Drafter
Clerk 08/05/2010
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AN ORDINANCE authorizing the executive to execute an amendment to the interlocal agreement for the Snoqualmie and South Fork Skykomish watersheds within Water Resource Inventory Area 7.
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BE IT ORDAINED BY THE COUNCIL OF KING COUNTY:
SECTION 1. Findings:
A. In response to the 1999 listing of the Puget Sound Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act, King County and other affected jurisdictions determined that water resource inventory area ("WRIA")-based salmon conservation planning was a critical and necessary step in promoting salmon recovery overall.
B. On October 16, 2000, the King County council passed Motion 11077, authorizing the King County executive to enter into three interlocal agreements between King County and other eligible governmental entities in, respectively, WRIA 8, WRIA 9 and the King County portion of WRIA 7 (Snoqualmie and South Fork Skykomish watersheds) for the purpose of cooperatively developing, funding and implementing watershed-based salmon recovery plans, habitat protection and restoration efforts and other water resource management projects and programs in these watersheds.
C. Under each of the agreements, the participating jurisdictions appointed one representative to take part in a watershed forum for that WRIA, which acted as the governing body for the activities undertaken under each respective agreement. In each agreement, King County was designated as the service provider to complete the annual scopes of work agreed upon by the watershed forums.
D. Upon execution of the agreements, and over the ensuing five-year terms of the agreements, the jurisdictions that were parties to the agreements cooperatively and successfully completed salmon recovery plans for their respective watershed areas.
E. The WRIA 7 plan is entitled the Snohomish River Basin Salmon Conservation Plan ("WRIA 7 plan").
F. The WRIA 7 plan includes a long-term vision for recovery and ten-year numeric milestones for improvement in key habitat conditions critical for salmonids. Plan recommendations include over one hundred forty King County capital projects as well as policies, programs, incentives, stewardship and education actions. Actions are prioritized based on geographic areas and are also customized for agriculture, forestry, rural and urban land uses.
G. As set out in the three interlocal agreements, each party in the respective WRIAs was called upon to ratify, through its legislative body, the completed plans as the means to finalize the plans and move into plan implementation. The WRIA 7 plan was fully ratified in July 2005.
H. Concurrently with WRIA 7 plan ratification, the Snoqualmie forum worked to outline its plan for cooperative implementation of the WRIA 7 plan over an initial five-year period to begin the signing of a subsequent interlocal agreement.
I. On December 5, 2005, the King County council adopted Ordinance 15377, authorizing the King County executive to enter into an interlocal agreement between King County and other eligible governmental entities in the Snoqualmie and South Fork watersheds (Snoqualmie) with the purpose of jointly implementing the WRIA 7 plan and associated habitat restoration and protection measures and providing intergovernmental coordination on other watershed issues including water quality, water quantity and flood hazard reduction.
J. Since the beginning of the current term of the Snoqualmie interlocal agreement, the parties have successfully implemented ninety-one salmon recovery projects and cooperatively directed $3.4 million in grant dollars to salmon recovery project implementers. These grant dollars have leveraged an additional $10.7 million in match funds from other sources.
K. The Snoqualmie forum wishes to extend the term of the current Snoqualmie interlocal agreement to December 31, 2015, and make amendments to the membership seats and service terms for ex officio members.
L. The extraordinary level of interjurisdictional cooperation and productivity achieved through the WRIA 7 planning and implementations efforts continues to be a model for interjurisdictional cooperation.
SECTION 2. The King County executive is hereby authorized to execute an amendment to the interlocal agreement for the Snoqualmie and South Fork Skykomish watersheds within WRIA 7, substantially in the form of Attachment A to this ordinance,
thereby extending the term of the interlocal agreement and altering the terms of membership of the Snoqualmie watershed forum ex officio members.