Save the Blueberry Bog!!! SEPA public comment deadline: Tuesday August 1st

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Save the Blueberry Bog!!! SEPA public comment deadline: Tuesday August 1st

Submitted by catscradle on Sat, 07/29/2006 - 9:12pm.

To all you Steamboat Island Rd. Blueberry Farm interested Olyfolks: There is a NEW public comment period that ends this Tuesday August 1st.

This is the SEPA (State Environmental Policy Act) comment period. If you comment and you don't like the outcome, you can even appeal the decision if you feel like it. Ah I love public process.

So PLEASE PLEASE, if you care about the blueberry farm, drop an e-mail with your name and address to Ryan Andrews, Associate Planner, at randrews@ci.lacey.wa.us Ryan is processing the application on behalf of Thurston County since half the farm is owned by Michael Welter, who is the development services director of Thurston County.

The first draft of the SEPA language indicated that public access for blueberry picking, recreation and blueberry farm maintenance would be required. But when the decision came out on July 18th, Ryan had removed all that language.

He says he did so because public access is already required through the land being enrolled in the open space tax designation program. That's true but that program is VOLUNTARY, the owners can pull the land out at any time and end the public access. And there are reliable indications that they are getting ready to do just that.

SO, SEPA seems to be the way to assure public access.

If you decide to submit comments, you can ask for a public access requirement, and you can also ask that an agricultural conservation easement be required. A conservation easement will assure that someone has the responsibility for caring for the blueberry fields.

Also make sure to ask to be added to the notification list (provide your name and address to them). You might want to also ask them to send you a confirmation e-mail letting you know that they recieved your comments.

If you want to see MC Construction's website for "Blueberry Hill" go to: http://www.mcconstruction.com/MChome/homesites/blueberryhill.html

The Farmland Trust and the neighborhood association are now trying to get a conservation easement from the developers but there's no guarantee that will happen.

So please submit comments by this Tuesday August 1st at 5pm. And please spread the word to all your friends!!!

p.s. for lots more blueberry farm information, go to:

http://www.griffinneighbors.org

catscradle's blog
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BUT, That's NOT What SEPA Review is FOR??

Submitted by SP Fan on Sat, 07/29/2006 - 9:20pm.

That's not exactly what the SEPA comment period is designed for, that is requesting a private resouce be given to the public. If you want a blueberry farm, why not buy it like the rest of us would have to? Why do you think this is some sort of "Public" resource? It has been privately owned for years and while previous owners may have let others pick the fruit, it doesn't make it a free public resource.

It's crazy to think that because of activists like you all, private property rights become all too important!

Are you familiar...

Submitted by Rick on Sat, 07/29/2006 - 10:03pm.

...with the notion of "the Commons"? Why shouldn't that apply here?

Public access

Submitted by catscradle on Sat, 07/29/2006 - 10:07pm.

The reason I think of this as a public access resource is because it has been accessed by the public for decades. In addition, public access is currently legally required for blueberry picking purposes under the terms and conditions of the open space tax designation entered into by the land's owners. So at the moment, the land is a privately owned, public access resource.

The SEPA checklist that all developments falling under SEPA's pervue must complete, includes questions about agricultural use and pre-existing recreational opportunities, and asks the applicants how they will prevent impacts to these pre-existing uses.

It is absolutely the purpose of the SEPA comment period to gather public imput on what should and shouldn't be required of the developers in exchange for a SEPA permit that will add great monetary value (in the realm of at least $1 million dollars in this case) to the land.

I believe there should be a balance between the rights of individuals to amass personal wealth and the rights of the public to retain access to special places. Just my opinion.

The land for which retention of public access is being sought is land that cannot be developed and has very little monetary value due to its being underwater much of the year. In fact there is standing water in the blueberry fields at this time.

I tried...

Submitted by Jade on Sun, 07/30/2006 - 10:59pm.

to send my comments to the address above, but the email was returned. Is that the correct address?

Jade

(A Rose in the Pumpkin Patch)

Correction to Blueberry Farm comments address

Submitted by catscradle on Sun, 07/30/2006 - 11:48pm.

Thank you for bringing this to my attention! The correct e-mail address to send comments to is:

randrews@ci.lacey.wa.us

So sorry for the error in the e-mail address. I have corrected it in my original post. Thank you for submitting comments!

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