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HomeMy WebLinkAboutMoratorium Waiver Request for BLD2001-00073 - BLD Permit / Conditions - 3/12/2001 Aank Yam..C`ty hanhe)rhy Lake Education and Re/seahch Centeh „:r. . . . . .�-::....... P. 0 . Box 789 Shetton, Wazhington 98584 Phone 360-426- 1687 March 12, 2001 Mason County Planning Department Attn: Mr. Michael MacSems P.O. Box 279 Shelton, WA 98584 RE: Frank Family Foundation permit#BLD2001-00073 Dear Mr. MacSems: We appreciate the opportunity to describe and discuss with you the future of the Frank Family Foundation's Cranberry Lake Education and Research Site. We are requesting a forestry dependent waiver of the six-year building moratorium placed on this parcel. Ken and Katherine Frank donated this 640-acre parcel to the Frank Family Foundation in December of 1993. The Board of Directors for the Foundation include: Norm Eveleth, President, Bill Batstone, Vice President; Laurie McClanhan, Secretary/Treasurer, Teri King, Education Director; Patti Case, Ron Godwin, Lyle Coleman, Ken and Katherine Frank. The Education committee is comprised of local educators and state agency personnel from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Natural Resources, University of Washington, and Washington State University. The College of Forestry Resources at the University of Washington has mapped and cruised the timber and developed a GIS based landscape management system for our management of the site. Included in this are polygons set aside for research and educational projects, buildings and structures needed for the operation of the property as well as the forest stand types. We would like to share with you two segments from our Strategic Plan for the property that we think will help you better understand the vision and educational objectives. The vision statement and educational objectives are attached to this letter. The Foundation has had since its inception the plan on building a new care taker residence and building to facilitate learning and the improved use of this working tree farm. Currently the Foundation has a building permit request in to Mason County(BLD2001- 00073). This request is for a caretaker residence to replace an existing structure in an adjacent area. The live-in caretaker is critical to the Foundation to help prevent theft of trees and brush, fire safety,protecting and preserving the aquatic habitat,maintenance and monitoring of the dam and public safety and health. Once the caretaker residence is in the building phase,the Foundation is proposing the development of a building approximately 24' x 36' to house two restrooms and a small meeting space so that we can meet our educational and research needs. This building is proposed for the location currently occupied by the existing caretaker residence. In August of 1997,the Board requested and received a Forest Practices Permit(FPA #2404142)to remove storm-damaged timber due to the ice and snow from the winter storm of 1997. The removal of the timber impacted by the winter storms was necessary for the health of the standing trees,public safety and the prevention of fire. With the new FPA regulations and forms,the applicant filed for the entire 640 acres to be covered by the permit since the tree damage was scattered all over the property. The forester that applied for the permit was unaware of the implications of designating the entire section for downed timber removal and therefore did not exclude the intended building sites from the application. This is an oversight that will not happen again. We respectfully request a forestry dependent building waiver of the six-year building moratorium associated with the development of this site so that the caretaker residence and education building,two integral pieces of our plan to realize the successful management of this timber farm, can be constructed. The Foundation would be happy to sit with you and answer any questions you might have regarding the property and the vision we have for its future as a research and education site. Thank you for your consideration of this request. Sincerely, Bill Batstone Vice President Frank Family Foundation Vision Statement The vision for the Frank Family Foundation Property is that the property will be sued for the following compatible purposes: Serving as an Educational Facility by: -Demonstrating long-term, sound, well-reasoned, and best management forestry practices, including harvesting. -Modeling past,present, and future forest management techniques, -Maintaining and documenting a variety of forest stand types, -Creating a history of Cranberry lake and surrounding property, -Providing an education and research facility to be used to study forest and watershed environments. Being Economically Self-Sustaining by: -Utilizing profits earned form the sale or lease of forest products to provide for the maintenance of the property, -Developing research facilities and underwriting research activities by applying for and receiving educational and research grants. Engaging in Forest Management Practices which: *Keep the property attractive and park-like in its appearance, -Maintain the undeveloped shoreline around Cranberry lake, -Provide a habitat for native fish, wildlife and flora, mixed forest species and special forest products, -Provide limited and selective access to approved individuals. Education Objectives • Provide an outdoor classroom and field laboratory for local school children to learn about the ecology and management of forest-related resources, such as; trees and all other associated forest vegetation; air, water, and aquatic resources; geology and soils; wetlands; fish and wildlife; insets, fungi and micro-organisms; aesthetics; recreation; and cultural resources. -To provide a forested setting for use by a variety of academic disciplines (e.g. history, mathematics, art, etc.) -Provide an educational site that youth groups (e.g. 4H clubs, Boy Scouts, Girl Scouts, etc.) can use to learn about forestry and forest—related resources and develop their outdoor skills. • Provide a site for youth and youth group `conservation projects". -Provide a site for training teachers and youth group leaders who will conduct educational activities for youth. -Provide a demonstration and education site where forest landowners can learn about management alternatives that may help them manage their own properties. -To demonstrate the effects of management practices using `treated; vs. untreated' comparison sites. -To demonstrate integrated management techniques that benefit multiple resources including trees and associated forest vegetation, wildlife, and aquatic resources. -To demonstrate new and innovative resource management techniques that may be of interest to forest owners. -To provide a site for educational events for forest owners. -To provide a site to educate community leaders and citizens about forest resources and management of those resources. -To provide a site for colleges, universities, agencies and others to conduct forest and aquatic-related scientific research and/or install field trial plots. -To invite and encourage field trials and scientific research applicable to the management of non-industrial private forestlands. -To assist in the development and oversight of educational projects and to assure that field studies planned and carried out under any of the objectives are conducted in a scientifically credible manners but consistent with the ability levels of those conducting projects.