pierce county's in-lieu fee wetland mitigation program
TRANSCRIPT
PIERCE COUNTY’S IN-LIEU FEE WETLAND MITIGATION PROGRAM
Ann Boeholt, Project ManagerPierce County Public Works & Utilities, Surface Water Management
September 18, 2015 Nisqually River Council
• History and Development of the PCILF Program
• Mechanics of the PCILF Program
• Case Study--Use of the PCILF Program
• Nisqually Watershed Sites and Next Steps
Learning Objectives
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 2
Review of Programmatic Mitigation
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 3
1. Avoid2. Minimize3. Rectify the impacts by repairing, etc. 4. Reduce or eliminate impacts over time5. Compensate for impacts by replacement6. Monitor and take necessary corrective
measures
Mitigation Sequence
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 4
One of three compensatory mitigation mechanisms • Wetland Mitigation Banking• In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Programs• Permittee-Responsible mitigation (concurrent
or advanced)
In-Lieu Fee Mitigation
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 5
Sideboards in 2008 Rule (33 CFR 332): Sponsor must be government or non-profit
natural resources agency. Strong oversight by COE. Must implement sites within 3 years of
collecting fees. Compensation Planning Framework
required.
In-Lieu Fee Mitigation
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 6
• 2007-2008 first PCILF Pre-Capitalized site constructed (with strong oversight by COE).
• 2010 Puget Sound Partnership effort to develop regional ILF program.
• 2011 County agreed to take over sponsorship; issued Prospectus.
PCILF History 2007-2011
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 7
• 2012-2013: Regular meetings with the IRT.
• 2013: Constructed 2nd Pre-Capitalization site.
• 2014: County Council approved ordinances to authorize Executive to sign PCILF Instrument and to amend County Code.
• 2015: Minor Code Corrections and PCILF Instrument Signed. First PCILF sale (in Chambers/Clover Creek Basin).
PCILF History 2012-2015
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 8
• Submitting Wetland Reports to officially recognize our two existing pre-capitalized sites as PCILF mitigation receiving sites.
• Determining restoration needs for South Creek Headwaters site.
• Program expansion into WRIAs 10 and 15.
• Site Selection for WRIAs 11 and 12.
PCILF Current Status
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 9
• Tracking Inquiries and Credit Sales.
• Managing Fee and Credit Ledgers.
• Monitoring and Maintenance of Pre-capitalized sites.
• Annual Report of Program.
• Developing Desk Manual to guide internal program management.
PCILF Current Status
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 10
• Limited to Freshwater Wetlands. • Limited to two initial Service Areas.• Use Watershed Approach to Site Selection.• Use WDOE’s Calculating Credits and Debits for
Compensatory Mitigation as credit valuation method.
• Pre-capitalized two sites.• Requesting 120 Advance Credits in WRIA 12 and 30
Advance Credits in WRIA 11.
PCILF Program-General Mechanics
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 11
Limited Initial Service Area
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 12
Service area: Geographic area in which the ILF program is authorized to provide mitigation
Pre-Capitalization
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 13
Pre-Capitalization: Types of Credits
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 14
120
166
2014 INTIAL WRIA 12 CREDIT BALANCES
AFTER YEAR 2015 CREDIT SALE
100
166
20
AFTER 2016 CREDIT RELEASE
120
83
63
20
120
83
13
70
AFTER YEAR 2016 CREDIT SALE
Advanced Credits
Pre-Capitalized Unreleased Credits
Advanced Unfulfilled Credits
Pre-Capitalized Released Credits
Sold and Fulfilled Credits
• Based on Full Cost Accounting.• Costs of credits are currently:
$40,000 (per unit) in WRIA 12 .o ~$ 27.55 per sq. ft. ($1.2 million per acre) of impact
$30,000 (per unit) in WRIA 11.o ~$20.66 per sq. ft. ($890 K per acre) of impact.
• Credits may be purchased in increments as small as 1/100th of a unit.
• Prices reviewed annually.
Cost to use the PCILF Program
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 15
How Many Credits Are Needed?
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 16
1 Acre 1 Credit≠
How Many Credits Are Needed?
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 17
1 Acre 1 Credit>
• Best Available Science.
• Estimates functions and values lost when a wetland is altered.
• Estimates gain in functions and values that result from the mitigation.
The Credit/Debit Tool
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 18
• Classification• Quality• Area of wetland disturbed• Timing of mitigation
How Many Credits Are Needed?
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 19
(13.5) 30 (189) Credits per Acre of Impact
Case Study
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 20
• $30K to construct mitigation site;
• $30K to monitor and maintain mitigation site for 10 years.
• $10K for consultant to identify a mitigation site;
• $10K for consultant to develop a mitigation plan;
• $10K for consultant to develop construction plans;
• $50K for ROW acquisition (perhaps condemnation);
Estimate for onsite mitigation: $140K
$140K Estimate for onsite mitigationVersus
$24K to purchase 0.6 units
Case Study
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 21
• Sale of 0.6 credits ($26,000) to Pierce County Transportation.
• Three other sales pending.• Dozen additional inquiries.• King County ILF Program: 16 sales; $16 million
in 3.5 years.• Larchmont and South Midland Wetland
Reserves.
Successes
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 22
2002 2007 2015
South Midland Wetland Reserve
Larchmont Wetland Reserve
2005 2015
South Creek Headwaters Wetland Reserve
Nisqually Basin Sites
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 26
May, 2009
South Creek Headwaters Wetland Reserve
Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program9/18/2015 Slide 27
May 2009 April 2015
QUESTIONS?Ann Boeholt(253)798-4694 or [email protected]
September 18, 2015 Pierce County’s In-Lieu Fee Mitigation Program
The Tangled BankContemplate a tangled bank
Clothed with many kinds of plantInsects and birds flitting about
Worms crawling through the damp …
From: Darwin’s Tangled Bank in verseBy Michael Eisen
Published: December 3, 2012