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~TheWaterslted Company
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JHffRSONCOUNfYOCO
January 19, 2006.
Mr. Mike Asmundson
Owner/Manager
WeFore, LLC
7401, Cape_ George Road
}lort Townsend,WA 98568
Dear Mike:
I have reviewed the Buffer Mitigation Concept Plan (undated) for the DiscQvery Bay Golf
. Club that we receiveclfrom yoU, on January II, 2006. TIlis l~tterdescribes tneConcept
Plan and applicable Jefferson County regulations.
Introduction
A paved road and relocated maintenance facility are proposed onthe property. This
project. includes aligning the paved road roughly over an existing, gravel road. A new
gravel road is planned to provide access to anexistingpumpbui1ding.A gravel golf cart
path, is proposed for access to a golf course hrigation pump 'building and the ,proposed
paved road.
ConstrUction' of the projectelenients will require work. within the buffer of a Category I
wetland, Wetland, A, "located east of the proposed road. "Wetland A is rated . and 'fully
described in The Watershed Company LetterReport submitted to you on ,April 21, 2005.
The current Jefferson County Code (ICC 18.15340(5)e) requires ISO-foot buffers on
Category I wetlands.
Existing Conditions
The project site is an established and maintciined privately owned, dai1y fee golfcourse.
Wetland A is located north of the proposed construction, in the northeast section of the
property. ,Its buffer on the side facing the proposed project is a strip of native buffet
species adjacent an existing graveL road, turf, and disturbed non-turf areas (see,/mpacts and
Mitigation, below). Surrounding land uses include rural and suburban homes and
associated infrastructure.
Impacts and Mitigation
Severalalternatives\Vere evaluated prior to thesel~tionofthe proposed project. , Each
alternative constituted anunreasona:ble economic burden on the project proponent orWaS
unacceptable to neighboring property owners. , The, selected alternative compensates for its
proximity within' the standanl.wetland buffer through implementation of a mitigation plan
that will improve buffer function overall:
LOG ITEM
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" " . Paa.s, ( of-9'
1410 Market Street, Kitkland, WA 980~3- (425) 822 5242"'fax{425}82~136"-""-'--' ,r
www.watershedcQ.com '
Asmundsen, S.
January 19,2006
Page 2
While ,'the proposed gravel pump building access road~ . gravel cart path, , and. much of the
paved access road.are within the standard l~O-footbuffer,noareas of natural,vegetation
will be disturbed. the project will result in an overall increase in vegetated buffer area
(see Table 1). Gravel road, turf, , and disturbed areas presently acting. as equipment' dumps
will be converted to vegetated buffer, fOf a total of 33,044 square feet (sf) buffer
restoration area. In order to construct the paved road, ,,10,558 sfofgravelroad,furf and
disturbed area.will be converted to pavement. Tlwproposed gravel cart' path will require
conversion of2,848 sfof turf and disturbed area. 'Thus, the project will result in a net gain
of 19,638 sfofbuffer vegetated with native species.
Table 1: Buffer mitigation measurements.
Gravel, road
Turf
Disturbedequipmentstorage area
Tot.al
Areatobeconvertedto gravel road
Present land use
TUrf
The existing wetland buffers facing the project area support little naturally occurring
vegetation. ,There is a n:arrow strip of nativeforest, which will not be impacted,
immediatelyadjacentto the wetland. The existing gra\;elroadruns roughly parallel to the
wetland edge for the length of the impact area. ,The majority of the buffer hl the impact.
area is turf.. The remainder, referred tojn Table 1 as, "disturbed equipment storagearea,"is
weedy grass and ,scrub-shrub with mostly unused equipment arid construction/maintenance
debris. The buffer in the impact area functions poorly overall. ' Specifically, it provides
little wildlife habitat, has little, ability to filter sediment and nutrients, ,and no substantial
capacity to reduce flow. There is great potential to improve these functions. The areas
proposed for restoration support virtually no native shrubs or trees. Proper installation and
ITEM .
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,.:~__of . 3.'.
Asmundsen, S.
January 19, 2006
Page 3
careful maintenance ofaphmting plan comprising native trees and ,shrubs will provide
habitat where none exists presently. The ability of the buffer to reduce sedimentation and .
flow will also increase over present circumstances with the increased density of woody
vegetation. .
The Code allowsteduction of standard wetland buffers provided that the applicant
demonstrates that standard buffer width averaging is unfeasible and that the buffer's
functional value will he .increased through theimplementationofabuffer"enhancement
plan,(JCCI8.15.340(6)). These criteria can. easily be met through proper, completion of
the plan conceptualized in this letter~ '
Per JCC 18.15.360, final submittal to' the County should include a detailed report
describing the proposed mitigation, a maintenance and monitoring plan, and performance
surety to ensure success of the revegtrtationefforts.
Sincerely,
~~.
Suzanne Tomassi
WetlandIWildlife Biologist