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HomeMy WebLinkAboutCAP 2012-02-13 Item 2D - Grant Application - Duwamish River Shoreline RestorationCity of Tukwila Jim Haggerton, Mayor INFORMATIONAL MEMORANDUM TO: Mayor Haggerton Finance and Safety Committee FROM: Jack Pace, Community Development Director DATE: January 26, 2012 SUBJECT: Duwamish River Shoreline Restoration Grant Application ISSUE As part of implementing the City's recently approved Shoreline Master Program and the previously ratified Water Resource Inventory Area (WRIA) 9 Salmon Habitat Enhancement Plan, staff will be looking for grant opportunities to carry out shoreline restoration projects from various sources, including the King Conservation District. Restoration projects may include construction of habitat areas (like the Duwamish Gardens project, currently in the design phase) or more simple shoreline re- vegetation projects. BACKGROUND The City has applied for $20,000 in grant funding from the King Conservation District for a shoreline vegetation restoration project. A per parcel assessment levied against properties in the City supports the mission of the King Conservation District natural resource improvement projects. The funds collected from Tukwila properties are dedicated to projects that are located in the City limits and can be used for a variety of natural resource improvement activities, including shoreline restoration projects. The grant will fund purchase of native plants for re- vegetating the shoreline and assistance in managing education and capacity building, recruiting volunteers and organizing volunteer work parties for weed control and planting. This project will be co- sponsored by Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) through a new initiative called the "Duwamish Shoreline Challenge" (which is expected to be officially announced at a kick -off event in the spring of this year). BECU's employees took the initiative in 2010 to restore a major portion of the shoreline adjacent to the credit union headquarters in Tukwila, with the Credit Union's management approval and the City's support with technical and logistical assistance. As a result of that positive experience and out of a desire to contribute to the community, the Credit Union is partnering with the City and Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) to carry out this new project. The efforts of BECU employees show that there is interest in restoring shoreline habitat on the part of private property owners and that with encouragement and assistance from the public sector, additional shoreline restoration is possible. This project will serve as a catalyst, along with BECU's and Forterra's participation to move the project forward. DISCUSSION The Duwamish River Shoreline Restoration project will be an on -going effort in the restoration of the river's shoreline habitat. The grant funds will be used to: 1) contact property owners in the initial target area (commercial properties adjacent to the Green River Trail from 1 -5 north to S. 112 Street) to solicit support for shoreline restoration, recruit volunteers and request financial contributions; 23 INFORMATIONAL MEMO Page 2 2) document existing conditions of areas to be restored both before and after restoration is completed; 3) organize kick -off event and publicity 4) conduct volunteer work parties to remove /control invasive plants and plant native vegetation; 5) purchase native plants for use in the work parties; 6) maintain and monitor the restored shoreline areas. The grant does not require a cash match from the City, however, the grant application does include City staff time as "in- kind" funds that will be contributed to the implementation of the project. Overall, the City will be matching the grant with an estimated $45,000 of staff time dedicated to implementing the project over the three year period of the grant. RECOMMENDATION This memo is being provided for the Committee's information. If the City receives the grant, further information will be provided to the Committee as the shoreline restoration work proceeds. ATTACHMENTS Cover Letter Grant Application WA2012 Info Memos- Council\CAP- Duwamish River Restoration Grant.doc 24 City of Tukwila 6200 Southcenter Boulevard Tukwila, Washington 98188 Jim Haggerton, Mayor January 13, 2012 Ms. Jessica Saavedra, Grant Program Manager King Conservation District Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program 1107 SW Grady Way, Suite 130 Renton, WA 98057 RE: Application for Member Jurisdiction Grant Dear Ms. Saavedra: The City of Tukwila is pleased to submit the attached Grant Application for $20,000 from the City's King Conservation District jurisdictional funds for shoreline restoration work. The grant will fund purchase of native plants for re- vegetating the shoreline and assistance in managing education and capacity building, recruiting volunteers and organizing work parties for weed control and planting. Tukwila is committed to restoring riparian habitat along the Green Duwamish River corridor and is proposing to use the grant funds to support a project to involve commercial property owners along a portion of the Duwamish River in shoreline restoration work. This project will be co- sponsored by Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) through a new initiative called the Duwamish Shoreline Challenge BECU's employees took the initiative in 2010 to restore a major portion of the shoreline adjacent to the credit union headquarters in Tukwila, with the City's support. As a result of that positive experience and out of desire to contribute to the community, the Credit Union is partnering with the City and Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) to carry out this new project. The efforts of BECU employees show that there is interest in restoring shoreline habitat on the part of private property owners and that with encouragement and assistance from the public sector, additional shoreline restoration is possible. This project will serve as a catalyst, along with BECU's financial contribution to move the project forward. We appreciate the review of this application by you and the King Conservation District Commissioners. If you have any questions about the application, please contact Carol Lumb, Senior Planner, at 206 -431- 3661. Sincerely, im Hogg Mayor li cc: Jack Pace, Director, Department of Community Development Christy O'Flaherty, City Clerk Phone: 206 433 -1800. City Hall Fax: 206- 433 -1833. Website: www.ci.tukwila.wa.us 25 26 Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application Project Title: Duwamish River Shoreline Restoration Applicant: City of Tukwila Principal Partners (if any): Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) WRIA 9 Forterra (formerly Cascade Land Conservancy) Total Project Cost: 30,000.00 WRIA Funding Jurisdiction Funding KCD Funding Requested: $20,000.00 Project Start Date: March 2012 Project End Date: April 2015 Contact: Carol Lumb Title: Senior Planner Address: 6300 Southcenter Blvd, Suite 100, Tukwila, WA 98188 Phone: 206 431 -3661 Fax: 206 431 -3665 E -mail: carol.lumb @tukwilawa.gov 1. 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? Background The City of Tukwila, WRIA 9 staff, environmental organizations, private businesses and homeowners are working collaboratively to carry out restoration of shoreline vegetation on the Lower Green and Duwamish River in river miles 6 through 9.5 through a multi -year process. The overall effort will control invasive plants (including spraying of knotweed species and hybrids) and plant native trees, shrubs and groundcover to increase habitat functions, improve shading, and provide for increased public enjoyment of the river. The shoreline in river miles 6 through 9.5 is developed with a mix of light industrial, residential and office uses and characterized by an understory of blackberries, knotweed, ivy and other invasive plants with native and non native trees forming a canopy in a few areas. In many areas, trees are lacking to overhang the river and provide shade, nutrients, wood and detritus to the river. The river is starved of large woody debris and consequently lacks associated in- stream habitat complexity, such as pools and riffles (WRIA 9 Salmon Habitat Plan, August, 2005). In many areas of the Duwamish River, over steepened banks make vegetation management difficult and even hazardous for individual property owners to control. Much of this project is in the high priority Duwamish estuary "transition zone" between fresh and salt water, which provides the appropriate range of salinities for juvenile Chinook and chum to transition to salt water. Limited opportunities exist to create shallow and off channel rearing habitat for juveniles in the transition zone due to existing residential, commercial and industrial land Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 1 of 8 27 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila uses along the river, so this project is designed to restore riparian vegetation that will help improve salmon habitat. As an active participant in the Salmon Habitat Plan prepared by WRIA 9 the City has collaborated in several restoration projects along the river and places a high priority on restoring the shoreline riparian area. The newly approved Tukwila Shoreline Master Program reflects this by including a Restoration Plan that incorporates all of the WRIA 9 Salmon Habitat Plan recommended actions as well as newly identified projects for the Lower Green and Duwamish Estuary Sub watersheds that fall within the City limits. In addition, the Master Program designates the transition zone as the priority area for carrying out any required mitigation projects. This grant will support the City's and its partners' ongoing efforts to carry out re- vegetation in the riparian area. Project Description This project will build on an effort begun in 2010, when Boeing Employees Credit Union (BECU) employees, working with the City of Tukwila, took the initiative to clear invasive species from the shoreline that adjoins the Credit Union (see Figure 1) and plant native trees, shrubs and groundcover. Over the course of one year, employee volunteers cleared approximately 500 linear feet of shoreline, sheet mulched the area with cardboard and wood chips to discourage the return of blackberries, and planted native species to improve the riparian habitat along the river. Overall, the area cleared and re- planted totals approximately 10,000 square feet. The area restored is shown in Figures 1a and 1b (since the site was planted in late 2010 and early 2011, the photos do not show the plants). The City provided support to BECU through the loan of equipment, the purchase of native plants and staff technical assistance. Inspired by the efforts of their employees, the Credit Union has committed $10,000 to act as seed money to challenge other businesses along the river to join it in restoring shoreline habitat either through monetary donations to be used for restoration, volunteer labor or both. This project will support the BECU effort by providing funds for project coordination; mechanical removal of blackberries, where appropriate; purchase of native plants; logistical support for coordinating work parties; and, educating businesses about the importance of shoreline restoration. The project will take place over a three year period because it is expected that new businesses and new areas will be added each year, as the project becomes more well known and businesses can see the positive results of the restoration work. The City will work with BECU, Forterra, WRIA 9, and private businesses to target initially the areas along the Green River Trail between river miles 8 and 9, expanding out from the BECU site to the north and the south on the left bank of the river; and between river miles 6.5 to 7, another commercial area on the left and right banks. See Figure 2 for the two areas initially to be targeted. Commercial property owners will be contacted by letter, followed up with individual appointments to invite their participation (through offering employees to volunteer, donating funds, or both) in the Duwamish Shoreline Restoration Challenge. Where businesses are not interested in participating themselves, permission to work on their property will be requested, so that restoration can still take place on that property through volunteer work parties. Workshops will be held with interested businesses to raise awareness about the importance of native plantings along Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 2 of 8 i Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila the river, explain how BECU accomplished its restoration project, and to train them in restoration techniques. Forterra will assist with these efforts (mostly funded by the BECU donation) Once permission is obtained from property owners, and /or property owners are signed on to the program, Forterra and the City will document existing site conditions and then organize work parties on an ongoing basis for removing invasive weeds, sheet mulching and installing native plants in the target areas shown on Figure 2. Where feasible and necessary due to extensive blackberry or other invasive plant cover, a contractor will be hired to clear blackberries and other invasive plants using mechanical equipment, to prepare the way for volunteers to grub out the roots. The City will provide materials such as cardboard (donated by area companies) and woodchips (donated by tree companies or from the City's stockpile), and will haul off weeds that have been removed. The City will purchase and pick -up approximately 4,000 native plants as they are needed and will provide tool loans to employers and volunteer groups. The project will include ongoing maintenance work parties to remove weeds and replant native vegetation, as needed. Property owners will be encouraged to adopt certain sections of the river for maintenance and for watering newly planted vegetation. This restoration project will focus on commercial properties in the two target areas, while a parallel effort led by WRIA 9 staff, with support from the City, will focus on the Duwamish residential neighborhood and publicly -owned lands to remove invasive species and restore native vegetation along the river bank. The WRIA 9 target area lies in between this project's two target areas. It is possible that volunteers recruited for these efforts will be shared by both projects. 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? The project will address all four natural resource improvement actions: Education and outreach: The project will involve commercial property owners along the river, providing outreach and opportunities (workshops and hands on technical assistance in the field) for teaching area employees and employers about the important functions of the river and the need for improvements to the river's riparian habitat, developing additional volunteers for future projects and hopefully developing a source of funding to supplement government efforts to restore the river's riparian area. Capacity Building: Participants in this project will obtain skills that can be transferred to other restoration projects through the training they will receive on techniques to remove /control invasive species, plant native vegetation, and carry out routine maintenance. It will also raise awareness among the participants of the wide variety of organizations whose goal is to restore shoreline habitat. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 3 of 8 29 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila Pilot and Demonstration Projects: We see this initial phase of the overall effort to restore shoreline vegetation as a pilot project to engage private businesses in volunteer activities to clear invasive vegetation along the river and plant native species. It is hoped that this project will generate interest in restoration activities in other reaches of the river and will provide a learning experience for what approaches work best so that it can be replicated. Direct Improvement of natural resource conditions: This project will result in between 30,000 and 40,000 square feet of shoreline cleared of invasive vegetation and planted with native species to improve habitat for fish and wildlife over a three year period. 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? 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. Activity Description Action planning with Forterra Outreach engage private businesses in shoreline restoration efforts Recruit volunteers for shoreline restoration work Document existing condition of areas to be restored Organize kick -off event and publicity Site preparation arrange mechanical blackberry removal on sites where appropriate Shoreline restoration work parties to remove /control invasive plants and plant native vegetation Deliverables Contract for specific services Letter to businesses; follow -up phone calls and meetings, formal program enrollment List of volunteers for notifying of work parties. Photographs of each site to be restored Kick -off work party with participating businesses and volunteers to remove invasive plants at a designated site Blackberry removed on designated sites, prior to volunteer work parties Timeline March /April 2012 March /April 2012 and other years thereafter Ongoing 10. Document site condition after planting Watering in dry periods (either by adjacent property owners or City crew) Maintenance and monitoring of restored shoreline Ongoing April- May 2012 As needed Approximately monthly or every June 2012 —April other month work parties over the 2015 course of the grant period. Approximately 4,000 plants installed (combination of bare root, 1- gallon, and live stakes depending on time of year) Photographs of each planted site. Plant survival over dry summer months Twice yearly maintenance inspections during project and annual reports for 3 years after completion of work. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Planting to start Fall of 2012 Ongoing Summer 2013 Summer 2016 2013 to 2018 Page 4 of 8 30 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila 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? City staff will lead the project in partnership with Forterra and BECU to involve other businesses, recruit volunteers, purchase plants, coordinate donations of materials, provide technical expertise and training, and coordinate work parties for weed control and planting. The City has already been working with BECU to restore its section of shoreline and has had significant successful experience carrying out restoration projects in wetlands and streams, using volunteers and leveraging grant funds and internal resources for purchase of supplies and plants. The City has also collaborated with other organizations for restoration work on the river, notably coordinating with and providing logistical support to People for Puget Sound volunteers for shoreline restoration work in Codiga Park. The City's designated project manager, a Senior Planner, has managed numerous grant projects and has worked on restoration projects within the City as a volunteer. The City's Urban Environmentalist, who has experience in designing and executing environmental restoration projects, working with volunteers and teaching workshops on restoration for the community, has the capability to provide technical expertise to businesses and volunteers on the best techniques for controlling invasive plants and determining what native plants work best in the shoreline environment. The Urban Environmentalist will also order the native plants, coordinate deliveries, and coordinate with the Operations Division of the Parks Department, which will provide logistical support, such as supplying tools to be used for the restoration activities, picking up and delivering plants and picking up and delivering cardboard for sheet mulching. Forterra also has many years of experience organizing volunteer restoration projects in collaboration with many local jurisdictions as part of its Green Cities initiative. Tukwila and Forterra have experience working together on restoration in Tukwila on the Duwamish Hill Preserve, a new park near the river. Forterra assisted the City in obtaining grants for acquiring the property in 2004 and since then has been providing technical assistance and organizing volunteer work parties to remove invasive plants and install native vegetation in the various habitats of the park. Forterra will provide assistance in volunteer recruitment and training, workshops and hands on training for businesses and their employees and coordination of work parties along with the City and BECU staff (partly funded by this grant and partly funded by the BECU contribution and future donations). Forterra will serve as the agency to accept tax deductible donations that will be used to support the shoreline restoration work. Finally, as previously mentioned, BECU has been supporting its employees in restoration of the shoreline and in ongoing work parties for maintenance of the restored area on its property in Tukwila, with great success. Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 5 of 8 31 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila 5. Efficiency (seepage 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? This project, by providing resources to restore approximately 1,500 to 2,000 linear feet of shoreline riparian area over a period of three years, will implement on- the ground restoration of native vegetation. The project will expand the BECU project that already has restored 500 linear feet of shoreline by challenging other commercial property owners and volunteers to join in stewardship of the river. The project will leverage a donation from BECU to jump start the project and the expected donations from participating businesses. In addition, other fund raising mechanisms are planned, such as a fun run along the Green River Trail to raise funds for additional materials and plants and other grant opportunities. The project will complement and coordinate with the proposed WRIA 9 /King County project for shoreline vegetation restoration in the single family residential area and publicly -owned properties that lie between the two target areas of this project. That project will assist with Japanese knotweed control in the vicinity of this project and it is highly likely that volunteers recruited for both projects will be shared. This project will be an efficient and cost effective way to carry out shoreline restoration that will result in the planting of thousands of native trees and shrubs using mostly volunteer labor. This strategy results in the direct leveraging of resources with very little overhead. Maintenance activities will be implemented regularly and will include weeding, watering, and replacing dead plant material. 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? The target audience for the restoration work is businesses and employees who work along the river a group that does not always engage in or get asked to assist in restoration activities. One of the goals of the project is to involve these individuals in work that will improve both the aesthetic environment where they work as well as the habitat for the river's native residents fish and wildlife. Through the restoration activities that are carried out by employees of businesses along the river, employees and business owners will be educated on the importance of shoreline restoration for habitat improvement and this will in turn generate new, long -term stewards of the shoreline. The improvements will also benefit and help to educate the general public trail users who walk, run or bicycle along the Green River Trail. They will be able to observe the ongoing work of Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 6 of 8 32 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila restoration and enjoy the improved habitat created by the project. This group may then be inspired to volunteer for a restoration project, either here in Tukwila or in their own neighborhood. 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. Maintenance and monitoring reports that evaluate and report on plant survival and aerial coverage data, along with photographs will be used to evaluate the success of the restoration plantings. City staff will conduct the monitoring and prepare these reports on a yearly basis for three years after plant installation for submittal to KCD. 8. Project Budget Expenses Budget Item KCD Funds Other Funds- In -Kind Total Cash Contributions Contributions Salaries and Benefits $45,451.00 $45,451.00 City of Tukwila staff* Field Supplies plants $9,685.00 I I 9,685.00 Field Supplies 15,500.00 $15,500.00 cardboard and wood chips Contracted/ $7,315.00 7,315.00 Professional Services Forterra Contracted/ $3,000.00 3,000.00 Professional Services blackberry removal machine BECU Cash $10,000.00 $10,000.00 Contribution Estimated Volunteer in- $8,640- $8,640 $28,800 kind labor (range of 6 —10 $28,800 work parties per year, with 10 -20 volunteers working for 4 hours each, assuming $12 /hour value) TOTAL I 20,000.00 I 10,000.00 $99,591- 119,751 *Senior Planner (Project Manased, Urban Environmentalist, Parks Superintendent and operations staff Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application January 27, 2012 Page 7 of 8 33 Member Jurisdiction and WRIA Forum Grant Program Grant Application -City of Tukwila 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). Any written materials, such as the letters sent to property owners, articles placed in local newspapers (Tukwila Reporter) and newsletters (the City's Hazelnut newsletter) will acknowledge the grant funds received from King Conservation District. Funding support from KCD will also be acknowledged on signage placed along the Green River Trail that also recognizes the businesses that have contributed to restoration (signage to be funded from other sources and not this grant). In addition, Forterra will create a website for the Challenge that will recognize KCD as a partner in the project. Mayor Jim Haggerton, City of Tukwila Date Member Jurisdiction WRIA Forum Grant Program, Application 0 January 27, 2012 Page 8 of 8 34 r- CD L L.L 35 36 a W cc D t0 N L (A N G) Q) L- 41 W m a O L O L. Q. dJ O E O L N O O t a.+ N 'i L O .Q V f0 r., r. O m I- 0 a.+ N O d1 C L O V W m C O td t� N 4J V O L dA rW O O t a O O t a 37 W.* w A O Q a N W O N bD w .s N i LL