HomeMy WebLinkAboutNatural Resources February 23 20101
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WHATCOM COUNTY COUNCIL
Natural Resources Committee
February 23, 2010
CALL TO ORDER
Committee Chair Carl Weimer called the meeting to order at 1:33 p.m. in the Council
Chambers, 311 Grand Avenue, Bellingham, Washington.
ROLL CALL
Present: Carl Weimer, Bill Knutzen and L. Ward Nelson.
Absent: None.
Also Present: Barbara Brenner, Kathy Kershner and Sam Crawford.
SPECIAL PRESENTATION
1. PRESENTATION BY STATE DEPARTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES STAFF ON
THE ACME WATERSHED LANDSLIDE REVIEW (AB2009 -396)
Bill Wallace, Washington State Department of Natural Resources (DNR) Northwest
Region Manager, stated the DNR made a similar presentation to the Council a few months
ago, due to the large storm event that occurred January 2009. Today's study looked at the
larger area of the Acme watershed. He described the watershed area. The agency bases its
decisions on good science and is transparent with its information to all stakeholders,
including local elected officials and neighbors in the community. He introduced the
presenters.
The following DNR staff spoke:
• Jack Powell, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, submitted
and read from a presentation (on file). Forty -four percent of the landslides
occurred in the bedrock hollows. Eighteen percent were in gorges, with steep
canyons going down the slope. Four percent were in convergent headwalls.
Three percent of the landslides were on the outside of Nooksack. Four
percent were at the toes of the landslide at Jones Creek. Three percent was
indeterminate. Twenty -five percent were in the unnamed category. They
could have been anywhere, including along a road. All except the last
twenty -five percent were predictable. Generally, things start failing on a
slope of 70 percent.
• Leslie Lingley, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, answered
questions.
Darren Kramer, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, gave a
report on the history of the watershed analysis project. With approved and
up -to -date watershed analyses that exist, the recommendation is that they
stay in place. Those without recent review should have an updated review. A
recommendation is to condition forest practice activities in those watersheds
while the reviews are being done. The Department doesn't have that
authority. He described the process. A recommendation is to consider giving
DNR additional conditioning authority. Once they hear the Forest Practices
Board recommendations and direction from the Commissioner of Public Lands,
Natural Resources Committee, 2/23/2010, Page 1
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they expect they will have to figure out how to do an analysis for the Acme
watershed.
Ben Cleveland, Washington State Department of Natural Resources, answered
questions.
Discussion included the relationship of the buffer size and the impact of the slides;
the predictability of landslides in recently forested areas and areas that haven't been
forested; whether a slide would have occurred with mature forests if there hadn't been
logging; the citizens' suggestion of a higher level of permit review when considering any
harvest in the Acme watershed; how soon the Board can enact additional conditioning
authority; the Board's rule- making process; how to decide on doing watershed analyses
without being reactive to events; the purpose of buffers to stabilize slopes rather than serve
as habitat, and; whether buffer requirements on forest practice applications can be
appealed.
The following citizens spoke:
John Morsell, 3373 Hillside Road, asked for a description of the application
process. A recent application in the Sygitowicz Creek area approved logging
on 90 percent slopes. That seems extreme. The area is prone to problems.
The study is good and presented a lot of good information
Theresa Sygitowicz, 3031 Clipper Road, Deming, explained the history of and
reasons for the landslides in the area.
Ian Smith, 5606 Homesteader Road, stated many landslides have occurred in
the last ten years, not just during the last storm event. This study doesn't
make a correlation to the condition of the basins outside the leave areas. It
doesn't touch on the issue of hydrologic maturity and defining how water
moves through the system. Peak flows will increase to some capacity when
there isn't a stand above the inner gorges. These questions get to the
effectiveness of the prescriptions.
Dan McShane, Grant Street, Bellingham, asked if there has been any
characterization of the hydrologic equivalent maturity of those stands that are
greater than 50 years old. He's walked portions of the area and identified a
number of the landslides on the Van Zandt dike. Some of them came from
areas that appeared to not have been harvested for a very long time. He also
noted that some of the slopes have all hardwood. There is no evergreen on
the slopes. This presentation did not over - emphasize the size of the storm,
which he appreciates.
Discussion included an explanation of the forest practices application process;
whether there is flexibility to be more conservative in areas where citizens live; the
Sygitowicz Creek application and prescriptions; whether citizen input is a part of the
application process; whether there is flexibility to respond to specific and dangerous
situations; a definition of hydrologic maturity, and; Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) for
characterizing forest canopy.
OTHER BUSINESS
There was no other business.
Natural Resources Committee, 2/23/2010, Page 2
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ADJOURN
The meeting adjourned at 2:52 p.m.
Please contact the Council Office to obtain an
official, signed copy:
360- 676 -6690 or council &o.w hatcom .wa.us
Dana Brown - Davis, Council Clerk
Carl Weimer, Committee Chair
Natural Resources Committee, 2/23/2010, Page 3