[Update 5/10: Comment information -
Comments on SEPA determination due May 17, 2016
Appeal deadline (must have submitted comment) May 24, 2016
Comments: Send to Tony Kantas
email: kantast@co.thurston.wa.us
Phone: 360-786-5472]
[Updated 5/9: Link to MDNS SEPA decision changed.](see end of post for who to send comments to)
SEPA MDNS Decision Issued
Despite showing no evidence of shellfish farm management, let alone geoduck farming, Thurston County has issued a mitigated determination of non-significance SEPA decision on a geoduck farm proposal of Chang Mook Sohn's, manager of Pacific Northwest Aquaculture. Based only a description from an environmental firm describing how over 47,000 PVC tubes will be placed in a cove historically used for recreation, Thurston County believes the process to be simple enough anyone can do it, including Mr. Sohn.
Whose tidelands are they?
Thurston County appears not to care.
This "survey plan view" has been
challenged by neighbors whose
licensed surveyor disagrees with it.
Despite a clear dispute among tideland owners over who owns what in Zangle Cove, Thurston County has moved ahead with the SEPA MDNS decision. Without knowing clearly who is putting what where. While Mr. Sohn believes he owns over 1 acre of tidelands (seen above) a professional survey performed for adjacent property owners creates a much different picture, one which changes the assumptions found in the biological report used by Thurston County. More importantly, Thurston County's not requiring clarification of the question of who owns what tidelands creates the impression of accepting a challenged survey.
State Sales of Tidelands Were Not All for Aquaculture
Wanting agencies to believe all tideland sales were for the purpose of aquaculture has been a falsehood presented by the shellfish industry. In fact, the majority of tideland sales in Puget Sound were not for the purpose of growing shellfish, but to guarantee access to the water at low tide. Even the majority of tidelands which were sold for the purported purpose of growing shellfish were never put in "production" and were, instead, parceled into many small divisions attached to upland parcels of land as subdivisions were created. Not for future shellfish growing but to guarantee access to the water at low tide for upland parcel owners. Currently, the shellfish industry has pressed a belief on agencies that any tidelands sold and not in "production" were merely "lying fallow" and should not require additional permitting. This is the case in Zangle Cove, where tidelands were specifically sold as not being suitable for shellfish cultivation.
Does this mean tidelands are now
"suitable for cultivation" of shellfish?
And should anyone be allowed to try?
Placing 40,000 PVC tubes/acre to grow geoduck for the elite in China, at the expense of Puget Sound's critical marine habitat, should not be allowed to turn tidelands sold for recreational purposes into the mess it has become. Especially if someone has no demonstrable experience, and even more so, when those with experience cannot prevent PVC and plastics from polluting Puget Sound.
Comments on SEPA determination due May 17, 2016
Appeal deadline (must have submitted comment) May 24, 2016
Comments: Send to Tony Kantas
email: kantast@co.thurston.wa.us
Phone: 360-786-5472
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