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23194-R-Gopher-2024-07-10Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 1 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Prepared for Prepared for Barghausen Consulting Engineers, Inc. July 10, 2024 Barghausen Railway Avenue Mazama Pocket Gopher Absence Report Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 2 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 1.0 INTRODUCTION This report is the result of a Mazama Pocket Gopher survey on the 9.62-acre parcel #64300700600 located at 16220 RAILWAY RD SE Yelm, WA with the legal description of Section 19 Township 17 Range 2E Quarter SW NE Plat MCKENNA IRRIGATED TRACTS BLK 7 LT 5 SWLY 10F & LT 6 Document 009/044 in Thurston (Figure 1). The Purpose of this report is to provide a study of the presence or absence of indicators of the Mazama Pocket Gopher (Thomomys Mazama) (MPG) and Regulated Prairie under City of Yelm Code Chapter 1821. This study should allow the reader to assess whether the Mazama pocket gopher is likely to be found on site and what the implications of its presence or absence may have with regard to permitting. Mazama Pocket Gopher Four subspecies of Mazama pocket gophers found in Thurston City are listed as threatened under the Endangered Species Act (ESA). Impacts to Mazama pocket gophers should be avoided or addressed through USFWS permitting processes. The presence of this species on a property may have regulatory implications that may limit the amount or type of development that can occur on a property in order to Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 3 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 avoid “take” of the species. Take is defined under the ESA as harass, harm, pursue, hunt, shoot, wound, kill, trap, capture, or collect any threatened or endangered species. 2.0 METHODS 2.1 Review of Existing Information Background Review Background information on the subject property was reviewed prior to field investigations and included the following: • Thurston City Geodata Gopher Soils Shapefiles • WDFW Priority Habitats and Species Information • USFWS species list information • WDFW species information 2.2 Summary of Existing Information The existing information shows Spanaway gravelly sand loam, 0 to 3 percents slopes and Spanaway gravelly sandy loam, 3 to 15 slopes, which are more preferred by the MPG. Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 4 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 The WDFW Priority Habitats and Species Map does not show the MPG within 600 feet of the subject property (Appendix B). 2.3 2024 Mazama Pocket Gopher Protocol A. General Information – 2024 Approach 1. The MPG review season will run June 1-October 31, 2024. 2. The protocol described in this memorandum will only apply to properties not known to be occupied by MPG since April 2014, the date of the federal listing. The property was not known to be occupied by the MPG since April 2014. 3. Negative determinations will be valid for the length of the underlying City permit or approval, per City code. No signs of the Mazama pocket gopher were found during the site visits. Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 5 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 4. Qualified consultants may perform field reviews and submit results for City evaluation, per the CAO. Consultants must have received training from USFWS at one of the two trainings offered in May/June 2018 and is certified to conduct these surveys. Alex Callender is qualified as a consultant as he received training and certification during the May 2018 class conducted by the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. B. In-Office Procedures 1. Staff will review land use applications to determine if the MPG field screening protocols described in this memorandum must be initiated for the following: a. Within 600 feet of a site known to have positive MPG occurrence; or b. On or within 300 feet of a soil type known to be associated with MPG occupancy. The parcels are on and within 300 feet of soil types known to be associated with MPG occupancy. 8. Yelm landowners who know or learn that Mazama pocket gophers are present on their property can move forward with their proposed development by: 1) proposing mitigation to the City as directed in the City’s Critical Areas Ordinance (Title 24TCC); or 2) contacting USFWS directly to discuss the review, assessment, and mitigation process most appropriate for their site(s) and proposed activities, . C. Preliminary Assessment As land use applications are received, properties mapped with or within 300 feet of gopher and/or prairie soils undergo the following preliminary assessment in-office. 1. For properties or project areas that appear to meet City criteria below, an internal review is conducted by staff biologist to determine if the project may be released from the full gopher review process. The following criteria may release a project from further gopher review: • Locations west of the Black River, or on the Steamboat Island or Cooper Point peninsulas. • Sites submerged for 30 consecutive days or more since October 31, 2017. • Sites covered with impervious surfaces (as defined in CAO Chapter 17.15 and Title 24). • Fully forested (>30%) sites with shrub and fern understory. • Sites that consist of slopes greater than 40 percent, or that contain landslide hazard areas (per existing City regulations). • Sites on less preferred MPG soils north of Interstate 5. • Building to take place in the footprint of an existing structure (also mobile home replacements in the same footprint). • Mobile home replacements in existing lots in an existing mobile home park. • Heating oil tank removal • Foundation repair Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 6 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 • Projects which lie >300 feet from mapped gopher soils. 2. If a property and/or project area do not meet internal review criteria, the project is put on a list to be scheduled for full MPG review during the appropriate seasonal review period. In order to ensure the review process runs efficiently, the following measures will be implemented as part of the 2019 screening approach. These are intended to reduce costs and staff time, and ensure that MPG screening requests, especially those associated with building permit applications, are screened during the screening season. 1. No soil verification will be required in conjunction with MPG field screening. 2. Site mowing or brushing will be required to initiate first site visits, where necessary and feasible, and completed two to four weeks in advance of the site visit. 3. No further screening will be conducted in 2023 following the detection of MPG mounds on a property. The city will notify landowners that MPG evidence has been detected within two weeks. No MPG mounds were found. 4. At the end of the 2023 season, City staff will provide data regarding MPG occupancy to USFWS. 5. No additional site visit will be required if indeterminate mounds are detected, if the full number of required visits has been completed. N/A 6. The City will prioritize project specific applications over non-project applications. This will help ensure that applicants that have projects ready for construction will receive necessary permits and may initiate construction in a timely manner. E. Site Visit Overview Hired consultants will conduct field observations to determine MPG presence on sites with potential habitat. These site visits will be conducted as follows: 1. All valid site visits must be conducted from June 1 through October 31, 2023. Site visits outside that survey window will not be considered valid. The visits were conducted according to the protocol. 2. A site or parcel is considered to be the entire property, not just the footprint of the proposed project. The entire parcel was surveyed. Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 7 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 3. Sites with less preferred soils (see Attachment A) will be visited two (2) times, at least 30 days apart. 4. Sites with more preferred soils (see Attachment A) will be visited two (2) times, at least 30 days apart. The surveys were conducted according to the protocol. 5. Site conditions must be recorded on a data sheet or similar information documented in narrative form. A template data sheet can be found on the city website at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/gopher-reviews/index.html The data sheets are provided in Appendix C. 6. Document and describe which areas of the parcel cannot be screened due to limited accessibility and/or dense understory. This should be depicted on an aerial or site plan submitted to the city. 7. The ground must be easily visible to ensure mound observation and identification. Request mowing if necessary to ensure visibility. Wait two to three weeks after mowing before beginning screening. The ground as visible. http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/gopher-reviews/index.html F. Detailed Field Methodology 1. The survey crew orients themselves with the layout of the property using aerial maps, and strategizes their route for walking through the property. 2. Start GPS to record survey route. 3. Walk the survey transects methodically, slowly walking a straight line and scanning an area approximately 2-3 meters to the left and right as you walk, looking for mounds. Transects should be no more than five (5) meters apart when conducted by a single individual. 4. If the survey is performed by a team, walk together in parallel lines approximately 5 meters apart while you are scanning left to right for mounds. The surveys were conducted according to the protocol. 5. At each mound found, stop and identify it as an MPG or mole mound. If it is an MPG mound, identify it as a singular mound or a group (3 mounds or more) on a data sheet to be submitted to the city. (City has developed data sheets for your use on http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/gopher-reviews/index.html ) 6. Record all positive MPG mounds, likely MPG mounds, and MPG mound groups in a GPS unit that provides a date, time, georeferenced point, and other required information in City GPS data instruction for each MPG mound. Submit GPS data in a form Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 8 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 acceptable to the city. City GPS Data instruction can be found at http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/permitting/gopher-reviews/index.html N/A 7. Photograph all MPG mounds or MPG mound groups. At a minimum, photograph MPG mounds or MPG mound groups representative of MPG detections on site. No MPG mounds were found during the survey. 8. Photos of mounds should include one that has identifiable landscape features for reference. In order to accurately depict the presence of gopher activity on a specific property, the following series of photos should be submitted to the City: • At least one up-close photo to depict mound characteristics No MPG mounds were found. • At least one photo depicting groups of mounds as a whole (when groups are encountered). N/A • At least one photo depicting gopher mounds with recognizable landscape features in the background, at each location where mounds are detected on a property N/A • Photos can be taken with the GPS unit or a separate, camera, preferably a camera with locational features (latitude, longitude) N/A • Photo point description or noteworthy landscape or other features to aid in relocation. Additional photos to be considered. N/A • The approximate building footprint location from at least two cardinal directions. N/A • Landscape photos to depict habitat type and in some cases to indicate why not all portions of a property require gopher screening. Photos are in Appendix A. 10. If MPG mounds are observed on a site, that day’s survey effort should continue until the entire site is screened, and all mounds present identified, but additional site visits are not required. No mounds were found. 11. In order for the city to accurately review Critical Area Reports submitted in lieu of City field inspections the information collected in the field (GPS, data sheets, field notes, transect representations on aerial, etc.) shall be filed with the City. GPS No mounds were found, the information was submitted in an acceptable format. Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 9 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 3.0 CURRENT CONDITIONS AND METHODS Land Services Northwest conducted surveys on June 6, 2024, and July 10, 2024 in accordance with the MPG survey protocol. The parcel is predominantly a mowed field. There is a home and a mobile home located on the southeastern corner of the property. A Yelm School District bus storage facility and a storage facility are located to the west. There are single family residential developments to the south and southeast and undeveloped land a commercial facility to the north. 4.0 RESULTS No Mazama pocket gopher or mole mounds were found on site. No Garry oaks were found on site. No Mima mounds were found on site. . Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 10 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Appendix A – Photos Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 11 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 12 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 13 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 14 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 15 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 16 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Appendix B - WDFW Priority Habitats and Species Map Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 17 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 18 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 19 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 20 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 21 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 22 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 23 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 24 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Appendix C - MPG Transect Maps and Survey Forms Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 25 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 26 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 27 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 28 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024 Barghauses MPG Absence Report - 29 - Land Services Northwest July 10, 2024