CITY OF SEATTLE
ORDINANCE __________________
COUNCIL BILL __________________
title
AN ORDINANCE relating to the management of the South Fork Tolt River Municipal Watershed; authorizing ecological forest thinning projects in accordance with the South Fork Tolt River Watershed Management Plan in Sections 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, and 35, Township 26 North, Range 9 East, W.M.; declaring the logs resulting from said projects to be surplus to the City’s needs; authorizing the sale of such logs pursuant to applicable City contracting and surplus property sale procedures; and directing use of the proceeds therefrom to fund Plan implementation.
body
WHEREAS, the South Fork Tolt River Watershed has been an essential source of water supply for the City of Seattle supply system for over 40 years since completion of the Tolt Dam and Reservoir; and
WHEREAS, in 2011 Seattle Public Utilities approved the South Fork Tolt Watershed Management Plan (Plan) which reaffirms the importance of stewardship of the Tolt Watershed water supply and provides policy direction in seven resource areas, including watershed protection, forest resources, aquatic resources, fish and wildlife, invasive plant species, cultural resources, and transportation; and
WHEREAS, the City-owned portion of the South Fork Tolt Watershed supports dense second-growth forest, the condition of which would be greatly improved with active restoration management, with the exception of 400 acres that are old-growth forest and will be protected from further management activity; and
WHEREAS, the City’s forest management objectives, as described in the Plan, are to promote the development of old-growth forest conditions, improve habitat for wildlife and fish, increase resilience to disturbance, improve future timber value, and maintain water quality; and
WHEREAS, ecological thinning results in marketable timber that can be sold as surplus property under applicable City contracting procedures, to offset costs of restoration activities; and
WHEREAS, Seattle Public Utilities staff conducted ecological thinning on 250 acres and produced approximately 3.8 million board feet of merchantable logs from 2011-2015 under Ordinance 123680;
WHEREAS, to continue implementation of the Plan, Seattle Public Utilities staff will conduct ecological thinning on 330 acres, producing up to 4 million board feet of merchantable logs over the next five years; NOW, THEREFORE,
BE IT ORDAINED BY THE CITY OF SEATTLE AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. The Director of Seattle Public Utilities is hereby authorized to contract, pursuant to applicable City contracting and surplus property sale rules, for the services of ecological thinning of approximately 330 acres of second-growth forest stands located within portions of Sections 25, 26, 27, 29, 30, 32, 33, 34, and 35, Township 26 North, Range 9 East, W.M., over the next five years (2016-2020) under the principles and procedures described in the South Fork Tolt Watershed Management Plan (Plan), and to contract for the sale and removal of merchantable logs downed as a result of such ecological thinning. The Director of Seattle Public Utilities shall, no later than March 31 of each year, submit to the Mayor and City Council a report for the previous calendar year describing the timber volumes sold and the proceeds derived from sales authorized by this section, an estimate on what tree cutting is anticipated in the next year, and an analysis of the cumulative effects of these projects. A public hearing having been held, the logs resulting from the planned ecological thinning projects authorized by this ordinance are hereby declared to be surplus to the City’s needs. The Director of Seattle Public Utilities is further authorized to conduct all related monitoring, surveys, and other such activities as may be required by the City’s commitments in the Plan.
Section 2. Proceeds from the sale of logs authorized by Section 1 of this ordinance shall be recorded as Water Fund (43000) revenue to offset the costs of implementing the Plan.
Section 3. This ordinance shall take effect and be in force 30 days after its approval by the Mayor, but if not approved and returned by the Mayor within ten days after presentation, it shall take effect as provided by Seattle Municipal Code Section 1.04.020.
Passed by the City Council the ____ day of ________________________, 2015, and
signed by me in open session in authentication of its passage this
_____ day of ___________________, 2015.
_________________________________
President __________of the City Council
Approved by me this ____ day of _____________________, 2015.
_________________________________
Edward B. Murray, Mayor
Filed by me this ____ day of __________________________, 2015.
____________________________________
Monica Martinez Simmons, City Clerk
(Seal)