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Home My WebLink AboutLetter re: Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) DOD CAA,Ai Mendy Harlow Executive Director ___ p: 360.275.3575 ext. 123 SALMON f: 360.275.0648 mendy@pnwsalmoncenter.org P.O.Box 2169 I Belfair,WA 98528 www.pnwsalmoncenter.org Deepening the connection between land,people,and salmon through restoration,education,and research. May 26, 2025 Heidi Eisenhour, Chair, Jefferson County Board of Commissioners P.O. Box 1220 Port Townsend, WA 98368 Phone: (360) 385-9167 Email: heisenhour(cl7co.jefferson.wa.us Sent by Regular Mail and Email Dear Chair Eisenhour: I write on behalf of the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group (HCSEG) about its efforts to purchase properties within the project reach shown on Figure 13 on page 20 of the Big Quilcene River Bridge Replacement Final Design Report (ESA and Otak January 18, 2024) (repeated below). . fiviNfig:/ ' . ,.., . us JA Tp OtJAUTY VALET -- F%.LNGER LOWER MAD RIEW704. 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VEA rn IEEM TO + • TE TIE NEW / �1 1- ,� R t i • EIIGVAON / A ro - • IX IMBE ' .- I %. w 4.11 I , '1 .. 1f y • ammo // ' _ 1: 1OIEATII E e • y •Rr OMIND :. y • I y �'�, {, This letter is intended to satisfy the condition in your email written on behalf of the Jefferson County Board of Commissioners dated May 19 2025, which says that the commissioners have expressed their support of using grant funding available to HCSEG to purchase the property located at 331 Rodgers Street (corner of Muncie Ave and Rodgers Street, APN No. 991200101) and owned by Karen L. Wilson-Knutzen(the Wilson-Knutzen Property) for use in the Floodplain Phase of the Big Quilcene River Bridge Replacement Project (Project), provided that HCSEG provides written documentation to Jefferson County reflecting they have been unable to purchase the remaining 4 residential properties located within the identified 100-year floodplain using commercially reasonable efforts. Project Background and Outreach Efforts Over a number of years, HCSEG has worked on salmon enhancement projects along the Big Quilcene River, near Quilcene, Washington. In 2013, HSCEG led a coalition that included the Nature Conservancy, the County, and the Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe (JST) in restoration planning and design along the lower mile of the River. Over the next 8 years,a team of consultants, Jefferson County (the County), the Washington State Department of Fish and Wildlife (WDFW), and a community task force worked together to review 18 roadway alignment alternatives for a new roadway alignment of Linger Longer Road. This team selected replacement of Linger Longer Road and replacement of the Linger Longer Bridge within the existing County right-of-way as the preferred alternative. The Nature Conservancy initiated outreach in 2013. Id. The effort to identify and engage with project area landowners began in 2014. In addition to publicly owned conservation lands,there are 64 private landowners in the project reach. Id. at 47. In the lower mile of the Big Quilcene River, there are 46 private landowners. Id. at 26. The Project began in 2014. • "Spring, summer, and fall 2014: Feasibility and outreach to landowners began. HCSEG, with assistance from project partners, developed and distributed introductory letters and meeting invitation flyers." Id. at 47. • "Spring 2015: Two initial in-person neighborhood meetings were scheduled: one weeknight and one weekend day. Attendance at both meetings was low: only one landowner." Id. • "Fall 2015: As follow-up to the meetings, a short questionnaire was developed and mailed to all landowners within the project area and included a self-addressed stamped envelope. The questionnaire included short responses to flooding, recreation, and confirmation of contact information. Only one questionnaire was returned. This provided the project team valuable information to focus toward revising outreach strategy." Id. • "2016-2017: In light of earlier outreach efforts, project partners opted to engage landowners on an individual basis, i.e., door to door." Id. • In early 2017,HCSEG, with the County, sent letters to all 46 landowners in the lower mile of the Big Quilcene River. The letters proposed individual meetings." Id. at 26. • "With the February 2017 draft preferred alternative in hand, over the course of 10 months, the County and HCSEG met individually with 43 of the 46 project area landowners, with the goal of describing the six project objectives (listed in Subsection 1.1) and to solicit feedback.The meetings focused on learning about what each landowner values about living in the neighborhood, as well as their concerns about the project area. Landowners reported that they enjoy the rural and quiet setting, but they have concerns about flooding, water quality, and safety." Id. at 47. Most of the 2017 outreach meetings were followed with a second or third meeting, depending on the level of interest; over the course of the year,HCSEG or the County met with most landowners at least once. Id. at 26. However, several landowners were not reachable because they no longer lived in the area or the property was owned by a limited liability company or financial institution, so an outreach strategy was developed to reach these property owners. Id. Many of the landowners contacted during public outreach expressed concern about increased flooding risk, both from the river and street runoff. Other concerns revolved around safety, both due to increased traffic and noise during recreational fishing seasons, but also day-to-day vehicle or foot traffic along Linger Longer Road. The landowners most frequently cited the location and quiet natural surroundings as benefits to living in the area. When asked about their view on future restoration,most landowners were in favor of and saw a need for change,either by removing levees or changing road infrastructure, in an effort to reduce the current constrictions of the lower river and so long as their quality of life was not adversely affected. Id. During the outreach meetings, HCSEG and the County presented the preferred alternative, for the Project, described its elements, and solicited feedback. Most landowners were in favor of the preferred alternative, and generally viewed it as a way to improve upon current conditions in the lower river area. Id. In 2018,on behalf of HCSEG,a report was completed by Anchor QEA and ESA Inc. entitled Final Hydrodynamic Modeling Report—Evaluation of Alternatives (2018). This report was included in the RCO No. 13-1209 Preliminary Design Report prepared by ESA and Anchor QEA. The 2018 Anchor QEA and ESA modeling report had results and recommendations that "were almost identical"to the 2005 the report written by Perkins Geosciences, Tetra Tech and Caldwell written on behalf of the County. Also in 2018,Anchor QEA studied a side channel path similar to the County's recommendation, except that the avulsion channel did not reconnect to the existing River but ended in the scrub brush below Linger Longer Road a little to south of Fremont Avenue."The River would 'zero sum' (make its own channel) from that point to Quilcene Bay. The downside is that it would take years to form a mature channel that was fish friendly." In September of 2018, HCSEG published the Lower Big Quilcene River Design Report (LBQRDR). The purpose of the LBQRDR was to present the findings and recommendations for a new roadway alignment across the Lower Big Quilcene River Watershed. HCSEG determined that a Rodgers Street alignment was not feasible due to land ownership constraints and began discussions with the County to rebuild Linger Longer Road using a bridge structure for the entire length of the floodplain crossing. Further analysis of the FEMA 100-year flood boundary and the project's hydraulic modeling mapping resulted in shortening the floodplain crossing structure from 1,100 feet to 1,040 feet. The County agreed to a reduction in the design speed of the Linger Longer Bridge to 30 mph because of the reduction in sight distance caused by the railing on the bridge on the curve on the north end of the Linger Longer Bridge and at the Muncie Street interchange. In 2020, the HCSEG retained Anchor QEA to redesign the River channel and to follow an alignment similar to the New River 60% design alignment. Anchor QEA proposed a river alignment that terminated around the New River alignment 26+00. The Anchor QEA New River joined a drainage channel that eventually flowed into Quilcene Bay. In 2022, HCSEG retained the ESA Inc. team to complete the New River alignment and develop the 60%design. The design criteria for the New River alignment are presented in Section 5 of that report(Habitat Improvement Design). Outreach and Efforts to Purchase the Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary Modeling has shown that the construction of the Project will not likely increase the risk of flooding on the Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary.' See Big Quilcene River Bridge Replacement Final Design Report Appendix F Project Hydraulics Reports - Bridge Hydraulics Report and New River. As used in this letter, "Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary" means the following parcels within the project reach and the existing modeled 100- year flood North boundary: a. John V. & Dawn Bergson(APN Parcels 7022241004 and 991200502); b. Andy J. Davidson(APN Parcel 702241003); c. Lacey& Bundy Finley (APN Parcel 991200404); and, d. Donny Phelps (APN Parcels 991200402 and 991200403). These properties at shown on the Map below. '"100-year flood North boundary"is the area North of the River where a 100-year flood is predicted by modeling. "100-year flood"is a flood that statistically has a 1-percent chance of occurring in any given year. • • • .� , • y , 1� fl �is E .' it ar 444 fit 'Al •.. q... }'i .fir .. i._L _edam m�.Z f ,qi' 5a. Alt �y : y`_ � �� ` x •_/ma y •wt� 4 ' .• d`�'.M * ! •s. , i , -....S ;$ I t 702241004 -" 't �.,tin et Bergeson ''e•:. Alibi,%it .-- . F . r fr - - : ' \ - .-. I-: .. 7407 .0 A .. . 4(4 , „ ., , ,. ,, ,,, . Is ..„ , , .. „ " ' ,� , p . i 4 2 t„,„azix,„,,„, . �� cq. h .. r ,. a 7i., II 4jF� (2 ..C: t rip. dlr� �T ".a.. .-.• For many years, HCSEG and the County have been acquiring properties within the project reach to facilitate salmon restoration and flood control. HCSEG currently owns parcels,which total 38.2 acres, and the County owns the parcels, which total 53.06 acres. HCSEG and JST prepared the Big Quilcene River Bridge Replacement Project Public Outreach Plan. HCSEG has implemented this plan by providing the required web site, notifications and email communications about the Project required by the plan through the effective date. HCSEG has obtained grant funding from that can be used for purchasing properties within the project reach, including each of the Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary. Using commercially reasonable efforts that a reasonable person in HCSEG's position would use but not for more than grant the grant funding allows, HCSEG has attempted to purchase each of the four Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary. HCSEG's efforts have been unsuccessful and are not likely to succeed in the future because the owners of the Properties within the 100- Year Flood North Boundary are not interested in selling their properties. despite HCSEG's efforts described below. • Andy Davidson made clear to HCSEG that he does not wish to sell this parcel (APN Parcel 702241003). HCSEG successfully acquired Andy Davidson's parcel that is located entirely in the floodplain(APN Parcel 712241005)but Andy Davidson was not willing to sell this other parcel (APN Parcel 702241003)due to the fact that his home and business are located on the upland portion of the parcel. • John V. & Dawnn Bergeson's(APN Parcels 7022241004 and 991200502) has not responded to HCSEG's for over a year. HCSEG had a purchase agreement signed and a closing date scheduled for April of 2024. The title company that was handling this transaction took issue with the previous transfer of the property to John V. and Dawnn Bergeson from Michael Bergeson and the closing was cancelled. HCSEG is willing to work through these legal hurdles but has lost communication with the Bergeson's. • Donny Phelps (APN Parcels 991200402 and 991200403) also will not communicate with HCSEG. HCSEG has visited the property on several occasions to speak with Donny Phelps and has mailed numerous letters over the past 8 years. Donny Phelps has not responded to any of the letters at this point in time. • HCSEG made an offer for the prior owners of the parcel now owned by Lacey& Brady Finley (APN Parcel 991200404). But the Finley's purchased the parcel from the prior owners in March 2024 for$283,000.00. HCSEG had the property appraised in late 2023 at which time it appraised for$240,000. HCSEG was unable to secure the property because the Finley's were able to offer higher than the appraised value. HCSEG purchases properties with grant funding and is not able to offer higher than the appraised value. Based on the outreach efforts described above, HCSEG believes each of the owners of the Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary is aware that their properties are within the Floodplain Phase of the Project,which modeling predicts will improve any impacts of flooding of the river for the entire area where the Properties within the 100-Year Flood North Boundary are located. The Project is now underway and there is now an opportunity to use the grant funding available to HCSEG for purchasing parcels within the project reach. Specifically, HCSEG has an opportunity to purchase the Wilson-Knutzen Property for use in the Floodplain Phase. Assuming the Wilson- Knutzen Property can be purchased in short order, an opportunity for JST to improve the Big Quilcene River South Setback Levee about 200 feet downstream of Rodgers Street. This proposed improvement will further improve flood control in that area. Conclusion HCSEG trusts that this letter satisfies the condition in Chair Heidi Eisenhour's email dated May 19,2025. HCSEG would appreciate knowing as soon as possible whether Jefferson County agrees the condition has been satisfied. Thank you, cc: Hansi Hals, Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Via email only: hhals@jamestowntribe.org Randy Johnson, Habitat Program Manager Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Via email only: rjohnson@lamestowntribe.org Lauren Rasmussen, counsel to Jamestown S'Klallam Tribe Via email only: laurenna,rasmussen-law.com Philip C. Hunsucker, Jefferson County's Chief Civil Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Via email only: phunsuckerna,co jefferson.wa.us Gus Johnson, Habitat Program Manager HCSEG Via email only: gus@pnwsalmoncenter.org