https://www.governor.wa.gov/contact/contact/send-gov-inslee-e-message</a></div>
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WDFW did not consider the alternative of </div>
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an upland and contained operation</div>
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on property Cooke Aquaculture owns</div>
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nor impacts from climate change.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfrdB5W2N7E/XZ6GGkyA2vI/AAAAAAAAFgA/d-kl71wFqeQvwaIU-rDFDcU5uyQZtzB2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Cooke%2Bland%2Bholding.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="628" data-original-width="882" height="227" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MfrdB5W2N7E/XZ6GGkyA2vI/AAAAAAAAFgA/d-kl71wFqeQvwaIU-rDFDcU5uyQZtzB2ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cooke%2Bland%2Bholding.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Riverence grows "steelhead"* in fresh water.</div>
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Cooke Aquaculture can as well.</div>
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They don't need Puget Sound to discharge </div>
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untreated plumes of waste into. </div>
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Read about Riverence steelhead here:</div>
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<a href="https://riverence.com/fish.html">https://riverence.com/fish.html</a></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3c41; font-family: gotham, slow-gotham; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: start;">"We feed them a steelhead diet that is rich in Astaxanthin, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3c41; font-family: gotham, slow-gotham; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: start;">which is the micronutrient that gives ocean-run steelhead their rich red flesh color, </span></div>
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<span style="color: #3a3c41; font-family: gotham, slow-gotham; font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: start;">without requiring the ocean."</span></div>
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Cooke Aquaculture's Scatter Creek Hatchery</div>
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5 miles from Cooke's 300+ acres.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeNd340bMEg/XZ6HUDsjtjI/AAAAAAAAFgM/oQx-R9YYtE4Mq9UhzNgAeTDhpfRUtHbwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Cooke%2Bhatchery.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="521" data-original-width="960" height="173" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-aeNd340bMEg/XZ6HUDsjtjI/AAAAAAAAFgM/oQx-R9YYtE4Mq9UhzNgAeTDhpfRUtHbwwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Cooke%2Bhatchery.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Upland and contained, where the first phase</div>
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of genetically altered "steelhead" grow-out occurs.</div>
<br /><b>Climate change is real and Puget Sound's waters are warming</b><br /><div>
Puget Sound's waters are warming and Canadian owned Cooke Aquaculture wants to extend use of its open net pens by converting to genetically altered sterile female rainbow trout they want to call "steelhead". Cooke Aquaculture owns 360+ acres in rural Rochester they could convert to upland/contained facilities. Puget Sound does not need the risk seen below, and upland/contained facilities was not an alternative considered by WDFW.</div>
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See WDFW public notice here: <a href="https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/wdfw-seeks-sepa-public-comment-cooke-aquaculture-farming-rainbow-troutsteelhead">https://wdfw.wa.gov/news/wdfw-seeks-sepa-public-comment-cooke-aquaculture-farming-rainbow-troutsteelhead</a><br />See article on tribal involvement here: <a href="https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/tribe-in-partnership-with-cooke-aquaculture-eyeing-steelhead-fish-farm-in-port-angeles-harbor/">https://www.peninsuladailynews.com/news/tribe-in-partnership-with-cooke-aquaculture-eyeing-steelhead-fish-farm-in-port-angeles-harbor/</a><br />See article on state leases here: <a href="https://crosscut.com/2019/08/still-recovering-escaped-atlantic-salmon-cooke-aquaculture-now-wants-farm-steelhead">https://crosscut.com/2019/08/still-recovering-escaped-atlantic-salmon-cooke-aquaculture-now-wants-farm-steelhead</a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
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"It's natural"</div>
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Really? No - it's not.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diVRGI4_OYQ/XZ5_5xZ2WrI/AAAAAAAAFfg/Cw4E_F-nGo031VQGxvJuODDlVpDUW9gUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/discharge%2Bsalmon.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="658" data-original-width="1339" height="157" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-diVRGI4_OYQ/XZ5_5xZ2WrI/AAAAAAAAFfg/Cw4E_F-nGo031VQGxvJuODDlVpDUW9gUgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/discharge%2Bsalmon.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Vessels pump up, then out, salmon remnants </div>
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from the salmon die-off. Workers scoop</div>
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the visible pieces up. </div>
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<b>Open net pens are additive point sources of pollution</b><br />
In Canada there is an environmental disaster unfolding with up to 1.8 million farmed salmon having died due to warm waters in late August and early September. Open net pens operated by Mowi experienced waters warm enough and oxygen levels low enough that salmon contained within the nets perished. The cleanup has begun with whatever may have been left alive being transported to a processing plant, with the smell being described as being so bad "you could taste it". The operator simply said "it's natural" and nature will clean it all up.<br />
(Read about the cleanup here: <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-newfoundlanders-raise-a-stink-after-18-million-dead-farmed-salmon-are/">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-newfoundlanders-raise-a-stink-after-18-million-dead-farmed-salmon-are/</a>)<br />
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"Salmon Butter" coats the shorelines</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTZPqfmhGaA/XZ6BrQd2PgI/AAAAAAAAFfs/ZhcYbVS2-NsPrrQuAnR-WyxpdWJYo-idACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ffaw%2B1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="525" data-original-width="805" height="208" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bTZPqfmhGaA/XZ6BrQd2PgI/AAAAAAAAFfs/ZhcYbVS2-NsPrrQuAnR-WyxpdWJYo-idACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ffaw%2B1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2u3N6uSiyNo/XZ6Bt_3iwUI/AAAAAAAAFfw/yuTrc-2FouIEZIyGkYfTdbocYEeOSECVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ffaw%2B2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="526" data-original-width="805" height="209" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2u3N6uSiyNo/XZ6Bt_3iwUI/AAAAAAAAFfw/yuTrc-2FouIEZIyGkYfTdbocYEeOSECVQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/ffaw%2B2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>Cat food or salmon butter?</b></div>
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Others disagree with the simplistic perception that this is simply "natural" and should be ignored. In an <a href="https://vocm.com/2019/10/09/salmon-die-off/#.XZ5GjYZIxdc.twitter"><b>interview with Biologist Dr Ian Jones</b></a>, he compared it to the equivalence of an oil spill. Beyond the smell, he describes the impacts from the pink affluent and fish oil as being similar to a crude oil spill. Workers who are attempting to clean up the dead salmon describe the discharge of rotting salmon as "salmon butter". Whatever may be alive, or useable, is transported to a processing plant in Burgeo, NL where the Mayor has described the stench as "This stuff smelled so bad you could almost taste it." (See article here: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mark-lane-burgeo-mayor-aquaculture-1.5313010">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/mark-lane-burgeo-mayor-aquaculture-1.5313010</a>)</div>
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<i>"Under their breath, the cleanup crews call it salmon butter: the pink, coagulated sludge that has taken over a remote stretch of Newfoundland’s south shore."</i> (From <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-newfoundlanders-raise-a-stink-after-18-million-dead-farmed-salmon-are/">https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-newfoundlanders-raise-a-stink-after-18-million-dead-farmed-salmon-are/</a>)</blockquote>
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You can't regulate from behind a desk.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8xIz4HY2iQ/XZ6QFElCq6I/AAAAAAAAFgk/GQebrlOLT7w1dai0WzEanY4mNThMUyEqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/see%2Bno%2Bevil.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="275" data-original-width="1014" height="86" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-l8xIz4HY2iQ/XZ6QFElCq6I/AAAAAAAAFgk/GQebrlOLT7w1dai0WzEanY4mNThMUyEqgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/see%2Bno%2Bevil.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Get out.</div>
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<b>Regulatory oversight - or lack thereof</b><br />
Agency oversight has been called into question as the person in charge has yet to visit the area. This despite the event having been reported to the public in September, and its having begun in late August and early September.<br />
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<i>"Nope, it doesn't look very pretty at all, I can tell you that," says Gerry Byrne, who has not visited the site himself</i>. From: <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/gerry-byrne-salmon-dieoff-reaction-1.5314433">https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/gerry-byrne-salmon-dieoff-reaction-1.5314433</a></blockquote>
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Cooke's collapsed net pen in Puget Sound</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUTeZ6lgibk/XZ6OyvTJeHI/AAAAAAAAFgY/MGCrTTPZ2ogaK71VLqGN2bLHdkpD_78FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/broken%2Bmodel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="642" data-original-width="1160" height="177" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-eUTeZ6lgibk/XZ6OyvTJeHI/AAAAAAAAFgY/MGCrTTPZ2ogaK71VLqGN2bLHdkpD_78FQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/broken%2Bmodel.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Does Cooke really need another nightmare?</div>
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Does Puget Sound?</div>
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<b>Cooke Aquaculture has already had one public relations disaster. Do they need another? Does Puget Sound?</b><br />
Canadian owned Cooke Aquaculture does not need Puget Sound to grow "steelhead", whether genetically altered or not. As noted above, Riverence has been very successful in marketing "steelhead" grown in fresh water, fed a diet which rainbow trout might eat in the ocean. Consumers seem happy to accept that as "good enough". Cooke owns over 300 acres in a rural area where incentives to create a new and modern "steelhead" farm could motivate Cooke to reconsider this plan. And avoid a second public relations disaster.<br />
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<b>Get involved - If you're not you'll be stuck with what you get.</b><br />
Washington State does not need this. The impacts from it are additive, and only increase the stressors experienced. Cooke has the property, the technology exists, and the public accepts that "steelhead" do not need to be grown in salt water.<br />
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*Steelhead and Rainbow trout are genetically identical (unless altered to become sterile females, as Cooke proposes) with the only difference being Steelhead are Rainbow which migrate to the ocean and return to fresh water to spawn.<br />
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Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-26359723914451751512019-09-18T17:41:00.001-07:002019-09-18T17:41:23.506-07:00Burley Lagoon clam die-off: Just move along. We have this all under control. Really?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
There are lots more bad clams out there </div>
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in Burley Lagoon, so have it.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6yL4p7vR2Ls/XYLMJFg_vrI/AAAAAAAAFfI/2j-p1b5-ThIMRBqyz_SECedJypeisAcagCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/bad%2Bclam.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="609" data-original-width="688" height="283" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-6yL4p7vR2Ls/XYLMJFg_vrI/AAAAAAAAFfI/2j-p1b5-ThIMRBqyz_SECedJypeisAcagCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/bad%2Bclam.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>It's foggy out there.</b><br />
After residents along the shoreline of Burley Lagoon and nearby areas pointed out to Taylor Shellfish, Pierce County, the Department of Health, the Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife and Sea Grant, directly or indirectly, that there had been a large clam die off on the tidelands of the enclosed estuary, there is no more clarity on the cause than before.<br />
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<b>Death of a clam is "not an anomalous event." What about the death of thousands?</b><br />
What is clear is this was a significant event. As in Rocky Bay, Burley Lagoon too was a commercially planted tideland with high densities of nonnative Manila clams planted. In both cases "crops" of clams died, surfaced and began to rot. Pierce County noted that "die offs are not anomalous events" and they will happen again. If they will happen again, and the result is a "stench so bad it almost knocked me over" (Rocky Bay resident), shouldn't there be some sort of urgency to determine exactly what caused these massive die offs in south Puget Sound, Discovery Bay, and now Burley Lagoon? Spread over a period of months?<br />
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<b>Toxic Bloom: We have samples, but we need more testing, so we'll just keep harvesting oysters.</b><br />
When contacted, Taylor Shellfish claimed there was a "toxic algae bloom." There was a vagueness to what that toxic bloom was, with words to the effect that more testing needed to be done. The Department of Health was unaware of any such bloom and was unsure of the exact cause. Temperatures weren't abnormally high and Taylor had apparently said nothing to them. Or any of the other agencies.<br />
<br />
<b>Their experts are on it.</b><br />
Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department responded that WDFW and the DOH had their experts looking at it, and based on conversations with them, there was no problem. Except that a large area of commercially planted nonnative clams had surfaced, died, and begun to rot. For unknown reasons. With waters of Burley Lagoon spreading that rot and oysters filtering that rot.<br />
<br />
<b>Crabs and birds will get through the predator nets and "clean it up". On their schedule.</b><br />
WDFW said the crabs and birds would clean up the mess, even with predator nets in place. Predator nets in place to keep crabs and birds off of the tidelands. There was little concern over whether those species would be impacted by whatever toxins may have killed the clams. Rotting on the tidelands, dead from an unknown cause. In an estuary with low flushing.<br />
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<b>DOH: Oysters filtering waters with rotting clams and unknown toxin is not a problem.</b><br />
The DOH, like the others, was unsure of the cause but felt it may have been related to the large die off in Rocky Bay and an area near Vaughn. This was a die off which had occurred in June, almost 3 months ago, and was apparently now repeating itself. With thousands of clams rotting in Burley Lagoon and oysters doing what they do best - filtering that water. And being harvested for consumption.<br />
<br />
<b>Sea Grant: We need more grant money. </b><br />
Sea Grant and their marine scientists who have helped support the expansion of aquaculture in south Puget Sound are still unsure of what the cause of the Rocky Bay event was, and are now requesting additional funds for further studies. While waiting for an answer from these experts, another massive die off has occurred in Burley Lagoon. Another die off which has resulted in a similar "stench which almost knocked me over" (a Rocky Bay resident). Another die off whose cause is unknown and which will not be cleaned up by anyone.<br />
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<b>NAMBI: Not against my business or industry.</b><br />
Shoreline residents whose properties are the most heavily regulated in the state through the Shoreline Management Act and now Pierce County's updated Shoreline Master Program expect to see similar attention on developments in the tidelands. And actions when those industrial level developments create industrial level impacts. Instead, what they hear is Taylor Shellfish testifying before the Pierce County Council during the SMP update hearing that not enough was being done for them. A hearing at which numerous amendments to address their prior concerns were adopted. After they appealed the original proposal to the Growth Management Hearings Board, which found in their favor. Still, they want more.<br />
<br />
<b>It's aquaculture. Our commercial activities are more important than you.</b><br />
Now, residents who own shoreline property, property which is heavily regulated and restricted, look at the tidelands which once grew shellfish in reasonable numbers. Without a past in which die offs were not a regular event and which did not impact the public's use of waters and shoreline. Without predator nets and without PVC tubes. Without a "stench which almost knocked me over."<br />
<br />
Get involved. If Pierce County believes the state law needs to change in order to de-prioritize aquaculture, they will do it. You should to. Because the stench will only get worse.<br />
<br />
<br />Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-55796008394253171512019-09-16T08:18:00.000-07:002019-09-16T08:18:51.207-07:00Taylor Shellfish Says Clam Die-off in Burley Lagoon from Toxic Algae<div style="text-align: center;">
"Based on recent water samples, </div>
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there is a toxic algae bloom in Burley Lagoon."</div>
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Taylor Shellfish, September 15</div>
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<b>Testing and reporting to...?</b></div>
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After weeks of complaints over a putrid smell in Burley Lagoon and large areas of dead clams rising found on the surface of sediments, an email was sent to Taylor Shellfish asking if perhaps the cause may be that Burley Lagoon's carrying capacity has been exceeded. In response, Taylor Shellfish stated water samples had shown there was a toxic algae bloom occurring in Burley Lagoon. It did not appear from the email any residents had been notified of the toxic algae.</div>
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"The stench of dead clams </div>
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nearly knocked him over," he said.</div>
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In July.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SnmxR77yUBA/XX-ffceVC9I/AAAAAAAAFew/TIeQ2V84XNMkhHfxHa8zD-6zxk8T4UqwACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/clams%2BRocky%2BBay.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="522" data-original-width="697" height="239" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SnmxR77yUBA/XX-ffceVC9I/AAAAAAAAFew/TIeQ2V84XNMkhHfxHa8zD-6zxk8T4UqwACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/clams%2BRocky%2BBay.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Burley Lagoon? No, Rocky Bay.<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "Open Sans", Helvetica, Arial, Lucida, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"> </span></div>
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<b>The stench of dead clams.</b></div>
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Toxic algae blooms have impacted high density clam plantings by Taylor Shellfish elsewhere in Puget Sound this year. In July, residents near Rocky Bay also complained of a similar "stench". In the case of Rocky Bay, it was found large areas with clams planted in high densities by Taylor Shellfish had also risen to the surface and died. The Key Peninsula News wrote about the event August 1. </div>
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(Read article here: <a href="https://keypennews.com/rocky-bay-algae-bloom-suspected-in-clam-die-off/#">https://keypennews.com/rocky-bay-algae-bloom-suspected-in-clam-die-off</a></div>
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This looks and smells very familiar.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4Xqf5tHjwU/XX-h6nFYrWI/AAAAAAAAFe8/NIVI8NrUoUIk9uRtglougD2cmp7ApcWUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/clams%2BBurley.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="599" data-original-width="1042" height="183" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-o4Xqf5tHjwU/XX-h6nFYrWI/AAAAAAAAFe8/NIVI8NrUoUIk9uRtglougD2cmp7ApcWUQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/clams%2BBurley.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b>This canary flew around for a long time.</b></div>
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In the September 15 email, Taylor noted the toxic algae is a "canary" of some sort, indicating something. That sampling shows the algae is still present months later, and shellfish planted in high densities in the tidelands of Puget Sound are still dying, should motivate health officials to do something more than they are. Before shellfish with toxins make their way from tidelands to the public. </div>
Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4134646529302691068.post-34630633218902966812019-09-15T16:55:00.003-07:002019-09-15T17:08:24.064-07:00Burley Lagoon Residents Complain of Putrid Smell, Clams Die Off: A "Preferred Use" of the tidelands?<div style="text-align: center;">
<i>"Particularly pungent smells </i></div>
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<i>may come from the beach when a common type of
seaweed </i></div>
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<i>known as sea lettuce decays </i></div>
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<i>in an environment with low dissolved oxygen."</i></div>
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(Department of Ecology, "Focus on Saltwater Beach Odors")</div>
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<b>Promoting and enhancing the public interest or industrial scale aquaculture?</b><br />
After weeks of residents along the shoreline of Burley Lagoon complaining about a putrid smell so strong it has prevented many from enjoying the air outside of their homes, it appears there has been a clam die off to go along with it. To hear Taylor Shellfish discuss their "rights" under the Shoreline Management Act, the state and counties are to do nothing but promote and enhance aquaculture, prioritizing it over all other water dependent uses, believing it is in the statewide interest to do so. Even if it means what Burley Lagoon is experiencing.<br />
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Dead Clams in Burley Lagoon</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xXwny2_Gv8/XX6yuqBZu_I/AAAAAAAAFd4/CDQR6R6Qo78uJaaB3qqdGdah-ieW4M_mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/dead%2Bclams.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="796" data-original-width="1078" height="236" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1xXwny2_Gv8/XX6yuqBZu_I/AAAAAAAAFd4/CDQR6R6Qo78uJaaB3qqdGdah-ieW4M_mgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/dead%2Bclams.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Clean net placed too late?</div>
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<b>The smell of politics.</b><br />
Pierce County responded sources of the smell could be "Ulva" (aka Sea Lettuce, a native vegetative seaweed) so thick it smells of rotten eggs as it decays. Another source mentioned could be leaking septic fields. Not mentioned is that it could also be the carrying capacity of Burley Lagoon has been exceeded by Taylor Shellfish's intensive and industrial level of planting of clams and oysters, resulting in shellfish rotting as they die off, unable to survive due to the density of planting. Or it could be a combination of these or other things. Whatever it is, the stench is overwhelming and impacts enjoyment and use of the shoreline, whether a resident or a member of the public trying to enjoy the aquatic environment in Pierce County.<br />
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Maybe the nets just need </div>
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a "good industrial scraping".</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLjguMY6-x4/XX6y7D32KgI/AAAAAAAAFd8/jxfryelQIpEg4HAB9ix0JHpQl7k_raY_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/tractor%2Bcleaning.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="367" data-original-width="554" height="211" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-DLjguMY6-x4/XX6y7D32KgI/AAAAAAAAFd8/jxfryelQIpEg4HAB9ix0JHpQl7k_raY_wCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/tractor%2Bcleaning.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Samish Bay, WA)</div>
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<b>Do structures in the tidelands need bigger machines on the tidelands?</b></div>
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Long time residents of Burley Lagoon have stated they do not recall a stench so intense in all of their years living there, some for decades. What they also do not recall are the number of "predator nets" which Taylor Shellfish uses to keep native species from feeding off of the sediments, or the expansive area covered. Nor do they recall the intensity of planting which is occurring, whether it be clams or nonnative Pacific oysters. As seen in the Samish Bay photo above, in order to deal with the heavy growth on their predator nets, Taylor partnered with New Holland and implemented the use of a tractor and a "street sweeper" to clear the nets there of Sea Lettuce so thick it prevents clams below from surviving. Algae which apparently exists in higher densities due to this artificial structure which has been placed over the tidelands of Burley Lagoon and on oysters planted in high densities.</div>
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It's not rocket science. It's "Ecosystem Services".</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TNuzqbkv6E0/XX636kIL7MI/AAAAAAAAFeM/RX8GqhvLOSYGoXlfvus62znJnfmyuTRKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/ecosystem%2Bservices.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="449" data-original-width="559" height="321" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TNuzqbkv6E0/XX636kIL7MI/AAAAAAAAFeM/RX8GqhvLOSYGoXlfvus62znJnfmyuTRKACLcBGAsYHQ/s400/ecosystem%2Bservices.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<b>Oysters poop, seaweed grows, clams die. Ecosystem services at work.</b></div>
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As noted in an August 2017 "Ecosystem Services" winning picture, one source of the problem is directly related to oyster feces, their pseudo feces, associated ammonia, and shell surface area provided by high density planting of oysters. Oysters poop and provide "fertilizer". On the surface of those shells macro algae attaches and thrives on the "nutrients" expelled by the nonnative Pacific oysters. That growth is so intense oyster growth slows and clams rise to the surface. Summertime low tides and summertime heat promote decay and death. Smells emanate. Because of aquaculture. It's not rocket science. Calling it "ecosystem services" deflects attention from dealing with the problem created.</div>
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This is not "enhancing" the public interest</div>
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and is exactly what the Shoreline Management Act</div>
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was designed to prevent from happening</div>
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to Puget Sound tidelands.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r1oxBhaBsMA/XX7E12euzTI/AAAAAAAAFeY/ctvaUXXkstwXQFKMfgRIBhwgnJMjyxhegCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/industrial.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="800" height="160" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-r1oxBhaBsMA/XX7E12euzTI/AAAAAAAAFeY/ctvaUXXkstwXQFKMfgRIBhwgnJMjyxhegCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/industrial.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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(Read <a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=90.58.020"><b>RCW 98.58.020</b></a> to see</div>
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intended preferences of the SMA)</div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<i style="font-weight: bold;">"promote and enhance the public interest</i>" - not industrial aquaculture<br />
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The Shoreline Management Act was created in response to industrial levels of activities impacting the shorelines of Puget Sound. It was not created to promote the industrial level of activities the shellfish industry has since evolved into. Activities and impacts which lower the statewide ability to enjoy the shorelines of Washington State. The Pierce County Council, in reluctantly passing their updated Shoreline Master Program, listened to Taylor Shellfish complain, even after additional changes were made to accommodate their industry, that more needs to be done in order for their industry to profit from tidelands and public waters. </div>
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(Read August 28 letter from attorneys for Taylor Shellfish and the Foss family's North Bay Partners here: <a href="https://app.box.com/s/na0wpgwm4mjp7b41toj1iaf533iecij2">https://app.box.com/s/na0wpgwm4mjp7b41toj1iaf533iecij2</a>)</div>
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Yes - Washington needs to change its laws.</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyTiYzPnjfg/XX7KBOrAF7I/AAAAAAAAFek/6Sm8zPpUklEKcPRfBAtuEsgB6w4LcFUPACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/straws.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="752" data-original-width="1594" height="150" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TyTiYzPnjfg/XX7KBOrAF7I/AAAAAAAAFek/6Sm8zPpUklEKcPRfBAtuEsgB6w4LcFUPACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/straws.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br /></div>
<div>
<b>"Maddening": Banning plastic straws and promoting PVC tubes in Puget Sound.</b></div>
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Most of what is noted in the Taylor/North Bay letter was addressed by Pierce County, yet still, Diane Cooper rose to state before the public and the council, not enough had been done for them. In response, most council members agreed, the state needs to change the law if, in fact, that is what Taylor Shellfish and others are relying on to promote their industry over other water dependent uses. [Read what the legislators who passed the SMA intended, here:</div>
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<a href="https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=90.58.020">https://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=90.58.020</a>, where it states counties, in developing their Shoreline Master Programs:</div>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"shall give preference to uses in the following order of preference which:<br />
(1) Recognize and protect the statewide interest over local interest;<br />
(2) Preserve the natural character of the shoreline;<br />
(3) Result in long term over short term benefit;<br />
(4) Protect the resources and ecology of the shoreline;<br />
(5) Increase public access to publicly owned areas of the shorelines;<br />
(6) Increase recreational opportunities for the public in the shoreline;<br />
(7) Provide for any other element as defined in RCW <a href="http://app.leg.wa.gov/RCW/default.aspx?cite=90.58.100">90.58.100</a> deemed appropriate or necessary."]</blockquote>
<b>Get involved.</b><br />
Use of structures and methods which create an environment from which odors emanate that are so strong as to prevent the public's enjoyment of the tidelands and shorelines is only one example showing how this industry is out of control. Pierce County agrees that laws promoting this need to change and will become active in the state to change this lopsided interpretation of a law intended benefit all in the state, not just a few corporations.Protect Our Shorelinehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10446629356952864350noreply@blogger.com0