PORT TOWNSEND — City leaders oppose two proposed off-highway vehicle riding areas, saying such use would threaten Port Townsend-owned watershed for fish habitat and city water system infrastructure.
The City Council on Monday night unanimously authorized City Manager David Timmons to send a letter to the Jefferson County commissioners, expressing the city’s opposition to both the proposed Quilcene-area Skidder Hill and Penny Creek sites.
Both proposed sites are on land owned by the state Department of Natural Resources.
But the city said that both sites could damage the watershed it owns.
Councilman Geoff Masci said he was shocked that county officials had allowed the off-road vehicle debate to go on as long as it had.
“Who was sleeping?” Masci asked. “I don’t get it.”
Timmons said that the city had spent “hundreds of thousands of dollars” in studies to acquire the state water diversion permits required to supply water to the city reservoir at Lords Lake, north of Quilcene.
The city agreed to protect the watershed for salmon habitat as part of its water diversion agreement, the council was told.
The city manager said the city’s interest was solely to protect the city water supply system and water quality.
Fish habitat
“Vehicles traversing the streams and wetlands that form the headwaters for Penny Creek could potentially damage resident fish habitat, impair the Quilcene hatchery water supply, as well as endanger salmon habitat downstream in the Big Quilcene River,” the letter to the county said.
The Big Quilcene River feeds water to Lords Lake, the city largest reservoir near Quilcene. The lake stores up to 500 million gallons of water.
Timmons’ letter said that city-owned property is bounded on three sides by the proposed Skidder Hill off-highway vehicle park site, with Snow Creek Road and a logging road crossing the city property.
