thurston county habitat conservation plan
TRANSCRIPT
Thurston County Habitat Conservation Plan April 15, 2016
• Regulatory background• Thurston County HCP development process• Elements of the HCP• Stakeholder/Public Outreach• Q&A/Discussion
– What else do you want to know?
Disclaimer: Facts/figures in presentation are preliminary drafts.
Talking Points
• Washington State Growth Management Act– Identify and protect critical areas, including listed
species and sensitive habitat– County Critical Areas Ordinance updated in 2012– Also requires County to plan for/facilitate economic
development• Federal Endangered Species Act• My focus is on: prairie habitat and species,
Oregon white oak– <10% historic prairie remains, very little is high quality– Prairie species federally listed in 2013/14
Regulatory Background
ESA Species in Thurston County
2001 2011 2013 2014
TCB, MPG, SHL, OSF: Candidates
TCB, MPG, SHL Proposed for
Listing
TCB, SHL Listed
MPG, OSF Listed
OSF Proposed
2006
TCB, MPG, SHL State Listed
1997
OSF State Listed
• Recent listings of 4 species• Provides predictability and
local control• Limits liability for County and
private land owners• More common sense
conservation
Why an HCP for Thurston County?
Public LandsWithout a County HCP:
– Impacts to listed species require USFWS Permit, HCP, and NEPA process.
Private LandsWithout a County HCP:
– Impacts to listed species still require USFWS Permit.
– Individual HCPs = additional delay and cost, plus mitigation.
Without an HCP…
Streaked Horned Lark: Rod Gilbert Photo
With an HCP…Private & Public LandsWith a County HCP:
– Faster permit times and lower total costs
– Very limited site surveys– Limited involvement of
USFWS– Conservation occurs in
advance and at a scale that can lower cost
Taylor’s checkerspot: Oregon Zoo Photo
• County has been researching HCPs since 2010• Grants: Received $2.5 million from USFWS• 2013: hired Willamette Partnership to create
credit/debit methodology• 2014: hired Willamette Partnership/Institute for
Applied Ecology to craft HCP documents• 2015: NEPA/SEPA contract awarded to
Confluence Environmental Company
Habitat Conservation Plan Planning
What an HCP is:
A tool to forecast, manage, and permit defined impacts to endangered species
Regulatory assurances for 30 years
For identified and quantified impacts
County Building Permit Applicants –Prairie Areas
Complete project site survey in correct season
Pay for Mitigation* Required by USFWS
Complete Individual HCP & NEPA, Get Individual Incidental Take Permit
Timelines with and without a County HCP
6 mo 12 mo 18 mo 24 mo 36 mo
Complete HCP Permit Application, Pay Mitigation Fee, Receive HCP
Permit (4-6 weeks) *Mitigation Bank may not be available.
• Background• Covered Species, Lands, and Activities• Impacts• Conservation Strategy• Implementation
What will the HCP Include?
Covered Lands: HCP Habitat Areas
HCP Covered Species
Streaked horned lark
Oregon spotted frog
Taylor’s checkerspotMazama pocket gopher
Puget blue
Oregon branded skipper
Mardon skipper
Vesper sparrow
Hoary elfin
Valley silverspot
SBWB NuthatchW. Gray Squirrel
Covered Activities (linked to County decisions)
• Private lands– Residential and
Commercial Development
• Public Services– School & fire station
construction • County Actions
– Development and utility permit issuance
– Transportation activities– Water and wastewater
management– Land management &
habitat restoration
In 30 years, Thurston County will grow
Project Impacts by 2045 (Draft)
<1%
ALL NUMBERS ARE DELIBERATIVE
30-yr Projected Residential Construction
Estimates based on population projections and Thurston Regional Planning Council Buildable Lands Analysis
Residential Capacity
ALL NUMBERS ARE DELIBERATIVE
Projecting Development Out to 30 Years
1. Assuming 88% build-out to zoned capacity• Population projections• Buildable lands analysis (Thurston Regional Planning Council)
2. Estimate affected area per development unit• Full lot use in Urban Growth Boundary• Full lot use for commercial/industrial• 2.33 ac/unit for residential
3. Overlay projected development with habitat• Using maps of soils, suitable habitat, species locations
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Where impacts come from: Residential Construction
5 acre parcel
New home & driveway
60ft envelope
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• New homes & driveways
• Impact in 60 ft. development envelope
• House + Driveway =~ 1 ac area.
• Potential added accessory buildings
Where impacts come from: Commercial/Industrial
5 acre parcel Commercial development
Typically site loses all habitat
value
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• New commercial development
• Impacts extend to property line
• For the projections, assume full loss of habitat for the property
Where impacts come from: County Transportation
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• New Road Construction
• Impacts for added impervious area and partial impact in right of way
• Best management practices (BMPs) to minimize impacts
Projecting Public Works Projects
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As Thurston grows, managing for high quality habitat is also important
Habitat Conservation PlanConservation Strategy
Photo credit: Rod Gilbert
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Current thinking on elements of a program:
Conservation Program
– Avoid/minimize impacts– Work with willing landowners who want to manage for
habitat on their working lands– Protect land to support prairie - oak and riparian/wetland
habitat– Manage and enhance the habitat on those lands– Track progress and adapt to make sure we’re practicing
common sense conservation
Conservation Strategies
1. Avoid impacts• Include minimization
practices (BMPs) for many covered activities
• Use the existing Critical Areas Ordinance guidelines
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Roadside maintenance
Conservation Strategies
2. Conserve land in the most important places
• Look at securing land in Reserve Priority Areas as a diverse network
• Secure lands with multiple habitat benefits for multiple species
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Conservation Strategies
3. Enhance and steward natural areas
• Provide funds to enhance natural areas
• Establish funding base for long-term stewardship
• Assume HCP conservation lands will be enhanced to high quality native habitat and maintained at that level
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Photos: South Sound Prairies
Conservation Strategies
4. Support working lands conservation—especially next to and between reserves
• Provide information and incentives for landowners to steward the habitat on their land
• Create regulatory assurances for stewardship• Coordinate with USDA, DoD, and other landowner
programs, especially near and between conservation lands
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Existing conservation lands
(1,000 acres)
Working lands(500 acres)
Avoid impacts(3,000 acres)
New conservation lands
(3,130 acres)
ALL NUMBERS ARE DELIBERATIVE
What needs to get financed?
1. The conservation strategies in the HCP
2. HCP management and administration
When do these get financed?1. Early: Getting conservation “in the bank”
before permitted impacts occur
2. Ongoing over HCP
Costs and funding
• Mitigation Fees (Permittee Paid)• Permit Fees (Permittee Paid)• Conservation Futures• Purchase of Development Rights• Open Space Tax Program• Real Estate Excise Tax• USFWS Section 6 Acquisition Grants• Other state/federal grants
Funding Sources
HCP Project Timeline
2013 2014 2015 2016
Field Surveys
Technical Working Group Meetings
County Outreach
Take Permit Issued
HCP Development
EIS/SEPA Development
2017
PHAM Development
Draft HCP/EIS Public
Review and Comment
Public Meetings
Stakeholder and Public Review
• Multiple intersections with stakeholders and public
• HCP is pass-through grant, involves WDFW and USFWS– Technical Advisory Committee
• Broader focus group convened for HCP• Public meetings TBD: Open House, Public Hearing
Process• Ongoing consultation with constituents• Outreach conducted in “on-demand” fashion
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Public Outreach
• Monitor community sentiment to ID outreach needs
• Maintain website with current information– FAQs
• Webmail list• Press releases• Open Houses
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