News

MEETING AGENDA
GIG HARBOR PENINSULA ADVISORY COMMISSION
September 26, 2018 at 6:30 p.m.
City of Gig Harbor, 3510 Grandview Street, southeast entrance, Gig Harbor, WA

Public comment will be limited to 3 minutes per speaker. If possible, please have a spokesperson for people with similar views.
NEW BUSINESS
Conditional Use Permit/Environmental Checklist: Ridgetop Golf Headquarters
Applications 886538, 886539
Applicant: Kalbrener, LLC
Planner: Andrew Van Gordon, andrew.vangordon@piercecountywa.gov
Request: Establish the headquarters for Ridgetop Golf, which will include a 6,000-square foot shop, a 10,000-square foot concrete pad, and a large gravel lay-down area. The proposal will be served by Washington Water, Peninsula Light, and on-site septic. The site is located in the Rural 10 (R10) zone classification within the Gig Harbor Community Plan area, at 3218 14th Avenue NW, Gig Harbor, in Council District #7.

OLD BUSINESS
Approval of Minutes
(September 12, 2018)
OTHER BUSINESS
PUBLIC COMMENT
9 26 18 PAC Agenda

ENVIROHOUSE FALL WORKSHOPS ONLINE ~ REGISTER NOW!

    2018 FALL WORKSHOPS            

 

Free Workshops - Advance registration required 
www.cityoftacoma.org/workshops ~ or call (253) 573-2426

Please register for the wait list if a session is full.

You’ll be notified if there’s a cancellation or repeat session.

SEPTEMBER

08 - 10:30 a.m.    Yard Waste & Worm Bin Composting

15 - 10:30 a.m.    Winter Harvest Plants + Cover Crops/ Mulch

22 - 10:30 a.m.    Harvesting and Preserving Squash

22 -   1:30 p.m.    Electric Vehicles: Why Now; What to Know

29 - 10:30 A.M.   Solatube Daylight Advantages & DIY Install

 

OCTOBER

06 - 10:30 a.m.    Heat Pumps: Heating/AC, Water Heaters

13 - 10:30 a.m.    Healthy Houseplants: Choices and Care

20 - 10:30 a.m.    DIY Energy Audits & Simple Solutions

21 -   1:30 p.m.    Rain Barrels: How to Make & Maintain

27 - 10:30 a.m.    Pruning and Care of Landscape Trees

 

NOVEMBER

03 - 10:30 a.m.    Pruning and Care of Fruit Trees

03 -   1:30 p.m.    Prep for Feb: Fruit Trees and Mason Bees

10 - 10:30 a.m.    Holiday Wreath Making Demonstration

Workshop Location: City of Tacoma EnviroHouse 
Tacoma Recovery & Transfer Center (former Landfill) 
3510 S. Mullen St., 98409 (directions on EnviroHouse website)

EnviroHouse Public Hours: Wed.-Fri. 10-5; Sat.-Sun. 11-5

Email:  ehouse@cityoftacoma.org

Hello All:

I had a busy week catching up on all the other business of the reserves, and want to send out a post event Thank You!

To everyone that pitched in preparing for and hosting last Saturday to make it a success…

Of course there are lots of things to improve on, but I’m just ecstatic that we pulled it off (and families came, etc).  We have the Kapowsin Half-Millennium birthday card displayed here at the office (thanks to Bob Walter for making it). Russ Blount is not in the photo because he held down the fort at the off-site parking in his field. Thanks Russ!

A few folks have emailed that we should schedule a work party.  I am not going to be the organizer this time – I have other events and project to focus on this summer, but maybe by September I will think about it. You can reply all to start a discussion on what needs to be done and who might want to do it, and when.

Also, a meeting to de-brief while we still remember,  and consider next steps was suggested; so I will test the waters of August to see if you will be here and can meet.

PLEASE reply if you are available all or any of these dates:  August 9, 16, or 23. I sent an email to the fire station inquiring about room availability.

Our invasive species team is available for loosestrife and yellow iris work at the lake on July 30-31 so I’ll be out there at that time.

Thanks again, it was really fun.

Birdie Davenport

Aquatic Reserves Program Manager

Aquatic Resources Division

360-902-1073

Looking for all Pierce County wetlands

In Washington, the existing statewide wetland maps (National Wetlands Inventory [NWI] maps) are out of date and inaccurate in many locations. They are based on imagery and data from the 1980s and do not reflect current wetland location and extent.

Additionally, wetlands are missing from the NWI maps. These errors of omission have been recorded to be as high as 50% in some areas, and may be as high as 90% in some forested areas. Inaccuracies and errors of omission are due in part to the difficulty of photo-interpreting certain land cover types. Also, many wetlands on agricultural lands were not mapped.

The NWI classified wetlands to identify wetland habitat types. It lacks abiotic information such as landscape position, landform, and water flow path, which can be used to predict functions and, in combination with land uses, wetland condition. To complete this project, the University of Washington will use remote sensing data sources, such as LiDAR, high-resolution aerial imagery, Landsat imagery, digital elevation data, hydrography, and updated soil maps provide an opportunity to address these known shortcomings. Moreover, recent developments in automated remote sensing technologies allow for more efficient coverage of large areas.

An improved, statewide map of wetland location and type is critical to the ability of local governments to protect wetlands. Under the Growth Management and Shoreline Management Acts, local governments play a critical role in wetland protection and management. They do this through comprehensive planning, zoning, and permit review. Planners and permit reviewers rely on existing NWI maps for these processes. A few local jurisdictions have conducted their own wetland inventories and improved their maps, but these are limited due to lack of resources, and none have predicted functions and conditions of wetlands. This leaves many local governments with inadequate maps and information on local wetlands, and the state with uneven coverage.

This project will improve the ability to more efficiently and accurately identify the location, size, and type of wetland resource. available as a publicly accessible, web-based map. Information about the maps, and any analyses using the data, will be disseminated through articles and presentations to state and federal agencies, and local governments and planners.

Source: https://portal.nifa.usda.gov/web/crisprojectpages/1013138-washington-wetland-mapping.html

From Pierce County: 

The Regulation Roadmap for Agriculture is now posted on the Pierce County Farming website: https://www.co.pierce.wa.us/3422/Getting-Started.  The Regulation Roadmap was developed to assist producers to identify possible permits and licenses needed to produce and sell farm products.  It also identifies the primary regulatory agencies dealing with farm products.

 

 

The Regulation Roadmap for Agriculture project is a partnership with the Agriculture Community of Interest, Pierce County Agriculture Program and Tacoma Pierce Health Department.

 

 

Diane Marcus-Jones  | Senior Planner | Pierce County Planning and Public Works| (253)798-2616 |

2401 South 35^th Street, Room 175, Tacoma, WA, 98409-7490 | dmarcus@co.pierce.wa.us  | www.co.pierce.wa.us/pals  I  www.piercecountywa.org/farming

NEWS RELEASE November 2, 2017 MEDIA CONTACT: Cathy Cochrane, 360.790.7958, cathy.cochrane@psp.wa.gov

2017 State of the Sound report shows greater commitment needed to protect Puget Sound ecosystem The 2017 State of the Sound report, released this week, shows that Puget Sound recovery efforts are effective, but at the current level of effort and investment, many 2020 recovery targets will not be met. “The health, wellbeing and vitality of the people of Washington are all closely tied to the health and wellbeing of Puget Sound. The State of the Sound report details the enormous and growing pressures on our ecosystem and the toll they are taking—including rapid population growth, ocean acidification, storm water pollution, and climate change,” said Gov. Jay Inslee. “This report shows how we can do better in applying the ingenuity and values of our state to these crucial problems.” The report summarizes the status of recovery targets and highlights how innovation and new technology are being used to restore beach habitat, build new partnerships to open shellfish beds, and clean pollution from stormwater. Nonetheless, the investments to date have been a fraction of what is needed to reach recovery targets. The report includes recommendations from the Puget Sound Partnership’s Leadership Council, Science Panel, and Executive Director for immediate and long-term action. Two of the recovery targets assessed involve the Southern Resident orca and Puget Sound Chinook salmon populations. “We are at a particularly critical juncture now, with the future of Southern Resident orcas and their main food source—Chinook salmon—so imperiled,” said Sheida Sahandy, Executive Director of the Puget Sound Partnership. “We can see that our investments are working, but the scale is inadequate to the challenge. Much greater commitment is needed, from a much larger swath of the community and with a greater focus on innovation.”  The report also highlights how management approaches have changed to improve the collective recovery effort. “We can look to the great work of our many partners, including the region’s tribes, to demonstrate the types of efforts that need to be supported and expanded,” said Ms. Sahandy. About the State of the Sound Required by state law, the State of the Sound provides data and information that can help guide decision makers in allocating resources to programs, policies, and funding efforts that can make progress in restoring Puget Sound. This report reflects the work accomplished by hundreds of groups throughout the Puget Sound region, including governments, tribes, nonprofits, communities, scientists, and businesses. For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov/sos. About the Puget Sound Partnership The Puget Sound Partnership is the state agency formed to lead the region’s collective effort to restore and protect Puget Sound. Working with hundreds of governments, tribes, scientists, businesses, and nonprofits, the Partnership mobilizes partner action around a common agenda, advances Sound investments, and tracks progress to optimize recovery. For more information, go to www.psp.wa.gov.