An upcoming proposal by Commencement Bay Development will negatively impact Sequalitchew Creek.

If you care about what happens to your community, it’s time to speak up and make your voice heard.  Please consider writing in opposition to this development.  Further details on how to submit comments and suggested ideas on what to say are included below. Public comments are due before 4pm on November 28.  Here is the recent public notice:

Notice of Land Use Application
Creekside Village Sensitive Area Application

Barghausen Consulting Engineers, on behalf of Commencement Bay Development, filed a Type III land use application with the City of DuPont on September 30, 2011 to construct a left turn lane in the Center Drive right-of-way that crosses over Sequalitchew Creek.

Sequalitchew Creek is classified as a sensitive area by the DuPont Municipal Code. The application was determined complete for processing on October 26, 2011. The DuPont file number is SAO 11-01.

The subject site is owned by the City of DuPont. Pierce County has not assigned an Assessor’s Parcel Number to the site.

A Type III land use decision and Type II environmental decision must be obtained from the City of DuPont. The public may comment on this Notice of Type III land use application by submitting written comments to the City of DuPont no later than 4 p.m., November 28, 2011.

Please contact Bill Kingman, AICP, Planning Manager, at 253-912-5393 (phone), 253-964-1455 (fax), or bkingman@ci.dupont.wa.us, or mail at 1700 Civic Drive, DuPont, 98327, for additional information.

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Why is DuPont’s Sequalitchew Creek Important to Our Community?

DuPont Environmental code clearly explains the importance of the areas designated as “sensitive” in our city.  This includes Sequalitchew Creek, a designated “sensitive area” which is a vital part of our ecosystem.   Sequalitchew Creek delivers services and economic value to our community by providing water purification, carbon sequestration (helps clean the air we breath), and erosion prevention to other areas within the watershed.  If we allow this valuable part of our community to be harmed or destroyed, the place we call home will be harmed.  Is this what we want?

Here is what our environmental codes says in part about sensitive areas in DuPont:

Chapter 25.105 SENSITIVE AREAS

25.105.010 Purpose.

(1) Wetlands, hillsides, and streams, and the buffers of these areas together constitute environmentally sensitive areas that are of special concern to the city of DuPont.

(a) Wetland ecosystems in the city of DuPont support a diverse, unique and rich group of plant and animal life. Habitat is especially productive at the interface between land and water ecosystems. Some species require wetland habitats for breeding, nesting, rearing of young, and feeding. Wetlands in DuPont also have a positive effect on water quality downstream or in aquifers by removing pollutants through the processes of sediment trapping, nutrient removal, and chemical detoxification. Wetlands also regulate the flow, retention and release of stormwater to surface and ground water systems. Eleven of the 14 wetlands identified in DuPont appear to be hydrologically connected to ground water sources. Development in wetlands can, therefore, result in: increased soil erosion and sedimentation of downstream water bodies; degraded water quality in streams and aquifers; loss of wildlife habitat; loss of ground water discharge and recharge areas; loss of stormwater retention and detention capacity.

(b) Stream corridors in DuPont are habitat for both upland and downstream terrestrial and aquatic plant and animal life. As uplands are developed stream corridors become places of refuge for many wildlife species, providing food, water, cover, and space. Vegetation on stream banks and ravine sidewalls provide food and nutrients to the stream ecosystem, siltation, and provide cover necessary for wildlife, maintaining stream maintain soil stability which reduces erosion and downstream stem temperature and chemical requirements critical for certain aquatic species. Development in stream corridors can, therefore, result in: siltation of streams, damaging spawning grounds, aquatic insect populations and young fish, filling stream channels and causing flooding; loss of stream corridor vegetation; loss of wildlife habitat; stream channelization causing increased stream velocity and erosion of stream banks and ravine sidewalls.

(d) The majority of DuPont is undeveloped and is in large part covered by second growth forest. As such the city provides habitat to a variety of wildlife and plant species. As development occurs remaining undisturbed open spaces in the form of the sensitive areas regulated by this chapter will become increasingly important in maintaining plant and animal populations for priority species identified by the state and the city. In addition these areas will become important features in maintaining the aesthetic and natural character of the city.

(2)  The purposes of this chapter are to protect the public health, safety and welfare by preventing the adverse environmental impacts of development listed in subsection (1)(a) of this section, and by:

(a) Preserving and protecting environmentally sensitive areas by regulating development within them and their buffers;

(b) Educating the public as to the long-term importance of environmentally sensitive areas and the responsibilities of the city to protect and preserve the natural environment for future generations;

(c) Encouraging a policy of no net loss of wetland and stream function, value and area within the city;

(d) Preventing adverse cumulative impacts to water quality, wetlands, stream corridors, and fish and wildlife habitats;

(e) Protecting the public from injury, loss of life, property damage or financial loss due to erosion, landslides, soil subsidence or steep slope failures;

(f) Providing the city of DuPont with information necessary to approve, condition, or deny public or private development proposals;

(g) Alerting appraisers, assessors, owners and potential buyers or lessees to the development limitations of environmentally sensitive areas;

  We need your help to ensure the protection of a valuable community asset:  Sequalitchew Creek

Please consider contacting Mr. Kingman to immediately to let him know that the protection of Sequalitchew Creek is important to you – and that you do not support any proposal by Commencement Bay Development that will negatively impact Sequalitchew Creek.  Stress that development in wetlands can result in: increased soil erosion and sedimentation of downstream water bodies; degraded water quality in streams and aquifers; loss of wildlife habitat; loss of ground water discharge and recharge areas; loss of stormwater retention and detention capacity.  Sequalitchew Creek delivers services and economic value to our community and you expect it to be protected.

Let the city of DuPont and Mr. Kingman know that damaging Sequalitchew Creek is an unacceptable part of Commencement Bay Development’s development proposal, and that you expect the city of DuPont City Council to uphold our environmental code and the community’s interest in protecting the area’s environmental and water resource values by declining their development proposal.

If you prefer to send a hard copy letter, send it to:  Bill Kingman, DuPont City Hall, 1700 Civic Drive, DuPont, WA  98327.

Please visit our website at SaveOurCreek.info and sign up to receive our email action alerts.  We need your help to protect the creek, and signing up for our email list allows us to send you timely and important messages.

The Sequalitchew Creek Watershed Council was formed in 1995 and has worked to protect the vital ecological functions of Sequalitchew Creek and Edmond Marsh.

But, we can’t do it alone.  We hope you’ll join our efforts; together, we can and will protect the Sequalitchew Creek Watershed and our community for future generations to come.

Sincerely,

Sequalitchew Creek Watershed Council