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Dept. of Health upgrades Shellfish conditions in Oakland Bay
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masorcountv.com
The Washington State De-
partment of Health (DOH)
announced on Sept. 5 its in-
tention to upgrade 750 acres
of shellfish beds in Oakland
Bay from "conditionally ap-
proved" to "approved."
The DOH stated in a news
release that improvements to
the City of Shelton's waste-
water treatment plan, sep-
tic systems in the area and
environmentally-friendly
farming practices have con-
tributed to the decision.
It also recognized the
Squaxin Island Tribe, shell-
fish growers and property
owners for their part in im-
proving water quality in
Oakland Bay.
"This is a prime example
of how successful we can
be when communities pull
together to protect and im-
prove sensitive, important
resources," Secretary of
Health Mary Selecky said in
a statement. "We can all take
pride in the results of that
teamwork in Oakland Bay."
Andy Whitener, natural
resources director for the
Squaxin Island Tribe, said in
a statement that the parties
involved in cleaning up Oak-
land Bay should all be proud.
"The recent news that
several beaches in Oakland
Bay will be upgraded to ap-
proved for shellfish har-
Jouma pnoo Dy Natal e Johnson
The Washington State Department of Health announced on Sept. 5 that
it planned to upgrade 750 acres of shellfish beds in Oakland Bay, seen
here, from "conditionally approved" to "approved."
vest is a drastic change of
course to the news we usu-
ally hear about local waters,"
he wrote in a statement.
"Things more often seem to
get worse and worse."
While the bay was clas-
sified as conditionally ap-
proved for shellfish harvest.
it would close after heavy
rainfall because of runoff
into the bay from local farms,
industry and private septic
systems.
The waters of Oakland
Campfire sparks
!
STAFF REPORT
pr@masoncounty corn
A campfire left by tran-
sients triggered a brush
fire on Friday that burned
a 200-by-70-foot section
of steep terrain on Sylvan
Heights above downtown
Shelton.
The fire on the hillside
below Sylvan Heights
Lane and Northcliff Road
was reported about 10:30
a.m. Friday. Upon arrival,
crews found a fire about
50-by-70 feet on the hill-
side, reports Central Ma-
son Fire and EMS.
No homes were in dan-
ger during the duration of
the fire, although several
nearby residents hosed
down the roofs of their
houses.
The responding agencies
were Central Mason Fire
and EMS, Mason County
Fire Districts 4, 6 and 11
and the state Department
of Natural Resources.
The fire was sparked
by a campfire left by tram
sients, Central Mason Fire
and EMS Fire Chief Tim
McKern said.
County dedicates
By NATALIE JOHNSON
natalie@masoncounty.com
Members of the Mason
County Board of Commis-
sioners and the county's
Parks and Trails Depart-
ment got together Tuesday
afternoon to dedicate the
expanded Latimer's Land-
ing County Park.
The park, directly next
to the Harstine Island
Bridge in Pickering Pas-
sage, a part of the Case In-
let, provides public access
to the Puget Sound with a
boat launch and dock.
Approximately 25 peo-
ple, including members of
the public, attended the
event.
The Mason County
Parks and Trails Depart-
ment recently finished a
project to renovate and ex-
pand the parking lot, add-
ing larger parking spaces
for trucks with trailers.
The project was paid for
by a $400,000 Boating Fa-
cilities Grant from the Rec-
reation and Conservation
Office.
Taylor Shellfish spokes-
Bay flush slowly, leaving the
shellfish beds particularly
susceptible to pollution.
In 2007, Mason County
created a Shellfish Protec-
tion District around Oakland
Bay in an effort to address
these water quality issues.
In July, the Mason Coun-
ty Public Health and Human
Services department was
awarded a model practice
award from the National As-
sociation of County and City
Health Officials.
In Augusg the Oakland
Bay Clean Water District
Advisory Committee's educa-
tion subcommittee received
a Pugeg Sound Champion
brush fire downtown
Journa 3noto Dj Gordon Weeks
Firefighters from Central Mason Fire and EMS
battle a brush fire Friday on steep terrain on
Sylvan Heights above downtown Shelton.
Latimer's Landing expansion
Journa unoto D, Natahe Johnson
Bill Dewey, spokesman for Taylor Shellfish,
served clams to members of the public who
attended Mason County's dedication of the
newly expanded Latimer's Landing County
Park.
man Bill Dewey and Sus-
tainability Manager Mar-
co Pinchot prepared and
served clams to members
of the public who attended
the dedication.
award for eflbrts to restore
the bay's water quality
Organizations such as the
Squaxin Island Tribe and
the Mason Conservation Dis-
trict have worked with local
landowners and government
entities to improve wager
quality.
Oakland Bay hosts 19
commercial shellfish compa-
nies as well as a public shell-
fish beach near the Bayshore
Golf Club.
Taylor Shellfish harvests
the majority of its clams
from Oakland Bay.
"It's just a huge decision,
a huge victory for everybody
involved," Taylor spokesman
Bill Dewey said.
Oakland Bay closes for
shellfish harvesting about 45
days every year for pollution
concerns, Dewey said.
"It's a big impact," he said.
"We would preserve other
areas that we knew weren't
subject to pollution closures
so we'd have them when
Oakland Bay went down."
Whitener said the change
in classification will also
have a positive affect on the
Squaxin Tribe.
"Shellfish also play a large
role in the tribe's economy as
well. More than 20 percent
of our membership makes a
good portion of their income
on the beach. The tribe'also
owns a company that buys
and sells shellfish," he said.
Whitener said exerc]s-
ing tribal shellfishing rights
would not be possible with-
oug clean water in Oakland
Bay.
The northern part of Oak-
land Bay as well as Chap-
man Cove will continue to
be closed for shellfish har-
vest after heavy rainfall due
to higher bacteria levels in
those areas.
Whitener cautioned that
the new state of Oakland
Bay is still fragile.
"We are only one failing
septic system away from an-
other downgrade," he wrote.
"We need to keep on looking
for a way to clean p the up-
per bay and make sure the
rest of Oakland Bay stays
clean. If we don't, all of us
will lose our ability to har-
vest in one of the most pro-
ductive shellfish growing ar-
eas in the world."
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Shelton-Mason County Journa -Thursday, Sept. 13, 2012 - Page A-3