Lethal levels of marine biotoxins are appearing at new recreational shellfish areas in Washington marine waters

This news release is from the Washington State Department of Health. All areas are closed for the sport harvest of scallops. Totten and Eld Inlets are now on the list of closures, for oysters, in addition to scallops.

OLYMPIA – In the past week, an alarming number of Washington marine waters have reached dangerously high levels of marine biotoxins that cause paralytic shellfish poisoning (PSP). These conditions have prompted additional shellfish harvest closures. PSP tests have revealed 16 locations that tested more than1,000 micrograms of toxin in the last week.

By far, the most dramatic level of toxin was detected at Port Ludlow in Jefferson County at almost 10,000 micrograms in mussels. The Food and Drug Administration’s level for closure, which the agency follows, is 80 micrograms. Oak Bay and Mats Mats Bay, just north of Port Ludlow had test results in the 1,400 to 1,500 microgram range.

The intensity of this bloom has surpassed the central Puget Sound bloom of last week, which is still going strong with 10 locations testing dangerously higher than the FDA action levels for toxins. The high toxin levels have been detected in a variety of shellfish species including blue mussels, manila clams, butter clams, pacific oysters and geoduck clams. New blooms have closed Discovery Bay in Clallam and Jefferson Counties and Port Gamble in Kitsap County.

Without an abrupt change in weather conditions more closures are expected in the days to come. Alexandrium, the algae that causes PSP grows rapidly when sunny and calm conditions persist over Puget Sound, which contributes to a stratified water column. Stormy conditions with strong winds will break up the stratification and help end the bloom.

Recreational shellfish harvesters must be very careful to only harvest on beaches listed as safe by the Department of Health. Commercially harvested shellfish currently on the market have been thoroughly tested and should be safe to eat.

Warning signs have been posted at high use beaches warning people not to collect shellfish from the closed areas. The closure includes clams, oysters, mussels, scallops, geoduck and other species of molluscan shellfish. Crab is not included in the closure, but the “crab butter” should be discarded, and only the meat should be eaten.

People can become ill from eating shellfish contaminated with the toxin. Marine biotoxins are not destroyed by cooking or freezing and can be life-threatening. Symptoms of PSP can appear within minutes or hours and usually begins with tingling lips and tongue, moving to the hands and feet followed by difficulty breathing, and potentially death. Anyone experiencing these symptoms should seek emergency medical help immediately.

The toxin is produced by naturally occurring algae that tend to be more common during the warmer months of the year. In most cases the algae that contain the toxins cannot be seen, and must be detected through laboratory testing. Recreational shellfish harvesters should check the Department of Health marine biotoxin Web site (www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm) or call the agency Biotoxin Hotline at 1-800-562-5632 before harvesting shellfish anywhere in Washington.

###

Editors note: Marine biotoxin closures are separate from the current closures for oysters due to Vibrio parahaemolyticus. More than 100 people have been sickened with vibriosis from eating contaminated raw oysters. For more information on those closures, call the hotline at 1-800-562-5632 or check the marine biotoxin Web site (www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/sf/biotoxin.htm).

President Bush Signs Bill Expanding Tax Incentives for Conservation Easements

According to the Land Trust Alliance, “Congress has approved a tremendous expansion of the federal conservation tax incentive for conservation easement donations.” On August 17, the President signed into law a pensions bill which dramatically expands the Federal tax incentive provision for donating conservation easements.

The new law:

  • Raises the deduction a landowner can take for donating a conservation easement from 30% of their income in any year to 50%;
  • Allows qualifying farmers and ranchers to deduct up to 100% of their income; and
  • Extends the carry-forward period for a donor to take tax deductions for a voluntary conservation agreement from 5 to 15 years.

It is also important to note that this only applies to easements donated in 2006 and 2007. However, there are many who area already working to make this change permanent.

The Land Trust Alliance is a good place to start, if you have ever considered donating a conservation easement. And, if you have never considered making such a donation, now may be the time to consider the benefits of a conservation easement. Your tax advisor or attorney can provide you with further details.

In the words of Rand Wentworth, President of the Land Trust Alliance, “Today we are celebrating a tremendous victory for conservation.”

Thurston County Planning Commission to Hold Public Hearing Thursday, August 3rd

The Thurston County Planning Commission is holding an important Public Hearing on Thursday, August 3 at 6:30 pm. The meeting, to be held at the Worthington Center, on the campus of St. Martin’s University, will take public testimony related to water quality protections, rural rezoning and clustered development regulations.

Public testimony can be given in person or by phone or email.

The County’s announcement of the event is here.

Futurewise has released a notice for the event, which reads, in part:

Thurston County is making big decisions about how to protect drinking water and the character of Thurston County for the future!

It’s critical that we are there to speak up in support of strong protections!

Please arrive early!

Futurewise will be there at 5:30 (and have pizza at 6pm), before the hearing, to get people signed up to testify. Meet them outside of the side door to the Worthington Center (the right side of the building if you are facing the building, which is also outside of the kitchen area).

If you are unable to attend the hearing, please contact the Planning Commission at 360-786-5490 or email them at peterscs@co.thurston.wa.us to urge them to protect Thurston County’s quality of life.

Talking points:

As a Thurston County resident, I urge you to protect water quality and our quality of life. I’ve seen first hand the effects of irresponsible and poorly planned development on our community. Please strengthen the protections to keep Thurston County a great place to live, including:

  1. Additional policies and changes to the land use map should be added to protect water quality, especially Puget Sound and shellfish areas.
  2. Increase the amount of land in the Rural Protection 1:10 and Rural Protection 1:20 districts with an emphasis on lands that if subdivided would harm water quality, drinking water supplies, and oyster beds.
  3. Clustering provisions in the rural area are a good idea, as long as a range of rural densities (1:5, 1:10 and 1:20) are maintained and no rural densities exceed one unit per five acres.
  4. The urban reserve district boundary should be reduced in size – given the large size of the existing urban growth areas, it seems unlikely that so much urban reserve will be needed in the foreseeable future.