Volume 2: Draft Gorst Planned Action Environmental Impact Statement

GORST PLANNED ACTION EIS | AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, SIGNIFICANT IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION MEASURESCity of Bremerton CAO requires a habitat management plan for development in or adjacent to certain wildlifehabitat conservation areas in order to protect state and federally listed and sensitive species, bald eagles, andanadromous fish. Building setbacks and buffers are determined based on the type of habitat conservation area,and additional development standards provide further protection to wildlife habitat.Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program. Kitsap County Shoreline Master Program, KCC Title 22, is acomprehensive shoreline land-use plan that includes policies and regulations for use and development of theshoreline; it has been recently amended by the County and is awaiting Ecology approval. The program includesregulations specific to a variety of land use activities. The general policies of these regulations include, but are notlimited to, minimizing effects to water quality, preserving estuaries and wetlands, and maintaining aquatic plantsand animals in a healthy condition.City of Bremerton Shoreline Master Program. The City of Bremerton Shoreline Master Program was developed inaccordance with RCW 90.58.020, which stipulates that shorelines of the state must be developed in a way that willpromote and enhance public interest, while also protecting against adverse effects to terrestrial vegetation andwildlife, as well as aquatic habitats and species. A draft Shoreline Master Program has been approved by the City ofBremerton but is currently awaiting approval by Ecology. Shorelines of the state within the Gorst watershedinclude Sinclair Inlet and Gorst Creek. Standards and regulations within the Shoreline Master Program that pertainto plants and animals include building setbacks and buffers for wetlands and shorelines within the shorelinejurisdiction that supersede those in the CAO, conservation of vegetation near shorelines, and mitigationrequirements.Other Regulations. Federal regulations that pertain to the protection of plants and animals and their habitatinclude the Endangered Species Act, CWA, Migratory Bird Treaty Act, and the Marine Mammal Protection Act.Other Potential Mitigation MeasuresThe following potential mitigation measures apply to terrestrial species and habitats.• Consider wildlife corridors and connectivity when designing and permitting new developments within theGorst Creek Watershed.• Implement clearing of vegetation and construction activities outside the breeding period for sensitive birdspecies and migratory birds, as feasible.• Consider applying common shoreline standards, such as one of the shoreline buffer options in this Draft EISAppendix D Shoreline Buffer Comparison & Options or another similar option to provide for compatibility ofshoreline buffer standards, particularly for Gorst Creek.Significant Unavoidable Adverse ImpactsMost of the forested watershed is owned by the City of Bremerton and managed for very limited forestry andutility activities (see Section 3.14 Relationship to Plans and Policies). As such, large scale changes to wildlife habitatthere are not anticipated under any alternative. One area designated for protection in the WatershedCharacterization Study south of SR 3 (Assessment Unit 1) is zoned for Rural Residential uses by Kitsap County.Under Alternative 1, no added protective measures are considered and there could be a loss of forest cover thatcould displace wildlife. Under Alternatives 2 and 3, added measures such as LID requirements and clustering couldmitigate that potential impact.New impervious surfaces and cutting of trees would occur under all the alternatives particularly in the Gorst UGAbut also on Rural Residential lands in the watershed, contributing to stormwater runoff, flooding, andsedimentation of surface water resources, which would impact aquatic species that occur within the watershedand UGA. These impacts would be greatest under Alternative 1, but reduced under Alternatives 2 and 3 as capitalimprovements to the stormwater system and BMPs to reduce erosion and sediment export would beimplemented.Draft | June 2013 3-70