Friends of Burley Lagoon

Will Gig Harbor Voices Be Heard by Pierce County?

Burley Lagoon, WA — August, 2024 —  The fate of Gig Harbor’s Burley Lagoon hangs in the balance while community members uneasily await the decision of the Pierce County Hearing Examiner on whether a permit will be granted for a 25.5-acre industrial geoduck operation. If approved, it would likely be the largest geoduck site in Puget Sound, threatening marine habitats in this estuary, and setting precedent for continued expansion throughout the region.

A hearing in May 2023 before the Gig Harbor Land Use Advisory Commission (LUAC) resulted in the commissioners’ recommendation that Pierce County deny the Taylor Shellfish Burley Lagoon geoduck permit.

In the past small clams and oysters have been gently farmed in communion with the Burley Lagoon environment and surrounding neighborhood. However, a change in aquaculture management over the past decade has led to industrial practices and the extensive use of plastics, including predator exclusion netting that covers the natural feeding grounds of birds and marine life.

With $41.6 million dollars being spent restoring fish passage through Purdy Creek that flows into Burley Lagoon, it’s shocking the aquaculture industry would be allowed to use even more plastic gear and practices that further degrade the habitat of ESA listed Chinook salmon and other species in Burley Lagoon. The estuary supports multiple habitats, including salt marshes, wetlands, eelgrass beds, mudflats and more. They all provide critical habitat for marine species. Approval of the geoduck installation permits would intensify industrial aquaculture operations and would further disrupt the lagoon, the wildlife and the surrounding community.

Concerns persist about the geoduck monoculture’s impact on biodiversity since approximately 130,000 geoduck could be planted in plastic tubes per acre, monopolizing phytoplankton, the basic food source of other naturally occurring aquatic species. Advocates, professionals, scientists, and concerned citizens have diligently presented arguments to Pierce County against the permit issuance.

The broader implications of this decision extend beyond Burley Lagoon and impact aquatic species, recreational opportunities, and aesthetics throughout Puget Sound.

Community members are standing up against a powerful industry, and the decisions made today will impact future generations and the health of Puget Sound.

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

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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.

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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).

Donate With PayPal

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

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