PORT TOWNSEND — Jefferson County officials are considering where and how to permit net pen aquaculture, which has been prohibited in the county for decades.
The three county commissioners Tuesday heard a report from the county Department of Community Development discussing state objections to the county’s proposed revision of its shoreline management program.
No action was taken after a two-hour discussion on the state Department of Ecology’s list of mandatory and optional changes to the plan.
The discussion will resume Monday during the commissioners’ regular weekly meeting at 9 a.m. in the county courthouse, 1820 Jefferson St., Port Townsend.
Commissioners agreed that the county would be unable to submit a final plan to the state until April 30. Commissioners approved the proposed program in 2009 after three years of work on it.
Ecology’s objections
Although Ecology accepted most of the plan, one of the state’s objections to it was to its prohibition of the farming of salmon and other fish in net pens.
Net pens have been prohibited in Jefferson County since 1979, said Al Scalf, DCD director.
“We can no longer forbid net pens,” he said, “but we are now looking to develop places where we can allow them.”
Ecology said the county could not prohibit net pens because a negative environmental impact could not be proven.
Commissioner Phil Johnson said the safety of the technique should be proven before it is allowed in the county.
“There are all kinds of things that are said to be safe and turn out not to be,” Johnson said.
“I just think we should be more cautious moving forward.”
County planners listed nine locations where net pens possibly could be allowed and are designing strict criteria for the granting of permits.
Net pen candidates
The department proposes that net pens could be located at Peasant Harbor Marina, Bridgehaven Marina, Port Ludlow Marina, Mats Mats Quarry, Mystery Bay, Port Hadlock Marina, Port Hadlock Boat Ramp, Port Townsend Paper Mill and the Cape George Marina.
The new policy would not forbid the use of chemicals in fish farming but would require that the facility owner “demonstrates that all significant impacts have been mitigated.”
“The regulations need to be more specific and provide us with the highest level of protection,” said planner Michelle McConnell.
Commissioners decided at least one public hearing is necessary on the net pen aquaculture aspect of the plan, though it is not required by law.
The public hearing will be scheduled in mid-March.
On Jan. 27, Ecology issued conditional approval of Jefferson County’s updated shoreline master program — taking issue with the plan’s flexible buffer zones of 100 feet to 150 feet and its direction for dock length as well as its prohibition of net pen aquaculture.
Ecology said the county’s plan needs to be more clearly defined as to the boundaries of buffers, which are areas in which development is not permitted in order to protect waterways.
Ecology also requires the county to impose a specific length limit for docks, clearing up the current language that limits the length of new residential docks and piers to the necessary minimum, up to 100 feet.
On Feb. 7, the commissioners instructed county planners to submit recommendations as to how the requirements could be satisfied. That report was presented Tuesday by Scalf and McConnell.
McConnell said the board was asking a lot of good questions.
“They are really examining the details of this new policy,” she said.
“And they have really done their homework.”
The county’s first shoreline management program was put into effect in 1989. It has not been updated since, though minor revisions were adopted in 1993, 1996 and 1998. Work on the new plan began in 2006.
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Jefferson County Reporter Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or charlie.bermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
