Link to Google Doc, "Rate of Urbanization and Forest Harvest in Thurston County 1985-2001 (final report Jan. 2002)"
Yelm Loop Stage II Plan
Critical Areas Map - This map upon loading will indicate the large gray area that is labeled YELM. Under the gray area are locations of Prairie Oaks which are obscured on this map from the Thurston County Planning Office. They've been sent an email and this is the Thurston County response:
"... the choice to make cities opaque is very deliberate. Thurston County has no jurisdiction over anything inside city limits, so to avoid misleading citizens we do not show information for the cities in any county maps..."
The Thurston County Critical Areas map used this reference for Oak Prairies
OAK-DOMINANT FOREST OR WOODLAND CANOPY
Description: Greater than 25% crown cover of Oregon white oaks in the main and upper canopy layers and <25%>50% relative cover of natives) and located on glacial outwash, rock outcrop or coastal bluff landforms; verified in the field. Minimum map unit approximately 5 acres for prairies on glacial outwash landforms, 1 acre for balds on rock outcrop landforms or grasslands on coastal bluff landforms. May be smaller if contiguous with other grassland cover types.
SEMI-NATIVE GRASSLAND
Description: Herbaceous vegetation (<25%>
I do not see where it has been determined that the economic impact of this loop would be beneficial vs. ??? (we are in a recession currently and this project is unfunded and seemingly ?)
See also "TRPC 510 Yelm Loop Yelm Community Blog Determination of non-significance - "As this is a non-project action, environmental impacts to specific sites will be evaluated at the time the improvement is initiated." (*notes Garry Oaks *no note of impact to prairie *no note of impact to surrounding communities outside of the Urban Growth Area.) See Plants 4.c. & Animals 5. b.
New Pride of the Prairie Opens - no photos of landscaped area.
The mapping provided for Critical Areas that included Oak Prairies in
Thurston County is insufficient. The area identified as YELM obscures
the data the map intended to represent and display. It is a simple
map symbol choice error that can be fixed through choosing a map
symbol for the area of YELM that is not opaque and would allow for the
yellow/green areas of Oak Prairie to be properly identified as the WA
DNR map intended. I requested this yesterday via email to the
Thurston county GIS and planning as well as sending the request to the
WA DNR. (This was intentional per Thurston County mapping see above answer.)
This does not solve the Yelm Loop Stage II issue, however,
that will pass through areas of oaks in Yelm's Urban Growth Area. One
would think, considering that Yelm's motto "Pride of the Prairie" that
they would properly identify Oaks and Prairies within Yelm and its
Urban Growth Area.
* if you are quick.....
you can hit print screen to identify (only briefly) the areas obscured
under the gray area of YELM as the pdf loads. The green and yellow
areas will load first before being oscured by YELM. :)
(1) http://www.co.thurston.wa.us/planning/critical_areas/maps-2010/Prairies.pdf
The Biological Assessment for the Yelm Loop Stage II project was
indicated by the WADOT as complete in December 2007.
I cannot find it online either through City of Yelm, or WADOT website.
It would be an interesting read if found.
This document from City of Yelm indicates that the Draft BA was
completed by WADOT in May 2007.City of Yelm indicated that Garry Oaks
were present in their Environmental Checklist for the Updated
Transportation Plan URL (2) Item 4.c List threatened and endangered
species known to be on or near the site - Garry Oaks. City of Yelm
recognized the Garry Oak as threatened or endangered, but leaves it
obscured in their mapping of Updated Transportation Plans. Oh well,
maybe its just a mapping error.......
(2) https://docs.google.com/viewer?a=v&pid=explorer&chrome=true&srcid=0B5dWTSbMv7AYY2VkZjQ4MTEtZWI2ZS00ZjY0LWIwYzYtNWU4NmJjZWY4NGEy&hl=en
I have not noticed anything on the WADOT website with regards to
Biological Assessment content or BA references that include
information about Garry Oaks. And could not find the Yelm Loop Stage
II BA or Draft BA at WADOT.
(3) http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Environment/Biology/BA/BAcontent.htm#ProjectInfo
I wanted to know if the WADNR mapping included information from the
database below.
University of Washington Herbarium
Search Results
Exported from http://biology.burke.washington.edu/herbarium/collections/vascular/search.php
May 8th, 2009 at 8:34am PST
Your search query was: Genus = Quercus, Species = garryana
93 records.
Was this information from the herbarium used in the map?
"The historical specimen data from the Burke Museum was not used in the creation of the oak-prairie maps..." WA DNR
One of 93 records included an oak in Yelm and was cited in the year
1891. Is it dead or alive? UNKNOWN
When will the Oak Prairie map be updated?
"We will up-date the oak layer as funding and time allows." WA DNRCity of Yelm does not utilize Thurston County Critical Areas Oaks and Prairie's map originating from WA STATE DNR. City of Yelm informed me that they build customized maps based on city needs.
The City of Yelm does not produce or utilize the critical areas maps you reference, which are produced by Thurston County. I can only speculate that the reason they do not clearly show protected oak stands within the City limits or urban growth area is because the purpose of these maps is to show such areas within the County. The City maintains its own GIS system that we utilize to review development applications and to help in long range planning activities. The City does not publish separate critical area maps, but rather produces custom maps as required for such activities. The data the City utilizes is the best available from Thurston County and Washington State.Pending Question:
What mapping information is being used by your GIS Dept. to identify
Critical Areas of Oak Prairie's in the City of Yelm and its Urban
Growth areas?
See also: Pending question ignored
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