Contributed / Randy Mays USFWS
INSIDE Senior spotlight
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Reilly and Maloney
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Ports’ powers limited
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1,599 canada geese were tallied in this year’s San Juan Islands Audubon Christmas Bird Count. To read more about the CBC see page 4.
The
Islands’ eekly W
VOLUME 35, NUMBER 8 • february 21, 2012
Wetland dispute prompts viral video Elephant seals on At issue: sides are drawn over a lack of proper permits By Cali Bagby
Charles Dalton plants blueberries, hazelnuts, apples and pears because perennials are easier to maintain. The plants have not been a problem – permits, the county and wetlands are what Dalton says have been making his dream farm a nightmare. Dalton shares a fouracre property with another islander on Orcas Island, and said his troubles started because he made a mistake when he built a barn and a shed without a permit. Since that time, he has faced citizen complaints and county enforcement action over possible construction in wetlands on the property. Dalton, owner of the
Kitchen restaurant in Dalton’s buildings are not Eastsound, recently getting permitted because appeared in a film pro- “his neighbor (a New York duced by the Citizen Action financier or some such on a multimillion Network, entidollar watertled “San Juan County regula- “Now I’m in limbo,” front parcel) ‘friends’ tions are not said Dalton, who has in high placfriendly towards es, and so a small organic is applying for the war goes farmer,” in after-the-fact on.” He goes which he details the last two years permits. “But I feel on to accuse Friends of the and his frustralike I am part of San Juans of tions with the Friends of the a bigger thing.” “ p r o t e c t i n g the 1 percent, San Juans organot the 99 nization, San Juan County and the state percent,” a reference to the Occupy movement. Department of Ecology. Dalton said he was reportAs of Friday, the video had been viewed by 3,119 people ed to the county by Friends on YouTube. One comment about two years ago for not on the Youtube site, written having proper permits for by a “Mr. Avocats,” claims his operation. But the issue, according to Friends, is not about farming as the video suggests, but about following the rules and getting construction permits before developing. Friends last week released a statement saying that its executive director, Stephanie Buffum, filed a complaint with the county after receiving calls concerned about the construction of a freshwater well in a stream, with muddy water entering into the East Sound bay, and that three structures – a house, barn and shed – were built near a wetland or a stream.
PUBLIC WORKS OPEN HOUSE • Meet the new PUBLIC WORKS DIRECtOR • Learn about the Sign RepLaceMent & HazaRd Mitigation pRogRaM • comment on the odLin paRK FLoat and piLe RepLaceMent
San Juan County Public Works is hosting an Open House on Thursday, March 1 at Woodmen Hall from 1:00 to 3:30. Lopez Island projects listed on the 6-Year Transportation Improvement Plan will be displayed. Please plan to stop by and give us your thoughts on some of the upcoming projects.
The single-family residence built by the property’s other owner was properly permitted. A stream, which continues onto other properties, may have been tampered with on Dalton’s property, according to Friends. “Activities that happen upstream, including diverting water or changing sediment patterns, can cause harmful impacts to neighbors and critters downstream,” the Friends statement says. “The Wild Fish Conservancy found fish downstream on the adjacent property.” Friends made numerous complaints, according to Dalton, some that he says aren’t true. When he did maintenance work on the well on his property, he said Buffum complained to the county that he was drilling a new one. “They are clearly against me and have attacked me through county channels,” Dalton said. Wetlands at issue The county issued a stopwork order in 2010, and Dalton said that he immediately went into compliance to permit the buildings. He didn’t know then that anyone would consider the ditches and pond on his property to be part of a wetland. Two years later, he’s still not sure exactly what the county
Lopez, again?
Contributed photo
Lopez is experiencing another uncommon visitation, this time by a young female elephant seal that had chosen a driftwood strewn beach to start her annual molt.
spring or summer. “Lopez Elephant Seal Again” or LESA was way As a marine mammal stranding volunteer, I out of season. She looked received a call mid January disgusting and she smelled about a large seal seen on about the way she looked. one of our southern beach- Elephant seals occasionally es. Most sightings occur in use San Juan County beaches summer, and usually involve during molt, but most preharbor seal pups, so I sus- fer the warmer climates of pected this could be a repeat Mexico or California. Lolling of January, 2011 when a male around in the snow, I suspect elephant seal spent 10 days she regretted her choice; those southern beaches are on Agate Beach. Unsurprisingly, it was not much more appealing. None the less, she was a harbor seal. Lopez was experiencing another uncom- ours to protect and observe mon visitation, this time by a for as long as she remained. young female elephant seal Elephant seals stay ashore that had chosen a driftwood during molt, deriving calories strewn beach to start her from their blubber and creatannual molt. The very next ing all the water they need from fat metabolism. day snow began to fall. Fasting for long periods on Elephant seals almost completely change their hair coat shore is not unusual; females and the outer layers of skin fast for three to four weeks See Wetlands, page 5 once a year, usually in the while nursing pups and lose about 40 percent of their body mass. During breeding season, adult males are too busy defending territory and their harem to eat, but they have ample reserves, as they typi Digital Photos Management: 2/23 & 3/1 cally weigh around 4,000 iGoogle Tools for Websites & Browsers: 3/3 & 3/10 pounds. It’s possible LESA was Social Networking for Businesses: 3/3 & 3/10 born at Race Rocks, as One-on-One Business Consultations: 3/5 & 3/6 over the past several years there have been a handful Pre-registration required of pups born there. Along All classes have minimum and maximums with other females, she should participate in her Contact the LIFRC at 468-4117 to first migration to northern sign up, or for more information go to Hawaiian waters this sumour website at www.lifrc.org mer. Males travel to the Aleutian Islands. She will Sponsored by, Communities Connect Network, Broadband USA, Harvest By San Olson
Special to the Islands’ Weekly
UPCOMING WINTER CLASSES
Foundation, United Way, and the San Juan Economic Development Council In collaboration with the Lopez Island Library
See Seals, page 5