Northwest Dive Club

Oregon Scuba Club did a fund raiser to place another WSA mooring buoy. The chosen site was Arrowhead in Hood Canal, near Fulton Creek. A good site but hard to anchor and challenging as a live boat dive. Jefferson County has recently raised the permit cost to about $1,000.00 for the county permit. I've been told other counties where WSA placed buoys have waived or reduced the fee. I'm suggesting we push back a little to try to make Jefferson County realize that divers have a positive impact on our local economy. I'm asking people to write to Jefferson County commissioners and Dept. of Community Development to express opinions on how mooring buoys protect environment, promote safe diving, provide access to our wonderful resources. This is not something we should have to pay an unreasonable fee for, the county does nothing to maintain or place the buoy. I live and work in South Jefferson County, have successfully (mostly) run a dive charter here for 13 years now. I'm not the only one that benefits from the buoys, every diver with a boat is welcome to use them, the local marina likes and needs the boat traffic, the local businesses like and need the tourist business. I recognize the economic potential from recreational diving, as do most of you, but the commissioners and county decision makers are not divers and they don't have a clue (I don't think) how many of you visit the area to dive Hood Canal. Please help me tell them. Feel free to e-mail me if you want contact info to help with this. You can also visit the Oregon Scuba Club facebook page for information. Every letter or comment sent to Jefferson County will help.

I hope I'm not breaking any rules by posting this, I'm very frustrated with my local government and their idea of "economic development" and "environmental protection" that sometimes seems to exclude access in the name of protection. Moderators are welcome to slap my hand and delete this if it's inappropriate.
Thanks, don don@pacadventure.com

that sux balls, need a permit for a buoy? Its just about money.

No rules broken here, Don. Feel free to post contact info publicly, too.

Is there any logic to their fee? It seems they should pay for the buoy and the install! I come from an extremely rural county, Okanogan, but I have discovered that big government starts right at home.

Very we'll put Don.
My email to Jeffco County officials has been respectfully submitted.

-Mark

Jeff Pack wrote:that sux balls, need a permit for a buoy? Its just about money.

While I've been know to rail against gov't over regulation from time to time, I believe a reasonable fee and permit for putting a bouy on STATE or FEDERAL land is a good idea. It prevents our waterways from becoming unnavigable. It also prevents areas from getting polluted by any idiot with 2 cinder blocks and a bleach bottle.

That said $1000 is ridiculous for a permit that requires nothing more than a map and application review.

Thanks for the replies. I agree reasonable review fees are acceptable. There is a DNR permit, and WDFW permit required and there's no issues with that. My issue is the county permit was @ $495.00 initially. The new shoreline management plan, supposedly in place to protect the environment, has somehow doubled the county fee. The frustrating thing is the buoy would only protect the environment by removing the need to drag an anchor across the bottom. Along with that the county decision, if they hold firm, will be making a statement to visiting divers that their business is not important. If we consider environmental protection and economic development, ways to entice visitors to our area to enjoy the resources, the county should be helping pay for the buoy. But the county does not have any money, all my tax dollars are spent elsewhere.

If anyone is inclined to present their opinion to Jefferson County you could send a message to the Carl Smith, director of community development and John Austin, county commissioner representing south Jefferson county. Every message will help make a strong statement. Feel free cc me or e-mail me with question or comments don@pacadventure.com .
Carl Smith csmith@co.jefferson.wa.us
John Austin jaustin@co.jefferson.wa.us

Thanks!
don

I'm hoping some members like Deep Diver, Don B, and other with boats and those of you that have friends with boats will send a simple message to Jefferson County. Like "We like diving Hood Canal and would like to spend a little more money in South Jefferson County. Improved access and continued improvements of services and facilities will help us make the decision to visit or not. Please show some support for diving and tourism".

I won't keep on this for long, but we have until Thursday of next week (4/3) to make a strong statement to Jefferson County decision makers if we want this buoy on Arrowhead.

Thanks

Example email for anyone needing something to plagiarize. If you steal text from mine, please edit it so that they don't sound like form letters and get less attention.

Gentlemen,
I actually live in Kitsap County but I travel to Jefferson County for scuba diving in Hood Canal. I frequent your restaurants, your marinas, and gas stations about once a month or a little less. If facilities and access were improved and access easier I would probably come more often instead of travelling to Seattle, Clallam, Island or Pierce Counties.

I have recently heard that Jefferson County wishes to charge the Washington Scuba Alliance $1,000 for a shoreline permit to place a dedicated mooring buoy near Arrowhead Creek in Hood Canal.

This is exactly the kinds of infrastructure improvement Jefferson County needs to be making to promote and improve environmental tourism while simultaneously protecting dive sites and natural resources from boat anchors. Your $1,000 fee to a non-profit organization is counterproductive and ill-advised. I urge you to consider waiving shoreline permit fees for these types of beneficial, volunteer, non-profit projects which Jefferson County cannot afford to do itself.

Thank you for your time,
Richard Jack

Thank You!

working on something to send in......

CaptnJack wrote:Example email for anyone needing something to plagiarize. If you steal text from mine, please edit it so that they don't sound like form letters and get less attention.

Gentlemen,
I actually live in Kitsap County but I travel to Jefferson County for scuba diving in Hood Canal. I frequent your restaurants, your marinas, and gas stations about once a month or a little less. If facilities and access were improved and access easier I would probably come more often instead of travelling to Seattle, Clallam, Island or Pierce Counties.

I have recently heard that Jefferson County wishes to charge the Washington Scuba Alliance $1,000 for a shoreline permit to place a dedicated mooring buoy near Arrowhead Creek in Hood Canal.

This is exactly the kinds of infrastructure improvement Jefferson County needs to be making to promote and improve environmental tourism while simultaneously protecting dive sites and natural resources from boat anchors. Your $1,000 fee to a non-profit organization is counterproductive and ill-advised. I urge you to consider waiving shoreline permit fees for these types of beneficial, volunteer, non-profit projects which Jefferson County cannot afford to do itself.

Thank you for your time,
Richard Jack

Looks like a good petition for all to sign

I'll craft and send a letter this weekend.......