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KITTITAS COUNTY <br />DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS <br />PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMP <br />STUDY SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />STUDY SESSION DATE: April 11, 2022 <br />TOPIC: Kittitas Conservation Trust Acquisition Support <br />ACTION REQUESTED: Direction to Staff <br />LEAD STAFF: <br />Arden Thomas <br />RECOMMENDATION: Direct Staff to Prepare a Letter for Board of County <br />Commissioners Project Support <br />BRIEFING SUMMARY: <br />• Kittitas Conservation Trust (KCT) is working with willing landowners to <br />purchase about 235 acres of Yakima River floodplain property within the vicinity <br />of Thorp. <br />• KCT is seeking support for this acquisition from the Board of County <br />Commissioners <br />• This acquisition will provide floodplain management, fisheries habitat, and <br />recreation benefits. <br />BACKGROUND: <br />Kittitas Conservation Trust (KCT) is a non-profit Kittitas County land trust working to <br />protect and enhance fish and wildlife habitat, open space, and recreational assets in the <br />Upper Yakima River Basin. This organization is working with willing landowners on a <br />fee title acquisition of approximately 235 acres of Yakima River floodplain property in <br />the vicinity of Thorp. KCT is seeking acquisition and project assessment funding through <br />two (2) Washington State Recreation and Conservation Office Funding Program grants. <br />KCT has requested a letter of support from the Kittitas County Board of Commissioners <br />for this project. <br />The subject property is at flood risk and has 100 -year floodplain, shoreline, wetland, and <br />channel migration zone designations. It also contains the Hutchinson Dike and Kittitas <br />County has an easement for dike maintenance. This dike is not part of the Army Corps of <br />Engineers PL84-99 program. <br />The subject property is located between the WDFW Thorp boat launch, and the Highway <br />10 take out. This section of the river is identified in the Yakima River Access Plan as <br />generally safe for all users. While this section of the river is used by recreational floaters <br />and fisherman, there are not public access sites along this reach. <br />Page 1 of 4 <br />PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT <br />