Records show Deer Lagoon land was wanted for bird habitat, not hunting

Although the shotguns are quiet and birdshot is not peppering the windows of Useless Bay Colony houses, a group of homeowners is still pushing to have Deer Lagoon closed to hunting before waterfowl season opens in the fall.

William Thieme, one of the residents involved in the effort, lives near the lagoon on Shore Avenue. He has been researching the county’s purchase of the property, and claims that records and other documents show that the site was meant to be maintained as a park where hunting should not be allowed.

Thieme, who did most of the research on his own, said he is a member of a large group that’s urging county commissioners to make Deer Lagoon a park. The group has also hired an attorney.

Thieme is a retired doctor and a part-time resident in his Shore Avenue neighborhood. Along with other residents, he has been fighting with officials in Coupeville since Island County purchased the property with the help of state and federal funds in 2004 and opened the property for duck hunting.

Hunters maintain they have the right to hunt in the area because the lagoon has always been a popular game bird area, though it was closed to hunting in 1980 by the previous owners, H and H Properties.

Thieme said he has learned from his research that it appears when the county first started the process of acquiring the lagoon in 2002, the intent was to have the area managed by Island County Parks.

“It was meant to be a park and used for passive recreation,” he said. “I don’t consider hunting to be passive.”

However, Island County Commissioner Mike Shelton disagrees that it was ever intended to become a park.

Shelton said he misspoke when he told state officials at the start of the purchase process that the property would become a county park.

“What I intended to say is that the county park department would manage the property, but not as a park,” he said.

“I misspoke. I fell into the same thing I’ve been critical of other people for. I shouldn’t have referred to it as a park,” he said.

Shelton explained that Island County owns a lot of land, and most of it is managed by Island County Parks, but not as park land.

The county public works department handled the purchase process, and the management of the land is now under the county’s General Services Administration, which oversees Island County Parks.

Island County regulations prohibit hunting and shooting in county parks.

According to a letter written by Shelton to U.S. Sen. Patty Murray in 2002 in support of a $600,000 appropriation from the Coastal and Estuarine Land Conservation Program to help Island County buy Deer Lagoon, Shelton wrote, “The site will offer an excellent opportunity to save prime estuary and open space near the coast, and has been a favorite of local residents and people farther away who have come to observe the many birds that thrive on the marsh environment. The county is interested in developing a trail along portion of the property to provide better viewing access to the public.”

Shelton went on to say in the letter that “public acquisition of this land it will reserve one of the richest bird habitats in the county as well as provide for viewing access for birdwatchers who love nature. We cannot let such an opportunity pass us by.”

In another letter, to a South End resident Peter Wold, Shelton wrote, “If the county does eventually become owner of the property, it will become part of county park system. Other than a trail along the north side of the property to facilitate hiking and bird watching, I would anticipate no further development.”

Thieme has been researching the records related to the purchase of the lagoon for the past year. Thieme and other hunting critics say the county has not lived up to its end of the purchase deal by allowing shooting on the 379-acre site near Double Bluff.

Nearby homeowners are also asking the county to prepare an environmental impact statement because the county changed the use of Deer Lagoon after purchasing it. An EIS is an expensive and extensive study that details impacts to earth, water, air and other resources.

“Since the lagoon is habitat for the bald eagle, osprey, and blue heron, an EIS is absolutely required on this basis alone, and since the county has opened the lagoon to hunting, it is clear an EIS is required,” Thieme said.

“I believe that an EIS is important. Likely it would prevent the use of the lagoon as a for hunting,” Thieme said.

Shelton, however, said county lawyers have noted no problems with the sale of the property.

Roughly 400 people live in Useless Bay Colony, and residents at the community next to Deer Lagoon have repeatedly raised concerns about safety and noise from hunting at the South End lagoon.

The debate over hunting on public lands in Island County raged through much of 2005. At the end of the year, county commissioners finally decided against adopting new hunting rules that had been controversial with both hunters and homeowners.

Commissioner John Dean has told Thieme he would re-open the question of hunting on Deer Lagoon, but only if those opposing hunting can get the support of another county commissioner.

In an e-mail to Thieme, Dean wrote that “It seems to me Deer Lagoon is an appropriate candidate for consideration, if the majority of surrounding residents agree this would be a suitable way to solve their hunting concerns when county commissioners are ready to respond to residents noise and safety concern.”

Terri Arnold, former superintendent of Island County Parks, said she has always opposed hunting in the lagoon.

“I have never thought it was a good idea because the area is too densely populated,” she said.

Arnold who is now director of South Whidbey Parks and Recreation District.

“Deer Lagoon is much more suited to wildlife viewing,” she said.