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Thursday, July 30, 2020
Thursday, July 30, 2020 — Shelton-Mason County Journal Page A-25
HiifiiLD
Serving the communities of Belfair, Allyn, Grapeview, Tahuya, Mason Lake,
South Shore and Victor
Future of proposed Grump mine to be decidedAug.
By Isabella Breda
isabe/la@masoncountycom
Mason County Hearing Examiner
Phil Olbrechts has until Aug. 7 to decide
on Grump Ventures’ appeal of a county
decision to rescind an SM-6 form and
allow a 66.5-acre surface mine to move
forward in a rural residential zone on
Northeast North Shore Road.
Olbrechts said this has been “the
biggest and most complicated land use
hearing 'since I’ve been a hearing ex-
aminer’f following closing, arguments
from Mason County Prosecutor Tim
Whitehead, David Bricklin, attorney
for the intervenors, and Clark Park,
attorney for the appellant, Grump
Ventures owner Russell Scott.
The hearing spanned more than
three days, convening via Zoom July
16, 22 and 24 for nearly 20 hours total.
Olbrechts must decide whether the
county was correct to rescind Grump
Ventures’ SM-6 form or if Grump can
retain what 'county code defines as
nonconforming use rights for the prop—
erty.
County code stipulates that after
two years of inactivity, nonconforming
use expires.
During his closing statement,
County Prosecutor Tim Whitehead re-
iterated that the county’s position is
that there was either “insignificant or
illegal” activity on the Scott Gravel Pit
the site of the proposed mine. Insig—
nificant or illegal activity was argued
to be inactivity.
After receiving the SM-6, which
permits nonconforming use, Grump
Ventures is required by state law to
go through the State Environmental
Policy Act review process and receive
a state Department of Natural Re-
sources Reclamation Permit in order
to engage in any mining activities.
Kell Rowen, Mason County plan-
ning manager, said during a July 15
hearing that it was her understanding
Grump Ventures withdrew all applica-
tions before the alleged illegal mining
activity took place in April 2019.
Rowen said she issued a verbal stop
work order on April 8, 2019, after Pen-
insula Topsoil crews were excavating
the site the previous week. The min-
ing occurred without a county grading
permit or DNR reclamation permit. '
Other witnesses for the county in—
cluding Ro‘d LaRue, who has worked
for the county for 15 years, agreed
that April 2019 was the-first time he
recalled seeing activity on the Scott
Gravel Pit.
, When Jack Johnson, owner of Pen-
insula Topsoil who aided Grump Ven-
tures’ permitting process, was shown
a picture of mining on the site, he said
during the hearing that he assumed
see MINE, page A—27
Twenty years of
summer chum
restoration
By Isabella Breda
isabe/la@masoncounty. com
- This year marks Hood Canal Salmon Enhance-
ment Group’s 20th year of monitoring summer chum
populations, which began one year after the species
was listed as threatened under the Endangered Spe-
cies Act in 1999. .m
, “Looking back to 1975 puts it in perspective —
the work we’ve done,” said Clayton David, salmon
and steelhead biologist at HCSEG. “There were very
few fish in the ’808 and ’90s. Now, Union River has
become fairly stable.” ‘
From Aug. 15 through Oct. 15 volunteers will pull
up their waders and head out to the salmon trap on
Union River to help in the annual effort to count
Hood Canal summer chum.
“This has become kind of a community event, the
volunteers get pretty involved,” David said. “This
year is different than years past because of COVID,
but everyone is super eager to do something other
than being at home.”
All gear and training is provided by the enhance-
ment group. Volunteers can work alone or with a
family member, partner or friend.
The prison-like barred trap on the Union River
is behind QFC in Belfair and captures adult salmon
as they return from the saltwater. Volunteers then
identify the species, gender and add summer chum
to the count.
Volunteers work the trap 24 hours a day, seven
days per week, alternating between four daily shifts.
David said the first couple weeks of September
are “peak season” for volunteers who are eager to
see more fish.
The summer fish counts are only one fragment of
the group’s year-round work that goes into monitor-
ing summer chum resiliency.
From January to June, volunteers, biologists and
interns identify and count juvenile chum during
A volunteer, shown last year, releases a Hood Canal summer chun after
idenifting it for the annual
fish count. Photo courtesy of Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group
their outmigration. - Salmon, Enhancement Group, summer chum are an
These days, the enhancement group uses the re- integral species in local
watersheds, bringing ma- i
turn and outmigration projects to make decisions on rine-derived nutrients
as they return to freshwater
how to help restore this species.
According to Alexandra Ehrich of the Hood Canal
see CHUM, page A-27
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Visit North Mason Chamber, Belfair Licen‘sln and Visitor Information
Center in Belfair 360.275.4267 www.northmasonchamber.com www.ex -
lorehoodcanal.com
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