HomeMy WebLinkAboutL2ST Segment A Memo with BA 8-27-15
719 2ND AVENUE, SUITE 200 | SEATTLE, WA 98104 | P 206.394.3700
August 28, 2015
Mr. Kris Sorensen
Economic & Community Development
City of Renton
1055 South Grady Way
Renton, Washington 98057
Lake to Sound Trail Segment A – Biological Assessment
Hi Kris,
On behalf of Jason Rich, King County Parks, I am submitting the enclosed Biological Assessment (BA) for the Lake to
Sound Trail—Segment A project. This submittal responds to your email request dated August 18th. Please note that,
because the project has federal transportation funding, the BA follows the template and guidance used by the
Washington State Department of Transportation, and the Federal Highway Administration is the federal lead agency.
We’ve provided some additional language below intended to assist you with your floodplain compliance needs.
In addition to fulfilling the requirements for Endangered Species Act (ESA) Section 7 consultation between the Federal
Highway Administration and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS),
the enclosed BA supports compliance with the terms of NMFS’ 2008 biological opinion for the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP). The City of Renton, as the local jurisdiction with permitting authority under the NFIP, is
required to demonstrate that the proposed project is not likely to adversely affect water quality, water quantity,
spawning substrate, flood volumes or velocities, or floodplain refugia for ESA-listed salmonids.
The project element with the greatest potential to affect ESA-listed salmonids or their habitat is the proposed
pedestrian bridge over the Black River. The potential effects of bridge installation and operation are the primary
subject of analysis in the BA. Documentation of the compliance of the Lake to Sound Trail—Segment A pedestrian
bridge with the terms of the NMFS NFIP biological opinion is presented in Section 6 (Floodplain Analysis) of the BA.
Potential effects of other elements of the proposed trail are addressed in Appendix A, October 2011 No-effects
Determination for Lake to Sound Trail—Segment A. In addition, as discussed in the April 2015 City of Renton Critical
Area Study for the Lake to Sound Trail—Segment A project, the project will result in no net fill below the elevation of
the 100-year floodplain. No compensatory storage is required or proposed.
The findings in these analyses support the determination that the Lake to Sound Trail—Segment A project is not likely
to adversely affect water quality, water quantity, spawning substrate, flood volumes or velocities, or floodplain
refugia for ESA-listed salmonids.
Please feel free to call me if you would like to discuss further or need additional information in order to advance the
processing of the shoreline conditional use permit application.
Best regards,
Jenny Bailey
Consultant Project Manager
Cc: Jason Rich, King County
Jenny Bailey, Parametrix
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