HomeMy WebLinkAbout092412_cabs01JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
COUNTY ADMINISTRATOR BRIEFING AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Philip Morley, County Administrator >
DATE: September 24, 2012
RE: Draft Response to Washington State Department of Ecology Letter re: Shoreline
Master Program
STATEMENT OF ISSUE: Review and finalize a response to the Washington State Department of
Ecology's (DOE's) August 31 letter requesting the County to communicate by October 1 its path
forward for completing the Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program update.
ANALYSIS: DOE Director Ted Sturdevant sent a letter to Jefferson County on August 31, 2012
asking the County to communicate by October 1 its path forward for completing the Jefferson
County Shoreline Master Program update.
The Board of County Commissioners have discussed options for responding with DCD staff and
the Prosecutor's Office on September 10 and September 17. The attached draft letter attempts
to capture the Board's views.
FISCAL IMPACT: Not measurable.
RECOMMENDATION: Review the draft letter and pass a motion giving direction for finalizing a
letter to DOE Director Ted Sturdevant, and authorize the BoCC Chair to sign and send the letter.
Enclosures:
• Draft Letter to Ecology
• 8/31/12 Letter from Ecology Director Ted Sturdevant
RE ED BY:
/r~ ~
~y
ilip Mo Administfator
l~~L
Date
September 24, 2012
Mr. Ted Sturdevant, Director
Washington State Department of Ecology
P.O. Box 477600
Olympia, WA 98504-7600
RE: Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program Update
Dear Mr. Sturdevant:
This letter responds to your letter of August 31, 201
communicate its path forward for completing the Je
Program update.
Ecology has taken the stance that in-v
dependent use from water-dependent
Ecology asserts in-water finfish aquae
Shoreline Master Program update (SN
interpretation of the law, an interpta#
aquaculture into two uses (in-wafE~~~i~
precedent it sets for requiring all m
shore water dependent uses exist I
County to allow it
native species as
parasites and unt
Recent documern
British Columbia and
populates that have
restoratid;and many tho
salmonid stars. Protecti
importance to tiilr citizens
aq
be al
that d
'sting the County to
County Shoreline Master
re is?~separate water-
-sho~E~:,~~s a consequence,
1 in Jefi~n County's
isagree wit~i your
shored are concerned about the
to be alved even when related on-
~t~te are Cerned that requiring the
l~~s, dize~~Fiatened and endangered
f`Y~f~g Them at risk from disease,
ti,~ ,
concent~ net pen finfish populations.
`finfish aquaculture in Puget Sound,
the reality of these risks.
qu~r~ puts at risk the wild salmon
of tens~of millions of dollars invested in
urs of volunteer time to recover our native
dig wild salmon runs is a matter of great
our environment.
Unfortunately Ecol~s st won net pens was expressed very late in the SMP update
process, well after out Coal committees and Planning Commission had completed
their work. As a result, :Berson County's staff and elected officials have had to delay
final action on adopting the great work that had been completed on the rest of the SMP
and expend hundreds of additional hours on the net pen issue searching for agreement
with Ecology while honoring our commitment to protect our waters and marine
resources from the impacts and risks posed by net pens. In the face of County budget
and staff reductions over the last few years, this extra work load has severely burdened
our staff, and prevented the timely completion not only of the SMP update but of other
projects as well. It has also had a chilling effect on local development waiting to use the
new tools contained in the update, and creates uncertainty of when and if the new
update will apply.
None of the three options spelled out in Ecology's earlier letter of July 23, 2012 are
desirable to us. However, in the interest of retaining local control of updating the SMP,
protecting our shoreline resources, and avoiding further delay in completing the SMP
update, the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners has made the difficult
choice to pursue the "adopt with a conditional use" approach of allowing for in-water
finfish aquaculture in our SMP, what you referred to as Option 1. Initial work has
already been done by our staff on drafting CUP criteria based on established
environmental standards and widely accepted science. However, protecting against
disease and parasites that may be carried and transmitted,,by net pen fish to wild
populations remains a particular concern. We are activ~~~eking technical support
from the Washington Department of Fish and Wddlife,~~ther agencies to help us
adequately address this issue. We will pursue deve~~' additional CUP criteria with
the goal of making our criteria comprehensive an~~°iro~~nd provide the greatest
protection to our shoreline resources from th ~ ' , umented'~ from in-water net pen
aquaculture. , ,~;
Outside this one issue, we have enjoyed arty ~a reciate~l the colla~~t~ and
supportive relationship with the Department o ~ log~y~ its staff ~_specially
appreciate the work of Jeffree S and look ~~to working with . Stewart
and the rest of Ecology's staff to ~~ ~te,Jeffersor~~nty Shoreline Master Program
update to a successful conclusion. `~ ~ ;,~, ~'~~~;
Sincerely,
..... • y `.' v r'.
+eew
srnreaev/as-li~:cr+av
DEPARTMENT OF ECC]LC?GY
PO &ix 1TC~Ol1 • CN}'n~Pia. WA !Ia3a4-76Df1 •31SWQ:fipYO ...
T1 r #w 1VastrireRfnn Rela} SerNrcc • Persons uvNr a speech disability can nl! RTJaRr3~6.fiir
Augusi 31, 2412
The Honorallle Joha Austin, Chair
Jefferson County Board of Commissioners
PO Box.1220
Port Towns~ntl, WA 98368..
RE: Jefferson Goanty Shoreline Master Program Update
Ihar Commissioner Austin;
r' x ~?~.:
.._ _? ,u F. d:'tl: 1.
Thank you for your August 1 S, 20i 2 letter regarding completing the Jefferson County Shoreline
Master Program. update.
We underslandand respect your aced for a modest, additional amount of time to resolve the
. marine salmon net pea aquacuiture issue. In particular,.we recognize the logistical challenges
posed dtu'ing the summer season.
We are still very intetiested in bringing the outstanding marine salmon net pen a~uaeuiture issue
to resolution. A deadline seems li ke a vital measure to ensure timely progress toward action.
Please provide us with your decision an the County"s path forward by October 1..2012: If there
is any additional information we can.pravide or questions we can an.3wer, please contact Paula
Ehlers at Paula.Ehlers{~,ecv.rva.uoyor (360) 40'7-#1271. Thank you for your diligent wark:in.
managing shoreSnes in Jefferson County.
Svicerely/, ~
/J, 1
Ted.Sturdevant
I.}ireetor
cc: Michelle McConnell, Jefferson Coutlty D!(D
Tom Cliugrttan, Eco1oBY
Paula Ehlers, Ecology
Brian Lynn;. Ecology
Pater Skowluad, Ecology
Jeffree Stewart' lsc:alogy
sent by certified mas: 7x10 2780 0000 2503 411 9