HomeMy WebLinkAbout091216_cabs01Commissioners Chambers
JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Philip Morley, County Administrator
FROM: Leslie Locke, Executive Assistant
DATE: September 12, 2016
SUBJECT: PRESENTATION re: Expansion of Two Conservation Areas in Jefferson County; 1)
Devils Lake Natural Resources Conservation Area; and 2) Dabob Bay Natural Area
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
John Gamon, DNR Natural Heritage Conservation office will give a presentation to the Board regarding
the proposed expansion of two conservation areas in Jefferson County.
FISCAL IMPACT:
Unknown at this time.
RECOMMENDATION:
No Action Required
REVIEWED BYrty;Aqdminl;or
ip Morley o Date
jeffbocc
From: GAMON, JOHN (DNR) <JOHN.GAMON@dnr.wa.gov>
Sent: Wednesday, September 07, 2016 3:22 PM
To: jeffbocc
Subject: Proposed expansion of two natural areas in Jefferson County
Attachments: DNR- Devi lsLakeNRCA-proposal-map-8-31-2016.pdf; DNR-DabobBayNaturalArea-
proposal-map-8-31-2016 (1).pdf
TO: Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners
The Honorable Kathleen Kier
The Honorable Phil Johnson
The Honorable David Sullivan
FROM: John G. Gamon
Natural Heritage Conservation
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
SUBJECT: Expansion of two conservation areas in Jefferson County
As per my conversation earlier today with Commissioner Kier, I'm writing to provide you with background
information on proposed expansions of two existing conservation areas in Jefferson County. The Department
of Natural Resources will soon be seeking public comment on boundary expansions for Devils Lake Natural
Resources Conservation Area and Dabob Bay Natural Area, as indicated on the two attached maps.
Our public outreach regarding these proposals will include holding a public informational meeting on
September 26th in Quilcene, followed by a public hearing on October 13th, also in Quilcene.
I look forward to attending your meeting on Monday and the opportunity to provide you with additional
information and to answer questions you may have.
I've also included below brief summaries of the existing natural areas and of the expansions.
Devils Lake Natural Resources Conservation Area
The 80 -acre Devils Lake NRCA contains a 22 -acre lake, wetland, and sphagnum bog system, including 12 acres
of open water, 6 acres of marsh and swamp, and 4 acres of quaking sphagnum bog. The forested area
surrounding the lake has survived numerous fires and developed old growth characteristics, with a diversity of
age classes and species, a layered canopy, and abundant snags and large downed logs. Features protected in the
conservation area, which was designated in 2002, include Low -elevation sphagnum bog; Low -elevation
freshwater wetland; and Douglas -fir -western hemlock/Pacific rhododendron -evergreen huckleberry plant
community.
Expansion of the conservation area boundary will include approximately 415 acres of adjacent DNR -managed
forested trust lands east of Highway 101 on the slope above Quilcene Bay. If the transfer is approved by the
Legislature, the Common School Trust will receive the timber value from the site for school construction while
the land value will be reinvested in new trust lands with greater long-term income potential.
Dabob Bay Natural Area
The Dabob Bay Natural Area was established in 1984 to protect rare examples of intact salt marsh and sand spit
plant communities within one of Washington's highest functioning coastal spit and tidal wetland systems.
Initially created as a natural area preserve, the site was enlarged in 2009 to include additional land designated as
preserve along with lands designated as natural resources conservation area. This provides additional
opportunities for development of low -impact public use as the site is assembled through acquisition from
willing sellers (at market value) over the years). The natural area includes mature coastal forests, coastal
streams, feeder bluffs, forage fish spawning areas, eelgrass beds, native Olympia oyster beds, nearshore
tidelands and mudflats utilized by juvenile salmon and shorebirds, and open marine waters utilized by salmon,
marine birds, harbor seals and orcas. The combined preserve/conservation area currently includes 2,771 acres of
shoreline, marsh and forestland in the Dabob Bay watershed, protecting such features as North Pacific Maritime
Coastal Sand Dune and Strand ecosystem; Temperate Pacific Tidal Salt and Brackish Marsh ecosystems; North
Pacific Maritime Forest ecosystems; North Pacific Intertidal Mudflat ecosystem; and North Pacific Maritime
Eelgrass ecosystem.
Expansion of the conservation area boundary would include both state trust lands (940 acres) and private lands
(2,700 acres) that would add lowland forest and riparian areas, wetlands including an estuary, and ecologically
significant shoreline along Dabob Bay and Hood Canal. If the transfer of trust lands is approved by the
Legislature, the Common School Trust will receive the timber value from the site for school construction while
the land value will be reinvested in new trust lands with greater long-term income potential. For private lands,
DNR will seek grant funds to acquire property from willing sellers only, and at market value based on third -
party appraisal. The natural area boundary has no effect on local or state regulations affecting private property;
rather, it designates the working envelop for DNR land acquisition staff.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
John Gamon
Natural Heritage Conservation
Washington State Department of Natural Resources
1111 Washington Street SE
Olympia, Washington 98504-7014
(360) 902-1661
(360) 701-5184 (cell)
john.gamon@dnr.wa.gov
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