HomeMy WebLinkAbout155Update on Kelp lnvestigation at Hood
Head Mariculture Site
Submitted by Betsy Peabody, Executive Director, Puget
Sound Restoration Fund
Recent research shows that Hood Canal has the highest
concentration of COz on the west coast (UWAIOAA).
Solutions for reducing carbon are badly needed, but so too are
on-the-ground strategies for mitigating the effects of excess
carbon in marine systems. A kelp investigation funded by The
Paul G. Allen Family Foundation is currently underway at
Hood Head to document seaweed cultivation as a potential
strategy for mitigating corrosive seawater conditions that
result from excess COz.
ln 2017, Puget Sound Restoration Fund outplanted 2,490
meters of seeded sugar kelp at a mariculture demonstration site
and aquaculture farm off Hood Head in north Hood Canal.
Sampling conducted February through June documented an
average of 139 kelp plants per meter in early April. At peak
biomass in early June, 19.4 MT of kelp biomass was growing
at the demonstration site. Carbon content of the kelp was
20.4% of the total dry mass sampled, and mean Nitrogen
content was2.loh of the total dry mass sampled. In mid-July,
6.35 MT (14,000 lbs.) of kelp (wet weight) was harvested, thus
permanently removing carbon and nitrogen from Hood Canal.
The kelp was delivered to an organic farm on Whidbey Island
where Dr. Beth Wheat, a UW Professor and marine ecologist,
will involve students in conducting direct soii enrichrrrent anci
compost trials to trace thejoumey ofthese micronutrients from
sea to land.
On the water quality front, scientists from UW, NOAA, and
DNR deployed instruments to monitor pH and carbonate
chemistry. Modelers at SSA incorporated kelp production
data into a kelp computer model, and NOAA divers conducted
dive surveys to document fish and invertebrate presence.
Analysis of Year I sampling results will continue through the
fall.
Propagation, cultivation and scientific assessment will be
repeated in 2018.
PIG PROGRAM IDENTIFIES AND CORRECTS
FAILING SEPTIC SYSTEMS IN HOOD CANAL
There are more than 32,000 on-site septic (OSS) systems in
Hood Canal. Most of them are located near waterbodies and
40Yo of them are over 30 years old. Finding and correcting
systems that are failing and contributing to water quality
degradation in Hood Canal has been the goal of state and local
government agencies, tribes, environmental groups and others
for many years.
At its August meeting, HCEC board members were briefed
on the progress of the HCRPIC Program by HCCC
Executive Director, Scott Brewer, and program coordinators,
Kitsap County Environmental Health Specialist, Leslie
Banigan, and HCCC Watershed Planning and Policy
Coordinator, Haley Harguth. In phase I and 2, program
coordinators developed the collaborative framework and
monitoring plan, identified and ranked priority shoreline
areas to locate the most urgent shoreline areas, developed an
education and outreach program, conducted nutrient and
other studies, and used GIS mapping. During phase 2, more
than 66 miles of shoreline were sampled,778 landowners
were consulted,T6 failing OSS systems were identified, 92
OSS system repairs were completed or in progress, and 46
vouchers were utilized to assist landowners with the cost of
maintenance or repairs. Phase 3 will be guided by the results
of phase 2 and involves further shoreline sampling, water
quality monitoring, and investigation and correction of
"hotspots" (high pollution areas).
One of the biggest reasons for the success of this program
has been its emphasis on outreach and education, which
encourages landowners who have concerns about their OSS
systems to allow site visits by health specialists. The
program utilizes a number of methods to motivate
landowners, including a $200 rebate for OSS system
maintenance. A successful model used in the past offers low
interest loans to repair or replace OSS systems through non-
profit funding sources.
The HCEC strongly supports the HCRPIC program. We
have agreed to take whatever action we can to promote this
innovative effort, including lobbying the Trump
administration to keep the National Estuary Program in the
federal budget for future programs. We urge our members
and others to do the same. For more information about the
HCRPIC program, contact Leslie Banigan at
leslie.banigan@kitsappublichealth.org or Haley Harguth at
hharguth@hccc.,',va.gov.
Hood Canal Environmental Council - 4
All too often, a lack of funding, competing priorities, lack of
political will or other constraints have prevented health
departments from carrying out successful programs.
Fortunately, there is a cooperative and ongoing effort which
began in 2012 to coordinate a program to identifu fecal
pollution sources and initiate the necessary cleanup work.
The Hood Canal Regional Pollution Identification and
Correction (HCRPIC) Program is being spearheaded by the
Hood Canal Coordinating Council (HCCC) which represents
the three Hood Canal counties and two Native American
tribes. This 3-phase program has funding through March of
2019 from the Puget Sound National Estuary Program
CNEP). However, federal funding for future programs is
always uncertain given the politics of the federal budget.
MASON COUNTY SMP APPROVED
Comments on Mason County's Draft Shoreline
Master Program were submitted to the Washington
State Department of Ecology (WDOE) on behalf of
the HCEC and the West Sound Environmental
Council (WSCC) in July of this year. The
comments submitted separately by former board
member, Monica Harle (included as an attachment),
were adopted by reference as those of HCEC and
WSCC. Our recommendations were (1) to require
that all aquaculture activities in saltwater must avoid
impacts to eelgrass and kelp beds to the maximum
extent practicable; (2) to require that conversions
from existing non-geoduck aquaculture to geoduck
farming within existing farm boundaries must
obtain a Conditional Use Permit; and (3) to align
Mason County's SMP with those adopted by
Jefferson and Kitsap Counties, which call for less
intense geoduck aquaculture and tighter restrictions
and conditions. Generally speaking, we were asking
that the county's SMP rewrite reject any attempt to
favor commercial aquaculture over other interests,
thereby encouraging more balanced shoreline
ecosystems and restoring safeguards to ensure no
net loss of nearshore habitat for all species,
including salmon.
Unfortunately, Mason County did not propose any
changes, and the WDOE did not require changes,
with respect to HCEC's and Ms. Harles' comments.
Regarding our request that Conditional Use Permits
be required for conversions from existing non-
geoduck aquaculture to geoduck aquaculture, the
county responded by stating that "Conditional Use
Permits are required for new commercial geoduck
aquaculture only. Where the applicant proposes to
convert existing non-geoduck aquaculture to
geoduck aquaculture, the requirement for a
Conditional Use Permit is at the discretion of local
government."
The WDOE approved the county's SMP, with
changes, on August 29,2011. Mason County has
formally adopted the SMP and the updated
regulations took effect October 2,2017.
Questions about the Mason County SMP may be
directed to fuck .l;4raz, WDOE Shoreline Planner at
rmra461@ecy.wa.gov or Kell Rowen, Mason
County SMP Planner, at krowen@co.mason. wa.us.
UPDATE: PLEASANT HARBOR PROPOSED MPR
Jefferson County's decision-making process regarding the
proposed Black Point/Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort
(MPR) is now entering its 12th year. As the process drags on,
the HCEC continues to be involved and to seize every
opportunity to express its opposition to this ill-conceived
proposal. We firmly believe that if approved, this
development would result in unacceptable environmental,
social and economic impacts at the local level as well as alter
the largely undeveloped rural character of the overall Hood
Canal watershed. Unfortunately, our repeated obiections to
the proposal have fallen on deaf ears, and our position is
unchanged. We will continue to oppose the Canadian-based
Statesman Group's proposal and to advocate for more locally-
oriented development of the Black Point/Pleasant Harbor area
consistent with existing and allowed uses.
At this time, Jefferson County appears to be a step closer to
hnalizing documents that could lead to approval of the MPR
development. The county's Department of Community
Development (DCD) is currently revising two key documents.
Drafts of the Development Agreement, which is the primary
vehicle to ensure compliance with the conditions established
by the county and the Development Regulations must be
frnalized before submitting them to the Jefferson County
Board of County Commissioners. As of this writing, no date
has been set for release of the draft documents, which will
trigger a45-day public comment period.
There are still roadblocks ahead for the county, including
continuing opposition from the Port Gamble S'Klallam Tribe,
lingering concerns expressed by some Planning Commission
(PC) members, staff changes at the county DCD and the PC
and increasing public opposition. Frustration over continuing
delays in the approval process is growing, particularly for the
county, which currently needs more staff time devoted to
updating its Comprehensive Growth Management Plan.
HCEC's support for the local citizen organization, The
Brinnon Group, whose members would be the most directly
affected by construction and operation of the proposed MPR,
remains strong. For this reason, we are asking our members to
support the organization in any way they can. To learn more
about the issues involved, we encourage everyone to check
out its website at www.brinnongroup.org/take-action/.
Donations would be especially appreciated, as the Brinnon
Group considers its options if the proposed MPR is approved,
including the possibility of a legal challenge. Checks to The
Brinnon Group may be mailed to P.O. Box 572, Brinnon,
Washingto n, 98320 -057 2.
Hood Canal Environmental Council - 3
v
GUILLEMOT COVE NATURE RESERVE
Last May, the HCEC Board of Directors was approached by a group of
landowners concerned about the decision by the Kitsap County Parks
Department and the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife
to allow public shellfish harvesting within the Guillemot Cove Nature
Reserve. This issue raises a number of questions regarding the kinds
of activities that should, or should not, be allowed in a nature reserve
and whether the reserve's owners and managers have an obligation to
honor the original intent of the reserve's founders.
Located on the east side of Hood Canal, Guillemot Cove was formerly
called Frenchman's Cove after a colorful character, Henri Querrete,
who lived there from 1914 until his death. The 158 acres was acquired
by Kitsap County in 1993 from the Reynolds Family at a bargain sale
price, with the understanding that it would be managed in a way that
would protect this extremely sensitive site for the enjoyment of future
generations. Another 25 acres has since been donated by the Great
Peninsula Conservancy, bringing the total reserve's acreage to 183.
This includes a quarter mile of waterfront.
When the reserve was established in 1994, the Guillemot Cove
Stewardship Committee (GCSC), made up of local citizens (3 of whom
are current HCEC members), was created by the Kitsap County Parks
Department. The "Operational Policies" produced by this committee
established the kinds of activities that would be allowed or prohibited.
One of these rules states that "no clam dissine or shellfish harvestine
of any kind" would be allowed. Further, the Guillemot Cove Rules
listed in the 1994 Kitsap County Parks brochure includes the statement
that "shellfish harvesting of any type is prohibited." The GCSC also
recommended organizing the Friends of Guillemot Cove Nature
Reserve which is still operating today.
Local citizens with property adjacent to or near the nature reserve wolry
that after the tribes exercise their treaty rights to harvest their share of
shellfish on the beach, the lack of monitoring or enforcement may lead
to public recreational harvesters taking more than their limits and
damaging the beach. They suggest that, after the tribal harvest, the
remaining shellfish should be used only for natural reseeding. Kitsap
County Parks recently held a public meeting to discuss the issues and
take comments from concerned citizens. As of this writing, it is not
known what action, if any, the county will take.
The HCEC board has continued to assist in any way we can toward
making sure that the environmental integrity of the reserve is protected
and that the founders' intent to protect the shoreline from recreational
shellfish harvesting is honored.
For more information about the Guillemot Cove Nature Reserve and
the ongoin g citrzen efforts, contact John Frink at f r"inkj s@) gmai L co m.
US NAVY JETS IMPACT
FOREST LANDS
A lawsuit challenging the U.S. Forest
Service's decision to issue a special use
permit to the U.S. Naly to expand its
electronic training exercises over the
Olympic National Forest (ONF) was
brought by the Forest Service Employees
for Environmental Ethics (FSEEE) in late
September. The permit would allow the
Navy to park three mobile electronic
transmitters in l1 locations on ONF
forestland, the Salish Sea, and the Pacific
Coast Marine Sanctuary that would engage
in exercises with radar-jamming growler
jet pilots from Naval Air Station Whidbey
Island. These exercises would operate l2
hours a day for up to 250 days a year.
According to the Navy, these flights are
already being conducted over the Pacific
Coastal area, but the use of mobile
transmitters is designed to make these
exercises more realistic.
HCEC expressed strong opposition to this
plan in its comments on the US Navy
Growler Draft Environmental Impact
Statement early this spring. Our concems
include unacceptable noise levels, impacts
to areas outside the Navy's study area, and
impacts to threatened and endangered
species. In addition to the FSEEE, a
number of other environmental groups are
also opposed to the plan, including the
Olympic Forest Coalition, the Washington
Forest Law Center, the Marbled Murrelet
Survival Project (and its member
organizations), the West Coast Alliance,
Save the Olympic Peninsula, Olympic
Park Associates, and the National Park
Conservation Association.
For more information about the FSEEE
lawsuit, go to https://www.fseee.org. For
general information about the Navy's
growler jet training proposal go to
http ://westcoastactionalliance. org
HOOD CANAL ENVIRONMENTAL
COUNCIL YEARLY MEMBERSHIP
REGISTRATION
A TRIBUTE TO ALICE HARRIS
Alice Harris, an HCEC Board member for many years, died
at age 95 on Sept. 13. She and husband Jack lived on the
North Shore of Hood Canal for 57 years where they raised
their two daughters, Connie Anderson and Diana
Sargent. Alice loved Hood Canal and always seemed to add
wisdom to the HCEC Board's thinking. She will be
missed. Those of you who have, in the past, received your
HCEC newsletter by mail can be grateful to Alice for
helping to ready them all for mailing. Alice made a
ciifferense irrthe world for North Mason High School
students as high school secretary for 17 years, the North
Mason Timberland L1brary, and in caring about women's
issues, environmental issues, and Hood Canal. She did her
part for what she believed in. The HCEC Board hopes to
commemorate her in some way on Hood Canal. Memorial
donations would be welcome.
Alice's vacancy on the Board leaves a position to be filled
by someone (like you) who also loves Hood Canal and cares
about its environmental wellbeing.
Plankton bloom from space
Hood Canal Environmental Council - 5
Individual
Family
Group
Patron
$10
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$s0
$100
Contributions in any amount are welcome
NAME
MAIL
ADDRESS
E-MAIL
ADDRESS
I Please send this coupon and your check to: HCEC,
PL .O. Box 87, Seabeck, WA,98380
Hood Canal Environmental Council - 2
HCEC BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Donna Simmons, President
nana@hctc.com
Gary Cunningham JD, Vice President
gary@hoodcanalenviron mentalcouncil.org
Phil Best JD, Secretary
pbest@wavecable.com
Don Seary, PhD, Treasurer
don@hoodcanalenvironmentalcouncil.ors
Bill Matchett, PhD
info@hoodcanalenvi ron mentalcouncil.org
Judy Matchett
info@hoodcanalenvironmentalcouncil.org
Karen Best
karen@hoodcanalenvironmentalcouncil.org
Warren Lewis
warren@hoodcanalenvironmentalcouncil.org
Bob Wiltermood, Editor
bob@wiltermood.com
The Board of Directors meets the third
Wednesday of each month. If you would
like to attend, call Donna Simmons at
(360) 877-s747.
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Hood Canal Enviro ental Council
TNDUSTRTAL AQUACULTURE COMTNG TO A BEACH NEAR YOU?
I Hood Canal Environmental Council
PO Box 87
Seabeck, WA 98380
To receive HCEC newsletters via email to save
printing & postage costs please send an email to
bob@wiltermood.com or pbest@wavecable.com
This newsletter and back issues can be read online at
http://www.hoodcanalenvironmentalcouncil.org.
David Greetham
4043 NewPort CT NW
Bremerton, WA 98312
Plankton Abloom in Hood Canal
The Moderate Resolution lmaeing Sr.-:ctrorad iometer
(MODIS)on NASA's Terrlsatellite captured the top image
on July 3L,2017 .This wffe view shows the extent of the
bloom visible at the water's surface.
Geoduckfarm in Hood Canal - PVC pipe in eelgrass
HCEC was one of 16 co-sponsors of an excellent
conference ("Changing the Nature of Puget Sound: the
impacts of industrial aquaculture") organized by the
Association of Bainbridge Communities (ABC), which
focused on the damaging effects of geoduck farming
practices. The conference is online here:
h I t p s : r' itt,l,;.tr ltt u t u b e. c o ru p I q, I i,s t ? I i s t : P L8 u E O h 8 0 (',1 t
8 k-qy, e Sb 9,3 k I u A Y Ll c' 8 0 3 y,
In geoduck farming the beaches are "sanitized" of all
small creatures, upwards of 43,560 PVC tubes per acre
of beach are covered by netting that traps birds and
creatures, and harvesting of the geoducks is done by
high-pressure hoses that liquefies the beaches to quick
sand 3-feet deep. For an overview see:
ht t p s : // I drv. m s ih / s ! A t I v e 3 _O P p nt I gb N I-l GT OW-
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Here are some recorrmendations from that conference
to help oppose industrial aquaculture in our beautiful
inland sea: (1) Buy and eat only wild fish and shellfish
at home and in restaurants; (2) Let Gov. Inslee and Rep.
Derek Kilmer know of your opposition to this
environmentally-degrading business, but do commend
Gov. Inslee for placing a moratorium on fish net pen
applications following the escape of Atlantic salmon
from a damaged pen; (3) Encourage Hilary Franz,
Commissioner of Public Lands at the Washington
Dept. of Natural Resources, to set limits on conversion
of the state-owned tidelands to industrial aquaculture.
Shellfish growers successfully lobbied our
congressional delegation to influence the Army Corps
of Engineers to allow former sites to be farmed again
where eelgrass now exists. See:
httos : // I drt,. m s///s ! At lve 3 'PpmlsbNWrCpMwEy,JYG
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Governor Inslee enthusiastically promotes Washington
geoduck products for China where it sells for $100 or
more per pound, and the Dept. of Ecology promotes
industrial geoduck farming. Geoduck farming has
gained a massive foothold in southern Puget Sound and
is creeping northward. Some property owners lease
their tidelands to shellfish corrrpanies to help pay their
property tax, but Mason County tideland owners who
don't intend to farm geoducks may see tax increases
anyway: lt',s ,lust Beginninq: Mason ('oun\: Tideland
(hrner Contplains o.f'Higher L'uluutions - Thank Ta).,lor
ShelUi.sh qncl l4ason C'owt)"s Sltoreline Master
Prog'ant
In Jefferson County, geoduck farms may not need a
permit if they were operating prior to February 2014,
when the new county Shoreline Management Plan
(SMP) took effect; thus, three farms in Squamish
Harbor at Shine on Hood Canal currently operate
without a county permit. Geoduck farms starting up or
significantly expanding after February 2014 do need a
permit, but no permits have been issued. An applicant
who filled out an application prior to the new SMP
claims a "vested right" exemption from the permit
requirement in the new SMP, and is appealing the
county's ruling that a proposed new geoduck farm in
Squamish Harbor needs a permit. Kudos to the
Shine/Squamish Harbor group for their diligent work to
protect that area.
Please report any applications for industrial shellfish
farming in Hood Canal to our president, Donna
Simmons nana@hctc.com.
Hood Canal Environmental Council - 1
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Fall 2Ot7 Newsletter Protecting Hood Canal since 1969
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