Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESWildlifeTable 3.4-3 Special Status Species that May Be Found in or Near the Gorst Creek Watershed summarizes the specialstatus for Kitsap County, and that are likely to be found in or near the Gorst Creek watershed. Given the lack ofundeveloped and undisturbed land in the UGA, many of the forest- and freshwater wetland-dwelling species listedin Table 3.4-3 Special Status Species that May Be Found in or Near the Gorst Creek Watershed are unlikely to befound within the UGA. Sensitive species that use Sinclair Inlet, freshwater streams, and estuarine wetland habitatsare likely to be found within the UGA. Bald eagles are known to use the area around Sinclair Inlet. All of the marinespecies listed in Table 3.4-3 Special Status Species that May Be Found in or Near the Gorst Creek Watershed thatare likely to occur in Puget Sound could occur in Sinclair Inlet adjacent to the UGA. Additionally, all of the marineand anadromous species listed in the table occur (or potentially occur) in aquatic habitats in or adjacent to theUGA.ImpactsIMPACTS COMMON TO ALL ALTERNATIVESUnder all alternatives, the City of Bremerton and Kitsap County CAOs and Shoreline Master Programs includeregulations that have been developed to protect sensitive species and habitats. These regulations are discussedlater in this section under Applicable Regulations and Commitments, as well as in Section 3.14 Relationship toPlans and Policies. The City of Bremerton and Kitsap County regulations differ, particularly in terms of buffers thatapply to development near shorelines within the UGA. Additionally, proposed Shoreline Master Programs will altersome existing regulations, once adopted. The Gorst UGA, once annexed, will switch from Kitsap County jurisdictionto City of Bremerton jurisdiction. Therefore, it is important to understand which regulations will apply, and howthey differ from current regulations. In order to provide a better context for the Plants and Animals effectsanalysis, the differences in City of Bremerton and County regulations, as they apply to fish and wildlife and theirhabitats, are highlighted here.For terrestrial species, regulations pertaining to fish and wildlife habitat conservation areas apply. Under both theCity of Bremerton and Kitsap County CAOs, Habitat Management Plans (HMPs) are required for development forwildlife habitat conservation areas associated with federally and state listed endangered, threatened, and sensitivespecies, as well as for some areas associated with state listed candidate and monitored species and otherimportant terrestrial habitat areas. HMPs are used to determine appropriate buffers on a project-by-project basis,as well as other measures to protect sensitive species and habitats. Therefore, the City of Bremerton and KitsapCounty regulations are similar in regards to protection of terrestrial wildlife species and habitats. Regulatoryrequirements that protect these species would be very similar after annexation of the UGA.For wetlands and aquatic habitats (and their associated species), there are some differences in the City ofBremerton and Kitsap County regulations as far as standard and reduced buffer widths. These differences havebeen summarized in Table 3.14-3 Bremerton and Kitsap County Shoreline, Stream, and Wetland Buffer Comparison.Currently, the CAO regulations apply to wetlands and streams. They are very similar in terms of standard buffers,and range from 35 to 150 feet for City of Bremerton-regulated streams, and from 50 to 150 feet for Kitsap County-Regulated streams. Under both CAOs, buffers for Category I and II wetlands are the same (200 feet and 100 feet,respectively), but the buffers for Category III and IV wetlands are slightly smaller under Kitsap County regulationsthan City of Bremerton regulations. Building setbacks of 15 feet are required under Kitsap County CAO regulationsbut not the City of Bremerton CAO regulations (see Table 3.14-3 Bremerton and Kitsap County Shoreline, Stream,and Wetland Buffer Comparison). In the case of wetlands, annexation of the UGA to the City of Bremerton wouldresult in slightly larger buffers (20 to 25 feet) for Category III and IV wetlands, although building setbacks wouldnot be required. Buffer averaging would continue to be allowed for reduction of wetland buffers in certain areas.The greatest differences in regulatory protections for aquatic habitats are found when comparing the proposedKitsap County Shoreline Master Program to the Proposed City of Bremerton Shoreline Master Program. In bothDraft | June 2013 3-64