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WebLinkAboutC_Public_Comment_180524_PRE17-000692DenisLawMayorApri27,2013HQiLJ-puposdStateDepartmentofNaturalResourcesbaLrft.c.%&-lvForestPractices11111WashingtonStreetSEOlympia,WA98501-7010440TNte-i-1-/wyfriD“1‘6-Ic,%z(ciqjf1RE:CityofRentonCommentsRegardingForestPr‘tIt4;:ILH+uLot51?-crVZ(5DearSirorMadam:tDc?L)-EkLLoLTheCityofRentonisherebysubmittingcommen#2420111madebyDalpayPropertiesLLCanddal-6tce.cr’c—in,dacresoftimberantwoadjacentparcelsonCougonelocatedinunincorporatedKingCounty.TheMc(KingCountyparcel.Stream‘A,’aType‘F’fishbefOiçkt(emptiesintoMayCreek,aShorelineoftheStateb—t—i4orChinook,Sockeye,Coho,Steelhead,Cutthroattrcimmediatelyupstreamofthe1-405MayCreekBrLe!I<emptiesintoLakeWashington.TheCityofRentonisveryconcernedaboutdeletdownstreamenvironmentandthefragileMayCr‘“impactsonsteep,unstableslopes,thepotentialIMayCreekleadingtotakesofthesalmonidsthatBOEINGED(tUthatwouldbefilledtocreatetheaccessroad,thintroduceafishpassagebarrierandotherassociafptTr31mpatrsare-uarerrrecugrnintheapplication,andthereisnoevaluationormitigationoffered,Theseconcernsareaddressedmorespecificallyasfollows.RentonurgesthattheDNRdisapprovetheapplicationbecause,amongotherreasons,theintendedtimberharvestismisclassifiedasaClassillforestpractices.Ataminimum,thisapplication,whichwassubmittedasaClassIllforestpractices,shouldbereclassifiedtoaClasstV-specialandsubjectedtoSEPAreview,andshouldbereviewedbytheDepartmentofFishandWildlifeasahydraulicprojectinvolvingTypeFwaters.7jRentonCityHall,7thFloor1055SouthGradyWay,RentonWA98057.rentonwa.gov StateDepartmentofNaturalResourcesForestPracticesPage2of4April27,2018DisturbanceofSteep,UnstableSlopesandLandforms1.ForestPracticesApplication2420111isself-contradictoryaboutsteep,unstableslopes.Whileitstatesthattherewillbeground-basedequipmentplacedonslopesgreaterthan40%andtheFPAindicatesthatunstableslopesorlandformsconsistentwithWAC22246-050(d)(i)maybepresentwithintheharvestarea,question11statestherearenopotentiallyunstableslopesintheareaoftheforestpracticesactivity.2.Thesteepestslopeintheharvestareaisstatedtobe65%inquestion21.3.WAC222-16-050,Classesofforestpractices,statesinProvision(1)thataClasstV-specialclassificationshouldbeusedandSEPAreviewappliedifthefollowingprovisionsapply.Provision(1)(d)ti)(A)statesthatpotentiallyunstableslopesareoneofthefollowing:innergorges.TheEnlargedForestPracticesActivityMapforthisapplicationshowsthatStream‘A’(TypeFwater)passesthroughan‘innergorge’wherea210-footlengthofthestreamisproposedtobeconfinedina24-inchby3D-inchculvert,Provision(E)statesanyareascontainingfeaturesindicatingthepresenceofpotentialslopeinstabilitywhichcumulativelyindicatethepresenceofunstableslopesmakestheprojecteligibleforSEPAreview.4.WAC22240-030statesthatSEPApoliciesforpotentiallyunstableslopesshouldbeappliediftheproposal“woulddeliversedimentordebristoapublicresource.”Silt-ladenrunofffromthisprojectwoulddeliversedimenttosalmon-bearingMayCreek,whichreceivestheflowofStream‘A’.Italsorequiresadditionalinformation,providedbyaqualifiedexpert,describingthepotentiallyunstablelandforms,thelikelihoodthattheprojectwoulddeliversedimentordebristoapublicresourceandanypossiblemitigationfortheidentifiedhazardsandrisks.Theapplicationappearstolackthisrequiredadditionalinformation.5.Bythesecriteria,thisapplicationshouldbedisapprovedasaClassIllforestpractices,reclassifiedasaClasstv-specialforestpractices,SEPAshouldbeappliedandtherequiredadditionalinformationshouldbesubmittedbytheapplicant.6.Sincethereappearstobenoanalysisbyaqualifiedexpert,theapplicationisincomplete.1055SouthGradyWay,Renton,WA98057rentonwa.gov StateDepartmentofNaturalResourcesForestPracticesPage3of4April2?,2018ImpactonSpecialThreatenedandEndangeredSpecies1.WAC222-10-040ClassIV-SpecialthreatenedandendangeredspeciesSEPApoliciesestablishesthatduetopotentialimpactsofsediment-ladenrunofffromthisprojectintodownstreamMayCreekthatservesasthehomeofsalmonidsincludingthreatenedspecies,thatinadditiontoSEPApolicies,thedepartmentshallconsultwiththedepartmentoffishandwildlifeandotheragencieswithexpertise,affectedlandowners,affectedIndiantribesandotherswithexpertisewhenevaluatingtheimpactsofforestpractices.2.WAC222-20-017,Applicationsthatincludeforestpracticeshydraulicprojects,Provision(4)requiresconcurrencereviewforculvertinstallationatorbelowthebankfullwidthinTypeFwaters.Thisproposalincludestheinstallationofa210footlongculvertforStream‘A,’whichisaTypeFwater.ThisrequireshydraulicprojectreviewbytheDepartmentofFishandWildlife.Provision(5)statesthatanapplicationwillbedisapprovedifthedepartmentdetermines,afterconsultatLonwiththeDepartmentofFishandWildlife,thataforestpracticeashydraulicprojectintheapplicationwillresultindirectorindirectharmtofishlife,unlessadequatemitigationcanbeassuredbyconditioningtheapplicationfortheproject.ApplicationIncompleteandContradictory1.TheFPAismisclassifiedasaClassIIIforestpracticesbecausethereisnoapplicableapprovedwatershedanalysis.Reference:WAC22%46-050(1)(d)(ii)(A).2.Item20intheapplicationindicatesthat0.7acresofforestedwetlandswillbeharvestedfortheroad,andtheEnlargedForestPracticesActivityMapshowsthattheaccessroadwillbebuiltthroughthewetlands.Thisisinexcessof0.5acresofwetlandareabeingfilledordrained.Accordingly,theFPAcannotbeapprovedasaClassIllforestpractices.Reference:WAC222-16-050(1)(h).3.Theapplicationlacksinformation,providedbyaqualifiedexpert,describingthepotentiallyunstablelandforms,thelikelihoodthattheprojectwoulddeliversedimentordebristoapublicresource,andanypossiblemitigationfortheidentifiedhazardsandrisks.4.Question14a.ontheapplicationstatesthattheproposalwillnotinstallaculvertatorbelowthebankfullwidthofTypeFwatersthatexceeds5%gradient.Italsostatesinitem31thatthe24-inchby30-inchculvertinstallationisproposedforaroadcrossingacrossStream‘B,’whichisanon-typedwaterfeature.However,theEnlargedForestPracticesActivityMapclearlyshowsthatitisStream‘A’thatwillbeplacedintheculvert.Stream‘A’isaTypeFwaterbearingfish,andtheculvertmaypresentafishpassagebarrier.1055SouthGradyWay,Renton,WA9805?rentonwa.gov StateDepartmentofNaturalResourcesForestPracticesPage4of4April27,201$Weconcludethatthisapplicationpresentsatimberharvestingproposalthatcouldposesignificantadverseenvironmentalimpactsonsteep,unstableslopes,potentiallycausesilt-ladenrunofftoenterStream‘A’andthenMayCreekwhichprovideshabitatforthreatenedsalmonids,bringabouttheunmitigatedfillingof0.7acresofforestedwetlands,andincludesinstallationofa210-footculverttocarryaTypeFstream,whichcouldpresentabarriertofishpassage.Theapplicationisself-contradictory,incompleteandindicatesthattheintendedtimberharvesthasbeenmisclassifiedasaClassIllforestpractices.Weurgethatitbedisapprovedforthesereasons,butifitistobeconsidered,itshouldhereclassifiedasaclassIV-specialapplication,andsubjectedtoSEPAandhydraulicprojectreviewbytheDepartmentofFishandWildlife,aswellasreviewbyotheragencieswithexpertiseaffectedlandowners,affectedIndiantribesandotherswithexpertisewhenevaluatingtheimpactsofforestpractices(WAC222-10-040).Inaddition,theapplicantshouldberequiredtosubmitthemissingstudiesanddocumentation,andrevisetheapplicationtoremovethecontradictionsandimproveitsaccuracy.Thankyouforyourconsideration.Sincerely,/DenisLawMayorcc:MembersoftheRentonCityCouncilBobHarrison,ChiefAdministrativeOfficerGreggZimmerman,PublicWorksAdministratorKellyBeymer,CommunityServicesAdministratorChipVincent,CommunityandEconomicDevelopmentAdministratorShaneMaloney,CityAttorneyPreetiShrldhar,DeputyPublicAffairsAdministratorLeslieBetlach,ParksPlanning/NaturalResourcesDirectorlysHornsby,UtilitySystemsDirectorJenniferHenning,PlanningDirectorLeslieClark,SeniorAssistantCityAttorneyJasonSeth,CityClerkAprilAlexander,ExecutiveSecretaryJuliaMedzegian,CouncilLiaison1055SouthGradyWay,Renton,WA98057rentonwagov 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