Board Discussion and Decision_Bowers Field Wetland Delination Process

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KITTITAS COUNTY DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS PUBLIC WORKS — BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS BOARD DISCUSSION/DECISION AGENDA STAFF REPORT AGENDA DATE: October 6, 2020 TOPIC: Wetland Delineation at Bowers Field ACTION REQUESTED: Direct Staff on Desired United States Army Corps of Engineers Wetland Delineation Process LEAD STAFF: Mark R. Cook RECOMMENDATION: Pursue a "Preliminary Jurisdictional Determination" with the Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) delineating wetland extend impacting the Bowers Field (ELN) capital improvement plan with the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). BRIEFING SUMMARY: • Preliminary wetland delineation for ELN have been reduced from original extent. • Two options exist to formalize the delineation process: "preliminary jurisdictional determination" and "approved jurisdictional determination". • Whiskey Creek connection to the Yakima River will likely result in USACE jurisdiction resulting in an "Individual Permit" process mitigating wetland impacts. • Timelines are tight for environmental assessment threshold determination from the FAA supporting parallel taxiway construction (EXHIBIT 1). • The Environmental Assessment (EA) team is seeking a determination from the FAA early summer 2021. • While there are political advantages to waiting on an "Approved" determination, there is an associated adverse impact on project timeline. BACKGROUND: Century West Engineering (CW) is working towards completing a sixty percent (60%) design of taxiway, runway 11/29 and flood improvements at ELN. The Board will recall that recently staff secured significant additional funding from the FAA supporting the design effort. Attempting to meet the tight timeline for ELN improvement construction, Public Works has embarked on a process seeking to create wetland mitigation credits ahead of taxiway construction in 2023. ESA (wetland consultant subcontractor to CW) recently re -delineated project wetlands reducing the amount from 8.5 acres to a current estimated impact of 2.71 acres. An individual USACE permit is required beyond 0.5 acres of impact. Page 1 of 4 PUBLIC WORKS BOARD OF COUNTY COMNUSSIONERS WORK SESSION STAFF REPORT