HOMER,
Mayor
RESOLUTION 09-22
A RESOLUTION OF THE
HOMER
WHEREAS, The
beaches being proposed for a seasonal closure to harvest from April 15 to
September 15 have been the site of educational science field trips for Kenai
Peninsula School District classes for 25 years under the guidance of the Center
for Alaskan Coastal Studies; and
WHEREAS, The
beaches being proposed for a seasonal closure for harvest are an important
educational destination for visitors to the Homer area, which helps support the
area’s tourism industry; and
WHEREAS, The
topography has changed recently as a result of erosion and deposition patterns
in China Poot Bay and now provides access to an
intertidal area at extreme low tides which did not formerly exist; and
WHEREAS, Pressure
for harvest of marine invertebrates classified as shellfish by the Alaska
Department of Fish and Game, such as octopus and chitons,
has increased in recent years as a result of closure of beaches in the Seward
area that were overharvested; and
WHEREAS, Harvest
of shellfish often requires disturbance of the beach is in conflict with the
opportunity to learn about a diversity of marine invertebrates in their natural
setting; and
WHEREAS, The areas proposed for closure are a very small part of the
area available for harvest of clams, other shellfish, and marine invertebrates
harvested for sport or subsistence uses in China Poot
and
PASSED
____________________________
JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR
ATTEST:
______________________________
JO JOHNSON,
Fiscal Note: N/A