07-160 - King Conservation District #9 - Green/Duwamish Watershed Forum Grant

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The parties also are talking with the adjacent property owner to the north and west of the Carosino property These negotiations could result in a three -way transaction that would result in an improved habitat project and an improved property for the neighbor Success requires agreeing on a lot line adjustment and sale prices of multiple parcels These negotiations are positive but the likelihood of success is uncertain at this time If a three -way deal is unsuccessful, the sponsor will attempt to simply acquire the Carosino property This grant application is based on the conservative assumption that the three way negotiation will not be successful but that the Carosino property alone will be purchased. Acquisition of the property is expected to be through fee simple purchase However, a conservation easement approaching the full value of the property may be considered if the neighboring property owner to the north chooses to participate 2. Natural Resource Improvement Actions describe how the project will address a minimum of one of the natural resource improvement actions described on page 1 of the application instructions. Consider the following in your answer to this question. What natural resources will be improved? What are the known needs, gaps or deficits that will be addressed? What are the known benefits to soil, water, air, plants, fish and wildlife, landowners? Direct Improvement of Natural Resource Conditions The Duwamish Gardens project is the first step toward implementing priority WRIA 9 calmon Habitat Plan project DUW -7 (page 7 -90) The goal of this action is to restore shallow water habitat at river mile 7 0 -5 5 on the Duwamish River and thus the project is a direct improvement of natural resource conditions This reach of the Green/Duwamish River is part of the key transition zone habitat where juvenile fish undergo physiological changes to transition from a fresh to salt water environment as they migrate to Puget Sound and beyond. Expansion of such transition zone habitat is needed to reduce an ecological "bottleneck" in the life history of Green/Duwamish River Chinook. Consequently, expansion of this habitat is necessary to ensure that investments in aquatic habitat upstream pay off. Restoration within the transition zone area is the highest priority within the WRIA 9 Salmon Habitat Plan, as set forth in Policy MS 1 (page 5 -16) High fish use of this part of the river and the transition zone has been documented in several studies including those funded by previous KCD grants (see in particular the "2005 Juvenile Chinook Duwamish River Studies" fto /dnr.metrokc.cov /dnr /library /2006 /kcr1953.ndf) Also, the Codiga Farm project less than two miles upstream has demonstrated that juvenile salmonids will make use of the type of restored habitats planned for this property For context, the Duwamish Gardens project is similar to completed projects at Cecil Moses Park and Codiga Farm (also in Tukwila) and the planned project at North Wind's Weir (construction in 2008) Like those previous projects, Duwamish Gardens also will improve the overall ecological health of the Duwamish estuary by enlarging the area of shallow water mudflats with fringing marshes, a feature much reduced due to past development practices Duwamish Gardens Acquisition 2007 WRI Forum (,r,.nt Applikafion June 2007 Page 2