Council approves plan to protect vital salmon habitat

May 16, 2011

Summary

No cost for the County in agreement for parcel in Issaquah Creek Basin

Story

The Metropolitan King County Council today gave its unanimous approval to a lease agreement that will protect sensitive salmon habitat in east King County. The adopted legislation authorizes the signing of a 50-year lease for 30 acres in the Issaquah Creek Basin owned by the Washington state Department of Natural Resources.

“This is a great example of working across jurisdiction boundaries to achieve the common goals of supporting salmon recovery and protecting water quality and open space,” said Councilmember Larry Phillips, chair of the Council’s Transportation Economy and Environment Committee. “This is a win-win that ensures pristine salmon habitat will continue to support a healthy watershed in the Issaquah Creek Basin.”

The parcel is located on Holder Creek in the Issaquah Creek Basin, which according to the Puget Sound Salmon Recovery Plan is home to some of the best remaining habitat in the Lake Washington/Cedar/Sammamish Watershed. The Issaquah Creek Basin supports Chinook, Coho and Kokanee salmon and Steelhead trout. The Carey Creek and Holder Creek tributaries to Issaquah Creek are considered to have exceptional salmon habitat and are identified as Regionally Significant Resource Areas because of their exceptional fisheries habitat and undeveloped character that protect natural watershed structure and function.

The Washington Department of Natural Resources (WDNR) has identified the parcel as appropriate for alternative management through the Trust Land Transfer Program, which makes it eligible for transfer or lease to other public entities—such as local governments—better positioned to manage the lands for appropriate public purposes like fisheries protection or open space.

The parcel has been part of WDNR’s Common School Trust program, which specifies that the parcel’s resources be managed to generate returns to fund public school construction. WDNR is required to achieve a fair market return from the property and proposes to meet that requirement through a State legislative appropriation of $337,000 which will be directed into the school construction fund. Thus, the County will not pay any costs to obtain the benefits of this long term lease.

The adopted legislation calls on the County Executive to sign the Issaquah Creek Trust Land Transfer Lease, with the County being able to use the property for fish and wildlife habitat, open space or recreation, or any combination.