Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESJarstad CreekUnnamed Stream1227026475270Unnamed Stream1226919475271PresencePresencePresenceWinter steelhead trout Gorst Creek Spawning, presence/migrationSources: WDFW 2013a, bParish CreekJarstad CreekPresence/migrationPresence/migrationTerrestrial Habitats – The study area is located within the western hemlock (Tsuga heterophylla) zone (Franklinand Dyrness 1988). In native forests, Douglas-fir, bigleaf maple, Pacific madrone, vine maple, western hemlock,and western redcedar are the predominant tree species. Forest understory species include western swordfern,Oregon grape, salal, and Pacific rhododendron. The evergreen forests that make up the vast majority of thewatershed land cover would be expected to support these plant species. The Gorst Creek watershed is expected toprovide habitat for a variety of terrestrial forest-dwelling wildlife. The forested areas are likely to support anabundance of large and small mammals, birds, reptiles, and amphibians.In the Gorst Creek Watershed, high value terrestrial wildlife habitats occur in the forested areas north andnorthwest of the Gorst UGA, where there is a low edge-to-area ratio and a low density of paved roads, and whichhas not been platted for development. South of the UGA, forested areas also provide relatively high value wildlifehabitat, although there is a higher edge-to-area ratio and a higher paved-road density, and the large areas havebeen subdivided into five- and two-acre parcels.The forested area that comprises the north and central portion of the Gorst Creek Watershed is publicly owned,and lies within a contiguous area that also contains the Green Mountain and Tahuya State Forest. Taken together,this area comprises the largest open-space block in the Puget Trough Ecoregion of the Puget Sound Basin.The forests on the north side of the Gorst Creek Watershed are especially valuable from a wildlife standpoint forthree reasons:• They are protected in public ownership, and occur in the aforementioned large open-space block.• They cover nearly half of the watershed, and therefore have a beneficial effect on freshwater habitats thatsupport anadromous fish species.• They help to sustain water flow and water quality processes within the watershed, and contribute to theoverall quality of habitats in the Gorst Creek Estuary.Wetlands - Wetlands within the study area have been mapped by Kitsap County based on National WetlandsInventory Data and other data sources. Mapped wetland coverage within the Gorst Creek Watershed isapproximately 110 acres. This acreage is comprised of freshwater forested/shrub wetlands, emergent wetlands,ponds, and other open water habitats. The largest of these are Alexander Lake in the northern portion of thewatershed, an emergent estuarine intertidal wetland associated with Sinclair Inlet, and open water and scrubshrubhabitats associated with Twin Lake in the eastern portion of the wetland. Additionally, portions of the largeestuarine/marine wetland complex associated with Sinclair Inlet are outside but adjacent to the watershed.Marine Nearshore Habitat – The estuary at the mouth of Gorst Creek contains intertidal wetlands and salt marshthat support concentrations of shorebirds and waterfowl, including migratory species. This area is known tosupport a bald eagle nest and territory, and is likely used by great blue herons as foraging habitat. Glaucouswingedgulls are very common.Draft | June 2013 3-58