HomeMy WebLinkAbout011924 Shoreline Master Program--Please Require a Standard CUP for All Geoduck ApplicationsALERT: BE CAUTIOUS This email originated outside the organization. Do not open attachments or click on links if you are not expecting them.
Hello, My name is Clay Epstein ,and I live in Port Angeles.
I support a standard CUP for all geoduck applications because .
* I’m worried about how geoduck aquaculture affects eelgrass used by crabs, herring, young salmon, shorebirds and all kinds of marine life that depend on our tidelands and estuaries.
* I’m worried about plastics pollution. Each acre of geoducks requires more than 11 tons of plastic--it doesn't matter what kind, we need to eliminate all plastics in the environment.
* Geoduck harvesting is done using high pressure hydraulic techniques that can harm eelgrass, resulting in decreased biodiversity.
* Geoduck cultivation is very intensive. We need to know more about how it affects marine life at any particular site before issuing a permit.
* The public pays the external costs of geoduck farmers' private gain--particularly concerning are the loss of eelgrass beds and the need to remove plastic debris. We should have a
say, at a public hearing, to ensure these costs are born by those who profit.
* In Clallam and Kitsap counties all geoduck proposals must go through the standard CUP process, it should be the same in Jefferson county
* Citizens should have the chance to speak up and be heard before any decision is made on geoduck cultivation. A standard CUP provides that chance and is fair to everyone.
Thank you for your work to protect our precious tidelands and the marine life that depends on it.
Clay Epstein