QUILCENE — Jefferson County is going ahead with the purchase of 2.5 acres of land that is subject to flooding, with the aim of restoring the parcels as salmon habitat.
Contact owners
At a Monday afternoon meeting, the county commissioners unanimously authorized Tami Pokorny, an environmental health specialist for the county, to contact the five owners of the properties with purchase-offer letters and facilitate the purchase and sale agreements.
All of the property owners have agreed to sell, according to District 3 Commissioner Kathleen Kler.
Salmon habitat
According to the agenda request, salmon habitat associated with the lower half of the Big Quilcene River is adversely affected by levies and other constraints across the river’s natural flow across the floodplain, where the properties are located.
“Property acquisition is necessary to the implementation of a restoration design intended to recover fish habitat and reduce flooding of developed areas,” according to the request.
The properties in the floodplain have a combined area of about 2.5 acres, according to Pokorny.
Abuts county land
Two of the properties are bordered on three sides by county-owned land that was similarly acquired, while a third property abuts land owned by the state Department of Fish and Wildlife.
The full restoration project, with an estimated cost of $690,695, would be funded with grants from the state Recreation and Conservation Office and the Salmon Recovery Funding Board.
An independent appraisal and review conducted by consultants Rick Wells of ACE Professional Services and James B. Price from Appraisal Services Northwest sets the value of the parcels at $208,000.
The grant amount to be used for property acquisition adds up to $228,700.
Buildings demolished
If the purchase occurs, all of the three existing buildings on the parcels will be demolished and the area restored to a natural state, Pokorny said.
Pokorny said there is no timeline for the project, although the grants have a two-year lifespan.
The county is administering the project in cooperation with the Hood Canal Salmon Enhancement Group.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
