HomeMy WebLinkAbout050922ra03 JEFFERSON COUNTY
BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS
AGENDA REQUEST
TO: Board of County Commissioners
Mark McCauley,Interim County Administrator
FROM: Heidi Eisenhour,Commissioner
DATE: May 9,2022
SUBJECT: Request for letter of support for two acquisitions within the Dabob Natural
Area Preserve Boundary
STATEMENT OF ISSUE:
The Dabob Bay Natural Area, managed by the Department of Natural Resources,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 (NAP),the site was enlarged in 2009,
and again in 2016,to include additional land designated as NAP, along with lands designated as natural resources
conservation area(NRCA). This provides additional opportunities for low-impact public use.
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 NAP/NRCA currently
comprises 3,294 acres of shoreline, marsh and forestland in the Dabob Bay watershed. The natural area is located in
the Hood Canal region of Puget Sound in Jefferson County. The natural area contributes to the water quality of Dabob
Bay and thus the local shellfish economy Jefferson County is known for.
ANALYSIS:
DNR's Natural Area's Program has requested a letter of support for acquisition of two parcels from willing
landowners featuring saltwater shoreline and mature riparian forest which will add about 8 acres to the Natural Area
Preserve portion of expanded Dabob Bay Natural Area boundary. These two parcels are on the west side of Dabob
Bay north of Broad Spit County Park(see included map).
FISCAL IMPACT:
Property tax revenues lost from these parcels will be offset by Payment In Lieu of Taxes(PILT)payments made to the
county by the state.
RECOMMENDATION:
Send a letter supporting these two acquisitions.
REVIEWED BY:
A1/1#1.. ��
Mark McCau‘1, County Administrator Dat
O commjss Board of County Commissioners
�9�w��ON CoG 0 1820 Jefferson Street
O' ti ,IA tst PO Box 1220
`� `,, Port Townsend, WA 98368
Y '
Kate Dean,District'O Diict our,District 1 Heidi Eisenhour, 2 GregBrotherton,District 3
�'WING'S
May 2, 2022
Recreation and Conservation Office
PO Box 40917
Olympia,WA 98504-0917
RE: RCO Grant Application#22-1289A-Additions to the DNR Dabob Bay Natural Area
We are sending this letter to support DNR acquiring two parcels featuring saltwater shoreline and mature
riparian forest which will add about 8 acres to the Natural Area „serve portion of Dabob Bay Natural Area.
The natural area is located in the Hood Canal region of Pugh r Jefferson County.
We are especially supportive of these acquisitions as theywill add 809 f� f naturally functioning shoreline
that includes 662 feet of streams to the Natural A ;,,'e project parcels a close proximity to other
recently acquired Dabob Bay properties managed DNR for conservation in etuity.
These acquisitions support Jefferson's County's Shoreline Master gram by cont": 'ng to no net loss of
shoreline ecological functions and pro z and enabling r. , " ion of shorelines that'have been in
impacted in the past—in this case via r ;of a small, loW4alue recreational trailer on one of the parcels.
In addition to directly conserving shoreline OrocessefOr a,7 natural ra40 of sedimentation and woody debris
that aids ecological functionf ob Bay's ' -quality l spits, project will enhance education
and research opportunitiesin the'at ral area,all po. ,.� as low-impact environmental education
access as additional p s in this areaaare acquired in t fe future. f ;%„
In short,we support these additions 0This important conservation area because of the benefits—both
environmental and recreational-,th our co ty receivesfrom conserved areas.
Sincere ,
Jefferson County Board of Comn*sioners ;;r„
Kate Dean Heidi Eisenhour, Chair Greg Brotherton
District 1 District 2 District 3
Cc:
DNR Natural Areas Program Manager, Curt Payola
DNR Natural Heritage Conservation Section Manager,Tim Stapleton
Phone (360) 385-9100 Fax (360) 385-9382 jeffbocc@cojefferson.wa.us
Parcels 701205012 and 701201009
within Dabob Bay Natural Area Boundary
:
Parcel
Dabob Bay Natural Area
00.250.51
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