Charlotte Persons
Many of the Echo’s readers in Thurston County are familiar with local conservation issues through reading The Olympian, The Jolt and Works in Progress, but you may wonder what is on the Conservation Committee’s radar for possible response by Black Hills Audubon Society. Below is a list, not in any way exhaustive, of policy and project proposals within Thurston County that the Conservation Committee will be following.
The Conservation Committee would welcome volunteers to augment its efforts to respond to as many as possible on this long list or projects. To help with even just one issue that you are passionate about, please contact conservationchair@nullblackhills-audubon.org.
- Capitol Lake/Deschutes Estuary—Enterprise Services’ recent update states that the preliminary preferred alternative will be the Estuary Alternative, and the Final Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is expected in Fall 2022. If the Estuary Alternative is indeed the final choice, this is good news! But depending on what is in the Final EIS, local citizens may need to push for faster action and for more action. Despite the many problems with pollution in the current Capitol Lake, the timeline in the Draft EIS states construction will begin in eight to ten years after all permits are issued and the 5th Avenue dam in Olympia will be removed in about 25 years! See Works in Progress for April at olywip.org for work not in the DEIS necessary to restore the Deschutes Estuary.
- Bush Prairie Habitat Conservation Plan—This joint proposal of City of Tumwater and Port of Olympia is for Port-owned land in and surrounding the Olympia Airport. The Draft EIS is expected soon for public comment.
- Comprehensive Plan Updates are to be completed for Thurston County, Tumwater, Olympia, Lacey, and other local cities by January 2025. Olympia begins the process this spring.
- One year ago, Thurston County, Tumwater, Olympia and Lacey signed the Thurston Climate Mitigation Strategy. Since only Olympia has begun implementing any of its 70 actions (by hiring a staff person), environmental organizations are considering next steps.
Development projects:
- Panattoni warehouses—City of Tumwater already held review meetings for two warehouse developments on Center Street in the Panattoni lease area previously considered for an Interlocal Agreement (ILA) by Port of Olympia and Tumwater. Safe stormwater filtration and disposal are a concern since these two warehouses are in the wellhead protection areas for the Port and Bush wells, major sources of Tumwater’s drinking water. State Environmental Protection Act (SEPA) public comment period is expected soon. See Works in Progress for April at olywip.org for development impacts in the absence of the ILA.
- The Conservation Committee will respond to other development project proposals, such as Green Cove Park, West Bay Yards, the heliopad at North Point, and others that may arise, as opportunities for public input are available.
Docket Items for the Thurston Board of County Commissioners (BoCC):
The BoCC will prioritize docket items for 2022-2023 on March 30 after this article is written. They could consider about twelve items with environmental impacts. Here are those with highest importance for BHAS: Community-Driven Review of Agricultural Policies and Programs; Beaver Creek Farm; Habitat Conservation Plan ordinances for Thurston County (Final EIS expected in Fall 2022); Shoreline Management Program Update ordinances; and County-wide Review of Industrial Lands.
At this date it appears the BoCC will consider UP Castle, Black Lake Resources, and other proposed individual development projects with requested code or zoning changes after completion of the County-wide Review of Industrial Lands in late 2022 or early 2023.
Photo Credit: High Tide on Mud Bay – Wikimedia Commons, Brianhe
