Save Dungeness National Wildlife Refuge

A corporation intends to commercialize 34-acres of the National Dungeness Wildlife Refuge with 80,000 plastic oyster bags.  The U.S. Corps of Engineers and the Washington State Department of Ecology is interested in your comments.

Back in October, 2019 the Federal District Court found that the Army Corps of Engineers (ACE) Nationwide Permits issued for commercial shellfish aquaculture unlawful. The Court ruling required shellfish operations to re-permit under Individual Permits but did allow planting through the 2020 season and harvesting through March 2022.

The aquaculture industry group appealed the decision. On February 11 a three-judge panel with the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals unanimously agreed with the earlier ruling. This is good news as it requires more detailed reviews of new shellfish permits instead of issuing blanket permits.

For more information: centerforfoodsafety – press-release re shellfish aquaculture court of appeals

All our posts related to this action: https://www.protectpeninsulasfuture.org/category/marine/dungeness-refuge/