Thurston County is developing a Habitat Conservation Plan. Andrew Deffobis spoke about the development of the Plan at the April 2016 NRC meeting.

1. Thurston County
Habitat Conservation Plan April 15, 2016

2. • 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

3. • 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

4. 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

5. • 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?

6. Public Lands
Without a County HCP:
– Impacts to listed species
require USFWS Permit,
HCP, and NEPA process.
Private Lands
Without 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

7. With an HCP…
Private & Public Lands
With 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

8. • 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

9. 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

10. 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.

11. • Background
• Covered Species, Lands, and Activities
• Impacts
• Conservation Strategy
• Implementation
What will the HCP Include?

12. Covered Lands: HCP Habitat Areas

13. 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

14. 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

15. In 30 years, Thurston
County will grow

16. Project Impacts by 2045 (Draft)
<1%
ALL NUMBERS ARE
DELIBERATIVE

17. 30-yr Projected Residential Construction
Estimates based on population projections and
Thurston Regional Planning Council Buildable Lands Analysis
Residential
Capacity
ALL NUMBERS ARE
DELIBERATIVE

18. 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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19. 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

20. 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

21. 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

22. Projecting Public Works Projects
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23. As Thurston grows, managing for high quality
habitat is also important

24. Habitat Conservation Plan
Conservation Strategy
Photo credit: Rod Gilbert
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25. 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

26. 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

27. 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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28. 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

29. 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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30. 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

31. 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

32. • 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

33. 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

34. 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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35. 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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36. Questions?
Andrew Deffobis, Associate Planner
(360) 786-5467
deffoba@co.thurston.wa.us
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