State acts to protect marine life in several areas of Puget Sound

To the delight and relief of environmentalists, Washington Public Lands Commissioner Doug Sutherland yesterday designated four sensitive areas of Puget Sound as aquatic reserves. He also gave special protections to two spots in Commencement Bay.

Sutherland said the protections are necessary to bolster the health of the Sound's marine life, which scientists say is faltering under the pressure of urbanization, pollution, over-fishing and population growth.

Environmentalists believe yesterday's development will give them more ammunition to fight the massive expansion of a Maury Island gravel mine.

The moves mean the state will not lease out state-owned underwater land for marinas or other waterfront property uses. In the case of the four reserves, additional protection measures could be put in place later.

Details about exactly how the reserves will function remain to be worked out. Sutherland's Department of Natural Resources will be seeking public opinion about that.

"We're saying to folks, OK, now it's time to develop a management plan. Give us your perspective about how a reserve will work in your community," said DNR Aquatic Steward Fran McNair.

But the designations don't completely protect the reserves.

Two, at Cherry Point near Bellingham and Fidalgo Bay by Anacortes, are cheek-by-jowl with petroleum refineries.

At Maury Island's Quartermaster Harbor, residents have been bitterly fighting a gravel mine expansion proposed by Glacier Northwest, and scientists are investigating the mysterious die-off of eelgrass beds that shelter marine life.

The fourth reserve is at Cypress Island, near the San Juan Islands.

Sutherland had rescinded the state's designation of six aquatic reserves in 2001 shortly after unseating former Public Lands Commissioner Jennifer Belcher, who had set them up late in her term. Sutherland said the reserves had been established without enough forethought about the ramifications.

Environmentalists anticipating a new announcement by Sutherland had feared the reserves would be permanently rejected.

"We're really pleased," said Libby McLarty, president of the Preserve Our Islands group, based on Maury Island.

"We feel it validates all the work that was done years ago to show the value of this area, because Doug Sutherland's independent advisory group has backed up what we've been saying."

Kathy Fletcher, president of the People for Puget Sound advocacy group, said she hopes the Department of Natural Resources will strongly protect the reserves by working with other state agencies responsible for cracking down on pollution and protecting fish and wildlife.

"When you look at the condition of the fisheries and other wildlife in the Sound, you realize that we need to establish protected areas," said Fletcher. "These reserves that DNR is moving on are part of a larger effort to set aside protected areas in Puget Sound."

Scientists have said that it may be necessary to establish no-fishing zones across 10 percent to 20 percent of the world's oceans to conserve marine life.

Researchers have not done a detailed study of Puget Sound's needs for such protections, and the Department of Natural Resources' designation of the reserves does not affect fishing rules or what happens on the shoreline.

For now at least, the new designations affect only the construction of docks, laying of underwater cables and other activities that involve building on or over bay bottom.

"At some point this needs to be all pulled together into a system of marine-protected areas, but this is a big positive," Fletcher said. "We're seeing the potential for DNR to take this further. ... Now on to the rest of the Sound."

McNair of the DNR said the agency would not seek to remove any existing shoreline development: "We want to be compatible with those kinds of designated zoning uses."