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Home My WebLink AboutHMP Parcel 965 000 348SO EOVE ,' OCT 2 7 2015 � D JEPiERSON COUNTY Kala Point Habitat Management Plan September 7, 2015 For: Kala Point Owners Association 1760 Kala Point Drive Port Townswnd, WA 98368 S �ESSN1� MARINE SURVEYS ft ASSESSMENTS 267 Hudson Street Port Townsend WA 98368 (360) 385-4073 marine.su"eys.inc@gmail.com Table of Contents Project information ................... Proposal and Purpose ............... Site Description ............................. Conclusion ..................................... Recommendations ....................... Determination of Impact ............ Figures.......... ............3 ............3 ............................ 3-4 ................................ 4 ........5-10 MS&A Kala Point— Rykken Case #2115-1 Habitat Management Plan• 2 project Information This Habitat Management Plan (HMP) has been prepared for the homeowner residing at I 1-1 Bluffs Court in the Kala Point development, Rykken case # 2115-1 (Figures 1-2). On August 17, 2015 a site visit was conducted with Keith Larson and two other members of the Bluff Management Advisory Committee (BMAC). The report is submitted to comply with the request of Jefferson County Community Development in accordance with the requirements of the UDC 18.22.440. The extent of the proposal is tree topping for view restoration. This HMP is limited in scope to solely identify Washington State Priority Species and Habitats and any impacts that may occur to either the species listed or their habitats of concern, in reference to the nature and density of the proposed land use change. Pr000sal and Puruose The overall proposal is for view maintenance involving one Douglas fir tree (Pseudotsuga menziesii ). The proposal involves cutting the crown of the tree and leaving the bole rooted and intact for wild life use (Figures 3, 4 and 6). The overall slope is densely vegetated with trees, shrubs and ground covers which include: Douglas fir, Western Red Cedar (Thuja plicate), Red Alder (Alms rubra), Pacific Madrone (Arbutus menziesii), Bitter Cherry (Prunus emarginate), Ocean Spray (Holodiscus discolor), Willow species (Salix sp.), Trailing Blackberry (rubus ursinus), Sand (Gaultheria shalon), Western Trumpet Honeysuckle (Lonicera ciliosa) and Bracken Fem (Pteridium aquilinum). Overall slope can be seen in Figures 5 and 6. Site Descrlotion Kala Point is one of two planned residential communities close to Port Townsend in Jefferson County. Most of the properties are single-family residences; however there are condominium units and time-share condos m well. Kala Point is located about four miles south of Port Townsend on Port Townsend Bay. It faces to the Fast and is adjacent to Fort Townsend State Park, a 367 -acre, heavily wooded, marine camping park featuring 3,960 feet of saltwater shoreline. The Washington Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) Priority Habitat and Species (PHS) database indicates that three bald eagle nests (Haliacems leucocephalus) exist to the north in the Fort Townsend State Park vicinity. Kala Point is a highly developed community lying behind the natural bluffs of Kala Point and to the south of the State Park, and although there are several large trees, no species or habitats of concern were found on the WDFW PHS list with in the terrestrial portion of the Kala Point development. In the aquatic portion of the development, the database indicates that the estuarine intertidal area is priority aquatic habitat for Dungeness crab (Cancer magister), Pacific geoduck (Panopea abrupta), Pacific herring (Clupea pallasi), Pacific sand lance (Ammodytes hexapterus), surf smelt (Hypomesus pretiosus), and Subtidal Hard-shell clams. Conclusions WDFW identifies priority habitats as a habitat type with unique or significant attributes to many species and WDFW defines priority species as wildlife species requiring protective measures as described in the WDFW management guidelines 1991. These lists were established to help protect future development in these special areas. Research has shown that eagles need a dominant tree within a complex canopy of mixed age to provide a site for nesting. They are also found to breed where there is a minimum of human interaction. No terrestrial habitat or species are identified by the WDFW PHS database in the immediate project area. Kala Point is a populated community, a habitat not conducive to Bald eagle nesting, and it is adjacent to a state park, a much preferred habitat type for nesting eagles. The PHS database does indicate an aquatic habitat with multiple species within the MS&A Kala Point—Rykken Caw #2115-1 Habitat Management Plan •3 Kala Point development. As stated in the WDF W document (Protecting Near shore Habitat and Functions in Puget Sound - October 2007, revised June 2010): Activities that alter the composition and distribution of shoreline substrates or their contributing physical processes can adversely affect the productivity of spawning habitats for beach spawning forage fish (pacific herring, sand lance, and surf smelt). These species are fundamental components of the marine food web supporting a number of highly valued species, including salmon, rockfish, Flatfish, seabirds, and marine mammals. Cumulative impacts from continued modification of the shoreline and resultant alternation of bluff erosion and beach formation are difficult to quantify. However, they are likely to be exacerbated over time because beaches and bluffs are so closely connected. Some directlindirect impacts include: "Loss of near shore vegetation and shading, reduced bluff and beach stabilization, and increased erosion due to vegetation removal. Cumulative impacts include: "Loss of connection between aquatic and upland environment which impacts drainage, wildlife corridors, and loss of unique transitional areas across Puget Sound,' Regulatory and design considerations include: "If tree removal is unavoidable, leave felled trees or create snags for wildlife habitat. Require replacement of all native riparian or aquatic vegetation that is directly or indirectly lost through shoreline activities." Recommendations Though the proposed vegetation management plan lies within the buffer for the shoreline critical area on Port Townsend Bay, there is only one tree that is targeted in a densely vegetated area. Because more than 40% of the live crown would need to be removed in order to restore the view, which would be detrimental to the health and vigor of the tree, the recommendation is to allow the creation of a wildlife snag by removing the entire crown, but only as low as necessary to restore the view. Birds and insects can benefit from the remaining snag and slope stabilization should not he affected if snag is left rooted and surrounding vegetation is allowed to fill in. Determination of Impact Based on our review of the Kala Point Owners Association vegetation management proposal and the existing conditions on site, we conclude that there will be no net loss in habitat function or value above current baseline conditions assuming they follow the recommendations we have put forth. MS&A Kala Point — Rykken Case #2115A Habitat Management Ptao• 4 Figure 1. Vicinity map of project location. MS&A Kala Point— Rykken Case #2115-1 Habitat Management Plan+ 5 Figure 2. Parcel map PROJECT SITE 9_SS:•i:A hS3CLiti3 41&f 11 1off s MSBA Kala Point— Rykken Case #2115-1 Habitat Management Plan+ 6 Figure 4. Subject tree MS&A Kala Point — Rykken Case #2115-1 Habitat Management Plan+ 8 Yj, ; N, -p k 7Y, Figure 6 Slope vegetation with subject tree MS&A Kala Pant— Rykken Case #21151 Habitat Management Plan+ 10