Notes
Letter dated December 5, 2001 from Sarah Suggs, Wetlands Specialist, Washington State Department of Ecology (Northwest Regional Office) to Grant Beck, Director, San Juan County Permit Center, regarding the Ayer property wetland restoration proposal on Orcas Island. Ecology characterizes the proposal as a wetland conversion (not restoration) under Chapter 90.48 RCW and Chapter 173-201A WAC, involving Phalaris arundinacea (reed canarygrass) removal, excavation of approximately 2 acres of Semiahmoo muck wetland to 3–15 feet depth, and replanting to create aquatic bed/open water system stocked with cutthroat trout. Concerns raised include: use of Wetland Evaluation Technique (WET) instead of Washington State Wetland Function Assessment Method; hydrologic impacts to downstream wetlands fed by peat soil groundwater; tannin release and low pH limiting invertebrate habitat; and inadequate Phalaris control performance standards. U.S. Army Corps of Engineers permit also noted as potentially required. Wetland consultant Amanda Azous prepared the Non-Compensatory Type 1 Proposal for Wetland Restoration (June 2001) and Wetland Boundary Determination Final Report (May 2001).