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A RESOLUTION relating to the Green River System-Wide Improvement Framework; appointing members of a Lower Green River Corridor Plan Advisory Committee and establishing a Technical Working Group.
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WHEREAS, in light of tribal correspondence regarding alleged violations of treaty rights and the Endangered Species Act ("ESA"), the King County Flood Control Zone District ("District") has consulted with staff for the Seattle District of the United States Army Corps of Engineers ("Corps") regarding its March 21, 2014, Interim Policy for Determining Eligibility Status, specifically the Corps' policy not to conduct ESA Section 7 consultation for system-wide improvement framework ("SWIF") plan acceptance; and
WHEREAS, on February 16, 2016, the board of supervisors of the District adopted Resolution FCD2016-05.2, which approved and submitted to the Corps the System-Wide Improvement Framework Interim Report; and
WHEREAS, the District desires to move forward with a Lower Green River Corridor Plan to address the broader objectives supported by stakeholders and partners who participated as SWIF advisors; and
WHEREAS, this can best be achieved through a long-range planning process that includes a SEPA programmatic environmental impact statement ("EIS") that can analyze cumulative impacts and reasonable alternatives for accomplishing project objectives of flood protection, economic vitality, salmon recovery, water quality, habitat restoration, recreation, agriculture, housing, equity and social justice and other issues to be defined through the EIS scoping process: and
WHEREAS, a goal of conducting a joint Plan and EIS process is to achieve consensus among permitting agencies for programmatic permits or batched permits to reduce permitting approval time and costs for capital projects within the Lower Green River Corridor; and
WHEREAS, Resolution FCD 2016-5.2 established the Lower Green River Advisory Committee, with ...

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