Urge Martha Williams, Director of the National Fish and Wildlife, to Halt Handover of Dungeness Spit Management to Jamestown Tribe
Urge Martha Williams, Director of the National Fish and Wildlife, to Halt Handover of Dungeness Spit Management to Jamestown Tribe
The Issue
The people below know and love the Dungeness Spit. It has held a special place in our hearts for years. Some of us are hikers and like to venture out to the Dungeness Lighthouse, each time basking in the natural beauty of the Spit. However, this beloved area is under threat.
The National Fish and Wildlife, under the direction of Martha Williams, is considering handing over the management of the Dungeness Spit to the Jamestown Tribe. This decision could pave the way for oyster farming in the Dungeness Bay, drastically altering the landscape and the crystal clear views we've come to cherish.
Oyster farming, while often seen as a sustainable source of seafood, can have potentially damaging effects on the environment. According to a 2013 study in the journal Aquaculture Environment Interactions, it can disturb the seafloor, alter water flow, and have bioaccumulative effects on local wildlife (Aquaculture Environment Interactions, 2013).
The Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the United States, home to 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and 8 species of water mammals (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), deserves protection and respect. Any changes to its management to a sovereign nation should be carefully considered to ensure the preservation of its one-of-a-kind ecosystem.
The commercialization of a wildlife refuge is a new concept. Many are leery that handing over management of our community spaces to a sovereign nation may put commercial ventures ahead of public interests. Although the Jamestown Tribe has benefitted from appropriating Clallam County taxpayers’ money for its projects and enterprises, its intentions haven’t always been transparent.
I'm calling upon Martha Williams to put a stop to plans that hand over the management to the Jamestown Tribe until thorough environmental and cultural studies are conducted and made public. We want to preserve the Dungeness Spit not just for ourselves, but for future generations of wildlife and hikers alike.
Please join me in this cause. Sign this petition to help ensure that the Dungeness Spit remains the ecological treasure that it is today.
925
The Issue
The people below know and love the Dungeness Spit. It has held a special place in our hearts for years. Some of us are hikers and like to venture out to the Dungeness Lighthouse, each time basking in the natural beauty of the Spit. However, this beloved area is under threat.
The National Fish and Wildlife, under the direction of Martha Williams, is considering handing over the management of the Dungeness Spit to the Jamestown Tribe. This decision could pave the way for oyster farming in the Dungeness Bay, drastically altering the landscape and the crystal clear views we've come to cherish.
Oyster farming, while often seen as a sustainable source of seafood, can have potentially damaging effects on the environment. According to a 2013 study in the journal Aquaculture Environment Interactions, it can disturb the seafloor, alter water flow, and have bioaccumulative effects on local wildlife (Aquaculture Environment Interactions, 2013).
The Dungeness Spit, the longest natural sand spit in the United States, home to 250 species of birds, 41 species of land mammals and 8 species of water mammals (U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service), deserves protection and respect. Any changes to its management to a sovereign nation should be carefully considered to ensure the preservation of its one-of-a-kind ecosystem.
The commercialization of a wildlife refuge is a new concept. Many are leery that handing over management of our community spaces to a sovereign nation may put commercial ventures ahead of public interests. Although the Jamestown Tribe has benefitted from appropriating Clallam County taxpayers’ money for its projects and enterprises, its intentions haven’t always been transparent.
I'm calling upon Martha Williams to put a stop to plans that hand over the management to the Jamestown Tribe until thorough environmental and cultural studies are conducted and made public. We want to preserve the Dungeness Spit not just for ourselves, but for future generations of wildlife and hikers alike.
Please join me in this cause. Sign this petition to help ensure that the Dungeness Spit remains the ecological treasure that it is today.
925
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Petition created on July 10, 2024