HomeMy WebLinkAboutord2004-070WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL AGENDA BILL NO - 2004 466
CLEARANCES
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Date
Date Received in Council Office
Agenda Date
Assigned to:
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County Council
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DEC 0 7 2004
WHATCOM COUNTY
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Prosecuor,
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COUNCIL
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TITLE OF DOCUMENT.-
Emergency ordinance amending shoreline program aqua culture rags.
ATTACHMENTS.
SEPA review required? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Should Clerk schedule a hearing 7 ( ) Yes ( ) NO
SEPA review completed? ( ) Yes ( ) NO
Requested Date:
SUMMARY STATEMENT OR LEGAL NOTICE LANGUAGE: (If this item is an ordinance or requires a public
hearing, you must provide the language jar use in the required public notice. Be specific and cite RCW or WCC as appropriate
Be clear in explaining the intent of the action.)
Emergency ordinance amending shoreline program aqua culture regs.
COMMITTEE ACTION:
COUNCIL ACTION:
12 /7 /2004:Adopted 6 -1, Nelson opposed, Ord. #2004 -07
Related County Contract #:
Related File Numbers:
Ordinance or Resolution
Number: Ordinance #2004-070
Please Note: Once adopted and signed, ordinances and resolutions are available for viewing and printing
on the County's website at: www.co.whatcom.wa.uslicouncil.
Emergency ordinance to amend Shorellne regs.
PROPOSED BY: Barbara Brenner
Laurie Caskev- Schreiber
Dan McShane
SPONSORED BY: Consent
INTRODUCED: December 7, 2004
ORDINANCE NO. 2004 -070
EMERGENCY ORDINANCE AMENDING THE WHATCOM COUNTY SHORELINE
MANAGEMENT PROGRAM, SECTION 23.100.20.57, AQUACULTURE
REGULATIONS
WHEREAS, on August 13, 2002, the Whatcom County Council approved
Resolution 2002 -036 supporting a moratorium on commercial marine salmon net pens;
and
WHEREAS, residents of Whatcom County have made significant sacrifices and
forgone harvest opportunity and restrictions on land and water use; and
WHEREAS, residents have volunteered considerable time, money, and resources
to the restoration of native salmon runs; and
WHEREAS, various economic sectors in Whatcom County such as recreational
and tourism businesses, the fishing industry, and fisheries depend on healthy wild fish
populations; and
WHEREAS, scientific evidence indicates marine net pens degrade the marine
environment through impacts to water quality, sediment quality, and the health of
benthic and pelagic organisms; and
WHEREAS, the goals of federal, state, and local salmon recovery efforts are
jeopardized by the negative impacts of commercial marine salmon net pens; and
WHEREAS, currently there are no commercial marine salmon net pens operating
in Whatcom County and precautionary approaches to marine habitat protection are in
the county's best interest; and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Charter limits an emergency ordinance to a
period not to exceed 60 days from the effective date of adoption; and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council is required to hold a public hearing on
this issue within 60 days of the adoption of this ordinance; and
WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council finds the emergency moratorium
imposed by this ordinance is necessary for the protection of public health, safety,
property, or peace; and
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WHEREAS, the Whatcom County Council finds the following facts in support of
this ordinance:
FINDINGS-
1. The Washington State Pollution Control Hearings Board has determined that
escapement of introduced Atlantic salmon are a serious biological pollutant under
the Federal Clean Water Act and the State's Water Pollution Control Act, Chapter
90.48, RCW.
2. Farmed salmon pose a threat to wild salmon stocks through the use of antibiotics
to treat net pens, causing an increase of antibiotic resistant bacteria in a marine
environment.
3. Scientific studies have shown that Atlantic salmon are capable of competing with
native fish species for increasingly scarce quality habitat.
4. The Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife reports that over 500,000
Atlantic salmon have escaped from net pens into Washington State's waters in
the last decade and even larger numbers of Atlantic salmon have escaped into
British Columbia's waters.
S. Recent scientific evidence documents the presence of Atlantic salmon in 78 rivers
and streams in British Columbia, and spawning populations have been
documented in three Vancouver Island rivers.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT ORDAINED by the Whatcom County Council that the
Whatcom County Shoreline Management Program, Section 23.100.20.57 is temporarily
amended as indigMfAJp,Exhibit A to this ordinance.
December. 2004.
WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
PtB z: 3 WFjATCOM COUNTY WASHINGTON
iis, C rr4o ,We Council Dan McShane, Council Chair
APPROVED AS TO FORM: (w'APPROVED () DENIED
i.
Civil DelAsty Prosecutor Pete Kreme , County Executive
Date: A).-/ 3 -(Pr/
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EXHIBIT A
(SHORELINE REGS.)
23.100.20.57
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