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

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

Governor Inslee:

Tuesday, May 3, 2011

Should Fudge Point be transformed
into a
12 acre geoduck farm?

Ecology and the Corps Want to Hear What you Think

Fudge Point/Buffington Lagoon
Harstine Island, Mason County
April 2011

(click to enlarge)

The Department of Ecology is accepting comments on this proposal through May 4.  Comments should be sent to:   ecyrefedpermits@ecy.wa.gov and should reference "Fudge Point, Taylor Shellfish; NWS-2011-44."

Information on Taylor's portion (which only covers the area above) is found here:
http://www.ecy.wa.gov/programs/sea/fed-permit/pdf/201100044_JPN.pdf 

SPECIAL NOTE:  DUE TO A COMPUTER PROBLEM THE CORPS CANNOT VERIFY COMMENTS ALREADY SENT IN ON TAYLOR SHELLFISH APPLICATIONS WERE RECEIVED. 
The Army Corps has extended their comment period for this project, and others, until May 26. 
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/documents/REG/Taylor_Shellfish_PN_Revision.pdf 

Comments should be sent to: Pamela.Sanguinetti@usace.army.mil and reference "Fudge Point-Taylor; NWS-2011-44."

In addition to extending the comment period for Taylor's Fudge Point, the Corps has also extended the comment period on Taylor Shellfish's "Sullivan" farm in Totten Inlet (NWS-2010-1237).  Information for that proposal, Fudge Point, and adjacent farms on Fudge Point (NWS-2010-1238 and NSW-2011-131) may be found here:
http://www.nws.usace.army.mil/PublicMenu/Menu.cfm?sitename=REG&pagename=Public_Notices

Almost 300,000 PVC pipes will be placed into the wetland drainage area seen in the picture above.  Harvesting will loosen 3' of sediments which will be caught up by the drainage from the wetland area above, entering into Case Inlet, carried throughout the area by tidal currents.  The intertidal habitat will be disrupted through phases of production, starting with PVC insertion; its removal; and, harvesting.  Is there enough information to determine if this farm, and those which already exist near McMicken Island State Park and Wilson Point to the south will not have an adverse impact on Puget Sound's ecosystem?

Are cumulative impacts real? 
To the south on Wilson Point you'll find this:

Wilson Point
Harstine Island, Mason County
(April 2011)
 (click to enlarge)

Cumulative impacts from geoduck aquaculture are real and they do matter. 
Your comments will make a difference.



Posted by Protect Our Shoreline at 6:21 PM

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