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AN ORDINANCE updating the inventory of high conservation value properties to add new properties, expand on existing properties, correct administrative errors, and reflect changes in site names, parcel boundaries and numbers, as specified in K.C.C. 26.14.010 and Section 897 of the King County Charter.
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STATEMENT OF FACTS:
1. King County has acquired interests in open space properties in the form of fee simple ownership, conservation easements and development rights. The county has done so using funds from various funding sources, including conservation futures taxes, parks levy regional open space funds, Forward Thrust, real estate excise taxes, surface water management fees, the salmon recovery funding board, the recreation and conservation board (formerly the interagency for outdoor recreation), voter-approved open space bond funds and state and federal conservation-oriented grants.
2. The primary purposes of acquiring open space properties are to conserve, preserve, protect or enhance natural or scenic resources, timberland devoted primarily to the growth and harvest of timber for commercial purposes, streams, rivers, wetlands, soils, beaches, tidal marshes, fish or wildlife habitat, water quality, passive recreational opportunities, visual quality along highway, road and street corridors, and scenic vistas, for current and future generations of King County residents.
3. Preserving the character of open space properties also reduces urban sprawl, provides natural corridors in urban areas and serves to mitigate the effects of human activities that contribute to climate change.
4. In July 2009, Ordinance 16600 authorized submission to the qualified voters of King County a proposal to amend the King County Charter to add a higher level of protection to certain high conservation value open space properties in which the county has real property interests. This measure was approved by the voters in November 2009 and the King County Charter was amended to protect in perpetuity certain high conservation value open space properties.
5. An inventory of high conservation value properties subject to this enhanced protection was adopted by Ordinance 16601. In addition, Ordinance 16601, Section 4, codified as K.C.C. 26.14.010, specified the criteria for the removal and addition of properties from the inventory.
6. K.C.C. 26.14.010 prohibits removal or addition of properties from the inventory of high conservation value properties except by ordinance adopted in conformance with Section 897 of the King County Charter. The department of natural resources and parks maintains the inventory and proposes to modify the inventory to add properties and to correct administrative errors and changes in site names, parcel numbers, and parcel boundaries.
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. King County has a real property interest in the properties listed below and determines that these properties have a high conservation value. The following properties shall be added to the inventory of properties identifying their elements of high conservation value:
1. Bass Lake Complex Natural Area: Addition to site with Bass, Beaver and Dandy/Sinkhole lakes, Cristy creek, associated wetlands and riparian areas, trails and passive recreation;
2. Belmondo Reach Natural Area: Addition to site with Cedar river riparian area, associated backwater wetlands, trails and passive recreation;
3. Big Bend Natural Area: Adds land containing Cedar river mainstem, forested riparian areas, backcountry trails, adjacent to Cedar river trail;
4. Black Diamond Natural Area: Addition to site with Ravensdale lake and creek corridor, riparian wetlands, bogs, and upland forest with hiking and mountain-biking trails and passive recreation;
5. Camp Sealth Creek Natural Area: Adds a site with undeveloped Puget Sound shoreline with intact feeder bluffs, creek and mixed forest;
6. Canyon Creek Headwaters Natural Area: Adds a site with mixed coniferous-deciduous forest adjacent to Grand Ridge park;
7. Canyon Creek Natural Area: Adds a site with mixed coniferous-deciduous forest in Canyon creek drainage with informal trails and passive recreation;
8. Carnation Marsh Natural Area: Addition to wetland complex near Snoqualmie river with nature observation, trails and passive recreation;
9. Cedar Grove Road Natural Area: Addition to site within the Cedar river riparian area, including backwater wetlands, trails and passive recreation;
10. Chinook Bend Natural Area: Addition to site with Snoqualmie river frontage, wetlands and meadows associated with Snoqualmie river restoration project, trails and passive recreation;
11. Cougar Mountain Regional Wildland Park Natural Area: Addition to site with forest, streams, trails, scenic views and passive recreation;
12. Cougar/Squak Corridor: Addition to site with coniferous forest, streams, and hiking trails;
13. Dockton Forest: Addition to working forest site that includes pristine saltwater shoreline and an extensive backcountry trail system;
14. Dorre Don Reach Natural Area - Portion: Addition to area with Cedar river frontage and side-channels, wetlands and upland forest with trails and passive recreation;
15. Fall City Natural Area: Addition to site along the Snoqualmie river, riparian forest with valuable salmon habitat;
16. Grand Ridge Park-Portion: Adds a site with Canyon creek, wetlands and forest with trails and passive recreation;
17. Green River Natural Area: Addition to area with Green river frontage, side channels, floodplain and forested slopes with trails and passive recreation;
18. Griffin Creek Natural Area: Addition to area with Griffin creek and forest habitat and with trails and passive recreation;
19. Island Center Forest: Addition to site with Judd creek tributary and forests with trails and passive recreation;
20. Issaquah Creek Natural Area: Addition to site along Issaquah creek with exceptional fish habitat;
21. Kanaskat Natural Area: Addition to natural area that includes Green river and tributaries, side channels, wetlands, meadows and forest with trails and passive recreation;
22. Lower Bear Creek Natural Area: Addition to site with wetland and forest habitats with trails and passive recreation;
23. Lower Lions Reach Natural Area: Addition to site with Cedar river frontage, side channels and floodplain forest along with trails and passive recreation;
24. Lower Newaukum Creek Natural Area: Addition to site including Newaukum creek and forest with trails and passive recreation;
25. Maury Island Natural Area: Adds a site with extensive Puget Sound shoreline and madrone forest with trails and passive recreation;
26. Middle Bear Creek Natural Area: Addition to site with creek, wetlands and forest with trails and passive recreation;
27. Middle Boise Creek Natural Area: Adds a site along Boise creek associated with a habitat restoration project;
28. Middle Issaquah Creek Natural Area: Addition to site with creek, meadow and forested areas with passive recreation;
29. Mitchell Hill Connector Forest: Linkage to other forested natural area and park sites with trails, passive recreation and working forestry components;
30. Mouth of Taylor Reach Natural Area: Addition to Cedar river and Taylor creek complex of sites with wetlands, forest, trails and passive recreation;
31. Neill Point Natural Area: Addition to site on Vashon Island with natural shoreline on the Puget Sound;
32. Northilla Beach Natural Area: Adds a site with Puget sound shoreline with, feeder bluffs, eel grass beds and madrone forest;
33. Paradise Lake Natural Area: Addition to site along Bear creek, emergent and forested wetland communities;
34. Paradise Valley Natural Area: Addition to site with Judd creek, forest and meadows with trails and passive recreation;
35. Piner Point Natural Area: Addition to site protecting natural Puget Sound shoreline and bluffs;
36. Pinnacle Peak Park: Addition to site containing forest land, trails, passive recreation and scenic views of Mount Rainier;
37. Point Heyer Natural Area: Addition to Puget Sound shoreline with forest and passive recreation;
38. Raab’s Lagoon Natural Area: Addition to site including estuary and shoreline with trails and passive recreation;
39. Shadow Lake Natural Area: Addition to easement, forested land on Shadow lake;
40. Spring Lake/Lake Desire Park: Addition to site including a bog, miles of backcountry trails and rocky viewpoints;
41. Stossel Creek Forest: Adds a site with Cherry creek, wetlands and working forest area;
42. Taylor Mountain Forest: Addition to working forest with streams, wetlands, trails and passive recreation;
43. Three Forks Park: Addition to park at confluence of Snoqualmie river with wetlands and forest that offer trails and passive recreation;
44. Tokul Creek Forest: Adds a site in working forest area with mixed timber stands in Tokul creek drainage;
45. Tolt River Natural Area: Addition to natural area featuring Tolt river, side channel and forest with trails and passive recreation;
46. Upper Raging River Forest: Addition to easement adjacent to Rattlesnake mountain and fish-bearing Raging river; and
47. Wetland 14 Natural Area: Addition to site adjacent to Spring lake/lake Desire, containing forested and wetland habitat.
B. The inventory of high conservation value properties contains some administrative errors. In addition, since the original inventory was prepared, some of the site names, parcel boundaries and parcel numbers of the properties have been changed. The updated inventory set forth in Attachment A to this ordinance accurately reflects the current site names, parcel numbers and parcel boundaries of the properties in the inventory in accordance with KCC 26.14.010.
SECTION 2. In accordance with K.C.C. 26.14.010 and Section 897 of the King County Charter, the council hereby adopts the high conservation value property inventory which is Attachment A to this ordinance.