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Home My WebLink About125"'RMG" RESOURCE MANAGEMENT GROUP In Association With: BLACK ROCK, LLC MERRYMAN RESOURCE MANAGEMENT, LLC VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN PLEASANT HARBOR MASTER PLANNED RESORT JULY 19, 2017 PREPARED FOR: STATESMAN CORPORATION C/O GARTH MANN 7370 SIERRA MORENA BOULEVARD SOUTHWEST CALGARY, ALBERTA T31-141-19 CANADA 1.0 2.0 PLEASANT HARBOR MASTER PLANNED RESORT VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PLAN TABLE OF CONTENTS Introduction / Purpose Governing Document Hierarchy f -- r. Vegetation Management Practices (VMP's) 3.1 VMP #1 / View Maintenance 3.2 VMP #2 / Fire Safety 3.3 VMP #3 / Slope Stability - 3.4 VMP #4 / Noxious Plant Removal 3.5 VMP #5 / Removal of Danger Trees -4.0 Sensitive Area Restrictions - 5.0 Chemical Application, Removal, and Spill Cleanup 6.0 Monitoring Methods -7.0 Summary / Conclusion Ad� ppendix ; "Forest Report,. Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort' so l b LA o�kt7 2 Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 1.0 INTRODUCTION / PURPOSE Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort is situated on approximately 257 acres in the Pleasant Harbor and Black Point areas on the west side of Hood Canal. The finished resort complex will consist of a 9 -hole championship golf course, residential housing, marina and maritime village. The Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort (MPR) proposal was the subject of programmatic environmental review associated with a Jefferson County action to amend their Comprehensive Plan to designate the Pleasant Harbor and Black Point areas, south of the town of Brinnon, as a Master Planned Resort. The Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners (BoCC) imposed thirty conditions of approval on the Comprehensive Plan amendment, as set forth in Ordinance No. 01-0128-08. Current project level environmental review effort requires demonstrating compliance with these 30 conditions. Five of the conditions relate to preparation of this Vegetation Management Plan. The five conditions address general and specific issues as they pertain to the health and condition of vegetation on the Pleasant Harbor / Black Point site. The conditions also address potential effects that may result from development of the site both during the construction phase and forward into the future. In addition to assisting in management of vegetation in general, this Vegetation Management Plan supports the Pleasant Harbor Wildlife Management Plan' report in a variety of ways by means of encouraging the long term viability and functional nature of coniferous and deciduous forest communities and other wildlife supportive attributes found on the Pleasant Harbor / Black Point area. The F rest Report, Pleasant Harbor Marina and esort" hereinafter referenced as "Forest 11�Reporf" as attached to this Vegetation Management Plan, describes current existing conditions of forested areas located on the property (see Appendix). 2.0 GOVERNING DOCUMENT HEIRACHY q) Per the Jefferson County Department of Community Development, the hierarchy of onsideration when evaluating vegetation management is as follows. a �(] Legal, governing documents 1 1. Any applicable Federal and State Laws. 2. Jefferson County Critical Area Ordinance (CAO) and CAO maps. 3. Jefferson County BoCC rdnanc 01-0128-08 Spe4Le; 4. Other Local area agreements and requirements (if any). 0 1 ` no n" - Other essentials: ■ Jefferson County Noxious Weed Control Board (NWCB) Fact Sheets www.co.j efferson . wa. uslWeed Board/ National Fire Protection Organization's Firewise Communities website httv://www.firewise.or,q/ ' Jennifer L. Dadisman and Joseph O. Callaghan, Wildlife Management Plan, Pleasant Harbor Master Planned Resort, Geo -Engineers Technical Report File 12677-001-12 2 Teal Lake Village Homeowners Association, Comprehensive Vegetation Management Plan, Copy furnished by Jefferson County DCD. (http://www.plsbca.org/teal/2016-TLV-Vegetation-Management- Plan.pdf) Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 • "Plant Selection Guide", contained within Washington State Department of Ecology (DOE) Publication Number 9330 titled "Slope Stabilization and Erosion control Using Vegetation" https://fortress.wa g2v/ecy/�bf!cations/documents193 O.p. df • "Vegetation Management: A guide for Puget Sound Bluff Property Owners" contained within Publication Number 9331. littps:l/fortress.wa.gov/ecv/publications/documents/9331 . df 3.0 VEGETATION MANAGEMENT PRACTICES VMP's 3.1 VMP #1 / Alteration for View Maintenance Where it may be desirable to remove or trim trees for view maintenance, it is strongly encouraged to: • Consider selective removal to establish view corridors. A view that is framed by trees is usually considered more desirable than one where all trees are removed. Denuding large areas of trees can create drainage, slope stability, and aesthetic problems, and will therefore not be allowed. • Look to other means to maintain a view including thinning, windowing, or selective limb removal. • Refrain from topping trees as it will necessitate ongoing maintenance, may weaken the tree and doing so may present a safety concern. 3.2 VMP #2 / Alteration for Fire Safety • Addressing fire safety concerns by means of altering vegetation on areas within the Pleasant Harbor MPR area shall give weight to recommendations from the National Fire Protection Association's Firewise Program (www.firewise.org) Among many suggestions for protection of lives and property, it recommends that within a minimum distance of 30 feet surrounding dwellings, vegetation should consist of native fire resistant shrubs, grasses, and other plantings, or be controlled by maintained cutting to a level of four to six inches, and debris should be removed from the area. • In some timbered portions of the Pleasant Harbor property "Fuel Ladder" issues exist where thick and tall understory vegetation provides a burn route that often will enable a forest fire to reach the upper canopy limbs of dominant trees. Should a forest fire occur in this situation, it is far more likely to be catastrophic in its effect on the vegetation community in which it occurs. Forested areas of the property should be inventoried for this situation and evaluated for understory preventative treatment where prudent. 3.3 VMP #3 / Alteration for Slope Stability • Any alteration of vegetation within an area considered a "Critical Area" due to natural characteristics and/or inclusion on the Jefferson County Critical Area Map shall be done in compliance with the Jefferson County Critical Area Ordinance (CAO). • If the area in question lies within a mapped critical area or exhibits critical area characteristics and the owner desires to verify or disprove critical area status, the owner must at their own cost, hire a licensed engineering geologist to assess such status. After review by the licensed engineering geologist the ownership may bring geologist's 4 Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 report of findings to the Department of Community Development (DCD) and request a change in the Critical Area Map. 3.4 VMP #4/ Alteration for Noxious Weed Removal • Noxious weed control or removal should follow BMP guidelines as described by the Jefferson County NWCB's "Fact Sheet" for each type of weed addressed (see web links below). • Should chemical treatment of weeds be selected as a method of treatment it shall adhere to all required stipulations for use as found in Federal, State, and local regulations (refer to Plan Section 5.0 "Chemical Application, Removal, and Spill Cleanup" for additional information). • Many web sites offer additional information on control of Noxious Weeds as well as documentation on chemical recommendations and use requirements. Below are links to two Jefferson County's sites featuring additional information on noxious weeds. www.co.iefferson.wa.us/WeedBoard/ http://www.co-'efferson.wa.us/WeedBoard/odfs/Weed List.pdf 3.5 VMP #5/ Alteration for Tree Hazard Management • Definition of a Hazard Tree: A tree may be considered potentially hazardous if it is situated in an area frequented by people or is located adjacent to valuable facilities. A tree becomes more dangerous if it has defects in its roots, bole (trunk), or branches that may cause or accelerate failure resulting in property damage, personal injury or death.3 Remember also that a tree without any identifiable defect may, by simple proximity, be dangerous in natural --� JJ situations such as a severe wind event. The degree of hazard varies with size-ef-ths6-CYna a-a�ad-type and location of the defect. Site managers must be aware of these issues, know haw o recognize and evaluate them, and be diligent in correcting or mitigating potential damage. Conscientious assessment and abatement would make the site safer and more enjoyable.4 • The Jefferson County Shoreline Master Program definition of a hazard tree reads as follows: "Hazard tree means any tree with a high probabilitL of falling due to a debilitating disease a structural defect a root ball more than ffity percent exposed, or having been exposed to wind throw within the past ten years. To be considered hazardous, there must be a structure within a tree length of the base of the trunk. Where not immediately apparent to the Administrator, the hazard tree determination shall be made after review of a report prepared by an arborist or forester." 5 • It is important to note that regulatory jurisdictions sometimes vary in their requirement for maximum distance between tree base and structure. In particular, in individual cases on steep hills and in high wind exposure areas, it may be prudent to increase the setback distance from tree base to target to assure adequate protection from falling trees. In 3 G.W. Wallis, D. J. Morrison, D. W. Ross, Tree Hazards In Recreational Sites In British Columbia, Management Guidelines, (B.C. Ministry of Environment and Parks, Canadian Forest Service, Joint Report No. 13, 1987), p6.� 1. 51 bid, p6 Jefferson CountySMP, 5 Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 areas heavily used by people, it may also be prudent to evaluate hazard exposure levels, irrespective of the presence or lack of structures. • Hazard Trees and Associated Liabilities: Any tree could present some degree of hazard no matter how sound it might appear. Prudence should rule when public safety is potentially at risk. Wind, weather, gravity, time, disease, insects; all these threats are continuous in their attack on sound and secure trees. Another adversary of sound tree structure and safety is the natural process of maturation that all trees go through, some species being more long lived than others. These influences all interact to increase the likelihood of failure. The extent of liability depends in large part on the preventative actions of the management team. Negligent acts or omission are simply not acceptable. Managers must be proactive and responsible to actively minimize hazard and reduce danger. For additional information regarding tree hazards present on site, methods of treatment, and a straightforward tree hazard danger rating system to help less experienced observers initially come to terms with hazard tree issues, please refer to the "Forest Report, Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort" (see Appendix). 4.0 SENSITIVE AREA RESTRICTIONS Streams, Wetlands, Cultural sites, Shorelines, and other identified areas of note shall be protected in compliance with all Federal, Washington State, Jefferson County, and other applicable local requirements. 5.0 CHEMICAL APPLICATION REMOVAL AND SPILL CLEANUP Any use of chemicals for purposes of this Vegetation Management Plan shall be done in strict accordance with applicable rules, regulations, and label directions. Chemical spill and cleanup information can be obtained from the following links: hft ://www.ec .wa. ov/ ra rams/s ills/other/re ortas ill.htm htt s://www.e a. ovl esticide-incidents/how-re ort -s ills -and -environmental -violations 6.0 VEGETATION MONITORING METHODS The following are suggested as methods for assessment of vegetation health and condition in the Pleasant Harbor MPR project. Situation Response Reports will from time to time be communicated by visitors, and residents or employees indicating something may have occurred impacting vegetation in the MPR area. This communication can take many forms, from casual reports and comments to more formal observation by employees and others with more specific responsibility. Encourage employees and others to report things when they see them. Repetitive Point Monitorin To identify slower less observable changes in vegetation health, competition, occurrence of invasive and noxious species, and other challenges; it is suggested repetitive monitoring be 6 Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 established in such a way so it may provide evidence of unhurried modifications that occur over time and are sometimes difficult to track. • One helpful method used to identify slow change would be to establish photo points at which an inventory of scope and frequency of issues (or the lack of issues) can be evidenced by repetitive photo records. Using a time interval ranging from monthly to quarterly to annually depending on potential concerns would work well to help trigger timely problem recognition and resolution should a problem arise. • An example of an ongoing issue already occurring on the Pleasant Harbor property is the ever increasing occurrence of laminated Root Rot (Phellinus sulphurascens (Pilat) [formerly Phellinus weirii (Murr.)Gilb. Douglas -fir form]. This pathogen affects trees slowly by spreading out in an ever increasing circle via transmission through root grafts underground. The slow spread of disease would be more easily apparent on annual photographs from the same point. • Another example of the use of pictures would be to photograph the Highway 101 roadside areas passing through the Pleasant Harbor area. Changes would be recorded and without difficulty, tracked to identify vegetation degradation or improvement over time. • As a side note, additional benefit may be possible in using photo recording points to track Resort Complex development creating a historical legacy in future times. Jl� / Single time sample inventory, T • Measuring conditions at a point in time, su as stocking levels� in tree stands, disease occurrence, or an infestation of noxiou 'nvasive species would be effectively accomplished with this type of sample system. Necessary plats would be measured and results tabulated in a single sampling event rather than over time. Establishing a baseline • To measure change an effective baseline is required from which change can be calculated with each new sample effort. It is anticipated that the "Forest Report, Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort" (see Appendix) can provide the first baseline from which to measure subsequent improvements in vegetation vigor and health in all parts of the Pleasant Harbor / Black Point areas of the Pleasant Harbor MPR site. 7.0 SUMMARY/ CONCLUSION This Vegetation Management Plan shall serve as a roadmap for achieving and maintaining a desired future condition. Current conditions presented in the "Forest Report', Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort" provide necessary information regarding the current state of vegetation on the Pleasant Harbor MPR site (see Appendix). When current condition maps are overlain with the footprint of the proposed MPR development the site management team can begin working to formulate specific operational prescriptions. These prescriptions, using methods and treatments most appropriate to the site, will in turn provide a pathway towards ultimate vegetation goals and objectives established following the guidelines presented by the BoCC in Ordinance No. 01-0128-08. 7 Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017 The vegetation management team would vary in its makeup from time to time, depending on the planning and specific development activity best suited at each juncture of the project planning sequence. Appropriate professionals from such disciplines as Forestry, Arboriculture, Horticulture, and Landscape Architecture would be consulted as needed. APPENDIX ! "Forest Report, Pleasant Harbor Marina and Golf Resort" Pleasant Harbor MPR Vegetation Management Plan /July 19, 2017