King County Wastewater Treatment Division
Habitat Conservation Plan

King County's Wastewater Treatment Division conducted a comprehensive analysis of its effects on vulnerable species, including chinook salmon and bull trout. This analysis helped us understand how to best avoid and further reduce the environmental impacts of our activities on these species.

WTD conducted this study to develop a habitat conservation plan, or HCP, with comment and assistance from the National Marine Fisheries Service and U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.

After an intensive review of the best available science and discussions with federal agencies, King County's Wastewater Treatment Division determined that most of its activities don't harm species listed as threatened.

Under the federal Endangered Species Act, developing a habitat conservation plan is voluntary. The process requires advance large-scale mitigation and complex adaptive management strategies in exchange for certainty about requirements for protecting threatened species.

Because of findings that most WTD activities don't harm listed species, WTD discontinued work on the HCP.

To avoid or minimize any potential harm, the WTD and its contractors follow best management practices in facility operation and construction, as required by most local, state and federal permits. To improve efficiency, WTD wants to know about other special protective measures that may be needed so its projects include them from the start.

WTD is now working with federal agencies in exploring other ways to work out specific project requirements in advance. Those consultations are with the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service and the National Marine Fisheries Service of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. The consultations are based on Programmatic Section 7 in the federal law.

For more information or to provide comments

Please contact Steve Gilbert by e-mail or at 206-684-1243.