SHELLFISH

Our Local Bivalves

Get to know a few species

NATIVE LITTLENECK CLAM

Up to 3.5” with rounded shell displaying concentric rings and radiating ridge lines, cream, grey, brown, or mottled. White inside shell; found at 6-10” deep in gravel, mud, mid-tide level.

MANILA LITTLENECK CLAM (NOT NATIVE)

Up to 2.5”, oblong shell, Color can vary—typically gray,brown, or mottled and often times with what appears to be hand painted designs; some purple on the inside shell; found at 2-4” in gravel, mud, sand, typically above the half-tide level.

BUTTER CLAM

Up to 5”, shell with concentric rings (no radiating ridge lines), Yellow to gray/white colored; found at 1-1.5’ in sand, gravel, or cobble; lower intertidal or shallow subtidal zone. Butter clams retain marine biotoxins longer than other clams.

COCKLE CLAM

Up to 5” with round shell; prominent evenly-spaced radiating ridges fanning from hinge; mottled, light brown color; found at 1-2” in sand, mud in intertidal or subtidal zone.

PACIFIC OYSTERS (NOT NATIVE)

Up to 12”, white/gray oblong shell with irregular, wavy edges; found in intertidal zone; tumbled (farmed) Pacifics have cupped shape with fragile shells.

OLYMPIA OYSTER

Up to 3”, rounded shell, white to purplish black and may be striped with yellow or brown; oyster’s flesh is a light olive green with a metallic flavor. Native oyster to the area and currently protected in wild habitats.

MUSSELS

Blue Mussel (native) up to 3”, California Mussel (native) up to 6”, Mediterranean non-native) up to 5”. Oblong shell, blueblack or brown, attaches to rocks, pilings, boats, gravel, or other hard surfaces in the intertidal zone with bissel threads.

GEODUCK

Up to 10”, 2.5 – 10 lbs. Gaping oblong shell with concentric rings; white shell with flaky brown skin; siphon and mantle are too large to withdraw; found at depth of 2-3’ in mud, sand, gravel in the subtidal zone (extreme low tides).

MASON COUNTY'S BEACH & shellfish map

Forage on Washington’s Wild Side.

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OLYMPIC NATIONAL PARK

OLYMPICMason County’s saltwater bays and inlets along NATIONAL FORESTHood Canal and South Puget Sound are renown for some of the tastiest and freshest bivalves in the Northwest. Visit for the pristine waters, open wilderness and public beaches stocked annually for families to enjoy! EAGLE CREEK

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LILLIWAUP STATE PARK

Full off on Hwy 101, stairway to beach at north opening OLYMPIC of Lilliwaup Bay. Walk north or south when tide is out. Oysters and Clams. Eagles and osprey. Overnight RV NATIONAL FORESTcamping permitted; no restrooms.

TAYLOR SHELLFISH

130 SE Lynch Rd Shelton (360) 432-3300 Taylor’s product line includes worldwide export of geoduck, clams, mussels and oysters. Headquartered in Kamilche, retail store is open daily. taylorshellfish.com

HOODSPORT

Public boat dock with beach access. Starfish and crabs at low tide. Closed to shellfish gathering. Picnic tables & restrooms,nearby dining, grocery and shopping.

POTLATCH BEACH PARK

Longest stretch of public beach, popular for swimming, kayaking, and picnics. Camping & restrooms.

MATLOCK

OYSTERFEST

Traditionally held in October at Shelton Airport, the two day festival features seafood delicacies prepared by local non-profits as well as the Northwest Oyster Shucking Championship & live music.

WALKER PARK

Beach access, playground, restrooms, picnic shelter and basketball court. Olympic Hwy to Arcadia Rd, from Arcadia Rd take Left on Walker Park Rd, Park is on right. No shellfish harvest. No passes required.

OYSTER BAY

Easy beach access on marshy estuary. Popular for bird watching and salmon observing/fishing. Pullout on Hwy 101 near Mile Marker 356; near

KENNEDY CREEK INTERPRETATIVE TRAIL.

MASON COUNTY'S BEACH & shellfish map

TRITON

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ELDON

HAMA HAMA OYSTER SALOON

35846 US-101, Lilliwaup 5th generation farm serves oysters prepared to order with an ever changing menu of seasonal local ingredients. Retail store and farm dining. hamahamaoyster.com CHECK: Health closures and advisories: doh.wa.gov/shellfishsafety Harvesting closures: wdfw.wa.gov/fishing/shellfishing-regulation Signs on the beach: Follow posted warnings and respect private property.

CHILL: Harvest shellfish on the outgoing tide and put on ice as soon as possible to prevent bacterial growth. Keep them cold until ready to eat. Cover in fridge with a wet cloth to prevent drying out.

HAMMA HAMMA

Expansive beach when tide is out, obey property signs. Excellent oyster beach. Warm enough for swimming in summer. Parking across from Eagle Creek Saloon.

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DEWATTO

DEWATTO BAY

Small beach with dramatic view of the Olympics. Lots of ripe berries in late summer. From Belfair: take the Befair-Tahuya Road to Dewatto Rd. Continue four miles to Dewatto. Parking limited.

BELFAIR STATE PARK

Nice beaches for walking and exploring with summer water temperatures surprisingly warm. Restrooms, camping and picnic facilities.

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BELFAIR COOK: Cook shellfish in summer months when Vibrio illnesses can occur. To kill Vibrio bacteria cook shellfish to 145° F for at least 15 seconds, cooking does not destroy biotoxins.

Do not harvest in areas with pollution closures. Ask your doctor before eating raw shellfish if you have any concerns about allergies, are taking medications, or have a weakened immune system (such as cancer, liver disease, or HIV). Shellfish are a great and healthy food.

Avoid illness by following the 3 C’s above and enjoy!

Visitor Information

MENARD’S LANDING

Expansive beach (at low tide), picnic area, and views of the Olympics. RENDSLAND CREEK, DNR owned clams and oysters open all year.

TAHUYA

ALLYN

Gazebo, garden, play area, pier, restrooms and beach access with boat launch.

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ALLYN

106 TWANOH STATE PARK

Excellent camping, swimming, kayaking, picnic sites, and shellfish harvesting.

UNION

302 NORTH BAY

Community park offers beach access, a picnic area and portable restroom and is very popular with kayakers, fishermen and local residents. Located on SR-3 at the south end of Allyn. The parking area is open only during the shellfish season.

ALLYN DAY

JULY 17 | Allyn, WA Enjoy vendors, wine and beer garden, and live music - one day revised event. allyntown.com

Local Seafood

Visitor Information

UNION CITY MARKET

5101 E State Route 106 | Union | (360) 898-3500 3 Art, gifts, seafood and grocery items and seasonal cafe within a working marina.

HUNTER FARMS

921 WA-106, Union | (360) 426-2222 Direct farm to market retail includes Hood Canal oysters at the general store located on the farm.

GRAPEVIEW

DNR 24/GRAPEVIEW, DNR beach clams and oysters open all year. Access by boat only.

Here are a few locations that serve Hood Canal & South Puget Sound seafood on their menus.

Bistro at Lakeland Village

470 E Country Club Dr, Allyn (360) 277-4137

Boat House Restaurant

18340 E WA 3, Allyn (360) 275-2954

Robin Hood Restaurant

6790 E State Route 106, Union (360) 490-8168

Smoking Mo’s

233 S. 1st St, Shelton (360) 462-0163

Visitor Information

S 1st St E Pine St

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SE O l y m pi c Hwy S

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HOPE ISLAND STATE PARK

A 106-acre marine camping park reachable only by boat. Covered with old-growth forests and saltwater marshes, the park features a beach oneand-a-half miles long. Access by boat only.

Burger Claim & More

24171 WA 3, Belfair (360) 277-5141

Hama Hama Oyster Saloon

35846 US-101, Lilliwaup (360) 877-5811

Hook & Fork

5101 E State Route 106, Union (360) 898-3500

Spencer Lake Bar & Grill

1180 E Pickering Rd, Shelton (360) 426-2505

Squaxin Island Seafood Bar

91 West State Route 108, Shelton (360) 432-7120

Taylor Station

62 SE Lynch Rd, Shelton (360) 426-8501

KAMILCHE

Visitor Information

101 CHELSEA FARMS OYSTER BAR

222 CAPITOL WAY N, OLYMPIA | (360) 915-7784 Eld & Totten Inlet, South Puget Sound Chelsea Farm have made a priority of farming the native Olympia oyster that was on it’s way to extinction. Visit their oyster bar in Olympia for local seafood experience! chelseafarms.net 59

Model T Pub & Eatery

24281 N US 101, Hoodsport (360) 877-9883

Tides Family Restaurant

27061 US-101, Hoodsport (360) 877-8921

Restaurant at Alderbrook

10 E Alderbrook Dr, Union (360) 898-2200 FJORD View more area dining at explorehoodcanal.com

Information meeting on the consultation process for the Enchanted Valley Chalet

Virtual Meeting, November 15, 3:00 PM-4:30 PM

The National Park Service is entering the next phase of the process to determine the final disposition of the Enchanted Valley Chalet, located 13 miles up the Quinault River from the Graves Creek Trailhead in the Daniel J. Evans Wilderness area in Olympic National Park. Olympic National Park, with the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation and the Washington State Historic Preservation Officer, will hold a meeting to provide an overview of the Section 106 consultation process; to discuss the process for consultation of interested parties; and a review of the proposed project to date.

Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act requires the NPS to work with consulting parties to determine the effects of a project on historic properties and, when there is an adverse effect, to develop mitigation measures for that effect. Section 106 also requires the NPS to seek and consider the views of the public on the project’s effects to historic properties, which this meeting will address. MEETING INFORMATION The virtual meeting will be held on November 15, 2021 from 3:00 PM - 4:30 PM Hyperlink to join the meeting is available at nps.gov –"Virtual Meeting - Enchanted Valley Chalet NHPA Section 106 Consultation." If you need special accommodations, contact Penny Wagner at 360-565-3005 a minimum of 3 business (Monday-Friday) days prior to the meeting so that they may have sufficient time to attempt to meet your request. WA State Parks Free Days

2022 FREE DAYS

Jan. 1 First Day Hikes; New Year’s Day Jan. 17 Martin Luther King, Jr. Day March 9 Billy Frank Junior's Birthday March 19 State Parks’ 108th Birthday April 22 — Earth Day June 11 National Get Outdoors Day June 12 — Free Fishing Day June 19 — Juneteenth Sept. 25 National Public Lands Day Oct. 10 World Mental Health Day Nov. 11 — Veterans Day Nov. 25 Native American Heritage Day

How to Start an

OYSTER FARM

Daniel Hanson and Dawn Smart

You can ask Siri or Alexa how to do it and surprisingly, they’ll give you several helpful options. The articles range from “jonathans blog” to Hobby Farm Magazine and the Port City Daily online news source for Wilmington, NC. YouTube also has a number of informative videos on the subject.

Together they cover everything you need to know, including startup costs, siting, permitting, equipment and where to get seed. Of course, it’s a lot of work to tackle each item and it is not for the faint of heart, especially permitting. But if you are interested in starting a farm you could do worse than to follow these leads. They may not be complete, but there is enough information to get you headed in the right direction.

Alternatively, there is an online course from the Institute of Food and Agriculture at the University of Florida, Sea Grant of Mississippi, Alabama and Louisiana and the Auburn University Shellfish Lab. It is free and here’s the link: https://oyster-culture. teachable.com/p/online-oyster-course. In our case the process was somewhat less structured—more serendipitous and fun. Early one spring Saturday our 92-year-old father and Dan attended a Taylor Shellfish Community Seed Sale. It started at 8:00 AM so they thought they should get there around 7:30 AM. What did they find but a line of about 100 people snaking through the parking lot? It was fun to talk with others looking to start or expand their farms. There were people from all over the area. The waiting time enabled Dan and Ray to talk to other would-be oyster gardeners and some actual farmers. It was the perfect venue for our dad to have a conversation with whomever would talk to him, so he did, and they made friends with a few people. One person really helped—Steve Bloomfield. He told them what they would need besides oyster seed… some rope, rebar, plastic lay-flat bags, and lots of zip ties. They had no idea!

Steve gave them some used lay-flat bags and they bought Pacific oyster seed and the rest of the equipment and headed home. Suddenly, and to their surprise, they realized that the seed needed to be planted that day before the tide came in! When they got home the tide was still low enough for them to install the lines, rebar, and the bags with seed. They really didn’t know what they were doing, but it was simple enough to get it done. That would be the beginning of our fledgling farm.

Flashback: Oyster harvesting was Dan’s very first job as a young person; in 1959 he was hauling gunny sacks of oysters from our beach on Hood Canal up to Highway 106. They were picked up by a truck from a Grays Harbor shellfish company; don’t remember the name and not sure if the truck was even refrigerated back then. They opened the oysters and Dan was paid $2.50 for a gallon of shucked meat. Not a lot at the time, but a lot to a 13-year-old boy!

Our two tidelands on Hood Canal had been used by the family as recreational properties for three generations. Swimming, water skiing, picnics and sunbathing were the main events but our grandfather, the original settler, used to dig clams and open oysters on the beach and share them with friends and business associates.

His contribution to the health of the animals was to sort them by size, throwing the largest ones further down the beach to spawn and harvesting the more edible sizes in the intertidal zone. We formed HC Snail, LLC in 2006 and put our two beach properties into the company. We didn’t do much farming at first. The beaches were leased to a harvester, and we were paid a little bit for the product. But it was a second beginning.

Fast forward to 2010 when Dan retired from the Weyerhaeuser Company after a 30+ year career as a scientist. Having a technical and scientific background was helpful as we progressed and learned more. This was the third and the true beginning of his experience as an oyster farmer.

HC Snail joined PCSGA in 2012 and Dan attended his first annual Pacific Coast Shellfish Growers Association Conference that fall. He was hooked! The people and the conference were so great, and he knew he had to learn more. Impressed with the attendees’ openness and willingness to share their experiences, Dan took advantage to learn as much as possible and make industry contacts. After a career in a highly competitive industry where trade secrets and patents were closely guarded, it was really refreshing.

In 2013 we negotiated a lease agreement with DeNotta Seafood and have enjoyed a mutually beneficial business relationship with them ever since. Their cooperation and help were invaluable. In exchange for the use of our beaches, from time to time they provide advice, oyster seed and labor from their crews. Among other things, DeNotta is responsible for harvesting wild set oysters from both beach properties and managing the relationship with the Skokomish Tribe.

In 2014 HC Snail got its Department of Health Operating License and Site Certificate. Dan attended HACCP and Vibrio training. This was the year we began more serious oyster cultivation and installed long lines with tumble baskets. We were helped by Taylor Shellfish, Allen Shellfish, the Hama Hama Company, and several individuals. We can’t say enough about the people that helped us get started. They were generous with their time, advice and help on the ground. They were patient, kind and fun to work with.

We’ve learned a great deal since 2010, reworking the lines and equipment we use, creating a Safety Officer, establishing a mental approach to continuous improvement, and developing more efficient sorting and harvesting processes. Inventions to make our farm more productive included a sorting table, a mechanism to keep tumble baskets in place, and thanks to Dan’s grandson, a quick and easy way to remove barnacles from the lines. We also learned, likely true of most oyster growers, that we like the spring and summer low tides better than the middle of the night winter tides, although a calm, moonlit night on the beach is a beautiful thing.

Beginning in 2016 we applied for and received a Nationwide 48 Permit from the Army Corps of Engineers. Everything was good until all permits in Washington State were vacated by court order due to a lawsuit in which the Army Corps was named as the defendant. Then began the anxious process of getting a new permit. In our case, it turned out to be a five-year Letter of Permission, which we received in the spring of 2021.

So, we were back in the saddle again… at least until 2026! Others have not had it that easy. We are so very fortunate and realize what a blow this has been to Washington’s shellfish industry. Dan’s participation on the PCSGA Corps Permit Committee was and continues to be a real education. HC Snail would not be in the position we are in today without that experience.

We hope to continue farming our oysters and participating in select PCSGA and other industry activities for the foreseeable future. From Dan’s first job and now to this last one, he can’t think of a more rewarding retirement avocation, but then again, he doesn’t really know what retirement is!

road trip-worthy bites: Friday, Saturday, Sunday

2-6PM 10AM-3PM

5101 E HwY 106, UnIoN, Wa 98592 UnIoNcItYmArKeT.CoM 360.898.3500