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Community Corner

Amendment Seeks to Include Drake's Bay Oysters in Energy Development Bill

A Louisiana senator asks to include the Point Reyes oyster farm in same bill as Keystone Pipeline, offshore drilling

 

The besieged Drake’s Bay on the Northern California coast was tossed once again into the political ring by a Senator’s proposed amendment to an energy bill.

The estuary that feeds the bay, Drake’s Estero, has been steeped in controversy in recent months following Secretary of the Interior Ken Salazar’s decision last fall to abide by the terms of the establishment of Point Reyes National Seashore, in 1976, and return the estuary to its natural state by removing the oyster farm there.

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Drake’s Bay Oyster Company has been appealing the decision in courts, although current owner Kevin Lunny purchased the facility knowing it might be shut down in 2012.

Lunny is fighting in federal court to save his business, which harvests $1.5 million worth of oysters a year from the estero. The 9th Circuit Court of Appeals has agreed to hear his appeal the week of May 13.

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Now the Press Democrat is reporting that a new amendment by Sen. David Vitter, R-La., would be attached to an energy bill to expand offshore drilling and approve the Keystone XL pipeline.

Rep. Jared Huffman, D-San Rafael, whose district includes Petaluma and Point Reyes, is quoted as calling the bill "an environmental wrecking ball."

Although Lunny distanced himself from the amendment, the Press Democrat notes the following:

His case is being handled without charge by a Washington, D.C.-based nonprofit, Cause of Action, whose executive director previously worked for a charitable foundation run by one of the billionaire Koch brothers, known for their conservative politics.

Legal experts say the oyster farm case could set a precedent that promotes commercial use of national parks and wilderness areas throughout the western United States.

To read the full article please see the Press Democrat online.

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