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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAP 2012-02-27 Item 2B - Grant Application - Duwamish Hill Preserve with King Conservation DistrictCity of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Haggerton Community Affairs and Parks Committee FROM: Rick Still, Parks and Recreation Director DATE: February 22, 2012 SUBJECT: Duwamish Hill Preserve: King Conservation District Application ISSUE Duwamish Hill Preserve: King Conservation District Application BACKGROUND As identified in the policy statements, the Duwamish Hill Preserve (DHP) is the highest priority capital project listed in the Parks, Recreation and Open Space plan. In May of 2011 staff presented an update to the Community Affairs and Parks Committee detailing the progress of the DHP project. At this time staff would like to update the Committee of a grant application to the King Conservation District. The King Conservation District awards grants for projects that directly improve the condition of natural resources provide education and outreach to increase awareness, build capacity to enhance implementation of natural resource improvement projects and implement pilot or demonstration projects. To apply for a grant through this program, an applicant's proposal must be sponsored by one or more of the 35 local jurisdictions that are members of the King Conservation District or one or more of the three local watershed forums. (Source:www.kingcd.org) DISCUSSION The City is applying for $50,000 from the King Conservation District to be utilized towards the acquisition of the 'West Parcel' located adjacent to Duwamish Hill Preserve. Acquisition of this parcel is in line with the Duwamish Hill Preserve Master Plan. A funding match is not required for this application. RECOMMENDATION This memo is for information only. If the City is awarded the grant further information will be provided to the Committee regarding the grant and land acquisition. ATTACHMENTS Cover Letter Grant Application 5 City of Tukwila Parks Recreation Department February 22, 2012 King Conservation District 1107 SW Grady Way, Suite 130 Renton, WA 98057 Re: Citv of Tukwila Parks Recreation Department Application Dear King Conservation District Board of Supervisors: Jim Haggerton, Mayor Rick Still, Director I am writing to confirm the City of Tukwila's support for the Member Jurisdiction Grant Application submitted by our Parks Recreation Department. The Parks Recreation Department requests support for the acquisition of property adjacent to the Duwamish Hill Preserve, a natural and cultural treasure in our community. While Tukwila has many worthy conservation initiatives currently underway, we are pleased to endorse this project this year as our priority for KCD support. Over the past decade, the City has worked in partnership with Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) to acquire and restore 8.6 acres of land adjacent to the Duwamish River in the Poverty Hill neighborhood. Our current request for KCD funds supports acquisition of property to expand the Preserve to the west, including several hundred feet of additional shoreline property along the Duwamish River. This acquisition will make it possible to conduct a large -scale future shoreline restoration project, forging a connection between the Duwamish Hill Preserve and the nearby Duwamish Gardens property. We are proud of the Parks Recreation Department's record of accomplishment with the Duwamish Hill Preserve project, which includes a strong partnership with a community stewardship group, the Friends of the Hill. We are also delighted that the City is working in partnership with the Tukwila School District to develop an environmental education program at the Preserve. The City of Tukwila looks forward to the positive impact of the proposed acquisition at the Duwamish Hill Preserve, and the accompanying application form describes in detail the project's natural resource improvement actions. Thank you for your careful consideration of this request. Sincerely, Mayor Jim Haggerton cc: Rick Still, Parks Recreation Department Director X King Conservation District Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application Project Title: Duwamish Hill Preserve Acqusition of West Parcel Applicant: City of Tukwila Contact: Rick Still Principal Partners (if any): Title: Director, Parks Recreation Dept. Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) Address: Total Project Cost: $1,165,000 WRIA Funding Jurisdiction Funding KCD Funding Requested: $50,000 Project Start Date: June 1, 2012 Project End Date: December 31, 2012 12424 42nd Ave S Tukwila, Washington 98168 Phone: (206) 767 -2344 Fax: (206) 767 -2341 E -mail: rstillCabtukwilaWA.aov I. Project Description provide a brief description of the project that summarizes what you will do, how you will do it, and why you will do it. Consider the following in the answer to this question: what pressing need will be addressed by the project or what promising opportunity will be capitalized on? Who or what will benefit or be positively and negatively affected? The City of Tukwila requests $50,000 from the King Conservation District to support acquisition of a 1.75 acre parcel on the west side of the Duwamish Hill Preserve (King County parcel #1023049085, hereafter "West Parcel located at 3800 S 115 Street in Tukwila, so this parcel can be added to the Preserve property. The cost of the parcel to be acquired is anticipated to be $1,125,000, toward which we have secured $1,050,000 ($750,000 in City of Tukwila funds, a grant of $250,000 from the King County Conservation Futures Program, and a grant of $50,000 from 4Culture). Additional costs totaling $40,000 are itemized in the project budget bring the total project budget to $1,165,100. The Duwamish Hill Preserve property currently under City of Tukwila ownership is an 8.6 acre parcel on the Duwamish River. This property includes a 40 million year old outcropping of bedrock that is part of what is known as the "Tukwila Formation unique native plant communities, territorial views, and a flat area with 600 feet of shoreline on the Duwamish River at the farthest point up river that is reached by the tides. Culturally significant for its association with Southern Puget Sound Salish oral tradition and mythology, the Preserve is a key location in the stories known as the "Epic of the Winds." Working with Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy), the City of Tukwila raised $998,000 to acquire and preserve the 8.6 acre parcel in 2004, including two grants totaling $15,000 from KCD (the project was then known as "Grandmother's Hill). Since 2005, Forterra and the City collaboratively raised an additional $825,000 for Phase I restoration activities on the upland portion of the property. Phase I of the project opened to the public with a community celebration in 2010, following completion of trails, viewpoints, an outdoor classroom area, and extensive environmental restoration. Hundreds of community volunteers have contributed to the project through removal of trash and invasive species, and planting and monitoring of native plants in three distinct habitat areas, and the first school field trips to the Preserve took place in 2010. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application 0 July 21, 2008 Page 1 of 5 7 Acquisition of the West Parcel is a high priority for the City of Tukwila, the parcel's current owner is a willing seller, and negotiations regarding a purchase and sale agreement are underway. The West Parcel is presently zoned industrial and used for storage of construction equipment. Acquisition of the West Parcel will link the Preserve directly to a proposed regional trail, and will provide a visual buffer to the industrial properties beyond the trail corridor to the west. When the Duwamish Hill Preserve Master Plan was developed in 2007, the West Parcel was included in the community's vision for Phase II of what the Preserve could become, as a community cultural and natural resource. Acquisition of the West Parcel will double the size of the Phase II restoration area, allowing a richer and more meaningful restoration project, from a cultural, habitat and recreational perspective. Phase II will include a permanent exhibit of native plants selected in collaboration with the Muckleshoot and Duwamish Tribes and the Northwest Native American Basket Weavers Association, including species useable for basket making, preparation of traditional foods, and other cultural purposes. We hope to re- establish and make accessible a variety of species with traditional cultural uses, which may include wapato (arrowhead plant), swamp tea, wild cranberries, tules (bulrush), slough sedge and other species. Outdoor interpretive panels will include traditional use information that is appropriate to share with the public. 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? Acquisition of the West Parcel, and subsequent restoration of this property, will address all four of the natural resource improvement actions described in the application instructions. Education Outreach: Through school field trips, volunteer work parties, and drop -in visits, youth and adults will learn about and participate in restoration work at the Duwamish Hill Preserve, with an emphasis on removal of invasive species and planting of native species with a goal toward salmon friendly habitat improvement. Capacity Building: The City of Tukwila was pleased to host a public education workshop in 2011 in conjunction with Stewardship Partners, focused on installation of a bog garden as part of Phase I restoration at Duwamish Hill Preserve, and we anticipate hosting similar events during Phase II, following acquisition of the West Parcel. We are also pleased to provide training to our community volunteers, in partnership with the Friends of the Hill neighbors group, regarding best management practices and stewardship activities. Pilot and Demonstration Projects: Because the Duwamish Hill Preserve is open to the public, and the acquisition of the West Parcel will expand the boundaries of the Preserve, we have an outstanding opportunity to demonstrate the positive impacts of project activities on water quality and habitat value, which is especially important in transforming public attitudes regarding the recovery of the Duwamish River as a natural and recreational resource. Direct Improvements: Acquisition of the West Parcel will allow us to convert 1.75 acres adjacent to the Duwamish River from industrial use to conservation and open space land. We will be able to clean up any residual contamination, remove invasive plants, and establish native plant communities including areas reflecting traditional ethnobotanical knowledge of area Tribes. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application July 18, 2008 Page 2 of 5 51 3. Project Activities and Measurable Results using the table below, list specific project activities to be completed, the timetable for the activities, and the deliverables associated with those activities. Consider the following in your answer to this question: What actions, interventions, programs, services will be deployed? 4. Effectiveness (see page 2 of application instructions for definition) describe how the project will effectively implement the natural resource improvement measures identified in question No. 2 above. Consider the following in your answer to this question: Why is the primary applicant the best entity to deliver the proposed program /service/ intervention? What is the capacity of the primary applicant to deliver the proposed program /service /intervention? What tools, services and partners will be brought to bear? The City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department has been an effective leader in preserving and restoring the Duwamish Hill Preserve, working with partner organizations and community members. Our record of success with Phase I of the project included an education and outreach component, capacity building, successful pilot projects, and direct improvements. For example, we have established a partnership with the Tukwila School District, and have hosted field trips of 2"d, 3rd and 7 t grade classes where students participated in hands -on restoration activities, and learned to identify and classify native and invasive plants on site. We also sponsored a teacher training workshop in 2011 open to all Tukwila School District teachers, focused on environmental and cultural education opportunities at the Duwamish Hill Preserve. Our regularly scheduled volunteer work parties draw dozens of neighbors, and major events such as Duwamish Alive draw over one hundred volunteers to participate in large -scale projects. Visitors will be able to learn about restoration activities through interpretive materials (in development) focusing not just on the Preserve but also on the Green Duwamish Watershed as a whole, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts and offering suggestions for what individual land owners can do and how other residents can contribute to environmental recovery and sustainability. As the fee owner of the Duwamish Hill Preserve, the City of Tukwila is best positioned to acquire, restore and manage the adjacent West Parcel, which we propose to do in partnership with Forterra, Friends of the Hill, and other organizations devoted to environmental restoration and education in the area. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application July 18, 2008 Page 3 of 5 01 Activity Description Deliverables Timeline 1. Commercial appraisal of Parcel Appraisal documents Mid -2012 #1023049085 2. Environmental assessment of Assessment report Mid -2012 Parcel #1023049085 3. Acquisition of Parcel Title transfer to the City of Late 2012 #1023049085 Tukwila 4, Future restoration (Phase II of Following acquisition, the City 2013 and Duwamish Hill Preserve plan) of Tukwila will undertake beyond restoration activities 4. Effectiveness (see page 2 of application instructions for definition) describe how the project will effectively implement the natural resource improvement measures identified in question No. 2 above. Consider the following in your answer to this question: Why is the primary applicant the best entity to deliver the proposed program /service/ intervention? What is the capacity of the primary applicant to deliver the proposed program /service /intervention? What tools, services and partners will be brought to bear? The City of Tukwila Parks and Recreation Department has been an effective leader in preserving and restoring the Duwamish Hill Preserve, working with partner organizations and community members. Our record of success with Phase I of the project included an education and outreach component, capacity building, successful pilot projects, and direct improvements. For example, we have established a partnership with the Tukwila School District, and have hosted field trips of 2"d, 3rd and 7 t grade classes where students participated in hands -on restoration activities, and learned to identify and classify native and invasive plants on site. We also sponsored a teacher training workshop in 2011 open to all Tukwila School District teachers, focused on environmental and cultural education opportunities at the Duwamish Hill Preserve. Our regularly scheduled volunteer work parties draw dozens of neighbors, and major events such as Duwamish Alive draw over one hundred volunteers to participate in large -scale projects. Visitors will be able to learn about restoration activities through interpretive materials (in development) focusing not just on the Preserve but also on the Green Duwamish Watershed as a whole, emphasizing the importance of coordinated efforts and offering suggestions for what individual land owners can do and how other residents can contribute to environmental recovery and sustainability. As the fee owner of the Duwamish Hill Preserve, the City of Tukwila is best positioned to acquire, restore and manage the adjacent West Parcel, which we propose to do in partnership with Forterra, Friends of the Hill, and other organizations devoted to environmental restoration and education in the area. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application July 18, 2008 Page 3 of 5 01 5. Efficiency (see page 2 of application instructions for definition) describe how the project will efficiently implement the natural resource improvement measures identified in question No. 2 above. Consider the following in your answer to this question: How will. the proposed program /service/ intervention engage in conjunction with related efforts? How does your strategy best leverage resources? The proposed acquisition of the West Parcel will leverage the City of Tukwila's commitment of $750,000 in Real Estate Excise Tax (REET) funds with additional contributions from 4Culture, the Conservation Futures Program of King County, and our current request to KCD for use of Jurisdictional Funds. Beyond the acquisition, this investment of public funds will leverage extensive volunteer involvement in the project, totaling hundreds of hours of in- kind labor each year from the Friends of the Hill, as well as private tax exempt contributions from individual donors through Forterra. The City of Tukwila and Forterra have been working together for over a decade on the Duwamish Hill Preserve project, and we are able to efficiently identify and prioritize tasks related to fund raising, planning and project management. Our management team for the project includes representatives from multiple city departments, Forterra, and key citizen advisors and consultants. 6. Equity (see page 2 of application instructions for definition) describe how the project will equitably implement the natural resource improvement measures identified in question No. 2 above. Consider the following in your answer to this question: In what part of the District will the proposed program /service /intervention occur? Who is the target audience and what demographic section of the community will be affected? As a public conservation property, the Duwamish Hill Preserve serves the ethnically diverse, working class community of Tukwila, where 74% of the students in the school district qualify for free or reduced -price meals. The school district population includes 35% transitional bilingual speakers, an indication of the high proportion of the population who are recent immigrants. This area also had the largest concentration of pre- contact Native American winter villages in all of King County, surrounding the former confluence of the Black River and the Green River which formed the Duwamish River. Natural resource improvement actions at this site involve diverse community members, and interpretation of cultural heritage provides an opportunity to connect Tukwila's current residents to its past indigenous residents, through traditional stories, place names, and environmental awareness. 7. Evaluation of Intended Results describe the evaluation mechanisms you will use to track, document, and report that the project has achieved the intended results described in questions 1- 3. Successful completion of this project will be celebrated when ownership of the West Parcel is transferred to the City of Tukwila, and when the boundary of the Duwamish Hill Preserve is expanded to include this parcel. The West Parcel will be included in planning and design development for the Preserve's Phase II restoration (described in #1 above), which will improve habitat value and water quality in this critical area of the Duwamish River. The City of Tukwila and Forterra collaborated on acquisition of the original Preserve property, and we anticipate being able to efficiently replicate that successful process during this new acquisition effort, including appropriate legal and documentation work. In addition, the stewardship easement which Forterra holds on the original 8.6 acres of the Preserve will be expanded to include the West Parcel. We also look forward to future efforts to develop a comprehensive shoreline restoration project extending from the Duwamish Hill Preserve to the downstream Duwamish Gardens property. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application July 18, 2008 Page 4 of 5 10 8. Project Budget Expenses Budget Item KCD Funds Other Funds Other Funds Total confirmed not yet confirmed Salaries and Benefits Travel /Meals /Mileage Office /Field Supplies Contracted/ Professional Services Land Acquisition $50,000 $50,000 (4C) $25,000 $1,125,000 $250,000 (CF) $750,000 (Tuk) Permits Other (appraisal, $15,000 $15,000 legal) Other (environmental $15,000 $15,000 assessment) Other (closing fees) I $10,000 $10,000 TOTAL $50,000 I $1,050,000 $65,000 $1,165,000 9. KCD Acknowledgement -Describe how the KCD will be acknowledged as a source of funding for the proposed program /service /intervention (see Grant Program Overview Policies, General Grant Program Policies, #6). KCD support will be acknowledged in multiple ways, including through media (news releases announcing acquisition, City of Tukwila newsletter The Hazelnut, City of Tukwila Parks Recreation Department web site), and on site through postings on the public information kiosk at the entrance to the Duwamish Hill Preserve. Authorized Signature Date Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application July 18, 2008 Page 5 of 5 11