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Port Angeles: Graving yard channel faces fish-habitat
hurdle 2003-01-23 by JEFF CHEW, Peninsula Daily News PORT ANGELES, WA-- A state fisheries biologist says a hydraulics permit for the proposed state Department of Transportation graving yard hinges on replacing fish habitat lost in project construction. Transportation and Port of Port Angeles officials must come up with a mitigation plan to replace fish habitat lost when a massive channel is dredged into Port Angeles Harbor, said Bob Burkle, state Fish and Wildlife biologist based in Montesano. Burkle oversees the Port Angeles fisheries office. ``Because the (graving yard channel) entrance is steep, and can't
be extended beyond the property lines of the Port, (Transportation
needs) to armor the sides of inner-tidal and shallow sub-tidal fish
habitat at the entrance to the channel with barred rock,'' Burkle
said. ``The significance of the habitat is juvenile salmon feed on
the organisms growing in fine-grained sub-strait down to an elevation
of minus 10, so they would be removing this area from productivity.'' Port Angeles: Graving yard gets shoreline permit
PORT ANGELES -- The city Planning Commission approved a shoreline substantial development permit Wednesday night for the proposed state Department of Transportation graving yard. The approval included nine conditions, such as evaluation of the site by a cultural archeologist, drainage plan, erosion control plan, no work waterward of the ordinary high water mark, city approval of an excavation disposal site if located within the city limits and meeting environmental conservation measures. The approval doesn't need to be reviewed by the City Council. The project will also require permits from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, state Department of Ecology, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, state Fish and Wildlife Department and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Department.
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