The letter expressed interest from both parties in putting in a natural gas service, and requested signatures stating interest to proceed with plans.  At first you may think the $7,000 is steep, though I believe that is a likely worst case scenario and the bare minimum to bring the service to SPIC residents.  The key phrase was ‘up to’.

Every time I drive down Sucia and Salt Spring, I see propane tanks cuddling up to many of the homes, as the other properties have likely buried their tanks or may go with just electric.  No matter, as this is HUGE for everybody.

What I know;  Natural gas beats propane and electricity hand over fist.  I included a graph below that shows the breakdown (general) of what fuels are expected to cost when compared to each other.  Imagine a clean burning and cheap fuel to keep our winter heating costs down.  I know quite a few people that would love to have natural gas instead of propane, as they spend so much money on a fuel that is so volatile in cost.  Forget that nonsense.  And conversion kits are available for most propane appliances, so that shouldn’t be too much of an issue.

I’m getting my signed document back as soon as I can, as we need to show a lot of interest in this.  The deadline is April 30th, but hopefully we can get enough interest quickly to get this project moving forward.  And remember, the more people involved, the cheaper it will be for everybody.

Let’s get this done!!!

They seem to love the beach and being out towards the end of the point.  A few houses seem to be the hangouts for them, as residents have been finding presents left behind by these cool creatures.  I have seen 3 together, at one time, and have been trying to tell just how many hang out around the point.  Needless to say, just seeing one pay a visit is pretty awesome.  Big birds that rival the Bald Eagles that hang out here, as well.

Now, for the good stuff.  Enjoy.

I’ve been planning for quite some time and have been spending quite a bit of time putting everything together.  Let me tell you this, it isn’t easy.  I’ll be posting specifics about the building/permitting process after I have been able to escape the flood of paperwork.

Some quick things to be mindful of;

- The west beach is in the Tsunami Velocity Zone, as I believe Decatur Rd by the Clubhouse is subject to this as well, meaning that homes will need elevated foundations in order to be approved.  This is where you have been seeing the pilings under a home’s framing.  (May need to check the map, but just confirm before making home plans final)

- Most of Sandy Point is a Flood Zone, meaning that many properties will have some parts… if not all, in flood.  Be mindful of this when putting your building plans together as it can save you some money in the long run.

I have been trying to find many resources for builders, contractors, surveyors, and plan information.  If anybody has recommendations, please feel free to post them on here or ask away. 

It all began when the new oil refinery docks were put into place, changing the drift that moves gravel through the ocean. Over time, this drift began dropping gravel and other sediments into the mouth of our beloved canal. At first it didn’t appear to be causing much of an issue, but 40+ years later the mouth of our canal has gone through an extreme transformation. It is now incredibly difficult to navigate through the opening to our safe harbor without checking the tides and avoiding running aground in what should be a clear access area. Years ago a deal was made with the Army Corps of Engineers, allowing us to dredge the canal and have the majority of the costs be covered by the Corps… this was shot down as it would have added an assessment to the property owners of Sandy Point. Unfortunately, we are paying for it now with the inability to relax when we are coming home from a boating trip.

What problems are we facing now and why can it be fixed?

- The local tribe. They will not allow anyone to repair the issue as they are claiming rights to the land held in trust by our government.
- Financial. Costs a lot of money to dredge out the canal and create a safer harbor.

I’m sure there are many other issues to take into account, but this is something that has been repeated in multiple conversation.

What can be done?

- Find a company willing to take the majority of the cost in order to harvest the gravel that has been deposited in our marina.
The amount of sand and gravel that has been deposited in the area would be a huge get for any local sand/gravel company. Some cost could be picked up by property owners, but a larger sand/gravel company should be able to cover most costs for a chance at this amount of gravel.
- Work with the federal government to clear a water passage set up for safe harbor. The tribe answers to the federal government and would need to bow out in order to allow for the land to return to its original form. Many government departments use our canal for different purposes, including Fish and Wildlife, Homeland Security, and our very own Coast Guard. Tribal members frequently use this harbor, whether it is to escape the elements or for their own personal use. This needs to be cleared.
- Dig from the inside!  This would help avoid any issues with tribal, as the inside of the canal should be considered state property and able to be managed by the SPIC.  Digging from the inside out would allow for the canal to free up space for any current gravel to fall into place.  Dig close enough to the ocean facing shore and natural forces should push that land back into the canal and help reshape the land.

These are just some ideas, but this is something that should start being discussed more frequently.  And if a ‘go ahead’ was provided by the government, we’d need to make sure the land wouldn’t return to the current form it is in.

Thanks for reading!

This is the recent satellite image of our point.

To quickly sum it up;  If you want to lose your lower unit, come in on step at a low tide.

The winters have not been kind to our beloved entrance, washing all sorts of sand, rock and gravel into the mouth.  Many years ago we had an option to dredge it along with the Army Corp of Eng., but that was passed on and we must now deal with the wrath of mother nature and take extra caution in passing through this area on any tide less than 5.0.

I have a perfect vantage point to watch the many unfortunate boaters try to risk a low tide, only to have their keel, motor, or boat’s hull hit the submerged bar of rocks.  It is not getting any better.  You need to know exactly where the water is deepest and just how much water your boat takes up in order to pass at a low tide.  There are a handful of boaters that know the small channel that gives you 1 extra foot of water going through the opening, but that is a rare handful.  Ultimately, you need to SLOW DOWN!  Boats are going through the marina with a wake, which only washes up onto the beach and brings the rocks down into the water.

What can you do?

• Don’t ‘risk’ it.  If you don’t know the water like the back of your hand… hold off until a later tide.
• Go slow!  It is VERY shallow.  Let me say that again; VERY SHALLOW!! The tide pushes hard through there and the rocks are waiting for you.
• Know your boat and keep your prop out of harm’s way.  If you spin your prop, the tide is going to have its way with you on the barnacles.
• If the idea of dredging ever comes up again, get behind it!  Our Marina is a wonderful amenity and it would be nice to not make it a lake.

Here is an image of the opening, compliments of Google.  I have shaded the dangerous areas in red, that I’m aware of.  Don’t take my word for it, as this is only a quick guide to give you an idea.  Use your own judgement and play it safe.  If it is a minus tide, know that you can walk from one side to the other without getting your knees wet.

Thanks for reading and please feel free to let me know if you have any questions.

-TL

Tom Larsen

The closure happened roughly between Sept 4th and October 15th.  The tribe is upset that recreational fisherman are taking fish and wish to retain every fish that may return to the government funded hatchery.

When I approached the DFW, they stated that trespass was the reason.  When disputed, they then turned to a boundary issue and defining tidelands.  When that was disputed, then went quiet and said they weren’t going to put the rule in place.

Guess what….???   The rule was put in place.

After the tribes have fought the WA courts 3 times (losing each time) to try and get the state waters to become private and tribe owned, the DFW gave them what they wanted and closed the area anyways.  The rules are gray, but part of it states that we can’t even go on the water.  They are making a push to take Lummi Bay away from non-tribal members and retain every fish that they possibly can.  Please know this, those tidelands are not tribal owned.  They are held in trust from the state.

I have made multiple attempts to try and get a voice loud enough to make them act accordingly and remove the closure.  They even went as far as saying they had never even been to Lummi Bay, making the reason for this closure even more based on greed.  We need help from each other to get back the water that we have the right to navigate and the ability to fish ‘in common with’ the tribe that is neighboring us.

How can you help?  You can email the following people to get heat on the closure and have them reopen the fishing grounds that the Lummi tribe is unable to fish.  Here are some helpful emails;

• Phil Anderson: director@dfw.wa.gov
• Pat Pattillo: patrick.pattillo@dfw.wa.gov
• Steven Thiesfeld: steven.thiesfeld@dfw.wa.gov
• John Long: john.long@dfw.wa.gov

A simple email on how you are not happy with the closure, and how it needs to be re-opened because it discriminates against non-tribal members and goes against a court ruling that was recently put in place by the WA state courts.

This is a wonderful area to live in, and a great place to fish.  I’m sure everyone here wishes to boat and fish without the hassles of being threatened by the DFW and Lummi Fishery patrol.  And worse yet, this could set a very bad precedent for the future.

Here is information on the closure:

http://wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/northfalcon/nof_2012_summary.pdf

“WDFW and the Lummi Tribe met several times during March and April to address a number of fishery issues in the Bellingham Bay area adjacent to the Lummi Tribal reservation.  Concerns for non-Indian trespassing on the reservation while engaged in sport or commercial salmon fishing, crabbing, and even duck hunting, have been expressed by the Lummi Tribe in recent negotiations during the annual North of Falcon process.  Some of those activities are confirmed to be legitimate, and some are issues needing enforcement attention.  As a result of our discussions, WDFW has agreed to restrict non-Indian salmon fishing inside Lummi Bay and to define an area closed to fishing or hunting adjacent to the Lummi Tribal reservation boundary inside Bellingham Bay.  These restrictions will enable state enforcement of closed areas and, hopefully, will lead to more productive and cooperative management of fisheries in the region between WDFW and the Tribe.”

As you can see, state water is easy to enforce, because if you are on a boat you are not trespassing.  The closure is based on greed and will only allow the tribe to push further to get more enforcements in place.

Please help.