Friends of Burley Lagoon

NEW ALERT! DATE CHANGE!

Hearings for 25.5-Acre Geoduck Installation in Burley Lagoon.

Hearing Examiner hearings are scheduled for Spring 2024. Mark Your Calendars:

  • May 21-28 (weekend and Memorial Day excluded) have been scheduled for Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) appeal hearing.  Only designated witnesses will testify before the Hearing Examiner, but all can observe online. (Thursday, May 30th and Friday, May 31st will also be utilized if necessary.)
     
  • WE NEED YOUR VOICE on May 29 for the Geoduck Installation Permit Hearing – this will be the only hearing where the public may testify in person (to show support) or online. The Lagoon needs your testimony! 
     
  • Zoom: To participate in either of the above hearings virtually, visit www.Zoom.com and click “join a meeting”, or call (253) 215-8782, then enter meeting ID: 955 1213 2885, Passcode: 183209, or follow this link: https://piercecountywa.zoom.us/j/95512132885?pwd=ejBhYkk1OS9KcEttRIBURFFvcUdpQT09
     
  • These hearings begin at 9:00 a.m. and end at 4:00 p.m.

Beginning May 21, 2024, the Pierce County Hearing Examiner will hear the cases objecting to the proposed installation of a 25.5-acre industrial geoduck operation in Burley Lagoon. Six business days have been reserved for this hearing and all sides (Appellants: Friends of Burley Lagoon, Coalition to Protect Puget Sound Habitat, Friends of Pierce County, Tahoma Audubon Society; and Applicant, Taylor Shellfish, along with Pierce County) will present their arguments. This hearing has two parts:

1) An Appeal of the adequacy of Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) (May 21-28).
2) The reasons Pierce County should not issue a permit for this proposal (
May 29).

Remember, the May 29th hearing will be available to attend both in person and virtually. To participate in the virtual hearing, see zoom link above.

Friends of Burley Lagoon (FOBL) will provide updates if anything changes.

Written public comments will be accepted up to the date of the hearing (May 20th).  Pierce County has created a webpage for this proposal and comments at the following link:
http://www.piercecountywa.gov/burleylagoonfarm

Contact and Send your comments to Pierce County at:
Ty Booth, Pierce County Planner: 
Ty.Booth@piercecountywa.gov  / 253-798-3727

In your comments, please reference the following case numbers:
Shoreline Substantial Development Permit / Shoreline Conditional Use Permit:
Case No. SD/CP15-14 - Burley Lagoon Geoduck Farm (Taylor Shellfish Farms)
Application Numbers: 778791, 778792, 778793, 778794, 823304, 1004944
Parcel Numbers: 0122133078, 0122231065, 0122231067, 0122231071

FOBL plans to host a Community Zoom meeting before May 20th to discuss topics and strategies for speaking at the permit hearing on May 29th. Date for the Community Zoom will be posted later. Watch your email (Sign up at our email link below).

In addition to your participation at the hearing, this is a critical time to increase our fundraising efforts. Please consider giving a donation to Friends of Burley Lagoon. This is an expensive fight, requiring us to hire environmental lawyers and experts. Just filing the paperwork for the appeal cost over $3,000. An additional $15,000+ has already been spent on experts to review the EIS, and the costs will continue to climb as we pursue this effort.

We’re counting on funding to make this fight possible. Donations can be made through this website on our donation page:

Or checks may be sent to:
Friends of Burley Lagoon
PO Box 363
Burley, WA 98322-0363.
FOBL is a 501(c)(3) charitable organization.

Please share your comments with Friends of Burley Lagoon via email

 
 
Home Page

Predator exclusion nets covering previous natural habitat in Burley Lagoon

WHAT ARE WE WILLING TO SACRIFICE?

Are Puget Sound tidelands and estuaries being exploited by industrial aquaculture?  Fragile estuaries such as Burley Lagoon depend on the stewardship of all people.

Friends of Burley Lagoon is troubled by the loss of natural habitat and feeding grounds for aquatic animals, plants, and waterfowl that call Burley Lagoon and Puget Sound home.

Currently, the Burley Estuary has large areas of the tideland covered in plastic nets to protect industrial oyster and clam beds from aquatic animals and birds considered pests by the industry.

These tidelands have been altered by the nets, and marine animals can be trapped under the nets and die.  To boost the yield of clams and oysters, the industry can also remove species considered pests or predators including:

bamboo worms, barnacles, burrowing shrimp, cockles, crabs, flatworms, horse clams, moon snails, oyster drills, sand dollars, starfish, perch, seagulls, crows, ravens, waterfowl, flatfish, sculpins, raccoon, river otter, mussels, algae, grasses, Japanese eelgrass, slipper shells, and tunicates.

Now the industry is proposing the installation of a 25 acre geoduck site in the Burley Lagoon.  If Pierce County approves the permit, cumulative impacts of industrial aquaculture practices could threaten the Burley estuary’s ecosystem and continue to interfere with the natural food web of Puget Sound.

Friends of Burley Lagoon is a group of citizen advocates monitoring the expansion and impacts of industrial aquaculture. We seek to provide information to the public and champion ecological balance and biodiversity in Burley Lagoon and Puget Sound. Friends of Burley Lagoon is committed to protecting Puget Sound tidelands and the Burley estuary. They are Washington treasures, not to be sacrificed.

Get involved! Join us!  Raise your voice for Puget Sound and Burley Lagoon!
Contact your local, state, and national representatives.
Help us protect our Puget Sound tidelands.

We welcome your contribution. Friends of Burley Lagoon is a nonprofit 501(c)(3).

You may also mail your contribution to:
Friends of Burley Lagoon
P O Box 363
Burley WA ,98322

Questions? Email Us
Join our email list to stay informed.

Don’t miss OUR CONCERNS. Read ABOUT US. Find more information in READ & LEARN and LINKS.

 
Footer