Minutes
September
3, 2003
Members Present: Laura Arnold, Tim Carpenter, Peter Fromm, Terrie
Klinger, David Loyd, Kevin Ranker, Dennis Willows
Absent:
Kelley Balcomb-Bartok, Mike Bertrand, Brian Calvert, Mary Masters,
Rich Osborne, Kit Rawson, Jim Slocomb
Guests:
Christiane Biermann, Susan Bucknell, Shannon Davis, Ryan Drum,
Birgit Kriete, Jana Marks,
Claudia Mills, Pete Stauffer, Tina Whitman
Acting
Chair, David Loyd, called the meeting to order at 8:35 a.m. in
the Community Room at Islanders' Bank, Friday Harbor. He requested
that everyone introduce themselves.
Minutes:
Minutes of the July 2, 2003 meeting were approved as read. Kevin
will email revisions for the August 6, 2003 minutes regarding
his presentation (page 2); review will be held over to the next
meeting.
David
expressed the gratitude of the committee for the work Peter did
in putting together an excellent exhibit for this year's County
Fair. Peter said the display was designed as a traveling exhibit
and, for example, will be used at the Einar Nielsen Salmon Derby
later this year. Helen Venada was asked to pull winning tickets
out of a hat for the survey raffle: Bill Weissinger (UW Labs tour);
John & Lorraine Littlewood (photograph by Kelley Balcomb-Bartok);
Susan Mahoney (photograph by Peter Fromm); David Hoopes (photograph
by Mike Bertrand).
Tina
Whitman gave an update of the forage fish project (currently funded
by SurfBoard. She said that 49 surf smelt and sand lance sites
have now been documented in San Juan County ; the survey will
finish up this month. Tina said that, to illustrate how the forage
fish data will be applied, a staff training session is being planned
for San Juan County, with DFW explaining why forage fish are important,
their biology, and the rules that pertain to them. This will be
followed by in-house trainings presented by Jim Slocomb and County
GIS staff to each department to familiarize staff with using the
database. Tina said that some consultants seem to be using old
data and there is a need to acquaint them with the updated database.
She is working with DFW to familiarize certified consultants and
to speed up access to data establishing the presence of eggs.
The project report will include how the data is being used and
by which agencies. Laura suggested that the forage fish presentation
to the October conference include the use of the database. Tina
said the Army Corps of Engineers has come up with guidelines on
doing forage fish site analyses ("Are there eggs on the beach
at the time of the proposed work?" Tina said the Permit Center
does use the eelgrass data for stormwater runoff and dock permitting
issues. She said that other counties are still in the data collection
phase and she will check with Gary Wood on application of Island
County data.
Regarding
the conservation priorities of the SurfBoard project, Tina said
that analysis of the database with respect to the presence of
shade has been completed and they are now looking at what sites
have docks, multiple forage fish use, presence of spawn throughout
the year, etc. David said that Russel Barsh began a project this
year that examines stomach contents of sockeye salmon to demonstrate
what they actually feed on. Kevin added that the Tulalip Tribe,
the federal MPA Center, and Surfrider Foundation are looking at
a combination of forage fish habitat and salmon corridors for
conservation priorities; the first phase will be a very thorough
data gap analysis, followed by doing the science to fill the gaps,
and, finally, developing the conservation priorities. David said
that a spokesperson from the Tulalip Tribe will visit the MRC
on October 1st to inform the committee of the planned opening
of sea cucumbers and urchins to tribal harvest. David suggested
that the discussion include other shellfish harvest and also salmon
corridors.
Work
Plan Items: David introduced the topic of potential work plan
items for next year, stating his view that people need to be included
up front in the process. Laura reminded the committee that there
are several carryover items from this year that need to be continued
into 2004. Kevin suggested that the MRC stay active in the forage
fish project, supporting the Friends of the San Juans' outreach
and research efforts, addressing gaps in public data, establishing
protocols, etc.
Terrie
suggested that, regarding the MPA/stewardship proposal, there
be a discussion on next steps; she also suggested revisiting the
toolbox workbook on establishing MPA sites. The zones-of-use concept
was discussed, along with ways to stimulate more public interest
and involvement. David said he was pleased with residents' positive
suggestions at the recent Waldron Island public outreach meeting
regarding a detailed stewardship approach. He added that, although
the planned Shaw Island outreach meeting was aborted, he attended
anyway and found that residents there are interested and concerned.
Dennis proposed that a clear, broad scope be developed for the
whole county with alternating quadrants designated, for instance,
as no take areas for 10 years; he suggested that this type of
proposal could provide a working model to bring to the public.
Laura suggested bringing this idea to the upcoming bottomfish
symposium.
Other
member and audience ideas on future work plan items included more
education to young children, revisiting aquaculture regulations,
whale issues, balloon release, water quality, an ordinance to
adopt low toxicity pilings, a review of existing regulation requirements,
identification of high wake intensity areas. These and others
will be prioritized at the next meeting.
New/Old
Business:
Aquaculture
Issue: Laura distributed copies of a June 17, 2003 letter from
the Islands Trust Council to British Columbia's Minister of Agriculture,
Food and Fisheries expressing concern over a proposed regulation
amendment that "could lead to the designation of marine waters
as farming areas...subject to the Right to Farm Act" and
particularly any reduction in the influence of local governments
in planning coastal area development. Copies of the Minister's
response were also circulated. Laura said the issue here is whether
San Juan County's regulations adequately deal with, for example,
the impacts of farmed Atlantic salmon on wild stocks; the issue
of other net pen farming may also need to be looked at There was
discussion on Washington state regulations. Terrie said the state
of Alaska has outlawed net pens on the grounds of competition
with wild species. Laura suggested that there is probably enough
new information out there to at least support a resolution or
ordinance that specifies reasons to apply the precautionary principle.
Terrie said that increasing aquaculture, in general, including
net pens, is being proposed as a national goal.
Laura
said the Gulf Islands are working on shellfish culture and the
MRC needs more information. Terrie said that oysters are becoming
more and more invasive; she noted that preliminary data suggests
that species and productivity decline with net pens. Kevin said
that Grays Harbor and Willapa Bay produce 50% of the oysters for
the entire country; he also expressed local pride in Westcott
Bay oyster farming. He said, however, that increasing the number
of such farms also increases impacts (e.g. sediment disturbance);
another impact results from the reliance on various pesticides,
such as carbaryl. Kevin said he will email a draft policy against
the use of the pesticide, carbaryl, in aquaculture. David suggested
that this high priority work item requires that the MRC get more
information soon, perhaps from an informed guest speaker. There
was discussion on seaweed culture (nori, kelp).
David
mentioned future agenda items including the Tulalip presentation
on sea cucumber and urchin harvest and an update on the REEF bottomfish
monitoring project by Joe Gaydos and other divers.
Shannon
said that she has the minutes of the NWSC 8/22 meeting on Lopez;
Jim and Laura both attended.
Tina announced that she will be doing a forage fish presentation
at the Port Townsend NWSC conference. David and Kevin will collate
information/data from members on MRC work that helps the NWSC
achieve its benchmarks (forage fish studies, zoning, etc.) to
bring to the conference.
There
was discussion about "jazzing up" the MRC website and
about its value as public presence. Other means of outreach were
also mentioned. MRC
members have been invited to attend a reception at the UW Labs
on September 24th as part of the presentation on bottomfish research.
The
need for writing an RFP for the soon-to-be-vacated MRC coordinator
position was mentioned and discussion ensued on ways to fund increased
staffing hours.
Tina
urged the MRC to comment to be the BOCC about the reconfiguration
of the Planning/Permit Departments. There was a consensus of members
in support of a letter expressing concern for potential negative
impacts to shorelines and other natural resources from development
lacking proper permitting and review. Kevin said that he will
draft a letter of concern to the BOCC for the next meeting.
Citizens'
comments: Ryan Drum discussed the need to provide updated educational
materials to teachers, for kids five years old and up. He suggested,
for instance, the success story on ling cod recovery...ideally
told in an interesting, fun, and relevant manner (e.g. nearshore
curriculum).
David
suggested that everyone read the San Juan County Conservation
District newsletter article on the role of Atlantic salmon in
the farmed fish industry. Also, Birgit Kriete said the American
Fisheries Society News reports that farmed salmon are contaminated
with PCB's, at 16 times that of wild salmon and 4 times that of
beef.
The
meeting was adjourned at 10:30 a.m.
Submitted
by Helen Venada
MRC
minutes, page 3
9/3/03
