Those responsible for the construction of a marina will have to pay heavy fines for damaging important fish habitat. (Photo: Stock File)

CANADA 
Wednesday, February 01, 2012, 22:40 (GMT + 9)

On 26 January 2012 in the Provincial Court of Alberta, RJ Williscroft Contracting Ltd pled guilty to one count of a violation of subsection 35(1) of the Fisheries Act for “the harmful alteration, disruption, or destruction of fish habitat”. The defendant was ordered to pay a fine and penalties totaling CAD 90,000 (USD 89,920).

The charge related to a project proposal by Shadow Creek Resort Inc (owned and directed by Mr RJ Williscroft) to construct and connect an inland marina and approaches in the community of Joussard, Alberta to Lesser Slave Lake, via a dredged channel.

The Court heard that on 15 September 2008, an environmental consultant sent applications on behalf of “Shadow Creek Resort Inc c/o RJ Williscroft Contracting Ltd” to various federal and Alberta government departments, including Fisheries and Oceans Canada, for approvals related to the construction of a proposed inland marina development on the south shore of Lesser Slave Lake. Fisheries and Oceans Canada concluded that the proposed works would likely result in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat, thus an authorization and environmental assessment would be necessary.

The environmental assessment began in October 2009. Aboriginal consultations with potentially affected First Nations and Métis groups began in December 2009.

In the spring of 2010, Fisheries and Oceans Canada was notified of alleged works being conducted in the lake by the defendants prior to the environmental assessment and consultation process being complete, and prior to a Fisheries Act authorization being issued. The excavation of the lakebed removed aquatic vegetation and its substrate, and damaged spawning and rearing habitat for many Lesser Slave Lake species of fish, including Northern Pike, Walleye and Yellow Perch. Lesser Slave Lake sustains a valuable commercial, recreational and Aboriginal subsistence fishery.

At the request of Fisheries and Oceans Canada, the Court ordered a fine of CAD 8,500 (USD 8,492) to be paid under subsection 40(1) of the Fisheries Act. Two penalties were also ordered by the Court.

An amount of CAD 500 (USD 499.56) will be paid to the Alberta Conservation Association for the creation and installation of a sign to educate the public about the fish species in Lesser Slave Lake. A total of CAD 81,000 (USD 80,928) will be paid to Environment Canada’s Environmental Damages Fund and will be used to hire an environmental consultant to consider ways to enhance fish habitat and to conduct a monitoring project in the inland marina. The remainder of the penalty will be used to conserve and protect fish and fish habitat in the Lesser Slave Lake watershed.

Prior to undertaking work in or around water, Fisheries and Oceans Canada encourages the public to avoid potential harmful impacts to Canada’s fisheries by ensuring they have obtained and are in compliance with all necessary permits, approvals or authorizations from municipal, provincial, and federal agencies and authorities. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

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Diamond mining company De Beers lobbied government officials to allow them to drain a lake in the Northwest Territories, decimating local fish habitat, in order to move forward with its Gahcho Kue diamond mine. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

http://www.dominionpaper.ca/articles/4337

Brad Job: Rapacious Grows Destroy Habitat, Undo Restoration Work – January 29, 2012

Nightmare mosaic photo from a raid in the King Range National Conservation Area. Photo courtesy Brad Job

I’ve been fascinated by water and the organisms that live in it since I was a child. When three years of sea duty made me fall in love with the ocean, I decided to pursue a degree from HSU in Environmental Resources Engineering, which I completed in 1993.

Since then, my career has focused on water quality and water resources. For the past 10 years I have had the honor and privilege of being part of a team of professionals that steward some of our nations’ most spectacular public land. In this occupation I have also been witness to many environmental sins that have occurred as a result of marijuana cultivation.

As a pragmatic environmentalist, it is not my job to deride marijuana or its use. But, similar to the environmental effects of logging, the problem is not necessarily that one grows pot, it’s about how one grows pot.

Regardless of how one feels about marijuana and its legal status, anybody that understands just a little about aquatic ecosystems has to admit that widespread cultivation has bad consequences for fish. It degrades the quality of our rivers and streams, which to me, are the core of what makes northwest California special. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

In reference to one of last week’s cover stories about illegal excavation and un-engineered fill(‘Shocking’ environmental damage from outdoor grows, Eye, Jan. 18) I can attest that the additional input of sediment eroded from grow-related excavations permanently damages habitat for imperiled salmon and trout populations and undoes the benefits of millions of dollars’ worth of watershed restoration work.

However, increased sedimentation is not the only or necessarily the worst environmental consequence of rapacious pot growing out in the hills.

The giant hunk of failing fill is located right above Bear Creek where it exits the King Range NCA could not be in a worse spot as far as fish habitat goes (notice the clear creek in the upper right corner).

Recent research has shown that 80 to 90 percent of the nitrogen in coastal watersheds historically came from the ocean, much of it in the form of return runs of salmon and steelhead. However, dwindling fish populations and environmentally oblivious pot growers have turned that dynamic on its head.

Now, growers dump hundreds of tons of excess fertilizer into these watersheds annually. The most obvious consequence of fertilizer overuse is increased algal growth, which is most likely why toxic concentrations of blue-green algae have been observed in the Eel River in recent summers. Excessive algal growth kills fish and the organisms that they feed upon.

In addition, outdoor grows frequently discharge rodenticides, insecticides and fungicides into the environment; divert springs and creeks for long distances; and leave vast quantities of trash and black poly-pipe behind.

And then there are the diesel dope grows. These operations often improperly and illegally store large quantities of diesel in plastic tanks that are prone to failure. And those that do use metal tanks almost never have secondary containment and often have leaks and spills.

A pile of dumped cannabis root balls, surely laden with fertilizers and other soil amendments, cascades down the banks of Liscom Slough into sensitive marine habitat last week. Photo courtesy Ted Halstead

It is worth noting that fuel distributors that dispense fuel into such tanks are also committing a felony. If anyone wants to observe the environmental consequences of petroleum spills in aquatic ecosystems, they need only to travel to an urban stream to witness the reduced abundance and diversity of invertebrate species, which are the base of most aquatic food webs.

Then consider the water diversions, air and noise pollution from inefficient generators, and the random dumping of fertilizer-laden potting soil. And I can hardly bear to ponder the sad irony of burning fossil fuel to make light to grow plants in a manner that is literally 99 percent inefficient, all while it is warm and sunny outside.

As long as the marijuana status quo and large profit margins remain, it appears inevitable that some of the worst crimes at marijuana gardens will be environmental ones.

The citizen’s suit provision in the Clean Water Act might be a big enough hammer to change some landowners’ behavior if a motivated team of attorneys and environmental scientists were to respond to a specific incident.

However, the sad fact remains that the underground economy is creating really bad consequences for the increasingly fragile ecology of our rivers and streams. But, if this letter makes only one grower reduce their fertilizer and agricultural chemical use or cause less erosion, the time it took to write it will have been well spent.

Sincerely,

Brad Job, P.E.

Environmental Engineer

Arcata

DUPONT – The DuPont City Council last night authorized the city’s mayor to sign a settlement agreement allowing development of a plan to restore the Sequalitchew Creek watershed, including Edmond Marsh. The Settlement Agreement also allows CalPortland Co. (CalPortland) to apply for gravel mining and reclamation permits in areas adjacent to its existing mine. The City Council, by a vote of 5 to 1, has now joined in the accord – negotiated over a three-year period ending in 2011.

See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.

The City Council’s action was the final step needed to ratify the 2011 DuPont Settlement Agreement. The other signers are: the Nisqually Delta Association; the Washington Environmental Council; People for Puget Sound; the Tahoma, Black Hills and Seattle chapters of the National Audubon Society; the Anderson Island Quality of Life Committee (together known as the Environmental Caucus); CalPortland; the Washington State Department of Ecology (Ecology); and now the City of DuPont.

The agreement describes a process that the parties agree to follow to restore flows to Sequalitchew Creek using funds provided by CalPortland. The idea is to permanently protect Sequalitchew Creek and the ravine it flows through before emptying into Puget Sound. The agreement also establishes a number of conditions under which CalPortland may submit applications to access additional areas designated for gravel extraction under the City’s Comprehensive Plan and the State Growth Management Act. The agreement does not approve or authorize any mining. It only establishes the conditions under which the Environmental Caucus agrees not to oppose CalPortland’s applications. Both the restoration plan and mining proposal will undergo the normal review processes, including opportunities for public input. Any mining proposal will need to complete the entire regulatory process and meet all regulatory requirements in addition to being dependent on the successful development, environmental review, permitting and funding of the watershed restoration plan.

DuPont Mayor Michael Grayum said: “This comprehensive agreement is about our environment and our economy, both in our city and throughout the region. It’s not often that environmental leaders, industry, and a local government and regulatory agency come together to agree upon a process with enough checks and balances to protect the broader community interests and help restore the environmental condition of our watershed. We appreciate the many subject matter experts, neighbors, organizations and regulatory entities involved in this lengthy negotiation. Looking forward, we also appreciate the many others who will develop and implement the restoration plan for Sequalitchew Creek.”

Tom Skjervold, president of the Nisqually Delta Association, representing the Environmental Caucus, said: “We want to thank the City Council, the Mayor and City staff for their careful and detailed consideration of this agreement. After three years of negotiations to reach the 2011 Settlement Agreement, we’re now ready to begin the process of developing the restoration plan for the Sequalitchew Creek watershed. We look forward to working with the City, the DuPont community, Joint Base Lewis-McChord and local, state and federal regulatory agencies to ensure that mining and reclamation are done responsibly and that the watershed is restored.”

Pete Stoltz, CalPortland’s permit manager, said: “We also want to thank the Mayor, the City Council and staff for their careful consideration of the agreement. We want to carry forward the positive, cooperative relationship we have with the Environmental Caucus, Ecology and the City to other stakeholders and restore flows and fish habitat in Sequalitchew Creek. This is a great opportunity for the community to restore an important natural and historic feature and for us to continue providing needed sand and gravel resources to the region. We look forward to working with the community on the restoration plan and the environmental studies because these sand and gravel resources are needed for our region’s economic recovery and to get many unemployed workers back on the job.”

Sally Toteff, Ecology’s Southwest Region director, said: “This continuation of the 1994 Settlement Agreement includes preservation of 45 acres of Puget Sound shore lands and adjacent open space as well as improving flows in Sequalitchew Creek – both of which will help restore South Puget Sound. Our negotiations were able to bring private entities, government agencies and local and regional environmental groups together to create an extraordinary opportunity for long-awaited restoration to occur.”

The parties will work with South Puget Sound Salmon Enhancement Group (SPSSE), Joint Base Lewis-McChord and the Nisqually Tribe – with input from citizen and community groups and government agencies – to develop and implement the restoration plan. After needed permits are received, SPSSE will manage implementation of the plan, with additional input from the community and other key stakeholders. CalPortland will provide funding for developing, reviewing, permitting and implementing the plan.

“This was a long and at times very tough negotiation, but early on we saw the potential for a settlement when we were able to quickly agree on a clear set of goals that called for restoring and enhancing the Sequalitchew Creek watershed, including restoration of stream flows along the entire creek,” Skjervold said. “The creek has had problems for more than half a century, and for at least 25 years now there have been a number of efforts to restore parts of the watershed. However, this is the first time we’ve had a chance to address the watershed as an ecologically integrated whole: from Sequalitchew Lake, through the group of marshes, down the length of the creek and into Puget Sound. We kept this clearly in mind when linking any mining proposal with a requirement for restoring and enhancing the watershed.”

Changes in the watershed and creek channel in the 1800s and early 1900s harmed fish habitat and water flow over time. Recent studies show that even modest increases in the water flowing through the creek would dramatically improve access to, and quality of, its fish habitat.

The Settlement Agreement also includes a process for developing a strong monitoring program. This program will be designed to ensure that the restoration plan works during mining, reclamation and when the area is redeveloped according to its underlying zoning.

“The ideas we discussed during negotiations, and those developed as the plan is being completed, will be designed to help restore and enhance the marsh and creek,” Skjervold said. “The requirement for a monitoring program will ensure that members of the Environmental Caucus and the community will know how the plan is actually working.”

The mediated negotiations that resulted in the settlement agreement were held among parties that might otherwise have engaged in lengthy and costly litigation.

“We think we achieved a fair balance that protects and enhances the habitat in Edmond Marsh and Sequalitchew Creek, but still allows an application to be made for gravel mining in areas designated for this purpose,” Stoltz said. “There will be additional environmental and permitting review of any gravel mining proposal. Regardless of the outcome, no mining can occur in the South Parcel mining area unless an approved watershed restoration plan is developed, permitted and implementation begins.”

More information about the agreement is available for review on:

The Department of Ecology’s website (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/index.html)

DuPont’s website (http://www.ci.dupont.wa.us/)

CalPortland’s DuPont website (http://www.calportlandresources.com/dupont/default.aspx)

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Media Contacts:

• Sally Toteff, Southwest Region director, Department of Ecology (360) 407-6307
• Pete Stoltz, permitting manager, CalPortland (206) 764-3000
• Tom Skjervold, president, Nisqually Delta Association (360) 485-9470
• Michael Grayum, DuPont Mayor (253) 912-5218

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Fact Sheet: Specifics of the DuPont Settlement Agreement

For more than two decades, various organizations have contemplated restoration of Sequalitchew Creek. However, until the 2011 DuPont Settlement Agreement was negotiated and approved, funding and stakeholder interest were not sufficient to complete the restoration process. The settlement agreement provides stakeholders with an invitation to participate in a process and a reliable source of funding to coordinate, plan, permit and implement restoration. It also obligates CalPortland to pay up to $200,000 for development of a Sequalitchew Creek Restoration Plan, as well as additional funding for the environmental and permitting reviews and the implementation of the plan.

Specifically, the settlement agreement provides:

• Funding for developing a plan to help restore flows from Sequalitchew Lake, through Edmond Marsh and into Sequalitchew Creek, regardless of whether any mine permits are issued. Multiple stakeholders, including DuPont citizen organizations, are invited to take part in this planning.
• Funding for permitting and implementing restoration of Sequalitchew Creek if certain milestones are achieved. Among these are completion of a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SEIS) and agreement on a monitoring plan to be developed by CalPortland and the Environmental Caucus.
• Permanent protection of 45 acres of open space, including nearly a mile of Puget Sound shorelands and adjacent upland property.
• An easement for approximately one mile of pedestrian trail.

The agreement prescribes five elements to the Restoration Plan. These are:

• Restoration of gradients so water discharges from Hamer and Bell marshes flow into Edmond Marsh rather than a diversion canal.
• Improvements to create significant flows from Sequalitchew Lake into the Edmond Marsh complex to support a functional creek ecosystem, and provide for the passage of migratory fish in the Sequalitchew Creek system.
• Rehabilitation of Edmond Marsh by removal of fill and other impediments necessary to achieve and maintain adequate flows through the marsh.
• Rehabilitation of Sequalitchew Creek below Edmond Marsh to reduce seepage, improve fish habitat and help restore year-round flows.
• Active management of beaver activities, using the least intrusive means possible, to maintain the hydraulic gradients that provide flows through Hamer, Bell and Edmond marshes.

At the same time restoration planning proceeds for the creek, the agreement enables CalPortland to develop a gravel mining proposal, which must undergo a new supplemental environmental impact statement review process. This process includes new opportunities for public review and comment. It’s important to note that the agreement does not approve or authorize any mining project. CalPortland must pursue the normal process with regulatory agencies as required by law.

Even if all permits to allow the South Parcel mine plan to proceed are approved, CalPortland will need to complete additional steps and satisfy several criteria before mining can begin, including groundwater testing and monitoring. The agreement also prohibits CalPortland from using any permits that allow mining in its South Parcel unless it satisfies the agreed funding obligation and all permits and approvals are in place to implement the Restoration Plan. However, if a mining permit is appealed, CalPortland will not be required to fund restoration permitting or implementation until either the appeal is resolved or CalPortland begins mining in the South Parcel.

The negotiated terms of the 2011 Settlement Agreement uphold a 1994 agreement to permanently protect Sequalitchew Creek and the ravine it flows through before emptying into Puget Sound.

For more information:

The Department of Ecology’s website (http://www.ecy.wa.gov/puget_sound/index.html)

DuPont’s website (http://www.ci.dupont.wa.us/)

CalPortland’s DuPont website (http://www.calportlandresources.com/dupont/default.aspx)

“The Elmhurst Beach project showcases how effective partnerships are contributing to the health of the lake. We are very happy to see that this project will be completed on time and will allow for many to enjoy the beach now and into the future.”

Two Keswick beaches will get the last trickle of federal funds under a four-year, $30-million program that has all but dried up.
The six-figure shoreline restoration project at Elmhurst and Bayview park beaches in south Keswick will be one of the last to get federal funding under the Lake Simcoe Clean Up Fund, which ends in March.
Government house leader and Conservative York-Simcoe MP Peter Van Loan donned an umbrella, tip-toed through mucky construction and braved the rain for this morning’s announcement of $215,500 in federal backing for the estimated $300,000 project that will re-build crumbling breakwalls along 1,000 feet of Lake Simcoe shoreline in Georgina.
The project will remove failing concrete breakwalls and replace them with boulders in an effort to re-naturalize the shoreline and prevent its further erosion. It will also introduce a natural buffer strip to reduce phosphorus loading and improve fish habitat.
The announcement comes as part of the seventh round of projects approved under the $30-million federal program, which was launched in the fall of 2007.
Mr. Van Loan praised Patti Dawson, the president of the Elmhurst Beach Association, who put forward a proposal in 2010, as well as the numerous volunteers, environmental groups and concerned residents for their extensive co-ordination and fundraising efforts.
“The Elmhurst Beach project showcases how effective partnerships are contributing to the health of the lake. We are very happy to see that this project will be completed on time and will allow for many to enjoy the beach now and into the future,” said Mr. Van Loan.
He also pointed to other partners, most notably the environment ministry and conservation authority, that have come on board since the clean-up fund was announced that has allowed the initial $30-million investment to lead to around $100-million worth of projects, which have greatly improved the health of the lake and its watershed.
Of the 300 proposals submitted under the fund, 160 projects have been approved for funding said Richard Simpson, the chairperson of the Protect and Preserve the Environment of Lake Simcoe Committee (PROPEL) — the advisory committee charged with assisting and administering funding under Environment Canada.
“Projects completed to date represent five times more money than what was left in the fund,” said Mr. Simpson. See the dozens of unique artificial fish habitat models, fish attractors and fish cover used at fishiding.com, the leader in  science based, proven, fish protection.
While some of the approved projects have yet to be announced, the original investment, however, is all but spent and no future clean-up funding should be expected, Mr. Van Loan added.
He said the “one-time commitment” from the federal government has produced real results, but there is plenty left to do with respect to the health of the lake and local municipalities and the province will have to step up to ensure the valuable work continues in the future.
Michelle Rempel, the parliamentary secretary to the environment minister, was pleased to be a part of this morning’s announcement and said the fund highlights the importance of environmental stewardship and local economic growth, especially since Lake Simcoe generates roughly $200 million of economic activity annually.By Heidi Riedner