Thurston County Habitat Conservation Plan

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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Questions?

Andrew Deffobis, Associate Planner(360) 786-5467deffoba@co.thurston.wa.us

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