HomeMy WebLinkAbout011024 email Ocean Strategies Comments on Draft Jefferson County SMPALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Dear Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners --
Thank you for the opportunity to provide public testimony on Monday, January 8th on the county's draft SMP. Below is my full 3-minute testimony since we were limited to 2-minutes. If
the county commissioners would like to view results from our public polling, please let me know.
Thank you,
Brett Veerhusen
Good morning, my name is Brett Veerhusen and I am the principal of Ocean Strategies. We are a public affairs firm focused on fisheries, seafood and marine resources and I am based in
Seattle, Washington.
I am testifying today to share results of recent Washington resident polling we completed in six shellfish producing counties. In the summer of 2023, we received 500 responses from residents
in Pierce, Thurston, Mason, Kitsap, Pacific and Grays Harbor Counties. Though we did not survey residents of Jefferson County, we think our results may be of interest to the Jefferson
County Commissioners because our results county by county showed very little variance. We also surveyed equally across party affiliation.
In summary, 81% of residents support shellfish farming and 82% support clear and consistent policies that support shellfish farming. From our experience, very few issues ever poll so
favorably.
What was even more fascinating were the responses when we asked about the most important benefits of shellfish farming. Contributions to the local economy and good paying jobs had net
favorability ratings of 90 and 88 percent respectively. And right beyond helping the economy and jobs, were the benefits shellfish farming has on creating habitat for other marine life
scoring a net favorability rating of 86 percent and improving water quality at 85 percent. These results match Jefferson County’s June 2023 survey when 83% <https://www.co.jefferson.wa.us/DocumentCe
nter/View/16870/Survey-Results-Board-2023_0628?bidId=> of respondents answered “water quality” as the most important type of development activity they’d like to see maintained and/or
increased. Numerous studies have shown that shellfish farming results in improved water quality as well as valuable habitat for other marine life. Shellfish farming is one tool for
achieving better water quality and a healthy marine environment. The public and of course farmers know that shellfish are filter feeders, they help provide habitat and clean our waters.
Together, what these results tell us are that Washington residents in shellfish growing counties understand the industry’s benefits to local economies and understand the benefits shellfish
farming has on marine ecosystems.
I would encourage you to pass an SMP that supports shellfish aquaculture and makes it possible for old and new farmers to continue with Washington’s tradition of shellfish farming.
Thank you very much for your time. And I would be happy to make the results of our poll available to you if they are of interest.
Brett Veerhusen
Principal, Ocean Strategies
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Brett D. Veerhusen
Principal, Ocean Strategies <http://www.oceanstrat.com>
(c) 253.219.2532
(e) brett@oceanstrat.com <mailto:brett@oceanstrat.com>
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Public affairs for seafood, fisheries and marine resources