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State of Washington <br />DEPARTMENT OF FISH AND WILDLIFE <br />South Central Region • Ellensburg District Office • 201 N. Pearl St, Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br />Telephone: (509) 962-3421 • Fax: (509) 575-2474 <br /> <br />April 28, 2016 <br /> <br />Robert “Doc” Hansen, Director <br />Kittitas County Community Development Services <br />411 N. Ruby Street; Suite 2 <br />Ellensburg, WA 98926 <br /> <br />SUBJECT: Palomino Fields Development Agreement (P-07-31) surrounding Currier Creek – Proposal to <br />Construct in Five Phases <br /> <br />Dear Mr. Hansen, <br /> <br />Thank you for the opportunity to review this proposal and provide comments. The Washington Department of <br />Fish and Wildlife (WDFW) has reviewed the 2008 application materials associated with this proposal on your <br />website, the phasing plan provided to us upon request in April 2016, and we are familiar with the property. <br /> <br />WDFW has worked with this landowner and several others downstream in the Reecer/Currier Watershed to <br />improve fish habitat and restore fish passage. With cooperation of this landowner and others, we now have <br />coho salmon and steelhead spawning and rearing in the watershed and juvenile spring chinook rear in the <br />system as well. We are unaware of any fish passage barriers between this site and the Yakima River for Currier <br />and Reecer Creeks. <br /> <br />The 2008 SEPA mentions a stream habitat enhancement plan through this reach; we welcome the idea of <br />implementing the project (or a similar project) for which 50% designs currently exist to improve instream <br />habitat through this reach. These types of projects are most easily implemented prior to development and if the <br />riparian buffer is in shared open space, rather than multiple private owners. WDFW is interested in exploring <br />the potential to further improve habitat in Currier Creek on this property with the owners. <br /> <br />We encourage the applicants to work with WDFW as early as possible to make plans for the stream crossings <br />over Currier Creek on Bender/Road E and Bowers Roads. These stream crossings, any trail crossings, and any <br />other work that will impact the bed or flow of Currier Creek will require a Hydraulic Project Approval from <br />WDFW. The Hearing Examiners findings note that concurrence from WDFW is a requirement for final plat <br />approval. <br /> <br />We do not have detailed phasing plans for this project, but our interest is in ensuring the fish and wildlife <br />habitat associated with Currier Creek is incorporated into the planning/phasing and that the creek, its buffer, and <br />the floodplain are protected to the greatest extent possible. As such, we have the following recommendations <br />for inclusion in Phase 1 to protect fish and wildlife habitat: <br /> <br /> All utilities, including septic plans, should be properly laid out and planned in Phase 1. <br /> The four wetlands referred to in the 2008 Hearing Examiner’s findings should be clearly identified on <br />the plans along with their buffers to ensure their protection.