Tougher Rules Aim To Save Salmon Habitat For The Good Of Puget Sound Orcas
read on
It might soon be more difficult to build a seawall on Puget Sound.
The state legislature is considering a bill that aims to help southern resident killer whales by protecting shoreline salmon habitat.
Single-family homeowners who want to build a seawall could face a longer permit process under the bill. The Department of Fish and Wildlife would thoroughly review every proposed seawall for its potential effect on salmon habitat.
The bill would also give the agency the authority to issue stop-work orders as well as civil penalties of up to $10,000 to property owners who don’t comply with the law.
“We’ve got good laws on the books,” said Margen Carlsen with the department. “Let’s make sure that the agencies that are trying to implement those laws have all the tools they need to help people come into compliance and stay in compliance with that law.”
The bill has passed the House and is up for consideration in the Senate Ways and Means Committee on Monday.
You can follow the progress of HB1579 here.
Copyright 2019 KUOW
Related Stories:
Shellfish harvesters are having to consider biotoxins later into fall and winter
It used to be the case that people who harvest shellfish could breathe a sigh of relief in late autumn. Spring, summer and even early fall have long presented the right conditions for harmful algae to grow and produce biotoxins in waters along the Washington state coast and into Puget Sound.
But in recent years, recreational and commercial harvesters, state agencies and tribes are noticing biotoxin outbreaks more commonly in the winter, too.
Remembering a South Sound radio icon
John Mangan ran I-91, KVTI for nearly 30 years. (Credit: Kevin Mangan) Listen (Runtime 4:01) Read In the spring, the South Sound lost an airwaves icon. John Mangan ran the
New flood management plan considers more flooding types
After about five years in the works, the Pierce County Council adopted a new Comprehensive Flood Hazard Management Plan that broadens the scope of what kinds of flooding the county will plan for – from coastal to urban flooding.
Angela Angove is the floodplain and watershed services manager with Pierce County Planning and Public Works. She said different types of flooding are top of mind for people in the county, recalling the King Tides that caused tidal flooding last December.
