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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2022 04 05 CFFCOC Special Meeting Final Summary  * Decisions and action items are indicated in bold font. Members Present: Phil Andrus, District 2; Mary Biskup, District 1; Guy Dobyns, District 3; Rob Harbour, Interest – Working Lands; Richard Jahnke, Interest – Coastal Areas; Joanne Pontrello, Chair, District 2; Ron Rempel, Interest – Wildlife Conservation Biology; Craig Schrader, Interest – Climate Change; Dave Seabrook, Vice Chair, Interest – Food Security; Dave Wilkinson, District 1 Members Absent: Scott Brinton, Interest – Agriculture; Lorna Smith, Interest – Ecotourism County Staff Present: Tami Pokorny, Environmental Public Health Non-members Present: Rebekah Brooks (Rebekah Brooks Contracting); Gus Johnson (Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group [HCSEG]); Sarah Spaeth (Jefferson Land Trust [JLT]); Blaise Sullivan (JLT) Call to Order: Chair Joanne Pontrello called the meeting to order at 4:02 PM. Welcome and Introductions Approval of Minutes: Dave Seabrook moved to accept the October 4, 2021 CFCOC Meeting minutes as written; Craig Schrader seconded. The motion was approved unanimously. The November 22, 2021 CFCOC Meeting minutes were preliminarily approved without objection. Approval of Draft Agenda: Phil Andrus moved to approve the draft agenda as written; Rob Harbour seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Guest Observer comments: Tami Pokorny and Sarah Spaeth led an update on a fire at Glendale Farm on Saturday morning. Glendale Farm was a CFCOC easement from 2009, on which the County is the grantee and the JLT is co-grantee. The fire burned the house and some trees, but was successfully put out. The owner suffers from mental health challenges, but was unharmed; her family will be present to help her with next steps. Tami suggested watching the public comments to the County Commissioners, and expressing gratitude to the County for taking a risk with the property. Sarah Spaeth added that monitoring the easement, especially keeping the building footprint contained within the easement restrictions, has been a challenge for the JLT. Old Business: None Sub-committee Report: None New Business: Camp Discovery Creek Acquisition Update: Peter Bahls emailed an update to the Committee that he had been successful at acquiring a National Coastal Wetlands grant and Navy Readiness and Environmental Protection Integration funding, and was confident that with those two grant sources he would not need the awarded CFCOC funding from last year. He should have confirmation later this week that the CFCOC funding of about $141,000 should be returning to the Committee. Election of New Officers: Phil Andrus nominated Vice Chair Dave Seabrook for the CFCOC Chair position. Dave Seabrook accepted the nomination. Rob Harbour moved to elect Dave Seabrook as CFCOC Chair; Mary Biskup seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Phil Andrus nominated Mary Biskup as Vice Chair. Mary Biskup declined the nomination for personal reasons. Guy Dobyns volunteered to serve as Vice Chair. Rob Harbour moved to elect Guy Dobyns as Vice Chair; Mary Biskup seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Joanne Pontrello appreciated the experience of serving as Chair for the past two years; the Committee expressed their thanks. Chair Dave Seabrook took over leading the meeting. Project Presentation: Quimper Trust Land Transfer: Sarah Spaeth presented on a unique opportunity to expand the Quimper Wildlife Corridor (QWC) in partnership with Jefferson County, who is the qualified entity to assume ownership through the full transfer of several properties that have a 50-year lease with the County. The Corridor connects the shores of Discovery Bay on the west with Fort Warden State Park on the east with a greenbelt of native vegetation. The two main parcels up for lease as part of this project are Quimper West (almost 80 acres) and Quimper East (about 30 acres); the third parcel is Baby Quimper (almost one acre). The properties are up for lease because of a provision in the State Legislature called the Trust Land Transfer Program, whereby a County could nominate to have a Department of Natural Resources (DNR) parcel transferred into a more protected status from School Trust designation. The Land Trust had been working with DNR early on to see that the properties were managed in concert with the concept of the QWC project, so some selective thinning and new trails have been done in Quimper West; Quimper East has been relatively untouched. In 2009, the Trust Land Transfer 50-year lease took place, but there is a provision that states that at any time during the lease, the County may request a full transfer if they can provide the remaining funding to do so. The Land Trust is working in partnership with the County, stewarding the properties and helping with the fundraising for the full transfer. The proposal request is 48.8% of the total cost: $205,000 for the acquisition elements and some Operations and Maintenance (O&M) costs. The Legislature has already provided over $1,300,000 for the initial compensation to DNR for the original lease, and the matching funds will come from community fundraising. JLT will update its stewardship agreement with the County if this lease occurs. Sarah went over JLT’s history of stewardship of similar projects, their synergy with the County and the City of Port Townsend, and their robust Stewardship Program. The project is in a feasible time window because of the willingness of the DNR Board and the Jefferson County Commissioners, and the community fundraising the Land Trust is currently doing for the QWC. The Corridor is part of several community and County preservation and management plans, and has multiple ecological and local benefits. Given rising real estate values, and the fact that the lease is temporary, JLT felt that the transfer was better done earlier on in the lease. Without the full transfer, at the end of the 50-year lease, DNR will be in position to auction the properties off for full development. The goal with the full transfer is County ownership with the objectives of the wildlife corridor, ecological forestry, and climate change resiliency in mind. The Land Trust has also been in conversation with local tribes to understand the cultural significance of the QWC. Ron Rempel asked about the possibility of separating out the Baby Quimper parcel; Sarah said they could ask DNR about it, adding that the parcel is included in the lease with Quimper West. JLT is also negotiating with other interested landowners adjacent to Baby Quimper. Rob Harbour mentioned the cost of reappraisal, and wondered if the savings from excluding Baby Quimper would be worth it. Sarah clarified several questions regarding the map and rights of way, and historical and cultural uses and resources. Ron asked Tami Pokorny whether the CFCOC funds used for Quimper East would preclude certain recreational uses; Tami explained that it would not preclude the kinds of uses they would want to retain the property for. Project Presentation: Ruck Salmon Creek: Blaise Sullivan presented on the 155-acre acquisition with about one mile of Salmon Creek and six tributaries within it. The proposal is 19.4% of the total cost: for $135,000 from CFCOC for the JLT to own the property in fee simple and manage it with their stewardship characteristics. Salmon Creek is utilized by multiple salmonid runs; upland of the mainstem is a large chunk of upland forest that would be protected and managed through the acquisition. The short-term goal would be to acquire the property and improve the riparian buffers of the tributaries. In about a decade, JLT would focus on a more extensive upland forest restoration. The remaining funds would be provided through the Washington Salmon Recovery Funding Board (SRFB) and the Washington Riparian Protection Program. The SRFB review panel has viewed the site and expressed their interest and appreciation for the importance for the project. The CFCOC funds would be going toward acquisition costs and some O&M funds. Blaise repeated Sarah Spaeth’s description of the long-term stewardship commitment of the JLT from managing 800 acres of nature preserves. The Land Trust has 391 acres protected in the Salmon and Snow Creek Watershed, and salmonid habitat has been a focus for them for 30 years. They also have experience managing sustainable and ecological forestry. The project is feasible at this time because of the willing landowner, a knowledgeable acquisition team, and the fact that the project has been vetted by State salmon experts. The project is part of several adopted preservation plans, protecting existing highly functioning salmonid habitat. The landowner wishes to sell the property by 2023, so residential development and commercial forestry are future threats to the property if it is not preserved. Conservation values protected through the project include one mile of salmonid spawning habitat, 0.68 miles of tributaries, recreational and monitoring access, Pacific Northwest Scenic Trail use, a habitat corridor for wildlife and anadromous fish, post-commercial forestry restoration, and climate change resiliency and resistance. JLT also offers access for traditional harvesting on nature preserves by local tribes, and this property would be available for tribal cultural use. Mary Biskup asked about why the landowner had not yet agreed on the price; Blaise explained that that is typical since appraisals are temporary, but JLT has been working with the same appraiser that assessed the property years ago to come to this proposed price. Ron Rempel mentioned that an additional benefit from Salmon and Snow Creek Watershed restoration is Olympia Oyster habitat. Big Quilcene River – Moon Valley Acquisition Change Request: Gus Johnson went over HCSEG’s match reduction request, about which he distributed a letter. He explained that the CFCOC grant application included match requirements that he did not realize, specifically that all matching funds be contributed to the program prior to invoicing. He had intended some of the CF funding to go towards the escrow properties they are buying in Moon Valley in the next couple of months. Because of this misunderstanding, they do not have the chance to spend the rest of the CF funds that were awarded. The new match amount is just over $173,000, which is still well within the CF guidelines. This reduction would allow them to proceed with the project as planned. Gus reassured the Committee that the project deliverables will be exactly the same. Tami Pokorny clarified that instead of presenting the match in advance, the CF program works on a reimbursement basis except in the interest of escrow payment. Gus added that the project is going well; one property closed in February and the other should close in July. Joanne Pontrello moved to accept the amendment from HCSEG to reduce the amount of matching funds to the amount requested; Rob Harbour seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Annual Reports for 2021: The Annual Reports are required to be sent to the Committee from project sponsors for the first three years after a project is awarded CF funding. Joanne Pontrello moved to accept the Annual Reports from 2021; Guy Dobyns seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Announcements/Administrative: Staff Update: Tami Pokorny said that the deadline for project question is Monday, 4/11/22. Please send any questions to Tami directly; she will forward questions to the sponsors. Next Meeting: The next CFCOC meeting is scheduled for 4/26/22 at 3:00 PM. Tami has asked her supervisor to put a review of the CFCOC Bylaws on the agenda for the next meeting with the Deputy Prosecuting Attorney. She will send out Conflict of Interest forms and scoresheets. The conflict-of-interest questions have still not been answered by the County attorney, so while waiting for a definitive answer the forms will continue to be used. Tami requested that any scoring questions be directed to her, and that Committee members note any thoughts in preparation for the annual review of the funding round. As soon as she hears back from Peter Bahls regarding any returned funds, the funds will be returned to the CFCOC reserves. If those funds are returned, there should be about $360,000 available for this round of projects. The group discussed when to review the Committee Bylaws, and agreed to hold off on that until a following meeting. Tami asked for scoresheets to be submitted by noon on Monday, 4/18/22. Guest Observer Comments: None Adjournment: Chair Dave Seabrook adjourned the meeting at 4:49 PM. Meeting Summary prepared by Rebekah Brooks.