Approved minutes
November 28, 2001
Marine Resources Committee
Trinity Lutheran Church, Freeland
4-6:30 pm

MRC Members present: Chair Tom Campbell, Sayed El-Sayed, Dick Toft, Don Meehan, Phyllis Kind, Roger Sherman, Hi Bronson, Mike Gallion, Sharon Hart. Executive Director Gary Wood. Technical Advisor-Julie Buktenica. MRC secretary Kate Poss. Excused absences-Tom Roehl, Matt Klope, Marty Behr, Jeff Tate
Visitors: Duffy Schoeler, Clinton; Don Stewart, Greenbank; Otis Lee, Clinton; Frank Roberts, Lagoon Point; Tony Frantz representing creosote logs in Lake Hancock; Sheilagh Byler, Ausable Institute in Coupeville; Carl and Fran Richart, Langley; Sego Jackson, Water Resources Advisory Committee; Ted Hofstad Lagoon Point; Ed Sebringhaus, Langley; Charline Denny, Langley, Mike Sato, People for Puget Sound; Don MacKinnon, Oak Harbor

4:05 pm-A quorum is present

4:10 pm-Mike Sato, People for Puget Sound, presents the video "A Puget Sound Fish Story-where have all the fish gone?"
Summary of video follows these minutes.

4:35 pm-Julie Buktenica discusses Crescent Harbor restoration
· Crescent Harbor is on Navy land in Oak Harbor-80% of Island County's estuaries were diked, ditched and filled to make way for farms-Deer Lagoon, Lower Maxwelton Valley, Glendale Creek, Lake Hancock and Crescent Harbor are such estuaries
· The dike breached at Lake Hancock and it is now considered pristine and a model of the way to restore Crescent Harbor. The Crescent Bay Salt Marsh & Salmon Habitat Restoration began with an idea suggested by Matt Klope
· A partnership of NASWI, UW Wetland Ecosystem Team and Island Co. Public Works-there is a proposal to excavate and restore the estuary to a more natural habitat. Navy SEABEES removed berms last August to improve circulation of saltwater. Phase II involves replacing and enlarging culverts to the treatment plant; Phase III, planned for summer 2003 includes pulling of the tidegate and outfall pipe and installing a large box culvert.
· Home to millions of juvenile salmon
· The Oak Harbor sewage treatment plant is in the middle of the marsh

5:20 pm-MRCs business meeting is called to order by Chair Campbell

Approval of today's agenda and 11/7 meeting minutes
· Dick Toft moved and Phyllis Kind seconded approval of today's agenda. The motion was carried.
· Phyllis Kind moved and Sayed El-Sayed seconded approval of the 11/7 minutes with clarifications to the reference on benchmarks and bulkheads.

5:20 pm-Establishing MPAs in Island County with Roger Sherman
· DFW (State Dept. of Fish & Wildlife) is considering conservation areas for Ft. Casey, including the rock jetty at Keystone; a marine preserve at Scatchet Head and an Admiralty Head conservation area. Hearings will be held Dec. 7 & 8
· Sato said DFW chose to nominate these areas as no-take reserves.
· Duffy Schoeler said that anglers are agitating over the proposal at Cultus Bay at Scatchet Head because it is a prime crab and clam area. He requested sending an MRC representative to the Scatchet Community Club to explain the real intent of the proposal.
· Wood says the proposal calls for protecting marine life in the water, not on the shore.
· Gallion said he talked with old timers who said rockfish are rarely caught when salmon fishing-they are listed for protection in the DFW proposal-that flounder and sole are more commonly caught there when bottom fishing.
· Meehan said he was concerned about the boilerplate language of the DFW proposals.
· Other concerns were raised that the area is popular for salmon fishing as well and that a no-take zone would seriously impact anglers.
· Action -Gallion moved that the Scatchet Head MPA not be adopted as written; Phyllis Kind seconded the motion. The motion was carried with a vote of seven approving. Two members did not approve. Discussion-Meehan said people will be upset if the DFW proposal interferes with salmon fishing and that the DFW needs to be more targeted in its approach so we don't give MPAs a bad name. Sherman wanted to be sure the motion includes the fact that salmon fishing, crabbing and clamming remain
· Ft. Casey jetty
o Action-Meehan moves that the MRC supports the DFW proposal, Bronson seconded the motion, which was carried.
· Admiralty Head
o Considered a valuable salmon fishing resource
o Action: Gallion moved this be a no-take zone for rockfish, bottom fish and steelhead; yet permit salmon fishing in season. Roger Sherman seconded the motion, which carried.
· Wood will send a letter to DFW and circulate to MRC membership via email for comment. The letter will sum up the MRCs view on the proposed marine conservation areas.
· Campbell announced the Washington Flyfishing Club has a bus scheduled for the 12/8 meeting. Gallion said he would be attending the meeting as well
· Sherman was thanked for his work on taking the lead on and reporting on MPAs.

6:15 pm-Grants and Contracts with Gary Wood
o Wood reported that a "frank and open" discussion regarding the 2002 SRFB grant requests was held today with the Technical Advisory Group and the Water Resources Advisory Committee members. A revised proposal was sent resulting in deletion of Maylor's Marsh as one of the locations targeted in the study; proposals for feeder bluffs will remain. The MRC score was increased from the first round.
o About $349,000--$227,000 from SRFB and $122,000 in cash matches from other sources--in grants are being requested for 2002. Part of the funding will extend outreach, including a Nearshore Stewardship Certification program, similar to National Wildlife Federation's Backyard Wildlife program. SRFB wants to energize shoreline owners to take pride in their property and one suggestion is to offer plaques honoring those who show they care

6:15-New/Unfinished Business
o Board of Commissioner appointment of MRC members, reported by Meehan
o Sayed El Sayed will serve to 2003
o Hi Bronson, Matt Klope (we are waiting for his yeah or nay), Tom Roehl, Sharon Hart and Jeff Tate will serve to 2004
o The next meeting is scheduled for 12/12 at Trinity Lutheran Church from 4 pm to 6 pm. Hi Bronson said he will not be able to attend
o Meehan said he is compiling the 2002 Workplan; he asked that members get their comments in before the 12/12 meeting.

The meeting was adjourned at 6:25 p.m.

People for Puget Sound's "A Puget Sound Fish Story"
Summary

o While the Puget Sound was once a plentiful supplier of fish where the Orca reigned supreme, the Good Ol' Days of fishing are gone.
o What is happening to our fish? They are disappearing fast. The disappearance is approaching a crisis status and is affecting the entire marine food chain from salmon to Orcas.
o Gill netters
o Estuaries filled and dredged
o Pollution of waters
o Continued growth of dock and marina construction affect habitat
o Rockfish, which can live more than 100 years accumulate PCBs; males especially prone to absorbing toxic compounds. There are about 70 species of rockfish; about 20 in the Puget.
o Daryl Williams, spokesman for the Tulalip Tribe said we don't see what affects us affects the fish.
o Bottomfish populations are essential to the food chain-they feed seals, porpoises, Orcas. There are an estimated 200 different species living in the sound
o Herring, considered "manna of the Sound."
o Populations have plummeted in the past 20 years
o Once 15,000 tons, now 1,000 tons estimated between Bellingham and Canada
o Increased shipping may be a factor in the population decline
o Marine birds, such as the Great Blue Heron, feed on heron
o Orca populations can't be recovered unless forage fish populations are restored.
o The Edmonds Marine Reserve is a no-take area-a success story in restoring forage fish population
o While there is no simple answer, the film said it takes grass roots effort to restore forage fish populations.
o Mike Sato, People for Puget Sound, said following the video, that MRCs were created as part of the grass roots efforts to restore health to the Puget Sound.
o Discussion-
o Meehan said MPAs are a big issue and asked the audience for its thoughts
o Duffy Schoeler of Clinton said anglers in his area are agitating over a reserve proposed for Scatchet Head, which is known for its salmon, crab and clams
o Meehan said it is reasonable to protect what we have; state regulations require no net loss; old maps are "by guess or by gosh;" hopes our studies are useful; Oak Harbor finds it useful.
o Toft added we want a body of knowledge to provide science and will have a hard education time when it comes time to protecting forage fish.
o Campbell added that we're not regulators and tasked with providing good science to make recommendations to the Board of Commissioners. He asks the audience to provide feedback on the formative stages of creating protected areas.