Salmon Habitat Conservation Snoqualmie/Skykomish Watershed (WRIA 7)

Attachment A

Revised Regional Task Force (RTF) Funding Principles

On April 30, 1998 the Regional Task Force met to consider the amendments to the Regional Funding Principles which the Central Puget Sound Watershed Forum had suggested. The following text reflects the changes which were agreed to at that meeting.

1. The Regional Task Force, composed of three representatives each from the Snoqualmie, Sammamish, Lake Washington/Cedar, Central Puget Sound and Green/Duwamish Forums, has discussed issues related to major river flooding, preserving and restoring fish habitat, and protecting and restoring the water quality in their watersheds. These issues are not solely the responsibility of local governments. Federal, state, and tribal governments and property owners are all stakeholders and have a responsibility to assist in funding the projects and programs needed to reduce flooding, protect the fisheries, and improve water quality. The Task Force recommends that the region's local governments work together through their watershed forums to lobby both the state and federal governments for funding assistance to match the local funding initiatives. The Task Force also recognizes that the region has an interest in these issues, and recommends that the region consider funding for the following:
1. protection of key parcels of land for fish habitat along with restoration which is necessary to allow the stream habitat to function. Where possible, protection should be accomplished through conservation easements, acquisition of timber rights, public benefit rating system, and other mechanisms short of fee simple acquisition. The region should focus first on time-critical acquisitions where the opportunity to preserve the fish habitat will be lost if the land is not protected.
2. habitat restoration which enhances ecologically significant fish runs.
3. regionally-coordinated monitoring of fish runs and evaluation of habitat improvement projects to ensure that the region's fish habitat expenditures are being appropriately targeted.
4. water quality and watershed restoration and protection support services such as coordination of monitoring (data collection, studies, evaluation) and public education programs. Regional support for such services should be conditioned by a requirement that local jurisdictions, both cities and the County, establish and enforce protection requirements.
5. assistance in protecting the water quality of Lake Sammamish, which is considered a regional resource; these efforts may include acquisition/protection of key forest lands. This regional effort should be matched by funding and establishment of appropriate regulations and enforcement by the surrounding jurisdictions, and by funding and application of appropriate protection measures by developers and homeowners surrounding the lake.
6. assistance in protecting the water quality and habitat in King County's near-shore waters of Puget Sound, which are considered a regional resource; these efforts may include such activities as acquisition/protection of key waterfront lands, stream and nearshore habitat improvement projects, shellfish protection measures, and estuary restoration projects.
7. home buyouts in flood hazard areas where there is a high risk to public health and safety and where the property has other regional benefits such as valuable fish habitat or open space or providing a link to a trail system. Regional funds should only be used to purchase homes constructed before floodplain mapping or sensitive areas regulations were in place.
2. In addition, the Task Force also discussed the following issues and recommends that:
   1. the region will consider helping watersheds fund levee maintenance and improvements if the watershed raises a portion of the funds and if local jurisdictions in the watershed have regulations to ensure that further development will not need flood assistance or cause additional flooding.
   2. the region should decide on a case-by-case basis whether to provide technical assistance and/or funding for gravel removal, depending on both the cause of the problem and to whom the benefits will accrue.
   3. detention ponds should not be funded regionally. They are a watershed, sub-watershed or local expense, depending on the number of jurisdictions in the affected basin, just as are the other local drainage expenses which will continue to be the responsibility of the local governments.
   4. a task force comprised of staff from the local governments should be established to recommend minimum surface water, water quality and flood hazard reduction standards and minimum funding levels as the benchmark for the condition that the region will only invest in jurisdictions where there are adequate regulations and funding in place.

Nothing in the above Principles is meant to change the earlier Regional Needs Assessment for Surface Water Management agreements about the responsibilities of local governments (cities and the County as a local service provider). Local governments continue to have responsibility for drainage and conveyance services within their jurisdiction. Protection and restoration of streams which run primarily within one jurisdiction are the responsibility of that jurisdiction. Each jurisdiction is responsible for enacting and enforcing land use policies and regulations and adopting and funding local surface water programs to accomplish water quality and habitat protection and flood hazard reduction.