July 22, 2008 Update

The Bainbridge Island planning commission has released a draft of the updated Marine Critical Areas Ordinance.  City Council is scheduled to hear the first public comments.

Wednesday, July 30th at 7:00 pm
City Hall Council Chambers
280 Madison Avenue

PLEASE TRY TO ATTEND THIS SPECIAL SESSION of City Council where City staff will present this draft to City Council, which will be followed by a public hearing.  People who care about Bainbridge Island shorelines are needed at this meeting to let the city council know that islanders care about their fragile shorelines. People For Puget Sound staff will be present to provide you with talking points and encouragement. Talking points are also listed below.

People for Puget Sound and the Bainbridge Alliance For Puget Sound are working to secure much-needed protections for the saltwater shorelines of Bainbridge Island. These protections will keep our beaches healthy for swimming, our shellfish safe to eat, and our salmon and wildlife populations thriving.

We have a challenge on our hands! Irresponsible development interests want to keep us from protecting our valuable marine shoreline resources, and are threatening the city council. PLEASE PLAN TO ATTEND THE JULY 30th CITY COUNCIL MEETING, and also the final hearings in September! Currently, the second public hearing is scheduled for September 10th, with final passage by City Council on September 24th. Make sure you check the city council schedule to confirm the time and date, because the September meeting dates could change.

THE BACKGROUND
When the City Council passed major revisions to the Critical Areas Ordinance in 2005, they left out protections for marine shorelines, including forage fish spawning habitat, eelgrass beds, kelp beds and shellfish areas, which comprise about 80% of the Island’s shoreline areas.  The entire nearshore of the Island has been identified as critical habitat for threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon, making better protection more important than ever. 
   
If we want to save our shorelines, protect our quality of life, and restore Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island residents and business owners will need to speak out and support stronger marine protections during these upcoming public comment periods.

Updating the city’s Critical Areas Protection Ordinance will: 
•    Help protect and restore the water quality of Puget Sound, keeping our beaches healthy for swimming and our shellfish safe to eat.
•    Conserve fish and wildlife habitats, including forage fish spawning areas important to Endangered Salmon species and declining seabird populations.
•    Protect people and property from hazards such as unstable bluffs and storm drive waves, by maintaining protective vegetation that reduces erosion and the need for costly shoreline armoring.
•    Hold the line on further degradation of our marine shorelines until the Shoreline Master Plan update can be completed in 2009.
For additional information, follow the project link at the bottom of the city's home page to: 
•    Sign up for the city's email notification listserv
•    Review relevant documents
•    Find out about meeting times and locations
•    Review project history
 

May 22 Shoreline Workshop Report

Posted 5/23 by Rein Attemann, (206) 382-7007

Last night’s event on Bainbridge Island with BAPS, "Island on the Edge: What is Happening With Our Shorelines," was a tremendous success.

According to our sign-in sheet, our attendance was 75 people, not including 10-20 people who snuck in late or snuck by our sign in table. So I would put the final count at about 90-100 folks!!!

We had several shoreline property owners who attended, one of whom was vocal but in a non threatening but concerned manner. Presenter Jim Brennan from SeaGrant properly thanked him and other shoreline property owners for attending the event and kindly acknowledge the man’s bulkhead situation and offered options for mediation.

I must of talked to 4 folks who were newcomers to BI. It made me realize the importance of last night’s forum as venue for newcomers to learn about their new environs and a way to meet their new chosen community.
The speakers had wonderful presentations that were distilled enough for the lay person to understand ecological processes and science.

The evening was full of good energy, which is still vibrating through my body. Throughout the night I heard lots of positive comments and appreciation for the workshop. We have set the stage very well and we should look forward to engaging these interested and energized folks this summer.  Next on the radar would be a similar workshop on the CAO process and the July 5th low tide beach walk at Fort Worden sponsored by People For Puget Sound, WSU Kitsap County Extension. and SeaGrant.

Saving Bainbridge Shorelines

May 2008


People For Puget Sound and the local citizen group Bainbridge Alliance For Puget Sound are working to secure much-needed protections for the saltwater shorelines of Bainbridge Island.

When the City Council passed major revisions to the Critical Areas Ordinance in 2005, they left out protections for marine shorelines, including forage fish spawning habitat, eelgrass beds, kelp beds and shellfish areas, which comprise about 80% of the Island’s shoreline areas.  The entire nearshore of the Island has been identified as critical habitat for threatened Puget Sound Chinook salmon, making better protection more important than ever. 
   
The planning commission  plans to release a draft of the updated shoreline regulations in mid-June for public review. Final adoption by the City is scheduled for sometime in September 2008. 

If we want to save our shorelines, protect our quality of life, and restore Puget Sound, Bainbridge Island residents and business owners will need to speak out and support stronger marine protections during these upcoming public comment periods.

Updating the city’s Critical Areas Protection Ordinance will:

•    Help protect and restore the water quality of Puget Sound, keeping our beaches healthy for swimming and our shellfish safe to eat.
•    Conserve fish and wildlife habitats, including forage fish spawning areas important to Endangered Salmon species and declining seabird populations.
•    Protect people and property from hazards such as unstable bluffs and storm drive waves, by maintaining protective vegetation that reduces erosion and the need for costly shoreline armoring.
•    Hold the line on further degradation of our marine shorelines until the Shoreline Master Plan update can be completed in 2009

The Bainbridge Alliance for Puget Sound, along with numerous co-sponsors, is presenting a public workshop to increase awareness about shoreline issues on Bainbridge Island. Learn about the state of the island's nearshore environment, stresses on it, and the role that residents play in influencing its health. The workshop is aimed at creating a more informed community and empowering individuals to be more actively engaged in decision-making about our shorelines.. 

“Island On the Edge: What’s Happening With Our Shoreline” will held on Thursday, May 22, from 7-9:00 pm at IslandWood, Great Hall, Bainbridge Island. Refreshments provided

Speakers/Topics:   
Tom Mumford, Washington Dept. of Natural Resources: Eelgrass and kelp; status and trends, importance, impacts of various human practices, potential solutions and recommendations.

Casey Rice, National Marine Fisheries Service: Puget Sound fisheries, life history and habitat requirements.

Jim Brennan, Washington Sea Grant: Overview of nearshore, geographical/geological processes, linkages between habitats and species, upland and aquatic systems (riparian functions), status and trends.

Co-Sponsors:

Bainbridge Island Watershed Council, Bainbridge Conservation Voters, People For Puget Sound, Puget Sound Partnership, Washington Sea Grant, Puget Sound Restoration Fund, Sustainable Bainbridge, the Natural Landscapes Project and Oysters for Salmon.

For more information on the workshops, or to get involved in supporting strong marine protections, contact Rein Attemann at (206) 382-7007.